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| Plot Summary of The Body of a Woman |
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"
Dunne, May 2003, 23.95, 240 pp.
ISBN: 0312288212
Thames Valley Detective Superintendent Mike Yeadings recognizes the elegantly dressed body found in Shotters Wood as gift shop owner Leila Knightley. However, efforts to notify next of kin turn farcical, as no family members seem to be around in area except perhaps her husband Aidan, who is probably sleeping with someone.
The family returns home with the victim's stepdaughter Chloe coming back from visiting her grandmother in France and Leila's brother and his significant other from Scotland. Aidan provides no alibi, but recognizes the dress his wife wore as belonging to Chloe, who denies knowledge of it as hers, but admits to some memory lapses. A newspaper article highlights the dress leading to Sir Arthur Waites thinking he bought the garb for his wife years ago. Mike visits Arthur only to find weird happenings that may impact the homicide investigation.
Though the ending seems weak, the latest Yeadings mystery is a fascinating who-done-it that will keep readers enthralled until the let down final resolution. The story line is a clever English police procedural with Mike and cohorts struggling to obtain cooperation from the victim's survivors, all whom are fully developed characters. Though the climax seems pale in comparison, Clare Curzon's Thames Valley tale is a solid entry.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Body of a Woman |
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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?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, British
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
- Male
Profession/status:
- pirate
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
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?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
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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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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