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Better to Rest
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Plot Summary of Better to Rest
"Better to Post

NAL, Sept 2002, 23.95, 272 pp.
ISBN 0451207025

Once Alaska state trooper sergeant Liam Campbell was on the fast track to success but tragedy struck, and he fell down on the job resulting in his exile to the small fishing town of Newenham, population 2000. He quickly distinguished himself by catching a serial killer leading to his superiors wanting him back in Anchorage.

Though he would have a more powerful position with more opportunities for promotion, Liam needs to think about the offer because the woman he loves has a home and business in Newenham. He also likes the townsfolk who honor and respect him and his badge. Before he can sort out his personal life, Liam is determined to find the killer of a seventy-four year old woman who he admired and was loved by most of the locals. It's a baffling case because there isn't any suspect or even a motive yet somebody is determined to keep the truth buried as that someone tries to kill Liam before he can unmask he perpetrator.

The beauty, the grandeur, and the danger of the Alaskan frontier come vividly alive through the writing of Dana Stabenow. The protagonist is a good person and an exceptional police officer because he believes in justice yet cares about the people depending on his protection. The absorbing and believable mystery is one of the better installments in the meritorious Liam Campbell series.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Better to Rest
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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 - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Kind of investigator - police procedural, American
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - life in small town
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - police/lawman
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 60's-90's
Profession/status: - unemployed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
Motive of antagonist - insanity
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 - healthy but a geeky weakling

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Alaska

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 2
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Better to Rest
Jack In the Pulpit by Cynthia Riggs
While Others Sleep by Helen R. Myers
Have You Seen Her? by Karen Rose
Deadly Associations by Laura Belgrave
The Hot Pink Farmhouse by David Handler


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