The plotting of In the Last Analysis more closely resembles that of the traditional amateur-detective mystery than do any others in the Amanda Cross series.

That is, Kate's awareness that a murder has occurred and a good friend implicated begins in the first chapter, and all of her subsequent energies are bent on discovering the actual killer by following leads, seeking information, and finally arriving at a theory that proves to be correct. In the process, Kate virtually ignores her job as a college professor, whereas the usual setting of subsequent mysteries is within the academic world itself. In this first novel, Reed serves as a somewhat protective foil to Kate, constantly urging her to be cautious in taking investigative risks; and her disregard of his warnings casts into high relief Kate's spirit and sense of independence and also provides a kind of sexual tension that becomes more...