| Goldy's catering business is presently shut down because the local health inspector told her that she will need different drains to operate out of her house. The problem is that the new drains will cost several thousand dollars, and since Tom and Goldy just did some remodeling in the house, they are short of money. Goldy's friend Eileen helps her out by getting her a cooking show that will air on PBS for a few weeks, but even though Goldy appreciates it and hopes it will get her a position as a personal chef, the show itself will not provide Goldy with enough money to get the new drains.
Tom and Goldy have also tried to sell Tom's historic, signed skis valued at about $10,000, but the shops they've contacted offer them only about half that amount. Goldy decides to contact Doug Portman, a man she once briefly dated, because she knows he collects historical items. He agrees to buy the skis, but because Goldy knew Tom would not approve of her selling the skis to Portman, she asks Portman to meet her where she is filming the show. Portman agrees and brings the cash, but before the transaction can take place, he is killed while skiing. Goldy then finds out from the police that after she had dated Portman, he became the chairman of the parole board in Colorado. This makes her look suspicious to the police, as it looks like she may have tried to use the skies to bribe Portman to not give parole to her ex-husband who had been abusive to her. Then as Goldy is driving back home, she is in a pile-up that sends her van over a cliff. Miraculously, she is not killed, and she finds out later that the pile-up was not an accident. Someone deliberately hit the vehicle in back of hers to make it hit her van. Now that Goldy knows the incident was personal, she wonders whether Portman's death was not an accident either, and whether the two incidents may be linked. Goldy once again starts her own sleuthing. | ||
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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 - 30 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % 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: - Male Age: - 20's-30's Motive of antagonist - money/treasure How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting United States Yes The US: - West Mountains/Cliffs Yes Mountains: - skiing off Small town? Yes Misc setting - resort/hotel Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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