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| Plot Summary of Death Duties |
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Perseverance Press, Sept 2004, 13.95, 288 pp.
ISBN 188028474X
Thirty years ago, in Port Silva, California a young girl was raped and killed putting the whole town on edge. A few days later, two anonymous calls were made stating that Edgar Larson, thought to be an upstanding citizen, was seen molesting children. Although the police tried to keep his name out of it while they investigated the charges, pretty soon all of Port Silva Knew about the anonymous calls. Unable to cope with the loss of his reputation, Larson committed suicide. The tragedy is that soon after he died, a drifter was caught molesting a young child.
Edgar Larson's granddaughter Christine Larson hires Patience Smith, Investigations to find out who the miscreants were that placed those phone call to the police and eventually drove her beloved grandfather to suicide. While Patience and her daughter Verity Mockeller interview people who were living in Port Silva at the time of the tragedy, they also take the case of eighty year old Ruth Ellis who wants them to find out what happened to her only living relative, her niece Toni. Both cases almost get Verity killed by a perpetrator who wants certain skeletons to stay buried.
This small town private investigative mystery is reminiscent of the British Village mysteries. It is filled with eccentric characters, helpful neighbors and a police department that reluctantly gets some evidence needed to solve a case from the proud investigative team of Patience and Verity. They are both strong women who respect each other so much that they are able to happily co-exist in the same house as friends. Janet LaPierre writes novels that the audience wants to read.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Death Duties |
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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
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 80%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- solving long-past murder
Kind of investigator
- hard boiled/private eye
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in small town
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?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- wealthy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
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
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 2
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Click here for more information about this book
Janet LaPierre Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Harriet Klausner
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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