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| Plot Summary of Murder of a Snake in the Grass |
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"
Signet, April 2003, 5.99, 272 pp.
ISBN 045120834X
When she turned eighteen, Sky Denison couldn't wait to leave her hometown of Scrumble River, a small town an hour and a half outside of Chicago. After doing two terms in the Peace Corps, she went to New Orleans where she earned a psychology degree and was engaged to a wealthy Creole aristocrat. When he dumped her, she returned to Scrumble River, broke, disillusioned and homeless. Her uncle Charlie used his influence to get her a position as psychologist for the school system and in the time she has been home, she has made a place for herself in the community.
She is therefore very unhappy when her ex-fiancé Luc St. Amant turns up wanting to reconcile and needing her to sign some papers that would put her on the board of the foundation that would help abused children. She is so upset that Luc is in town that she doesn't even want to get involved in the latest homicide case, but circumstances conspire to get her to investigate the mystery because that is the only way her ex-fiancee will be able to leave town.
Denise Swanson is one of the better new writers of amateur sleuth mysteries, a writer who shows the problems of the big city are just as prevalent in a small town. The heroine has gone from a shallow depressed person to a woman who is making a difference to the students who are under her care. Readers are going to love MURDER OF A SNAKE IN THE GRASS.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Murder of a Snake in the Grass |
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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).
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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:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
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:
- psychiatrist
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
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- politician/elected ruler
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
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
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
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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Click here for more information about this book
Denise Swanson Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Kathy Thomason
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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