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rosemariew's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
thephdivabooks's review against another edition
4.0
Murder, She Wrote and the beloved Jessica Fletcher are back for a new mystery!
What is the book about?
Jessica is finishing her latest book when she receives a phone call from her cousin Emma MacGill. Long time fans of the series (and the tv show it is based on) will be familiar with Emma—she is British and an actress, and there is a running joke through the series about how much Emma and Jessica look alike (the joke being that star Angela Lansbury played both Jessica Fletcher and Emma MacGill, so they look identical). Emma is traveling to Alberta, Canada to perform alongside actor and star Derek Braverman in a musical review. She invites Jessica to join her, and Jessica invites her best friend Dr. Seth Hazlitt, Sheriff Mort Metzger, and his wife Maureen (Mort and Seth happen to be big fans of the actor, and quite a bit of fanboying goes on).
The trip turns out to be eventful and a bit awkward from the very first night, when Assistant Director Dennis gets into an odd conversation with a hotel bartender. The next morning Seth discovers someone has stolen his prized pen that he was gifted in honor of an award he received from the Maine Medical Association. The pen isn’t just valuable, it has sentimental meaning. Strangely when they inquire at the front desk if there is a lost and found, they discover this isn’t the only item that has gone missing and wasn’t turned in.
The trip proceeds with Emma being called to rehearsals while Jessica and the crew do some site seeing and meet back up for dinner. However, the festivities are brought to a halt when the bartender from the first night (who is also working as a stagehand) is found murdered at the theater when a group is there for costume fittings. It must have been someone at the rehearsal or a guest of theirs, and Jessica is sure she can help get to the bottom of this mystery.
What did I think?
I think longtime fans of Murder, She Wrote will enjoy this mystery, which features a lot of scenes about Jessica’s life and career outside of the murder. However, if you’re new to the series, this may not be the right book to start on. The mystery was much less focal than it has been in other books, though I did find the conclusion to be satisfying and such a classic Jessica Fletcher way of solving a mystery!
The murder occurs about one third of the way through, and the victim isn’t the most compelling or relevant character. In fact, the mystery relies on finding out who would have a motive to murder such a mild character who doesn’t have many strong connections to the suspects.
What happened to Seth’s pen??
I sort of rolled my eyes when Seth lost his pen at first because it was such strange and mundane occurrence. But seeing the kindhearted Seth so devastated over losing that pen really did pull on my heart strings and by the time that part of the mystery was solved, I felt so happy that Seth got his pen back!
How is Jessica doing?
One other small thing—in this book more than any other I noticed how often Jessica talks about her diet and exercise. This is such a funny thing to focus on! I first noticed it when Jessica has to order a less caloric breakfast than usual because (according to her), she has spent so much time sitting while finishing this book that she hasn’t gotten as much exercise. This theme continues throughout the book, though! Jessica and the other characters are constantly talking about dieting, metabolism, what they can order versus what someone else can order, and how they are squeezing workouts into the travel schedule.
This bizarre and irrelevant storyline absolutely tickled me for some reason! Jessica is just one of those characters who always does everything that most of us should be doing, but often many of us (or at least I can speak for myself here) aren’t as regimented as we should be. The funny thing about this part of the book is that Jessica does these things without any drama. She’ll just depart from the others who are going to relax or take a nap and goes to her hotel room to do arm workouts for twenty minutes.
Final thoughts
Overall, this is a book that fans of Murder, She Wrote will love. It’s always great to see Emma return, and to carry on the joke about how similar she and Jessica look. The mystery itself is entertaining, though not overly complex. I enjoyed the way the mystery came together in the end, and felt so relieved when Seth’s pen returned. Jessica was at her finest in this book—a mix of kind, proper, and a bit spicy! Her eyes are always on finding the truth, and she delivers again with another mystery solved.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.
What is the book about?
Jessica is finishing her latest book when she receives a phone call from her cousin Emma MacGill. Long time fans of the series (and the tv show it is based on) will be familiar with Emma—she is British and an actress, and there is a running joke through the series about how much Emma and Jessica look alike (the joke being that star Angela Lansbury played both Jessica Fletcher and Emma MacGill, so they look identical). Emma is traveling to Alberta, Canada to perform alongside actor and star Derek Braverman in a musical review. She invites Jessica to join her, and Jessica invites her best friend Dr. Seth Hazlitt, Sheriff Mort Metzger, and his wife Maureen (Mort and Seth happen to be big fans of the actor, and quite a bit of fanboying goes on).
