Coup de Grace [Hardcover]

J. S. Borthwick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2000

Newly minted PhD and sometime amateur detective Sarah Deane goes to teach at a New England girls' boarding school with a famously iron-fisted French teacher, Mme. Carpentier. But soon afterwards an art teacher turns up dead, bludgeoned to death on a campus path. Was it a case of mistaken identity, with the killer really out to get Mme. Carpentier? No one can stop Sarah from investigating....

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Grace Carpentier rules the French department at Miss Merritt's school with an iron hand. Feared by her students and grudgingly respected by her colleagues, the formidable lady finds herself at the center of a murder investigation when another teacher who has unwittingly borrowed Mme. Carpentier's distinctive black cape garment is murdered on the grounds of the exclusive prep school in what is surely a case of mistaken identity. Or is it? Sarah Deane, the proud owner of a brand new Ph.D. in English literature, who has accepted a temporary teaching position at Miss Merritt's, isn't so sure. And her experience as an amateur detective (most recently in Bodies of Water) leads her unerringly into the path of danger as she sets out to do a little snooping of her own in this charming cozy, the 10th entry in the popular series. As usual, the author sets a fine scene; the details of boarding school life are carefully limned, right down to the décor in the students' rooms and the petty politics of academic life. The characters are well drawn, from the rakish Italian teacher and the former lover of the mistakenly murdered teacher to the lively girls in the dorm who enlist Sarah as their confidante when suspicion falls on one of their own. Fans of the Amanda Cross mysteries, another series featuring a pedagogical sleuth, will enjoy Borthwick's appealing protagonist, and look forward to her next adventure. --Jane Adams

From Library Journal

With a new doctorate and a new job teaching at a girls' boarding school, Sarah Deane still runs into murder. Someone murders the school's art teacher--perhaps mistaking her for the much-dreaded French teacher. For series and "cozy" fans.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (February 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312253133
• ISBN-13: 978-0312253134
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,151,635 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining mystery, February 8, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Coup de Grace (Hardcover)

Camden, Maine resident Sarah Douglas Deane receives her Ph.D. in English from Bowmouth College. Sarah also accepts a position for one semester at the Miss Merrit's School in Carlisle, Massachusetts. Her physician-husband agrees to visit his spouse on weekends. The first time he travels to see her, their happy union ends when they discover the corpse of a faculty member, Anita Gorshawk, an Art History instructor.

However, there is doubt as to whether Anita was the intended victim since she was wearing the distinguished cloak of the infamous Grace Charpentier. Apparently, all the students hate the arrogant martinet who teaches French. Grace has received death threats adding to the belief that she was supposed to be the victim. Sarah, unable to stay out of a murder investigation, begins some discreet sleuthing that takes her into more violent encounters.

The tenth Sara Deane mystery retains the charm and humor of the previous installments. COUP DE GRACE provides the audience an insider's look at a prep school that includes faculty fighting, student pranks, and political in fighting. This delightful cozy centers on a simple misdirection that shows that J.S. Borthwick knows how to entertain her fans.

Harriet Klausner

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Murder in Massachusetts, September 29, 2001

By 

Donna G. (Niagara Falls, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Coup de Grace (Sarah Deane Mysteries) (Paperback)

Sarah Deane is an ongoing character of author J.S. Borthwick. She is a strong young woman whose personality is developed more and more with each succeeding book. The mystery in this book is pretty good, and suspects and red herrings abound. However, in the end I felt somewhat cheated. Sarah, the main character, does not solve the mystery. In fact, none of the characters solves the mystery. The villain is finally caught in the act, and the last major clue, which would have allowed Sarah (and the reader) to solve the crimes, is not revealed until after the murderer has been arrested. I have been noticing this kind of thing recently with amateur sleuths, and I must say that it is a trend that I do not like. Still, this book is well written and a fun read.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars COUP DE GRACE is very good indeed, July 11, 2000

By 

Brenda "MYSHELFDOTCOM" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Coup de Grace (Hardcover)

When Sarah Deane is offered a temporary teaching job at Miss Merritt School in Carlisle, Massachusetts where she was raised, Sarah just can't say no. But once there, academics take a back seat when she witnesses a teacher being harassed by a foul-minded, foul-mouthed anonymous person set on revenge. There are two well-known teachers at Miss Merritt's, one is considered the cornerstone of her department, the other is said to be the pillar of hers. One of them will be found with her head pounded to a pulp. Sarah finds she isn't the only amateur sleuth in this one, and it seems everyone has his or her own scenario of who did it.

Ms. Borthwick has done a masterful job in creating her characters, especially Madam Carpentier also known as Madame the Knife. I think every high school has a lively group of seniors who resemble Hannah, Rosemary and Zoe. There are many characters involved, but with a glance at the Cast of Characters page offered at the front of the book, I had no problem remembering who was who. The plot is excellent, and half way through the mystery I found myself just as caught up in working out the scenarios as the characters. I don't know that I found it necessary for everyone to use strong expletives so often in the story; sometimes it seemed like over acting, but the mystery and how it was presented, the characters, the humor and the setting were all A+ as far as I'm concerned.