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Death in a Beach Chair Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Death in a Beach Chair




Fawcett, March 2003, 6.99, 272 pp.
ISBN 0449007197

One miserable sleety day in New Jersey, suburban housewife Susan Henshaw decides she needs a vacation in a warm and sunny locale. When she talks the matter over with her friend Kathleen Gordon, the two women agree that they need to get away with their respective husbands Jed and Jerry to a tropical island. After researching where to go on the Internet, Susan finds that the Compass Bay resort on a tiny Caribbean island meets all their needs.
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The Gordons arrive a day ahead of the Henshaws but fail to meet their friends, which Susan thinks is very odd. What is even stranger is Jerry's withdrawn attitude and unexplained disappearances. When a beautiful woman staying at the resort is killed, it is discovered that she is Jerry's dead wife's sister. The police arrest Jerry but he is not at all worried because he knows Susan will solve the homicide just as she has done many times before.

After reading DEATH ON A BEACH CHAIR in February, readers will want to take a vacation to a Caribbean Island because it seems so warm and paradise-like. Valerie Wolzien has written an upbeat lighthearted amateur sleuth tale full of witty repartee and humorous situations that the heroine finds herself in constantly. Nobody will guess who the killer is because, although it makes sense in a Monday morning quarterback way, it still comes out of left field

Harriet Klausner

The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner



Chapter Analysis of Death in a Beach Chair

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases 10%Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 40%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 30%How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) 20% Tone of story    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain?    -   Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues Time/era of story:    -   2000+ (Present) What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot?    -   80% Misc. Murder Plotlets    -   Proving innocence of very obvious suspect Kind of investigator    -   amateur citizen investigator Kid or adult book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot?    -   feelings towards family/friends Crime Thriller    -   Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown)    -   Yes

Main Character

Gender    -   Female Profession/status:    -   homemaker Age:    -   40's-50's Ethnicity/Race    -   White/American

Setting

The Americas (not US):    -   Yes The Americas:    -   The Caribbean

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog    -   significantly more dialog than descript

Books with storylines, themes & endings like Death in a Beach Chair

Valerie Wolzien Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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