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.
Release Date: Apr 2, 2024
Series:Â Murder She Wrote
Book:Â 58
Publisher:Â Penguin Group
Imprint:Â BerkleyÂ
Price: $12.99
Mystery writer Jessica Fletcher takes a break from her writing to go on vacation to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Jessica’s look-alike cousin, Emma MacGill, is performing in a special musical review and invites Jessica and her friends to meet her there. Jessica, Dr. Seth Hazlitt, Sheriff Mort Metzer, and his wife Maureen have a few days to spend sightseeing before the show opens. They enjoy seeing the sights and spending time with Emma when she doesn’t have to rehearse. Their fun is cut short when one of the part-time members of the production’s stage crew is murdered, and Jessica starts looking for the killer.
This book series is based on the Murder, She Wrote television program, but fans of a good cozy mystery can enjoy the books even without following the show. This book has the best of both worlds – readers can have fun “visiting” a location other than Jessica’s hometown of Cabot Cove, Maine, while still having Seth, Mort, and Maureen involved in the story. This story isn’t as dramatic as others in the series, but I liked reading about the various tourist attractions that Jessica and her friends visit in Edmonton and seeing a little bit of the behind-the-scenes look at the preparation for the variety show. The investigation into the part-time stagehand/hotel bartender stalls a bit in the middle and the story drags a little. However, things then pick up through research and the questioning of witnesses, Jessica is able to make progress. It was nice to see Maureen and Emma helping Jessica with the investigation. There is a mini side-case of some petty thefts in the hotel. Not a lot of time is spent on this side plot, but I was happy when Jessica was able to figure out what was going on.
A few new characters from Edmonton are introduced in this book. Mary Jo, the pushy hotel concierge got annoying fast, but I cheered when Jessica eventually sets her straight. Another more likable character, Sergeant Ahnah Enook, is also introduced. Ahnah is a nice person and a good investigator who appreciates the information Jessica can provide to her. I would love to see Ahnah in future books, so hopefully her and Jessica’s paths can cross once again. With everyone working together, the case is resolved, although the explanation for the crime was somewhat weak. The book is still entertaining as a whole, and I enjoyed reading it.
~ Christine                   Â
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