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Poison Heart
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Plot Summary of Poison Heart
"At a breakfast get together with friends, Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins is told about the problems Margaret Underwood is having with her stepmother, Patty Jo Tilde, now that her father, Walter, has had a stroke and is in a nursing home. Later, Margaret calls Claire and asks her to go to Margaret's family home with her to speak with Patty Jo. Patty Jo is not keeping up the farm and plans to sell it to Daniel Reiner and auction off the household. Margaret doesn't think she has that right. Claire and Margaret plan to stop her.

During the night, neighbors spot the Tilde barn in flames. The fire department arrives in time to save the other farm buildings, but the barn is lost. Margaret and Claire suspect arson and begin to suspect Patty Jo might be the culprit. Meanwhile, Claire's sister Bridget has separated from her husband and moves into Claire's old place of residence with her daughter Rachel. This home is also set on fire, a case of arson. Walter, although beginning to get well, suddenly dies. Are all these instances coincidence? Claire means to find out.
"

Jan Lamers, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Poison Heart
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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 - 50%




Tone of story - Dry-cynical
How difficult to spot villain? - Somewhat obvious
Time/era of story: - 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Special suspect? - relative
Misc. Murder Plotlets - "All in the family" murder
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: - police/lawman
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 - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - homemaker
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
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - farm
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 2
Unusual forms of death - poisoning
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Poison Heart
Body of Evidence by Stella Cameron
Sweet and Deadly by Charlaine Harris
Ash Child by Peter Bowen
Bones In The Attic by Robert Barnard
Death Splits a Hair by Nancy Bell


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Mary Logue Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Jan Lamers  

SCHOLARS:
Harriet Klausner  


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