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Death on the Downs
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Plot Summary of Death on the Downs
"When retiree Carole Seddon decides to take a walk and explore the South Downs of the town of Weldisham she gets caught in a sudden rainstorm. She runs for shelter in an old barn where she finds two fertilizer bags stuffed with human bones. Once she gets back to the town she reports her find to the local police. News travels quickly in Weldisham and before her ride home arrives the news of her discovery is the talk of the local pub. The townspeople think the remains may be of a missing girl named Tamsin Lutteridge.

Carole retuns home to Fethering and tells her friend and neighbor Jude about the bones and the missing girl. Jude knows Tasmin and is able to locate her at a retreat run by a new age healer. Carole returns to Weldisham looking for clues but the townspeople are reluctant to open up to an outsider. When she and Jude figure out the identity of the victim and her killer a number of past secrets are revealed and another murder takes place."

Chris Curtis, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Death on the Downs
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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 - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Challenging
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70%
Misc. Murder Plotlets - solving long-past murder
Kind of investigator - british mystery (I say!)
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: - retiree
Age: - 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - British
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - writer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Intelligence - Average intelligence
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? - 3-4
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Death on the Downs
Mrs. Mallory and Death in Practice by Hazel Holt
A Ghost in the Machine by Caroline Graham
Murder on Rye by Shirley A. Prather
Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death by M.C. Beaton
Amendment of Life by Catherine Ard


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Simon Brett Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Chris Curtis  

SCHOLARS:
James Craver  


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