The Murder She Wrote paperback series is my favorite mystery series. It's based on the awesome television series in the 1980s and early 90s that starred Angela Lansbury as mystery writer/sleuth Jessica Fletcher. The series of books have all of the same characters from the TV show, so it's easy to picture them, and know who they are. The latest in the series is "Murder Backstage" by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran (who took over for Donald Bain, the original author). Today's blog is my feelings on the book, and one thing that troubled me about the characterization of Jessica.
MY THOUGHTS - I liked this book, but not as much as previous books in the series. Jessica and the entorage from Cabot Cove visit Edmonton, Canada to see a special show featuring Jessica's cousin Emma. Emma is an actress/performer from the U.K. who is working a special show for an aged actor who is retiring after a long career.
There are a lot of supporting characters around the aged actor, his stagehands, assistants, directors, and people associated with the hotel, drivers, and more. So it's a lot to keep track of. The author presents a number of characters who would benefit from the death of the victim, so it does keep you guessing.
One thing I didn't care for was the way the author portrayed Jessica Fletcher as being so irritated and angry at the hotel gift shop for trying to get her to sign some books. Although it is somewhat irritating to be "bothered on vacation" - it's part of being recognized, and in the TV series, Jessica always made time to sign books. It's the least you can do for fans. As an author myself, as I kept reading about Jessica's character's anger about signings, it felt unrealistic. On vacations, I've talked about my books, signed some, and engaged interested people. - The story would have been more believable to me if Jessica, although slightly irritated but honored, made an arrangement with the hotel to do a short time of signings after or before a mealtime. That would be more like the TV depiction of the character.
Still, the story was enjoyable.
ABOUT THE BOOK: The newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series. This is book 58 and a series of 61 and counting.
Jessica Fletcher’s British cousin, Emma MacGill, will be traveling to Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, to perform with internationally famous star of stage, screen, and television Derek Braverman in an old-fashioned musical review. Emma would love for Jessica to join her there and suggests she bring along some friends. Having just finished her latest book, Jessica is ready for a vacation and is delighted to agree. Dr. Seth Hazlitt and Sheriff Mort Metzger are huge fans of Braverman, so they are eager to tag along, and their fanboy behavior gives Jessica and Mort’s wife, Maureen, more than occasional cause to roll their eyes.
Upon arrival in Edmonton, Jessica is quickly outed as mystery writer J. B. Fletcher, and despite numerous protests, a hotel staffer arranges a book signing for her. This and touristy adventures arranged for the group make for a much busier trip than Jessica was expecting. When a hotel bartender, who also happens to be a stagehand for Emma’s play, turns up dead backstage at the theater, Jessica’s fun and relaxing vacation quickly becomes anything but.
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