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A Bitter Chill
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Plot Summary of A Bitter Chill
"Poisoned Pen Press, Sept. 2005, ISBN: 1-59058-194-6

Aurelia Marcella is preparing her inn for the coming winter celebration of Saturnalia when her brother visits with some bad news: their family are suspected of planning treason against The Emperor! Also a new gang of criminals have started a protection racket and the inn is to be a 'client'. Finally an obnoxious and influential family have stopped at the inn ... then one of them is killed with Aurelia in the Frame!
As well as detailing Roman Britain life in the furthest reaches, the innkeeper must discover an assassin in their midst before the authorities decides her family are all guilty and must be executed! "

Alan J. Bishop, Resident Scholar


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Review Analysis of A Bitter Chill
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).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 30%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story: - ancient rome
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Special suspect? - investigator him/herself
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? - running a business/making a living
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - small businessman
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 - British
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Profession/status: - criminal
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
The antagonists are: - foreign organized crime

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - farm
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Misc setting - resort/hotel

Style
Part of a series? Yes
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths? - 2
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to A Bitter Chill
White Murder by David Wishart
Old Bones by David Wishart
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Jane Finnis Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Alan J. Bishop  

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