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Two Dead, One to Die
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Plot Summary of Two Dead, One to Die
"

IUniverse, 2004, 17.95, 310 pp.
ISBN: 059526414X

In Oakland, communication expert Darby Hill is expected to find a means to sell Terra Tech video game arcade to the public as a nice place to have a good time in a science oriented virtual reality medium. The project would be fun except that her former lover Curtis is her team worker and is a competitor for a promotion. Darby has not forgiven him for cheating on her.

When an elderly man charges into their office, Darby is shocked by how shook up Curtis seems though he tries to hide his reaction. Darby knows nothing affects the composed Curtis who tries to tap dance out of her questions. When the old man is found dead, Darby is unable to mind her business, visits the morgue, and begins making inquiries over the objection of her peers especially Curtis. Not long afterward, Curtis is also murdered and Darby realizes she in trouble as someone has taken advantage of her curiosity and set her up to take the fall as a murderer. Now her investigation turns personal and deadly.

Though curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction will bring the reader back for more works starring delightful amateur sleuth Darby Hill. The story line is fun to follow once the audience accepts that Darby is better than the professionals (police and coroner) at their jobs. Darby is more than just the center that holds the plot together; she is charming, enthusiastic, and dedicated as she realizes how far corporations will go is the bottom line.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Two Dead, One to Die
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70%
Special suspect? - investigator him/herself
Misc. Murder Plotlets - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator - amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - business executive
Age: - 20's-30's
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 - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - California

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 2
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Two Dead, One to Die
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Six Strokes Under by Roberta Isleib
Just Murdered by Elaine Viets


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