The trip turns out to be eventful and a bit awkward from the very first night, when Assistant Director Dennis gets into an odd conversation with a hotel bartender. The next morning Seth discovers someone has stolen his prized pen that he was gifted in honor of an award he received from the Maine Medical Association. The pen isn’t just valuable, it has sentimental meaning. Strangely when they inquire at the front desk if there is a lost and found, they discover this isn’t the only item that has gone missing and wasn’t turned in.
The trip proceeds with Emma being called to rehearsals while Jessica and the crew do some site seeing and meet back up for dinner. However, the festivities are brought to a halt when the bartender from the first night (who is also working as a stagehand) is found murdered at the theater when a group is there for costume fittings. It must have been someone at the rehearsal or a guest of theirs, and Jessica is sure she can help get to the bottom of this mystery.
What did I think?
I think longtime fans of Murder, She Wrote will enjoy this mystery, which features a lot of scenes about Jessica’s life and career outside of the murder. However, if you’re new to the series, this may not be the right book to start on. The mystery was much less focal than it has been in other books, though I did find the conclusion to be satisfying and such a classic Jessica Fletcher way of solving a mystery!
The murder occurs about one third of the way through, and the victim isn’t the most compelling or relevant character. In fact, the mystery relies on finding out who would have a motive to murder such a mild character who doesn’t have many strong connections to the suspects.
What happened to Seth’s pen??
I sort of rolled my eyes when Seth lost his pen at first because it was such strange and mundane occurrence. But seeing the kindhearted Seth so devastated over losing that pen really did pull on my heart strings and by the time that part of the mystery was solved, I felt so happy that Seth got his pen back!
How is Jessica doing?
One other small thing—in this book more than any other I noticed how often Jessica talks about her diet and exercise. This is such a funny thing to focus on! I first noticed it when Jessica has to order a less caloric breakfast than usual because (according to her), she has spent so much time sitting while finishing this book that she hasn’t gotten as much exercise. This theme continues throughout the book, though! Jessica and the other characters are constantly talking about dieting, metabolism, what they can order versus what someone else can order, and how they are squeezing workouts into the travel schedule.
This bizarre and irrelevant storyline absolutely tickled me for some reason! Jessica is just one of those characters who always does everything that most of us should be doing, but often many of us (or at least I can speak for myself here) aren’t as regimented as we should be. The funny thing about this part of the book is that Jessica does these things without any drama. She’ll just depart from the others who are going to relax or take a nap and goes to her hotel room to do arm workouts for twenty minutes.
Final thoughts
Overall, this is a book that fans of Murder, She Wrote will love. It’s always great to see Emma return, and to carry on the joke about how similar she and Jessica look. The mystery itself is entertaining, though not overly complex. I enjoyed the way the mystery came together in the end, and felt so relieved when Seth’s pen returned. Jessica was at her finest in this book—a mix of kind, proper, and a bit spicy! Her eyes are always on finding the truth, and she delivers again with another mystery solved.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.
alesehunter's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
karen_the_baroness's review against another edition
5.0
Murder Backstage by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran brings Jessica Fletcher, Doc Seth Hazlitt, and the Metzgers to Canada to see Emma perform on stage in her latest performance.
Will Jessica Fletcher have a vacation?
Jessica Fletcher is back again to solve another mystery. Okay, so she technically didn't even want to find a dead body on this trip, as it was supposed to be a vacation. Yes, that's right. It was a vacation with three of her friends to see her cousin act. Instead, Jessica is now wrapped up in another mystery to solve in Canada, and oh, it's a doozy. Jessica is such a fun character to see in your imagination, trying to solve a mystery, and on your television, doing the same thing. Seth Hazlitt is still the same old guy, but this time, he has a bit of a fanboy in him about his favorite actor from his youth being on stage with Emma. Dare I say it? I think that Seth and Emma might have a thing going on.
