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Requiem for a Mezzo
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Plot Summary of Requiem for a Mezzo
"Celebrated mezzo soprano Bettina Westlea was singing in an excellent performance of Verdi's Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall when she collapsed on the stage and died. In the audience were Daisy Dalrymple, author and amateur sleuth, and her very close friend, Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher. Alec immediately started his investigation of what was apparently a poisoning in full view of hundreds of people. Daisy was drawn into the investigation because Bettina Westlea had been her next door neighbor. Bettina had been an unpleasant, demanding, and self-absorbed person; and Daisy and Alec face a difficult job finding the murderer in the large group of possible suspects which includes rival singers, jealous wives of Bettina's lovers, family members, and even a political terrorist."
Linda Bertland, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Requiem for a Mezzo
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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)
Time/era of story: - 1900-1920's
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - nearly 100%
Murder of certain profession? - musicians
Kind of investigator - british mystery (I say!)
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - writer
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - British
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

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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Death at Glamis Castle by Robin Paige


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Carola Dunn Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Krysten Weller  

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