| Plot Summary of Stealing Shadows |
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"Cassie ran to North Carolina in the hopes of finding some peace after a little girl dies. Cassie helps cops find missing people--only that time, she wasn't exactly right. But, when she arrives at her aunt's home, she's almost immediately drawn into a series of murders because she sees where the first victim will be found--making herself a suspect. Despite the fact that she wanted to avoid using her gift, she lets the local judge, Ben Ryan get close to her and act as her anchor while she looks for clues. As the situation becomes more desperate, Cassie realizes that the only way to find the killer is to enter his mind...and she may not come back out."
Sarrah, Resident Scholar
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"This Book is About a psychic named Cassie who has helped the police many times in the past but a mix up in a recent case that ends in the death of a child causes her to move to a small town where she hopes to get away from her visions. Soon enough Cassie finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery of a totally different kind because someone with strong powers of their own is stalking women in the small town she lives in and unless she can find out who it is she might be next."
alison ferrer, Resident Scholar
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"Cassie Neill is a psychic and she wants to use her gift responsibly. She helps the Los Angeles police catch murderers. But once in a while she makes a mistake. One time when she's trying to help, an innocent child dies. She is so upset that she feels she needs to get away. She goes to a small North Carolina town where she has a house left to her by an aunt.
But even here she can't escape her psychic abilities. She knows a murderer is stalking young women here. The sheriff won't listen to her, so she goes to Judge Ben Ryan. Not only does he believe her, but he is attracted to her, and becomes her friend. Twice Cassie predicts a murder, carried out by a very cruel and crazed individual. To prevent the next one, she has to actually enter the guy's head. This is very scary and dangerous. Ben is concerned and now even the sherriff, Matt Damon, knows she's not just a phony. Cassie helps find the killer, a young loner from the neighbourhood. But she also discovers there's more to it. This killer was driven by a much more evil man who was controlling the loner's mind. When this evil man realizes what Cassie is trying to do, it can mean a fate worse than death for her. Ryan is kidnapped by this individual, and Cassie fears she has lost Ryan, but, again, with her psychic abilities and Ryan's smart thinking, and with Matt's policing skills, things come to an interesting end.
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Tena van't Foort, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Stealing Shadows |
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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 - 16.7%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 16.7%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 26.7%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 80%
Special suspect?
- investigator him/herself
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
- Killer purposely leaves clues
Kind of investigator
- psychic investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
The crook is....
- stalking/killing innocents
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards lover
Crime Thriller
Yes
Mostly a criminal POV story
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Age:
- 20's-30's
Has special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- can read emotions
- mind reading
- clairvoyant
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
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Has special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- mind control
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
- dumb rednecks, like Gomer Pyle
- hostile, like Gomer Pyle on steroids
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
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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