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Death of a Trickster
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Plot Summary of Death of a Trickster
"

Berkley, Dec 2004, 6.99, 224 pp.
ISBN: 0425199460

Halloween is right around the corner and people are getting ready to celebrate. The town has taken an economic upswing ever since they converted the place into a colonial village where residents dress in period costumes. Tourists stay at the restored button factory converted into an inn. Mayor Peggy Turner, who also owns a hardware store, is at loggerheads with the new Chief of Police Henry Cartwright, who she believes is impugning on her territory.

Henry thinks that whoever is stealing the skeleton Buddy from the lab and leaving him dressed up in clothes so he looks like a corpse should fall under his jurisdiction, but Peggy takes care of it because she knows it is silly schoolboy pranks. When ailing elderly Luigi Alsop vanishes, Peggy organizes the search. They find him in a cave next to Henry's dead son. Many folks believe Luigi killed the lad because the deceased was harassing and terrifying the older man's granddaughter. Peggy thinks otherwise and sets out to prove her assertion.

This New England cozy contains a very interesting mystery because of the attitudes of the locals who pull together in good and bad times. Neighbors know they can count on one another for help (a friend in need is not a pest as it seems in most places today). Peggy as the activist mayor symbolizes all that is good in this small town. Readers will also gain a feel for life in a New England village, but it is the unusual situations that Peggy and her best friend seem to and in find themselves in that make for a fun regional tale.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Death of a Trickster
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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%
Kind of investigator - amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - life in small town
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - politician/elected ruler
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
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: - police/lawman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - revenge
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: - Northeast

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 1
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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