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The Brush-Off
Laura Bradley Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Brush-Off
"

Pocket, May 1 2004, 6.50, 342 pp.
ISBN 0743471113

She came from a small Texas town to San Antonio to make something of herself and she talked Ricardo, the famous Beauty Salon King into giving her a job. He was her mentor and they became friends and they still had a good relationship after she left him to go solo. She runs her own salon in the historical house she restored to its former glory. After a while passes, Ricardo comes into Reyn Marten Sawyer's Salon to borrow a very sharp hair brush that he needs for a special customer.

That night he calls Reyn waking her up. She thinks his mind is a bit muddled from drink because he isn't making any sense. The next day she gets another phone call, this time from the police, telling her that Ricardo is dead and they need her to identify the body. She goes over to his home and sees that the murder weapon was the brush he borrowed from her. That and the fact that he left her his business make her a suspect in the eyes of the adorable Detective Jacks Scythe. Reyn seeks the perpetrator much to the horror and dismay of Detective Scythe.

This is the first “Hair-Raising Mystery” and it is charming, funny and exciting as Reyn runs over anyone who gets in her way once she makes up her mind on a course of action. Laura Bradley has a refreshing writing style that uses humor to diffuse some tension. As much as she tries to deny it, the heroine is very interested in the sexy detective making THE BRUSH-OFF of interest to fans of romantic mysteries.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Brush-Off
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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 - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - very upbeat
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%
Special suspect? - investigator him/herself
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

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - small businessman
Age: - 20's-30'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 - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - politician/elected ruler
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
Motive of antagonist - power
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Texas

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
Most similar books to The Brush-Off
Just Murdered by Elaine Viets
Sex, A Mystery by Fiona Quirina
Serious as a Heart Attack by Louisa Luna
Two Dead, One to Die by Louise Hoblitt
Bubbles a Broad by Sarah Strohmeyer


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