The Spice Box Summary and Reviews

The Spice Box
by Lou Jane Temple

The Spice Box
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Book Summary Information

Author: Lou Jane Temple
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-05-03
ISBN: 0425200434
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover

Book Reviews of The Spice Box

Book Review: Author needs to work harder as a writer, but invents a nice plot
Summary: 2 Stars

Historical Context: B
Plotting: B-C
Characterisation: C-D
Novelist Craft: D

Ms. Temple writes a mystery where a young Irish woman wends her way through a Civil-War-era city, trying to balance the extreme cast system of her time with her own needs and her own emerging, cautious loyalties to her employers. Research was good, and the details of NY life provide the joy the reader gets. The mystery plot is crafted quite well, but the personal plot, in trying to surprise you, ends up thin and unbelievable. While Ms. Temple succeeds in inventing the outline of a book, she does not deliver on characterization (particularly of secondary characters), dialogue, or even in holding to a consistent point of view. She can jump from illuminating her protagonist (third person interior) to speaking for another character (also third person interior) within two paragraphs. Sloppy writing, which includes characters using modern language.

all rights reserved - Scott Jones

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