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The Hunter's Tale
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Plot Summary of The Hunter's Tale
"

Berkley, Jan 2004, 23.95, 336 pp.
ISBN 04421940119

Sir Ralph of Woodrim, owner of a manor house in Oxfordshire, England of 1458, is despised by his wife, his grown sons, his grandson and his young daughters. The only concern this vile man has is in the hounds and the hunt which his neighbor and friend Sir William is also interested in. One day when he goes into the woods to look for a missing hound, he doesn't come out.

Family and Sir William find him dead, his face smashed to a bloody pulp. After the funeral services are over, his wife Lady Anneys goes to St Frideswide's nunnery to regain her emotional equilibrium. Not long after she arrives, she is called home again because her stepson was accidentally killed by Sir William. Dame Frevisse escorts her home and stays to give comfort to the family, but once she arrives there she finds secrets to uncover and killers to be identified.

Readers who are interested in the Middle Ages will gain an interesting look into the lives of the minor gentry. Dame Frevisse can't stand to see a mystery stay unsolved so she does her best to learn who killed Sir Ralph, why Sir William is so interested in his deceased friend's family, and what is the secret that nobody wants to talk about or even think about. Margaret Frazer delivers another outstanding historical amateur sleuth tale.

Harriet Klausner

"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Hunter's Tale
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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: - middle ages
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? - life in that culture
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - British
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: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
Motive of antagonist - revenge
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than 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? - 2
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to The Hunter's Tale
A Play of Isaac by Margaret Frazier
A Poultice For A Healer by Caroline Roe
Heart of Vengeance by Tracey Cooper-Posey
The Owls of Gloucester by Edward Marston
Bone of Contention by Roberta Gellis


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