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| Plot Summary of In The Bleak Midwinter |
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"
St. Martin's, Mar 2002, 23.95, 308 pp.
ISBN: 0312288476
Though no longer with the Army, Clare Fergusson knows as a former military pilot that one flies straight to the target to get the job done. Now as the first female priest of the Millers Kill, New York St. Mark's Episcopal Church she still flies straight to the target though this time it is typically a person in need. Between her gender as the first female priest and her no nonsense straightforward demeanor, Clare annoys some of her congregation.
Clare finds an abandoned infant on the church's step. The person who left the baby behind also provided a note requesting that the child be given to Geoffrey and Karen Burns, a local professional couple seeking an adoption. As the town's chief of police Russ Van Alstyne searches for the parents, a murder occurs with the victim turning out to be the mother of the deserted baby. As Clare assists Russ on his investigation, an attraction springs up between them, but he is married and she is the new priest.
The mystery of IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER is filled with many twists and turns (unlike Clare) that are not used to further the police investigation. Instead the subplots provide insight into the key two characters, which slows down the plot, but enables the audience to appreciate Russ and Clare. Their first meeting in the hospital starts off colder then the tundra, but thaws until heat begins to emanate. Fans of police procedural cozies will delight in Julia Spencer-Fleming's warm tale and look forward to more cases starring two delightful characters.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of In The Bleak Midwinter |
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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 - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 60%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- Dry-cynical
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Religious overtones?
Yes
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- religious figure
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
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:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
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
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
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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