| Plot Summary of Dust to Dust |
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"Rebecca Reid and Dr. Michael Campbell met while they were cataloguing Dun Iain's artifacts in the book Ashes to Ashes. After months of long-distance dating, Rebecca was thrilled to be working with Michael on a dig in Scotland at the Rudesburn Priory in Eidon Hills. It was rumored that the abbey's last prioress, Marjory Douglas, still haunted its halls and that Robert the Bruce's heart was buried there and never found. Leading a group of archeology students, Rebecca was eager to uncover the priory's treasures, mythical or no.
She was also eager to determine what exactly her relationship with Michael was. However, their relationship was immediately strained when Sheila Fitzgerald, Michael's ex, showed up at the dig to film the entire event. When Sheila was found murdered a few days later, apparently with Michael's own knife, Rebecca finds herself doubting her relationship with Michael. Oh, she knows that he didn't do it, of course, but she has no idea who did.
Was it Adele Garity, an older woman who went back to school who is obsessed with New Age philosophies; Dennis Tucker, an overweight student with his own hidden agenda; Jeremy Kleinfelter, Sheila's current lover, the leader of the dig whose reputation is on the line after he as accused of salting his previous dig? Or was it someone else entirely? As Rebecca works to solve the mystery before Michael is arrested, she also has to try and council Hilary Chase, a rape victim and help her get involved in her first relationship since with Mark Owen, a fellow student. As more and more revelations come to light, Rebecca discovers that she doesn't really know anyone on the dig, including herself...
Dust to Dust is a wonderful sequel to Ashes to Ashes. It is not necessary to read Ashes to Ashes, though, as Carl does a fine job about giving the reader a little bit of background if they are not familiar with the story. Still, Ashes to Ashes is a great book so I recommend you read it. I loved this one even more than Ashes to Ashes, though, as it had more of a romance story in it. Rebecca and Michael are in that interesting stage of a relationship where they are serious enough to have to determine if what they have is worth taking to the next level or if they should just give up on the whole thing. It was also wonderful to have a dig in Scotland as the backdrop. I particularly enjoyed learning about Scottish history and the archaeological aspects were fascinating. The book is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys romantic mysteries!
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Debbie, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Dust to Dust |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Special suspect?
- lover
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- ghost buddy
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- scholar
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- killer
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
- deluded
- emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- insanity
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Misc setting
- resort/hotel
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 1
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- descript of kissing
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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