Enjoyable book: Murder She Wrote: Murder in Two Acts by David Deutsch

 Before the current "Murder She Wrote" series of mysteries began in the late 1980s, there were 4 paperbacks by various authors. I recently enjoyed the 4th in the series "Murder in Two Acts" by David Deutsch published in 1986. I liked it, but not as much as the books in the second, more recent series. Today's blog will explain why. 

I have to confess that the second series of Murder She Wrote books, authored by Donald Bain (until he passed a couple of years ago) are my favorites. This book was apparently taken from two different episodes of the television show, and although I've seen 90% of them I don't recall these. 

MY TAKE ON THE TWO STORIES -  There are 2 separate stories, which makes sense, given where they came from- and the first one that takes place in an theatre in England was good, although it took three long chapters to even introduce Jessica Fletcher, the mystery writer who solves murders. Needless to say, it took some effort to read through the first three chapters. The second story about a murder on a soap opera set did have me guessing. So, it's a good read- about 4 of 5 stars. 

ONE QUIRKY THING - This author is obviously British, because of the spellings of words in British English... so that was a bit odd.

FROM THE BOOK COVER/ABOUT THE BOOK: Mystery writer Jessica Fletcher can't seem to complete any of her murder mysteries these days, what with having to deal with real life murders on both sides of the Atlantic.

But it's all in the family - so to speak. First of all, her cousin Emma, a London music hall singer, mysteriously disappears after a series of attempts on her life, leaving Jessica to find the party which wants the singer dead. And then in New York, Jessica's niece, an actress in a TV soap opera, becomes the main suspect in the killing of the show's producer.

But Jessica suprises audience and actors alike by exposing the murderer, proving that whether in London or New York, all the world's a stage.