| Renowned businessman Thomas Anders is found dead in his apartment in what appears to be a kinky game gone bad.
Lieutenant Eve Dallas develops an instant dislike to the picture-perfect widow, Ava Anders, on meeting her and would like to see her behind bars. But there is absolutely no way that Eve can tie her to the murder, because she was away with her friends at a far-off spa when the death occurred and her friends will vouch for it. Thomas's nephew Ben, who stands to inherit a major portion of his business will also benefit from his death, but is he capable of it? To complicate things, Ava Anders is a friend of Chief Tibble's wife and a prominent socialite, and Eve has to make sure that she does not trample on hurt feelings. Thomas's father Reginald Anders had died of a seemingly-accidental fall in his bathroom years ago, but now Eve is not so sure. Baxter asks Eve for some help with one of his cases that is still lying open. A lower-middle-class guy, a known drunk and wife-beater, was found killed in a motel. While Thomas was well-liked by everyone, all believe that Baxter's victim was better off dead. How are the two cases connected? | ||
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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? - 70% Special suspect? - lover Misc. Murder Plotlets - character killed during/after sexing - solving long-past murder 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 - 60 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Unusual characteristics: Setting City? Yes City: - New York Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy Unusual forms of death - asphyxiation Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
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