|
|
| Plot Summary of The Marshal and the Madwoman |
|---|
"It's hot in August in Florence. Most of the city's inhabitants flee for their annual coastal holidays, leaving the city almost a ghost town. Marshal Salvatore Guarnaccia of the Italian Carabinieri is giving his wife a driving lesson when we meet him. So many shops are closed in Florence for holidays that it's necessary for her to travel near and far to do her shopping. Turning a corner into a quaint quarter, the Guarnaccias must stop for a street disturbance. A half-naked middle-aged woman is shaking her fist from her window at a crowd of her angry neighbors in the street below. The Marshal learns the woman is mad and these disturbances aren't unusual. Quelling the near riot, the Marshal meets several of the neighborhood merchants. A few days later the Marshal is called back to the neighborhood in his official capacity. The madwoman Clementina is dead on her kitchen floor, a victim of murder. While the chief prosecutor is ready to write off the murder as a burglary gone bad, the Marshal begins to probe into why someone would want this madwoman dead. Why does she seem to have no past? Why do some of the neighbors think she wasn't so very mad at all? These are some of the questions facing Marshal Guarnaccia.
Ms. Nabb is very good at evoking a sense of place. With her descriptions, Florence springs to life. The reader feels the heat, celebrates a rainfall, and sees the unrelenting sun pounding the narrow cobblestone streets. She is also good at characterization, creating likeable, realistic people in both the major and minor characters in the book. The mystery is simple but intriquing with a sensible conclusion. This is the sixth in a series. This book can be enjoyed by anyone, from cosy lovers to police procedural buffs. The violence is minimal with no graphic descriptions. I highly recommend this mystery."
Vicky Shultz, Resident Scholar
|
"
Soho, 2003, 12.00, 223 pp.
ISBN: 1569473404
Marshal Guarnacci of the Pitti Palace Carabinieri Station was with his wife when he first met the crazy woman, Clementina, while she brawled with some guy apparently over feeding pigeons. Everyone in the working class neighborhood knows the former mental patient and many take turns feeding her.
Not long after meeting Clementina, the Marshal receives a call from bar owner Gianfranco Cini informing him that he and others broke into the room of the Crazy Woman to find Clementina dead in what looked like an amateur killer poorly trying to make it seem like suicide. Upon seeing the crime scene the Marshal knows a homicide occurred, but Clementina had nothing to offer anyone as she depended on others to survive. Guarnacci makes inquiries but seems to be going nowhere as he is constantly reminded by the Prosecutor. Still in his methodical manner, the Marshal begins finding connections to and from the victim not as visible at first glance while working a myriad of sidebars for the locals.
The Marshal Guarnacci tales are strong Italian police procedurals that focus on the secondary characters much more than the investigation. Through the actions and reactions of the support cast, the audience obtains a deep understanding of the Marshal. This case is a powerhouse as the audience observes the intriguing social relationships of this working class neighborhood that enables the reader to appreciate the lead protagonist. Though a bit different as the action takes a secondary role to the players, Magdalen Nabb provides sub-genre fans with an engrossing novel.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
|
|
| Review Analysis of The Marshal and the Madwoman |
|---|
|
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).
|
|
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 - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
- Moderately Challenging
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
- 90%
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
- police procedural, British
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Italy
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
|
|
|
Click here for more information about this book
Magdalen Nabb Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Vicky Shultz
SCHOLARS:
| |
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback
Most recent discussions:
General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
George W. Bush
12:16:44 AM
Norah Lofts
12:50:53 AM
Suzanne Weyn
4:47:34 PM
Wilma Counts
1:23:32 PM
Kin Platt
12:58:29 AM
Anonymous
12:47:34 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun
10:05:52 PM
Jane Rubino
10:04:38 PM
LaVyrle Spencer
10:04:00 PM
G.A. McKevett
10:03:31 PM
David Williams
10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield
10:02:30 PM
Jeanette Walls
10:00:19 PM
Darryl Ponicsan
9:59:27 PM
Ann Rinaldi
9:58:30 PM
R.L. Stine
9:57:34 PM
Geoffrey Huntington
9:57:14 PM
Betty Mahmoody
9:56:38 PM
Deric Longden
9:56:11 PM
Mary Downing Hahn
9:55:48 PM
More message boards
|
