The way Ruddick divided the novel is a key element in the way he creates the suspense in Death at the Priory. Since the first half of the novel is like a fiction story, the climax of the story is the night of the poisoning. All of Florence’s conflicts with Charles are part of the build up to the murder. The conflicts that arise between Charles and the other characters builds up a potential motive as well. Ruddick leaves the reader with this information so they can start to derive their own conclusions from the case. Tensions were rising at the last chapter of part one. Then the suspense continues in the second half of the novel when Ruddick slowly begins to eliminate characters as suspects. Ruddick goes through each of the main suspects and
