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| Plot Summary of Death in a Beach Chair |
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"
Fawcett, March 2003, 6.99, 272 pp.
ISBN 0449007197
One miserable sleety day in New Jersey, suburban housewife Susan Henshaw decides she needs a vacation in a warm and sunny locale. When she talks the matter over with her friend Kathleen Gordon, the two women agree that they need to get away with their respective husbands Jed and Jerry to a tropical island. After researching where to go on the Internet, Susan finds that the Compass Bay resort on a tiny Caribbean island meets all their needs.
The Gordons arrive a day ahead of the Henshaws but fail to meet their friends, which Susan thinks is very odd. What is even stranger is Jerry's withdrawn attitude and unexplained disappearances. When a beautiful woman staying at the resort is killed, it is discovered that she is Jerry's dead wife's sister. The police arrest Jerry but he is not at all worried because he knows Susan will solve the homicide just as she has done many times before.
After reading DEATH ON A BEACH CHAIR in February, readers will want to take a vacation to a Caribbean Island because it seems so warm and paradise-like. Valerie Wolzien has written an upbeat lighthearted amateur sleuth tale full of witty repartee and humorous situations that the heroine finds herself in constantly. Nobody will guess who the killer is because, although it makes sense in a Monday morning quarterback way, it still comes out of left field
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Death in a Beach Chair |
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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?
- 80%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
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
- Female
Profession/status:
- homemaker
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
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:
- servant
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
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
The Americas (not US):
Yes
The Americas:
- The Caribbean
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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