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The Uninvited Countess
Michael Kilian Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Uninvited Countess
"

Berkley, August 2002, 6.50, 272 pp.
ISBN 0425185826

Former newspaper columnist turned art dealer Bedford Green is not financially solvent. Greenwich Village in 1925 New York City is jumping even if the gallery Bedford owns is not. Through his assistant, the beautiful Sloane Smith, Bedford is invited to a Vanderbilt society event in Newport, Rhode Island. The family wants him to find out anything he can about a Hungarian using the name of Countess Zola.

All his New York contacts never heard of the woman and when he reaches Newport, the Vanderbilts refuse to discuss her. When Sloane and Bedford skip out on the party to go to the beach, they come across the naked body of a female floating in the water. It turns out to be the body of the mysterious countess and Bedford finds himself investigating who she really was and why somebody wanted her dead.

The second installment in the Jazz Age mystery series is very atmospheric and gives the reader a glimpse of the culture of that period in Greenwich Village. The hero is a very likable and colorful chap who easily hobnobs with the rich and powerful as much as the infamous. The mystery is very complex and multi-layered, making for an enjoyable reading experience.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Uninvited Countess
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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 - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story: - 1900-1920's
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
Any non-mystery subplot? - life in that culture
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - small businessman
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - mastermind
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 - 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 - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to The Uninvited Countess
Children of the Storm by Elizabeth Peters
Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen
The Castlemaine Murders by Kerry Greenwood
Murder in the Bath by Michael Mallory
Murder in Montparnasse by Kerry Greenwood


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