The couple that I am happy to see is Mort and Maureen Metzger. Although Mort, like Seth, is fanboying, he is a pretty laidback guy. Well, that is until Jess found a dead body. Other than that, Mort was enjoying his vacation with his wife. Seeing the sheriff wearing a different hat for a change is nice. Whatever the hat, he is the sheriff even when he's off duty, except when he's in a different country.
The Mystery
Jessica and Emma were also backstage at the theater when the stagehand was found deceased. So, like Jessica Fletcher ends up doing, they try to help solve the mystery. Jessica needs Emma's help to solve it, and when Emma has time she helps. I loved seeing Jessica working on a case in Canada, as it was quite fun to imagine everything. I was shocked at who had done it, as I couldn't figure it out.
Five Stars
I am giving five stars to Murder Backstage by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good, cozy mystery. Ms. Moran does these characters justice in the way she brings them from the show into her books. I love returning to Jessica's world and solving a mystery with her with each new installment of this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Murder Backstage by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.
dollycas's review
lighthearted
mysterious
5.0
Dollycas's Thoughts
Now that her latest book is finished Jessica Fletcher is ready for a break. Her cousin Emma MacGill is traveling from the UK to Edmonton in Alberta, Canada to take part in an old-fashioned musical review. Derek Braverman is an internationally famous star of screen, television, and stage and is ready to retire but he wants one more big show and has invited Emma to be part of it. Emma would love for Jessica to be there for opening night. Emma even invites Dr. Seth Hazlitt, Sheriff Mort Metzger, and his wife Maureen. Seth and Mort are big fans of Derek Braverman so they are thrilled to go on the trip. Maureen is excited too.
Jessica hoping to fly under the radar and just have a good time is saddened that she is immediately recognized as mystery author J. B. Fletcher but she is even more upset that a member of the hotel staff assumes that she would be willing to have a book signing at the hotel gift shop. She explains several times she is not there to work, she is on vacation and has no plans to do a book signing. The staffer has also arranged for Jessica, Seth, Mort, and Maureen to take in the sights of Edmonton.
As if Jessica doesn't have enough on her plate, a hotel bartender and stagehand for Emma's musical review is found dead backstage at the theater. She suddenly finds herself and her friends investigating his murder. So much for a fun-filled vacation. Can Jessica go anywhere and not find a murder mystery to solve?
____
It was so good to see Jessica, Seth, Maureen, and Mort get away from Cabot Cove for a little vacation. They all deserved it. The murder didn't happen until about 33% into the book so they did get to see some sights before the investigation began. What I really enjoy is that as a fan of the television series, I easily visualize the characters and hear their voices in my head.
Since Jessica didn't really know the deceased or any of the cast and crew she needed her cousin's help. While the show rehearsals didn't stop, they did move to another location, so Emma wasn't available very often forcing Jessica to get to know all the players/suspects in other ways. Readers are introduced to all these characters and the author does an excellent job of making each unique and memorable. Emma being an almost twin to Jessica was fun.
The murder mystery was very well-plotted with plenty of twists and turns. There was also the mystery of items missing from the hotel including Seth's prized pen. Jessica and her friends taking on an investigation in Edmonton was a delight especially when Sergeant Enook was familiar with the books of J. B. Fletcher. She knew Jessica wasn't going to sit idly by. It was great that Jessica, Emma, and the Sergeant were together when a major clue came from an unexpected place. What was even better was the way the Canadian police, Jessica, and Cabot Cove Sheriff Mort worked together to get the evidence they needed to make the arrest. I was totally surprised when the killer was revealed.
I really enjoyed touring around Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with my fictional friends from Cabot Cove. Their driver Rob was a fantastic guide with his knowledge about the places to see and the area's history. I would love to visit someday.
Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage was an entertaining read with the wonderful Jessica Fletcher solving another first-rate mystery. With the author's comfortable writing style and familiar characters it was easy to escape right into this latest Murder, She Wrote mystery.
Each book in this series reads well on its own, so don't think twice about starting with or jumping back in with Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage.
mastablein's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
melmo2610's review
5.0
This one was so much fun! I loved having Jessica’s cousin Emma McGill as well as Seth, Mort and Maureen in this mystery and the mystery itself was really good. I also liked the secondary small mystery with surprising culprits. Another 5 star adventure with Jessica and her friends.
cj_mo_2222's review
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
Jessica and her friends travel to Canada. Some slow parts in the middle, but an entertaining book.
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