Morrow, August 2004, 23.95, 320 pp.
ISBN 0380978695
The owner of the popular bed and breakfast Hillside Manor, Judith McMonigle Flynn is having a nice day when her cousin Renie asks her to go to the old neighborhood to see Moonfleet, a beautifully looking home badly in need of repairs. The owners of the home have lived there for over five decades but nobody has ever really talked to them. They keep to themselves and have their food delivered. Their sister Sally lives with them but she is as reclusive as they are.
While casing the premises, Judith and Renie meet the dairy man who tells them he never sees the occupants of Moonfleet. A UPS truck delivers a package to them leaving it outside their home. He tells the cousins that once a year on the same date the package is delivered to that address. When Judith goes shopping, she finds the murdered body of the dairy man in the trunk of her car. The mystery surrounding Moonfleet becomes very personal to the cousins so they seek answers.
The latest Bed-and-Breakfast mystery is a great amateur sleuth story due mainly to the heroine. She has to keep her husband from finding out about her investigation, find her lost precious cat and cope with the marital woes of her son and her daughter in law while solving a mystery. This is a fabulous book in a fantastic mystery series. Mary Daheim deserves a career achievement award for her continuous high quality and unique originality.
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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
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
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
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- small businessman
Age:
- 40's-50'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
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
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:
- Pacific NW
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
