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Killing a Unicorn
Marjorie Eccles Book Review

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Plot Summary of Killing a Unicorn
"

Dunne, Jan 2005, 22.95, 224 pp.
ISBN: 0312324111

Fran Calvert is taking a walk on her husband's family estate when she finds the corpse of Bianca (Biba) Morgan near a refreshing waterfall. Fran knows that Biba and her nine years old son Jasie were brought there by Fran's brother-in-law Chip. Reflecting on the deceased Fran realizes she also knows almost nothing about the victim. She also worries that her spouse architect Mark is nowhere in sight and Jasie is missing.

The family led by the matriarch Alyssa clings to the belief that an outsider killed Biba. Inspector Dave Crouch and Sergeant Kate Colville investigate the death and quickly find ties between Biba and the third son international cello star Jonathan and Mark; they believe an inside job. As the cops dig deeper into the family, the pretense of upper crust affinity begins to unravel as each Calvert has their own agenda.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Killing a Unicorn
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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 - "All in the family" murder
Kind of investigator - police procedural, British
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

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - police/lawman
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
Ethnicity/Race - British
How sensitive is this character? - middling 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: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - wealthy
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
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

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
Most similar books to Killing a Unicorn
That Way Murder Lies by Ann Granger
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The Sting of Death by Rebecca Tope
Reflections by Jo Bannister
The Body of a Woman by Clare Curzon


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