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| Plot Summary of Birds of a Feather |
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"
Soho, June 2004, 25.00, 320 pp.
ISBN 1569473684
It is more than fifteen years after the Great War ended and England is recovering even though the depression makes the division between the classes more noticeable. Masie Dobbs was lucky to find a patron who funded her studies in nursing and psychology. She served as a nurse in France where she was injured and her great love Simon came back from the war in a catatonic state that has not lifted since his return. Masie works as a private investigator, who uses meditation as a way of opening up her senses to the world around her. Although her methods of combining investigation with psychology are unusual, it always works.
Rich supermarket magnate Joseph Waite hires Masie to find his daughter Charlotte who has a habit of running away from home even if she is thirty-seven years of age. Masie deduces that she left the day she saw in the newspaper that one of her old friends from boarding school was murdered. Two more of charlotte's former friends die and a white feather is found on or near each murder victim. Masie must find a way to keep Charlotte safe and bait a trap to catch the killer.
Readers will thoroughly enjoy this delightful and charming mystery and find themselves interested in the historical details of England between the wars. The protagonist is not a radical feminist but an independent person who believes that she is as capable as any man in her chosen profession. Although she has known much sorrow, she is a kind-hearted and generous person who cares about people, especially those who are suffering the aftereffects of WWI. BIRDS OF A FEATHER will definitely appeal to fans of great mysteries.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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"Wealthy businessman Joseph Waite hires British private investigator Maisie Dobbs to find his missing daughter, Charlotte. Maisie and her assistant, Billy, soon discover that two of Charlotte's old friends have been murdered. When they find that a third friend is believed to have committed suicide, Maisie and Billy are convinced that Charlotte is in danger.
In order to find Charlotte and identify the killer, Maisie must draw on her own training in psychology and meditation as well as her links to a Benedictine Abbey. Her job is complicated when her father is seriously injuried and Maisie must arrange for his care as well as confront the emotional gap that has grown between them since her mother's death. During the investigation, Maisie is also reminded of her fiance, lost to her in WWI, 13 years earlier.
Maisie ultimately realizes that feelings of loss drive the murderer and that Charlotte's past is the key to the mystery. She struggles with investigators from Scotland Yard, convinced that they have their man, and meets an intriguing doctor who points her toward the final key to the mystery."
rebecca cornia, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Birds of a Feather |
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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 - 40%
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
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- 1930's-1950's
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
- 80%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
- Killer purposely leaves clues
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
- british mystery (I say!)
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- searching for missing person
- feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- private investigator
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- killer
- homemaker
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
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
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Jacqueline Winspear Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 rebecca cornia
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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