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Maggie Needs an Alibi Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Maggie Needs an Alibi


In this first book of a new series by Michaels we are introduced to Maggie Kelly, a writer of Victorian crime novels. Things are just getting started when her ex-boyfriend dies on her couch after dinner, and the police suspect she did it! She starts questioning her sanity when a gorgeous man,(and a silly sidekick) show up in her apartment and are identical to the main characters in her books. Try dealing with two strange men that know everything about you, but are living in the Victorian ages, and a cop interested in you for all the wrong reasons!
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The review of this Book prepared by Manda






Kensington, Jul 2002, 20.00, 310 pp.
ISBN: 1575668793

Six years ago, Toland Publishing fired midlist romance writers including Maggie Kelly better known as historical author Alica Tate Evans. Rather than cry in her tea, Maggie switches genres trying her word processing on the Regency mystery sub-genre. Creating amateur sleuth hero Viscount Saint Just and his sidekick Balder, Maggie uses the “O” filled pen name of Cleo Dooley. She quickly becomes a New York Times best selling author.

Maggie begins to wonder what is in her tea when Saint Just and Balder appear in her Manhattan apartment. As they drive her crazy, Maggie feels responsibility for the duo even though they adjust to modern life like ducks to water. When Maggie's publisher Kirk Toland dies after dining at her home, the police suspect the author killed him, as they were former lovers. Naturally Saint Just reverts to character and investigates the homicide in his nineteenth century aristocratic manner that skewers urbane urbanites.

Renowned writer Kasey Michaels takes the trendy dive from romance to mystery with MAGGIE NEEDS AN ALIBI, but does not just add a lot of suspense to a tale of love as commonly done with the switch. Unlike Maggie, Ms. Michaels needs no alibis as she satirizes the publishing industry where small success mean downsizing. The amusing story line contains an entertaining who-done-it starring a wonderful heroine and her now living Regency characters learning the uses of plastic faster than solving the case. This cast humorously skewers anyone in its path while making this novel into a deserving sure shot bestseller.

Harriet Klausner

The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner



Chapter Analysis of Maggie Needs an Alibi

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases 10%Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 50%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 30%How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) 10% Tone of story    -   very upbeat How difficult to spot villain?    -   Difficult, but some clues given Time/era of story:    -   2000+ (Present) What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot?    -   60% 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:    -   writer Age:    -   20's-30's Ethnicity/Race    -   White/American

Setting

United States    -   Yes The US:    -   Northeast City?    -   Yes City:    -   New York

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment Explicit sex in book?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   vague references    -   descript of kissing Unusual forms of death    -   poisoning Unusual form of death?    -   Yes Amount of dialog    -   mostly dialog    -   roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

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