"In a French village near the Riviera, on the eve of World War II, mild-mannered teacher Josef Vadassy stops to pick up his vacation photos. Before he can admire the fruits of his favorite hobby, he is promptly arrested for espionage. It seems Vadassy captured some secret battlements on film without knowing it.
The enigmatic police interrogator offers the dumbfounded Vadassy a deal: spy on his fellow hotel guests. If the real villain in unmasked, the teacher can return to Paris in time to start his new term, only three days away.
Reluctant at first, the young sleuth gets carried away in his role as master spy and causes his police chief trouble. "
Karen Boyd, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of Epitaph for a Spy
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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 - 50% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- Dry-cynical
Time/era of story:
- 1930's-1950's
Spying/Terrorism Thriller
Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets:
- stopping a saboteur/spy
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
War-time military intelligence mission?
Yes
Who's the terrorist enemy here?
- nazis!
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- teacher
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- French
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- healthy but a geeky weakling
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- spy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
The antagonists are:
- nazis
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- France
Small town?
Yes
Misc setting
- resort/hotel
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 0 (not a murder mystery)
Amount of dialog
- mostly dialog
