| When the body of powerful Hollywood publicist Lindsey Alexander is discovered in her hot tub, a handwritten suicide note at the scene, police assume the obvious. But not everyone believes Lindsey killed herself. Convinced that the handwriting is a forgery, her associate, Ivan Novak, retains acclaimed expert Claudia Rose.
As Claudia knows from personal experience, Lindsey was sneaky, cruel, and ruthless. But even Claudia is unprepared for the discovery of Lindsey's unsavory secret, and it soon becomes clear that several of the publicist's celebrity clientele, including a State Senator and a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, had good reason to hate and fear her. Answering an urgent summons, Claudia finds Ivan Novak the victim of a brutal attack, but when the LAPD shows up, she is immediately put on the defensive by investigator Joel Jovanic and sparks fly. The heat ratchets up when a series of disturbing events put Claudia herself at risk, including a burglary, menacing emails, and a shooting. When a Halloween night cruise in the Pacific sets the scene for dangerous confrontations, Detective Jovanic is called away, leaving Claudia on board unprotected, not realizing that he is delivering her directly into the hands of a killer. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given Time/era of story: Misc. Murder Plotlets - Big focus on forensic evidence 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: - 40's-50's Has special powers? Yes Magical/mental powers of main character: Ethnicity/Race Setting United States Yes The US: - California Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - descript of kissing Unusual forms of death - asphyxiation Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
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