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| Plot Summary of A Death To Record |
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"
Dunne, June 2003, 24.95, 352 pp.
ISBN 03123022606
Now that BSE has subsided, TB is decimating the herds of cows all across England, and rightly or wrongly, the farmers believe that badgers are the carriers of the disease. On Recording Day, Deirdre Watson expects her time on Dunsworthy Farm to be boring as usual. However, she revises her opinion and becomes horrified when the owner of the property, Gordon Hillcock, finds the body of his herdsman, Sean O'Farrell in his barn, a homicide victim.
The lead detective on the case is Detective Sergeant Den Cooper who absolutely hates Gordon and hopes the Devon dairy farmer is the guilty party. Gordon is now seeing Lilah Beardon, the woman Den loves and had been seriously involved with for the past three years. His investigation proves to Den, his co-workers and his superior that Gordon is the most likely culprit but they have to work overtime and work around local prejudice to find evidence that will back up their hunch.
A DEATH TO RECORD is a fascinating British police procedural that focuses as much on interpersonal relationships as it does on the actual investigation. Den is a fine person who doesn't let his personal feelings for his ex-girlfriend get in the way of his doing his job to the best of his ability. The victim was a vile man who tortured animals and had a lot of enemies, which makes for a lot of suspects. The person who actually did the deed will be hard to find but Den will not rest until he does.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of A Death To Record |
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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
- police procedural, British
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards lover
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- middling 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:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- farmer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- jealousy
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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