Book reviews

N is for Noose
Sue Grafton Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Sue Grafton Books
New book search
Sue Grafton Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of N is for Noose
"Selma Newquist understands that her husband, Tom's carelessness about diet, smoking and exercise led to the heart attack that killed him. But she can't accept not knowing what had him so stressed out in his last months of life that he was losing weight, not sleeping and constantly nervous. She hires detective Kinsey Milhone to find out.

Kinsey soon discovers that virtually everyone in Nota Lake County idolized Tom and dislikes Selma. Most people in town see Kinsey's job as digging up some kind of dirt on Tom, and they are wary of her. One night, a mysterious assailant attacks her in her motel room and dislocates two of her fingers.

As she digs into Tom's last few months, she finds he was working on a double murder – one killing in Nota Lake and the other near Kinsey's home town of Santa Theresa. Investigating that side of the case gives her an excuse to go home for a few days and enjoy familiar surroundings and the company of friends.

In Santa Theresa Kinsey discovers enough about Tom's case to return to Nota Lake, where she is now so unwelcome even the gas station attendants refuse to serve her. It seems the whole town is united to keep the secret of what Tom knew about the murders and why it might have upset him. Kinsey realizes that someone in town may be afraid enough of what she'll find to kill her – and he nearly does.
"

David Gordon, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of N is for Noose
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 - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Challenging
Time/era of story: - 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 80%
Misc. Murder Plotlets - solving long-past murder
Kind of investigator - amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings of fear/loss/inadequacy
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - private investigator
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 - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - revenge
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - hostile, like Gomer Pyle on steroids

Style
Part of a series? Yes
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths? - 3-4
Unusual forms of death - hanging
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to N is for Noose
The Memory Game by Nicci French
The Burning of Rachel Hayes by Doug Allyn
Hot and Bothered by Jane Isenberg
Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House by M.C. Beaton
The Widow by Carla Neggers


Click here for more information about this book


Sue Grafton Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
David Gordon  

SCHOLARS:
Amy Honan  Crystal  Joan Sellarole  Fenella  Tena van't Foort  Mariana  BethG  Amy in Wisconsin  Felicia Jordan  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Thriller/Action books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Big vehicle disaster?

Crime Thriller

Disaster, natural or nuclear

Exploring into the wild

Horror Story?

Legal Thriller

Medical Thriller

Religious overtones?

Spying/Terrorism Thriller

War Thriller

Water adventure

Western



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Suzanne Weyn 10:35:23 PM
George W. Bush 5:33:46 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Anonymous 12:47:34 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
Jane Rubino 10:04:38 PM
LaVyrle Spencer 10:04:00 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM
Jeanette Walls 10:00:19 PM
Darryl Ponicsan 9:59:27 PM
Ann Rinaldi 9:58:30 PM
R.L. Stine 9:57:34 PM
Geoffrey Huntington 9:57:14 PM
Betty Mahmoody 9:56:38 PM
Deric Longden 9:56:11 PM
Mary Downing Hahn 9:55:48 PM
Iris Johansen 9:55:24 PM
Marlo Morgan 9:54:58 PM

More message boards