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Chamomile Mourning
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Plot Summary of Chamomile Mourning
"

Berkley, May 2005, 21.95, 336 pp.
ISBN 0425202518

In Charleston, South Carolina, Theodosia Browning's Indigo Tea Shop is a smashing success. Theodora's contribution to the first Poet's Tea is moved indoors to the Heritage Society when the weather turns nasty. During a presentation given by Drayton Conneley, a shot rings out and a man falls off the balcony and lands on Theodosia's cake. The killer escapes and the gala obviously ended early.

She was the last person to see auction house owner Roger Crispin alive when she brought him a cup of tea in the balcony. The police question her and Gracie Venable who is just about to open a store near the Indigo Tea Shop. Haley, another co-worker of Theodosia's, is friendly with the woman and is upset that the police are looking at her as a suspect because she was having an affair with the married Roger. His wife, a mover and Shaker in Charleston, is putting pressure on the police to look at Grace as the killer, leaving it to Theodosia and company to find the real killer.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Chamomile Mourning
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 - 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? - feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - small businessman
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - small businessman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - revenge
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Southeast

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 1
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Chamomile Mourning
Bead on Trouble by Barbara Burnett Smith
The Girl Next Door by Patricia MacDonald
Death in a Beach Chair by Valerie Wolzien
Dead Man's Bones by Susan Wittig Albert
Murder of the Month by Elizabeth C. Main


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Laura Childs Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Harriet Klausner  

SCHOLARS:
David Loftus  Abby White  


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