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| Plot Summary of Payment in Blood |
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"In George's second book about aristocratic Scotland Yard detective Thomas Lynley, a theater group gathers at a remote Scottish estate to rehearse a new play, but playwright Joy Sinclair is fatally stabbed in her bed. Lynley and Sgt. Barbara Havers must tread lightly in their search for motive and murderer, for many of the suspects have known one another for years (and slept with one another); plus, Lady Helen Clyde, the woman Lynley loves, is a guest of the director and was in the adjoining room when the victim died. At first, this story looks like a standard variety-of-suspects-in-an-isolated-mansion tale, but fortunately it opens up to include London, the players' pasts, and an ancient seeming suicide in a small English village. Not as polished as George's debut in the series, _A Great Deliverance_, but a very good read nonetheless. [Note: As a John Fowles nut, I was delighted by the passing reference to "a sort of Sarah Woodruff garment that one might wear for striking dramatic poses on the Cobb."]"
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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"Inspector Lynley and Sergeant Havers are sent off to Scotland to investigate the murder of playwright Joy Sinclair at a manor house where a theater company has assembled for a reading of a new play. Major suspects include the producer, a nobleman who may be trying to protect his family from an old scandal that Sinclair may be trying to reveal in a rewrite of the play they are reading, and the director, an alcoholic who hopes to use the play for a comeback.
Matters become more complicated when Lynley discovers that the director is having an affair with Lady Helen Clark, the womanwho Lynley loves. She has come as his guest to Scotland and it seems as though the only access to the locked bedroom in which Sinclair was killed was through Lady Helen's bedroom. Lynley is convinced that the director is the killer; Havers is certain that it is the producer.
In the end the killer is caught through a ruse. Sinclair's sister pretends that she is going to go to the playwright's apartment to read through some old diaries that may well reveal the killer's identity. The police wait in the apartment for the killer to come and try to stop her."
Jack Goodstein, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Payment in Blood |
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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 - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- very upbeat
- depressing/sad
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%
- 70%
Murder of certain profession?
- writers/editors
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- cooped up in spooky house
- "All in the family" murder
- solving long-past murder
Kind of investigator
- british mystery (I say!)
- police procedural, British
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- squabbling with fellow investigator(s)/police boss
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- accused criminal
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
- middling 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
City?
Yes
City:
- London
Small town?
Yes
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--swords/knives
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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