| After Goldy caters a college advisory dinner at Elk Park Preparatory School, the private school which her son Arch and live-in helper Julian attend, she finds the body of the senior class valedictorian in the snow on the school grounds. When she calls home, she also finds out that that night a rock was thrown through an upstairs window in her house, where 12-year-old Arch spent the evening alone. The next day Goldy starts getting hang-up calls, and she realizes the rock was not an accident. After a few other things happen at her house, Goldy begins to wonder whether the death of the valedictorian and the goings-on at her house are linked.
Even though Tom Schulz, the local homicide detective, is in charge of the case, Goldy keeps her eyes and ears open as she caters different events at the school and around town. She sees vandalism at the school, and competition among the parents of the top-ranking seniors, especially when a college recruiter comes to town. She also finds out that the valedictorian had been working on something he planned to submit to the local paper, something that could have made someone else want to stop him. Goldy shares all this information with Tom, and at the same time their relationship begins to heats up. | ||
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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: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60% Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? 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 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story? Yes Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Eccentric: Yes Motive of antagonist - jealousy How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting United States Yes The US: - West Small town? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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