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| Plot Summary of Murder on Nob Hill |
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"
St. Martin's Jun 2004, 23.95, 304 pp.
ISBN: 0312328559
In 1880, though females are not accepted as lawyers, twenty-seven years old Sarah Lorraine Woolson, who learned the law from her father, Superior Court Judge for the County of San Francisco, feels capable and ready. She pulls a name game ploy using her brother Samuel, which enables S.L. Woolson to gain entry into the firm of Shepherd, Shepherd, McNaughton and Hall, attorneys-at-law. Then she “steals” a wealthy client Annjennet Hannaford when the distraught widow decries a lack of legal service from the firm's lawyer Mr. Wylde. This presumptuous act forces fuming senior partner Joseph Shepherd to acknowledge Sarah as a junior associate.
Three weeks ago, someone murdered Cornelius, Annjennet's husband of seven years, leaving her as the prime suspect and without assets. Sarah immediately enables her client to obtain money while the estate remains in probate. Not long afterward, the police arrest Annjennet and her lover for the murder. While the law firm believes she is guilty, Sarah follows the money trail of how Hannaford and three partners made a fortune. When the partners are also killed as gruesomely as Hannaford, Sarah continues her inquiries while shaking up the male legal establishment.
MURDER ON NOB HILL is an entertaining historical legal thriller starring a courageous and charming champion. The story line brings to life the sexist glass ceiling that leaves competent females beneath the lowest rung of the food chain while also providing insight into laws such as the Married Woman's Property Act. Sarah is a wonderful protagonist and her firm's appointed shadow Robert, with his “wardrobe” and “courtside manner” problems, adds a touch of romantic frustration to a fine tale.
Harriet Klausner"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Murder on Nob Hill |
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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:
- 19th century
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- minority/women/homosexual issues
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
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
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
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
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
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?
- 3-4
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Shirley Tallman Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Harriet Klausner
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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