| Plot Summary of Death, Bones, and Stately Home |
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Perseverance Press. April 2003, 13.95, 288 pp.
ISBN 1880284650
In the year that Tori Miracle has lived in the small town of Lickin Creek, Pennsylvania, she has tried her best to fit in but her detractors blame her for the death of their beloved congressman and the destruction of the historical house and courthouse buildings. She still has hopes of being part of the community so she volunteers to write up the brochure for the stately homes tour.
For the first time, the group has managed to get permission to put Morgan Manner on the tour but when Tori and her best friend Alice Ann examine one of the outbuildings, they discover old bones covered in a tuxedo. Tori learns it is probably the body of Rodney Meellot, a high school music teacher, who eloped with the art teacher Emily Rakestraw. A few days later the remains of Emily are found in Bride's House. Tori is sure the two murderers are connected so she starts asking questions of the townsfolk and that is when the attempts on her life begin.
It has been a long time since a Tori Miracle Pennsylvania Dutch mystery has been published but it has been well worth the wait. DEATH, BONES, AND STATELY HOMES is a charming cozy with many amusing and whimsical moments. Valerie S. Malmont also interweaves a social issue sub-plot into the main story line, which makes the tale even more realistic without taking away from the who-done-it. Ms Malmont is one author who never fails to deliver a fascinating story.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Death, Bones, and Stately Home |
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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 - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- very upbeat
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?
- 70%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- solving long-past murder
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
- Female
Profession/status:
- journalist
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
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:
- 60's-90's
Profession/status:
- wealthy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
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?
- 2
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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