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Winter House
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Plot Summary of Winter House
"

Putnam, Oct 2004, 24.95, 320 pp.
ISBN: 03999152113

When a man enters Netta Winters' Central Park West mansion, she uses a pair of sewing scissors to kill the invader in self defense. Detectives Kathy Mallory and Riker are assigned the case. They interview Netta and her niece Bitty. Mallory's business partner Charles Butler is called to the crime scene because Bitty has pictures of him plastered all over her walls. Charles does not recall ever meeting Bitty, but also refuses to press charges of stalking against her mostly because he finds her seventy years old aunt charming.

Mallory believes that Netta killed in self-defense since the deceased had been previously charged with killing women, but how he met bail and hired a high price lawyer disturbs the cop. Also bothering Mallory is the fact that two murder weapons were used; one being an ice pick. Just under six decades ago, someone killed nine people in this house using an ice pick. Mallory believes Netta is not telling everything she knows especially where she has been for the past fifty-eight years and that the septuagenarian is in danger.


Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Winter House
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 - 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 - police procedural, American
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 - Female
Profession/status: - police/lawman
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
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: - Female
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - unemployed
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 - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 8 or more
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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