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| Plot Summary of Deadlier Than the Pen |
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"
Pemberley Press, March2004, 23.95, 266 pp.
ISBN 070272766
In New York City in 1888, there are many newspapers competing for the largest audience and very few female reporters working as journalists. Widow Diane Spaulding is one of the select few. She needs her job on the independent Intelligence, so says nothing when assigned to dig up a scandal on horror writer Damon Bathory who is on a tour giving readings from his latest book. When they meet for the very first time, both acknowledge an attraction neither wants but cannot deny
Diana, reeling from the betrayals of her late husband, is determined to keep their relationship on a business level especially when his boss tells her that in three cities that he gave readings, critics who panned him were murdered. With the help of her husband's former acting troupe, Todd's Touring Thespians, Diana is able to follow him up to Maine where he lives and see what secrets he is keeping from her. That decision puts her life in danger and the only one who can save her is the man she loves but does not trust.
Diana Spaulding is a descendant of Susanna Appleton, star of Kathy Lynn Emerson's Elizabethan series; and she has many of the Face Down protagonist's traits like stubbornness, independence and the determination to get the job done no matter what the price. DEADLIER THAN THE PEN is the first installment in what looks to be another great historical mystery series. Ms. Emerson's sense of place and the complexity of her characters make this novel standout in the crowded bookshelves.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Deadlier Than the Pen |
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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 - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 50%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- 19th century
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Murder of certain profession?
- writers/editors
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- journalist
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
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
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 3-4
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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