| This is the novella in which Doyle introduced the characters of Watson and Holmes. Our hero solves the mystery after only a quarter of the narrative, following which we travel back in time to learn the prehistory of the crime, set in the Mormon community of 1840s-1860s Utah.
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - very upbeat - How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues Time/era of story: Spying/Terrorism Thriller Yes Cloak & Dagger Plotlets: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - nearly 100% Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes General Crime (including known murderer) Yes Who's the criminal enemy here? - finding a known killer Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Main Adversary Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Setting United States Yes The US: - West Europe Yes European country: - England/UK Desert? Yes Desert: - dying of thirst, sunburn Farm/Ranch? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Unusual forms of death - poisoning Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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