| A very pregnant Torie O'Shea and her great-grandmother Gert travel to West Virginia where Torie is given the Panther Run boarding house by Gert's friend, Clarissa Hart. Before 101-year-old Clarissa can explain why she left it to Torie, she's murdered. The boardinghouse is by no means a prize. It is run-down, panthers run freely through the land and it is shrouded in a superstition of a curse to whoever owns the estate.
Local Sheriff Thomas T. Justice seems to think it's Torie who murdered Clarissa. To clear her name Torie starts to look at the family members who were present for the reading of the will and the two boarders currently staying at Panther Run. An unusual photograph of a funeral and open casket steers Torie to look into the past. With help from her cousin Elliot who happens to work in the library nearby and from Gert's memory Torie hopes to crack the case and get home before her baby arrives. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - very upbeat How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given Time/era of story: Misc. Murder Plotlets - cooped up in spooky house What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70% Special suspect? - investigator him/herself Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 10 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - revenge How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting United States Yes The US: - Northeast Misc setting - resort/hotel Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Unusual forms of death - hanging Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
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