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| Plot Summary of Cruel as the Grave |
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"This is the second book in a series by Sharon Kay Penman, about Justin De Quincy the lowly orphan who rises to become the queen's man. It is set in the 12th century during the strife of King Richard and Prince John. Justin, the queen's man or spy, during his free time gets involved in investigating a common local murder of a young pretty peddler's daughter who is left dead in the graveyard of a church. The clues are sparse at first from the ripped bodice, to the actual location yet slowly other small clues come forward. Who could have killed her is the big question for the suspects are her boyfriend, his jealous brother, their prideful father, her disgraced father and maybe even a stranger, each with his own motive. To the local authorities eye it looks like a rape gone wrong, but to Justin he is bound by friendship to prove the truth. Luke from the first book comes back to play the supporting role to help out in the investigation with his uncanny eye for crime scenes."
Karyn Silvan, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Cruel as the Grave |
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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
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- middle ages
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- character killed during/after sexing
Kind of investigator
- skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- spy
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- criminal
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
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Small town?
Yes
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Click here for more information about this book
Sharon Kay Penman Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Karyn Silvan
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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