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Killer Looks
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Plot Summary of Killer Looks
"

Silver Dagger, Dec 2002, 23.95, 201 pp.
ISBN 15707220x

After finishing her assignment in Indiana, Kate Kelly decides to take a mini-vacation and visit her family in Williamsburg, Va. After renting a car in Richmond, she is driving towards home when someone hits her from behind and she runs into a tree. She wakes up in the hospital and is questioned by the Sheriff who wants to know why she was carrying so much money in the trunk of her car. Kate knows nothing about it

After doing some investigating, the sheriff tells Kate that an identical car was rented at the same location to a Karen Kelly. Karen worked part time at the estate of a very rich and powerful local family, the Merrimans. After visiting a local antique store, Kate finds evidence that Karen and a male companion were selling valuable curios obtained from the Merimmann's house. Using her reporter's credentials, she persuades the matriarch of the family to do an interview with her and while at their home she discovers that at least two of the Merrimans had reasons to want Karen dead.

KILLER LOOKS is a very entertaining amateur sleuth tale starring a protagonist who will go to any lengths to uncover a clue that will lead her to a killer. The heroine is very likable and her romance with her doctor has the reader hoping he is not the actual killer. Laura Young is a fresh new star in the mystery galaxy.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Killer Looks
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 - 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: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Special suspect? - lover
Kind of investigator - amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - theft/fraud investigation
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - journalist
Age: - 20's-30's
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
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - doctor
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - jealousy
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Southeast

Style
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
Most similar books to Killer Looks
A Dose of Murder by Lori Avocato
Garden of Thorns by Lillian Stewart Carl
At Wick's End by Tim Myers
Perfect Sax by Jerrilyn Farmer
Dealing In Murder by Elaine Flinn


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