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| Plot Summary of Old Murders |
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"
Silver Dagger, May 2003, 23.95, 202 pp.
ISBN 157072217X
The small southern college town of Gallagher, Virginia might seem quiet and tranquil to an outsider but crime historian Professor Lizzie Stuart certainly knows better. A Yankee real estate executive and a local businessman are locked in a bitter battle over the fate of downtown Gallagher. Lizzie doesn't know whose ideas are the better choice but since she just accepted a permanent position at Piedmont State University, she knows she has to get involved.
Local politics become the furthermost thing from her mind when she discovers that local artist and Piedmont student RoeAnn is missing. She hasn't come home to her baby in days and the aunt that is watching him doesn't want to get the police involved. Since Lizzie's lover John Quin is the college chief of police, she notifies him, which sets in motion a series of events that end with a local lawyer being shot. A guilty Lizzie starts asking questions which brings her to the attention of somebody who will do anything to make certain some secrets stay buried.
Once again Frankie Y. Bailey has created a realistically refreshing cozy that captures the ambiance of the area and the temperament of the people who live there. One of the charms of this series is that the heroine continues to grow and change so that readers never get bored with the character. The who-done-it is well constructed and in these cases the reader is left to ponder whether the two crimes are linked or are committed by two different individuals with separate agendas.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Old Murders |
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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 - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
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%
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
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:
- teacher
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- Black
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:
- business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate 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:
- Southeast
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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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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