Jessica Fletcher – Carol's Notebook

A Killer Christmas by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran

October 22, 2024October 22, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

I don't read Murder, She Wrote mysteries often, but I always enjoy them. I grew up watching Jessica Fletcher and the other characters on tv and still turn it on occasionally. It's Christmastime in Cabot Cove and everyone is gearing up for the holidays. This year, the town is going all out as it tries to be named the state's best holiday destination. Eve, however, is more concerned with selling the old Jarvis place. Her job gets more difficult by the minute, First, missing, presumed dead, Kenny Jarvis shows back up. Then, the potential buyer's wife dies, possibly murdered. This one takes its time getting to the killing, but it's fun to get caught up in all the town drama and Christmas planning. I loved the small Thanksgiving dinner and all the Christmas events, but if you're here solely for the murder mystery you might be disappointed. The mystery was fine. There were several suspects even if it was rather...

Murder, She Wrote: Killing in a Koi Pond by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran

May 26, 2021April 1, 2021 by CarolNo Comments

I enjoyed Killing in a Koi Pond once I got through the first few chapters. Jessica arrives in South Carolina and is immediately surrounded by not so great people, aside from her friend Dolores who is a nice lady. Everyone else, including Dolores' husband, is a bully, or mean, or rude. And then Willis is killed that night. It was just too quick an introduction to the suspects and the murder happened too soon. Once I got settled in though, the story was fun. Jessica is the Jessica we've known for years, nosey, friendly, talkative. The other characters are fleshed out well, and several have reasons to want Willis dead, but you may guess who the killer is before Jessica's reveal. There were several twists, but to be honest, I enjoyed the characters more than the actual plot, but I think that's okay for a Murder, She Wrote book....

Murder in Moscow by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

April 2, 2020April 2, 2020 by Carol2 Comments

Jessica is part of a delegation of publishers and writers meeting with their Russian counterparts, first in Washington, then in Moscow. This is just after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the goal of the gatherings is supposedly to help Russian publishers deal with the change to democracy and the free market. One of the government people attached to the group is found dead in Washington, but everything proceeds according to schedule. One of the Russian publishers dies at a dinner in Moscow, later in the week. Jessica finds herself entangled in what is more of a spy story than a mystery. The story was well-written and moved quickly. There are several bits left unanswered, governments on both sides want to keep their secrets. It was not the story I was expecting though. Jessica is mostly just a pawn, one with a lot of questions but who can't get any real answers. She's in danger, but has no control over...

Murder on the QE2 by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain

March 24, 2020April 2, 2020 by Carol1 Comment

Murder She Wrote was a tv staple when I was younger, so in the midst of all this staying at home, I thought I'd grab Murder on the QE2 off my shelf. I'm honestly not sure where I picked it up or who gave it to me, but it was enjoyable. There's a bit of nostalgia while reading it, they talk about floppy disks and VHS tapes and the internet is still pretty new. Jessica is on an all-expense-paid trip across the Atlantic on the luxury ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, and mind you it's a crossing, not a cruise, no matter what it seems like. She's a guest lecturer, speaking about mystery writings, and she also writes an original play that will be performed on board. Surprise, surprise, someone's murdered. The dead woman is one of the other lecturers, an aging actress trying to revive her career. And of course, she's connected with multiple people on board, each of...