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| Plot Summary of Cold and Pure and Very Dead |
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Doubleday, Dec 2000, 22.95, 288 pp.
ISBN: 0385493401
In Western Massachusetts, Enfield College English professor Karen Pelletier knows that New York Times art reporter Martin Katz is bored with her. Katz, wanting to end the interview, provides a final throwaway question, what is the greatest twentieth century English novel. A facetious Karen replies the 1957 best-selling "Oblivion Falls" by Mildred Deakin. Not only is that novel mentioned in the paper, but soon Oprah discovers it too. "Oblivion Falls" becomes a best seller again.
Not long afterward, Karen receives a visit from two New York State Police Officers. Apparently, someone killed Katz in the driveway of an elderly recluse, Millie Finch, in Nelson Corners. Millie once wrote under the nom de plume of Mildred Deakin. After finishing their grilling of Karen, the two cops leave and her old "sleuthing" buddy Massachusetts Statie Piotrowski arrives to make sure the professor butts out of the investigation. However, with the encouragement of her daughter, Karen joins the case as an unwanted voluntary literary investigator only to learn that the lurid subplots of "Bolivian Falls" really happened.
The fourth Professor Pelletier mystery is an amusing, well-written amateur sleuth tale. The story line is fun as the courageous Karen investigates another homicide, but this time away from the college. Karen is a fabulous lead character and the remaining cast divides into three groups: academia, law enforcement, and literary. Each group augments the plot while providing insight into Karen's personality. Sub-genre fans will want to read Joanne Dobson's newest novel because it is simply very entertaining.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Cold and Pure and Very Dead |
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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
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 50%
Murder of certain profession?
- businessmen
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- scholar
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an above average amount
Motive of antagonist
- jealousy
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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