Winsome Murder
James DeVita
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
Offering a fresh approach to ancient Greek architecture, Shaping Ceremony focuses on the overlooked subject of monumental steps. Written in a clear and readable style, the book presents three complementary ways of studying steps: examining how the human body works on steps; theoretical perspectives on the relationship between architecture and human behavior; and the socio-political effects of steps' presence. Although broad steps are usually associated with emperors and political dominance, Mary B. Hollinshead argues that earlier, in Greek sanctuaries, they expressed and reinforced communal authority. From this alternate perspective, she expands the traditional intellectual framework for studying Greek architecture.The heart of the study is a close reading of thirty-eight sites with monumental steps from the sixth through second centuries B.C. Organized by century, the book tracks the development of built pathways and grandstands for crowds of worshippers as evidence of the Greeks' increasing awareness of the power of architecture to shape behavior and concentrate social energy. With photographs and illustrations of plans, Shaping Ceremony offers a clear account of how Greeks' adaptation of terrain for human use promoted social cohesion and integrated architectural compositions.
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Product Details
Price
$32.34
Publisher
University of Wisconsin Press
Publish Date
January 19, 2015
Pages
196
Dimensions
5.81 X 8.56 X 0.75 inches | 0.85 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9780299304409
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
James DeVita is a core company member and literary manager at the American Players Theatre, a professional classical repertory company in Spring Green, Wisconsin. He has worked extensively as a playwright and has published two novels for younger readers, The Silenced and Blue. He is a native of Long Island, New York, and now lives near Spring Green.
Reviews
"A story of superior literary merit with a very hard edge and some biting social commentary. Detective James Mangan is complex and interesting, a tough, gritty Chicago cop whose vast reservoir of wonderfully spooky Shakespeare quotations informs his crime-solving skills. It's a fine study of contrasts that folds into a taut, multilayered, highly enjoyable whodunit."--Brian Rieselman, author of Where Darkness Sleeps
"An unpredictable, intelligent mystery that illuminates the darkness simmering in the most idyllic of places. With a little help from the Shakespeare he knows so well, and a keen eye for the gritty realities of rural life, James DeVita brings an incredible cast to this novel's stage, led by one of the most compelling detectives you'll ever meet."--Dean Bakopoulos, author of My American Unhappiness
"James DeVita has written a riveting thriller featuring a deranged killer and a detective who hears snatches of Shakespeare in his head. It's a terrific read."--Michael Hinden, coauthor with Betsy Draine of the Nora Barnes and Toby Sandler mysteries
"DeVita . . . creates deep and substantial characters with histories that drive their motives. Detective Mangan's internal voice often quotes Shakespeare . . . giving him characteristics of a deeply intelligent, well-read man working an unjust and bloody job."--Foreword Reviews
"Mangan makes a fine protagonist, but in A Winsome Murder DeVita introduces another cop who could give him a run for his money: Officer Michele Schaefer, of the Winsome Police Department. Although only a small-town cop, Schaefer--who first identified [the] body--has cojones to match her big-city counterpart."--Mystery Scene
"An engaging mystery that's a feast of literary allusions. . . . [Detective James] Mangan's 'verbal quirks, ' snatches of prose or poetry that pop into his head and help him solve cases, make him an unusually distinctive sleuth."--Publishers Weekly
"DeVita has created an exceptional villain and a fascinating and complicated mystery told in a gripping manner. . . . A solid choice for Sean Chercover and Laura Lippman readers and noir fans."--Library Journal
"This debut crime novel is a haunting tale of grief and murder that will not soon be forgotten. In James Mangan, DeVita has created a wholly original detective, and it is a treat to follow along as the voices of Shakespeare and Melville lead him to the story's explosive conclusion. With fast plotting and stellar writing, A Winsome Murder is not to be missed."--William Lashner, author of Bagmen
"An unpredictable, intelligent mystery that illuminates the darkness simmering in the most idyllic of places. With a little help from the Shakespeare he knows so well, and a keen eye for the gritty realities of rural life, James DeVita brings an incredible cast to this novel's stage, led by one of the most compelling detectives you'll ever meet."--Dean Bakopoulos, author of My American Unhappiness
"James DeVita has written a riveting thriller featuring a deranged killer and a detective who hears snatches of Shakespeare in his head. It's a terrific read."--Michael Hinden, coauthor with Betsy Draine of the Nora Barnes and Toby Sandler mysteries
"DeVita . . . creates deep and substantial characters with histories that drive their motives. Detective Mangan's internal voice often quotes Shakespeare . . . giving him characteristics of a deeply intelligent, well-read man working an unjust and bloody job."--Foreword Reviews
"Mangan makes a fine protagonist, but in A Winsome Murder DeVita introduces another cop who could give him a run for his money: Officer Michele Schaefer, of the Winsome Police Department. Although only a small-town cop, Schaefer--who first identified [the] body--has cojones to match her big-city counterpart."--Mystery Scene
"An engaging mystery that's a feast of literary allusions. . . . [Detective James] Mangan's 'verbal quirks, ' snatches of prose or poetry that pop into his head and help him solve cases, make him an unusually distinctive sleuth."--Publishers Weekly
"DeVita has created an exceptional villain and a fascinating and complicated mystery told in a gripping manner. . . . A solid choice for Sean Chercover and Laura Lippman readers and noir fans."--Library Journal
"This debut crime novel is a haunting tale of grief and murder that will not soon be forgotten. In James Mangan, DeVita has created a wholly original detective, and it is a treat to follow along as the voices of Shakespeare and Melville lead him to the story's explosive conclusion. With fast plotting and stellar writing, A Winsome Murder is not to be missed."--William Lashner, author of Bagmen
