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| Page, Katherine Hall | The Body in the Bookcase |
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Publication Date |
1998 |
| Number of Pages | 242 |
| Geographical Setting | Small town of Aleford in New England's Massachusetts |
| Time Period | Present day |
| Series | This is the ninth book in the Faith Fairchild mystery series. |
| Similar Authors/Titles | Diane Mott Davidson/Goldy Schulz culinary mystery series |
| Plot Summary | Caterer Faith Fairchild and her family are victims of a burglary soon after another such burglary takes the life of her elderly friend, Sarah Winslow. While planning a lavish wedding meal for the spoiled Stephanie Cabot and her ultra-fab mother, Courtney Cabot, Faith sets out to reclaim her missing antiques and find the man or woman behind the death of Sarah. She finds herself drawn into a ring of corruption within New England's antique circles, coming ever closer to the killer...and to imminent danger. |
| Appeal | Gently
humorous portrayal of eccentric New England customs and inhabitants. Strong female character who takes matters into her own hands. Fast-moving plot with clever and suspenseful twists. |
| Notes | Recipes for the dishes mentioned throughout the story are included. Katherine Hall Page is the winner of the Agatha Award for mysteries. |
| Reviewer/Date | Mary Pezzetti 7/17/00 |
| Pearson, Ridley | The Pied Piper |
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Publication Date |
1999 |
| Number of Pages | 511 |
| Geographical Setting | Seattle, New Orleans, and small-town California |
| Time Period | Present day |
| Series | One in the "Lou Boldt/ Daphne Matthews" mystery series |
| Plot Summary | When a serial baby-napper comes to Seattle, Lieutenant Detective Lou Boldt joins the case. Determined to halt the abductions, Lou gets close to the bottom of things - too close. Threatened by the criminal at the cost of his own family, Lou must secretly ferret out the villain or villains in order to stop the heartbreak left in their wake, and figure out which insider is trying to stop him from succeeding. |
| Appeal | Police
procedural; psychological thriller; great descriptions of settings; Heavy on dialogue. |
| Notes | Graphic language, some violence. |
| Reviewer/Date | Stephanie Deininger, 7/20/2000 |
| Westlake, Donald E. | The Ax |
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Publication Date |
1997 |
| Number of Pages | 273 |
| Geographical Setting | Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts |
| Time Period | 1990's |
| Plot Summary | Burke Devore is a 52 year-old paper mill manager with a wife and two college-age children to support. Knowing almost everything about the paper processing business, he has been a good employee for his company. But after twenty-five years, his position is eliminated, a victim of corporate downsizing. Two years later, unemployed and broke, Burke reads an article about industrialist Upton Ralph Fallon in a professional journal, and decides that Fallon has the job for which he is really better qualified. Placing an ad in a newspaper for his "perfect job," he seeks out and eliminates the competition; then plans to murder Fallon and replace him as the new manager. When events do not work out as he expects, Burke compensates with bizarre methods to murder his victims. |
| Appeal | Fast-paced, page turner serial killer novel. Short in length. Not dense. Ingenious plotting and twists in the story. Descriptions of the geographical setting and the paper mill business. Told from the point of view of Devore Burke. |
| Notes | Donald E. Westlake, writes novels and short stories; one of his pseudonyms is Richard Stark. Acts of violence and brutality. Social indictment of corporate downsizing. Interesting touch: resumes of the victims included. |
| Reviewer/Date | Susan Cook 07/19/00 |
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