In the newest mystery in the USA Today bestselling series, Jessica Fletcher is invited to ring in the New Year with British aristocracy. Too bad someone’s about to end the life of the party….
Jessica Fletcher and her friend Scotland Yard detective inspector George Sutherland are invited to attend a New Year’s Eve Ball at Castorbrook Castle, thanks to her British publisher. Shortly after arriving in the idyllic English countryside, Jessica discovers the body of a lady’s maid in the garden.
While their host, Lord Norrance, his snobbish third wife, other members of the household, and party guests squabble over the tragic death in tight-lipped, perfectly mannered, thoroughly British style, family relations are strained as old wounds are reopened and cutting remarks are freely handed out. And that’s only during teatime!
As midnight beckons at the ball the next night, the earl offers a toast, complete with fireworks. But the merriment crashes to a halt when he falls ill and dies, apparently poisoned—and the number of suspects with a grudge against the lord of the manor sprouts like English ivy.
Now it’s up to Jessica and George to find the killer—or killers—before another corpse welcomes in the New Year….
Mystery author and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher and her friend Scotland Yard Detective George Sutherland are invited to spend time at a real castle in the Cotswolds. Before the weekend’s festivities at Castorbrook Castle even get off to a start, Jessica discovers the body of ladies’ maid Flavia Beckwith. Neither Lord nor Lady Norrance seems too upset by the maid’s tragic death at their home, which makes Jessica very suspicious. The local police would love to rule Flavia’s death an unfortunate accident, but Jessica thinks the evidence points to murder. Even George agrees with the police that Flavia’s death seems to be accidental. Although Jessica deals in fiction, she is no stranger to investigating real murders. When death strikes the castle again, it’s not surprise that Jessica decides to get to the bottom of the mystery, with our without the help of her friend George.
I love this series of cozy mysteries, and the setting and plot of Murder of a Blue Blood would make Agatha Christie proud. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the book and found this to be my least favorite of the books in a while. It’s still a quick enjoyable read, especially for fans of the series. However, some inconsistencies in the narrative (Jessica says she hasn’t met the date of one of the characters and then immediately recognizes her in a subsequent scene. Jessica expresses concern that she and her special friend George Sutherland aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on a few things related to the investigation, but then later reminisces about how well they’ve been getting along) and in the behavior of the characters compared to prior books took away from my enjoyment of this installment.
The castle is filled with interesting characters, with plenty of motives for murder. While the police seem to be fixed on one suspect, Jessica keeps digging and asking questions to get to the truth of the two deaths and how they could be connected. I’m glad to see that Jessica is as observant and keen of an investigator as ever. However, she’s not her usual outspoken self when she feels the need to keep some of her ideas regarding the investigation to herself when they don’t agree with George’s theories. That isn’t the spirited, confident Jessica that I have come to love in these books. George isn’t as likeable in this installment as he usually is, either. His strong feelings for Jessica are evident, but he doesn’t seem as open to Jessica having her own opinions on the investigation if they are contrary to his own. The ending is upbeat and Jessica and George part on great terms, but for me, something was missing and the two didn’t seem to have the easy banter and camaraderie as they have in prior books. I still love the series and like this book, but it isn’t my favorite of Jessica’s adventures.
Reviewed by Christine
Did you know Donald Bain wrote a few historical romances in the 70’s and 80’s using a woman’s name?
Really? No, I had no idea. Do you remember the name?
Yes, he wrote Daughter of the Sand under the name Pamela South. I got the book after learning that about 6 or 7 years ago but still haven’t gotten to the book. He also wrote The Eagle and the Serpent as Lee Jackson.
http://www.donaldbain.com/historical_romantic_novels_2833.htm
Yes, he did write Daughter of the Sand. I am his daughter. I have written three Murder, She Wrote Novels with him. They are Manhattans and Murder, Rum and Razors and Three Strikes, You’re Dead. He wrote Daughter of the Sand when I was young and wrote many books, all types of genres in the 70s and 80s. He remarried MUCH later in life, when I was in my thirties.