Kate Klein Borowitz, homemaker and mother of three kids (Sophie and twins Sam & Jack) is living in Upchurch, a small town in the suburbs of Connecticut. Kate's husband, Ben Borowitz, is a workaholic who owns his own political consulting firm. As a former journalist/writer who lived and worked in Manhattan, Kate is now a full-time mother dealing with playdates, the supermommmies of suburbia and the post pregnancy pounds that just seem to linger around her waistline. When one of the most glamorous mommies, Kitty Cavanaugh, invites Kate over to her house, Kate is thrilled by the invitation. Kitty informs Kate that they have an acquaintance in common, although she does not reveal the name of the person. When Kate shows up at Kitty's house, kids in tow, she finds Kitty murdered in her kitchen with a knife sticking out of her body. Kate immediately uses Kitty's phone and calls the police. Kate is even further shocked when she spies a piece of paper by Kitty's phone with an all too familiar New York telephone number on it. The phone number belongs to Evan McKenna, Kate's ex boyfriend and the one who got away. For reasons unknown even to herself, Kate seizes the piece of paper so that the police don't see it. Kate deduces that Evan was the acquaintance that she and Kitty had in common. Kate becomes consumed with Kitty's murder, and against the advice of the police and her husband, starts sticking her nose in Kitty's personal and professional business. Kate discovers that Kitty was the ghostwriter for a popular television personality, Laura Lynn Baird. Kitty wrote the column The Good Mother which was attributed to Laura. After doing a little digging Kate discovers that Laura and Kitty had a very lucrative book deal in the works. Kate wonders if the book deal was a motive for murder. With the help of her zany best friend, Janie Segal, Kate hits the trail and starts zooming in on suspects. Despite her personal feelings Kate knows that she has to face the possiblity that her old love Evan could be the murderer. As Evan pops back into the picture Kate must deal with lingering feelings for her old love and catch a killer. | ||
Plot & Themes Tone of story - Dry-cynical How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given Time/era of story: Misc. Murder Plotlets - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 50% Special suspect? - lover Murder of certain profession? Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 10 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - none Setting United States Yes The US: - Northeast Small town? Yes Misc setting - fancy mansion Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references Unusual forms of death - perforation--swords/knives Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |