| This is the second book in a series by Sharon Kay Penman, about Justin De Quincy the lowly orphan who rises to become the queen's man. It is set in the 12th century during the strife of King Richard and Prince John. Justin, the queen's man or spy, during his free time gets involved in investigating a common local murder of a young pretty peddler's daughter who is left dead in the graveyard of a church. The clues are sparse at first from the ripped bodice, to the actual location yet slowly other small clues come forward. Who could have killed her is the big question for the suspects are her boyfriend, his jealous brother, their prideful father, her disgraced father and maybe even a stranger, each with his own motive. To the local authorities eye it looks like a rape gone wrong, but to Justin he is bound by friendship to prove the truth. Luke from the first book comes back to play the supporting role to help out in the investigation with his uncanny eye for crime scenes. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) Time/era of story: Misc. Murder Plotlets - character killed during/after sexing Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - money/treasure How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting Europe Yes European country: - England/UK 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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