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Murder Can Ruin on Your Shower
Selma Eichler Book Review

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Plot Summary of Murder Can Ruin on Your Shower
"

Signet, Mar 2003, 5.99, 272 pp.
ISBN: 0451208234

With her sister Margot still in Florida recovering from an ankle injury, private investigator Desiree Shapiro takes her niece Ellen to a surprise wedding shower at the Silver Oaks Country Club in Forsythe, Long Island. While everyone eats salad, the groom's Aunt Bobby Jean Morton keels over and dies. Everyone attending the event except Desiree and Ellen and perhaps the victim's sister-in-law apparently hated the trice married Bobby Jean.

The groom Mike Lynton, who might have been the only living person quite fond of his aunt, calls Desiree to hire her to investigate the death of his aunt. She refuses his offer of money though she could use the cash as the Manhattan sleuth considers him family and plans to make her own inquiries. Now if the plump Desiree can only be as confident with her attraction to smallish neighbor Nick Grainger as she is in trying to solve a homicide, life would remain still broke, but perfect.

The latest Desiree Shapiro tale is an exciting private investigator tale that is fun to read because of the delightful cast, especially the heroine. The who-done-it is cleverly designed so that the reader receives clues to narrow down the myriad of suspects who attended the luncheon and wanted Bobby Jean dead. However, Selma Eichler's novel belongs to everyone's favorite sappy sucker Ms. Shapiro and the supporting ensemble who make this lively widow so much fun to watch in action whether it is questioning a suspect or trying to pick up the neighbor in the supermarket.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Murder Can Ruin on Your Shower
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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? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Murder of certain profession? - "All in the family" murder
Kind of investigator - hard boiled/private eye
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - private investigator
Age: - 20's-30's
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 - quite fatty

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50'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? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
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 - significantly more dialog than descript
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