Avon, July 2004, 6.50, 256 pp. ISBN 0060723475 Nina Collette Quinn thought she had the perfect life doing the work she loved and being married to the man she thought was her love buddy. One day while washing Kevin's boxers she notices lipstick on them; she confronts her husband, who confesses that he is cheating on her. She kicks him out but her stepson Riley remains behind with her. Her landscaping business, Taken by Surprise, is booming, but someone is stealing her equipment and with three ex-cons on her payroll, she has many suspects to choose from. Her oldest friend Bridget finally gets pregnant and Nina is delighted though she becomes worried when she learns that her friend's father-in-law was murdered even though the police think he died of natural causes. Nina volunteers to help find the killer but while investigating, she almost is killed by one of the suspects. A short while later one of Nina's suspects is killed and her fingerprints, which she failed to wipe off, lead the police to her as the number one suspect. Heather Webber's debut mystery is fascinating as the heroine copes with a divorce, a recalcitrant stepson who is part of a school gang, a business that is losing valuable equipment, and the death of a man who was her mentor. Nina copes with all these problems admirably and investigates the two murders although it means putting herself in danger. Readers will admire Nina and eagerly await the next mystery starring this intrepid champion. Harriet Klausner | ||
Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70% 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 - 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: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Female Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - insanity How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting United States Yes The US: - Midwest Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |