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Jennifer Marsh #5
Dying to Be Murdered
A MURDER-IN-THE-MAKING!
Expecting her imminent demise, society matron Mary Bedford Ashton is paying novelist Jennifer Marsh $1000 a week to live in her historic mansion and record everything that happens there. The old lady, perhaps demented, believes that Jennifer's detailed record will prove her death to be murder, however cleverly disguised.
Jennifer finds plenty to write about: a sinister housekeeper, threatening notes, screams in the night, a bloodstained bed--and Jennifer's own bedroom door, which unfortunately for her, locks only from the outside. It's a case to die for. And if Jennifer doesn't get a grip on it fast, she may do just that. . . .
Expecting her imminent demise, society matron Mary Bedford Ashton is paying novelist Jennifer Marsh $1000 a week to live in her historic mansion and record everything that happens there. The old lady, perhaps demented, believes that Jennifer's detailed record will prove her death to be murder, however cleverly disguised.
Jennifer finds plenty to write about: a sinister housekeeper, threatening notes, screams in the night, a bloodstained bed--and Jennifer's own bedroom door, which unfortunately for her, locks only from the outside. It's a case to die for. And if Jennifer doesn't get a grip on it fast, she may do just that. . . .
- GenresMystery
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2001
5 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Judy Fitzwater
21 books27 followersJudy Fitzwater loves a great mystery. That's why she started writing novels, and why her Jennifer Marsh mystery series was born. Murder is nothing to laugh at, but how Jennifer thinks is, and that's what made writing the Jennifer books so much fun. The first in the series, DYING TO GET PUBLISHED, was sold without an agent to Ballantine Books, a division of Random House. It went on to receive an Agatha Award nomination and become an 8-book series. The latest Jennifer book is DYING AT HONEYMOON INN. She has also written two suspense novels, DROWNING IN AIR and NO SAFE PLACE. Less humor in these but lots of action, adventure, danger, and intrigue. VACATIONING WITH THE DEAD, a fun-filled romantic romp, is a paranormal romance filled with ghosts. She invites you to join her in the adventure, danger, and comedy that inhabit her books. Her most recent publication is THE ROCKY ROAD TO PUBLISHING: ADVICE ON WRITING. It's a fun read packed with advice and info on writing and publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 10, 2021
Typical short mystery. I liked the fact that there is a group of authors/potential authors that meet and support each other. They celebrate each other's success and critique each other. Kudos to them. The plot ended on a surprise - but all loose ends were tied up and ended the only way it should have. Will I read more by this author: If I get a chance.
June 21, 2013
Jennifer Marsh, aspiring mystery writer and part-time catering assistant, was asked to chronicle the remaining life of elderly, wealthy, somewhat recluse Mary Bedford Ashton.
Mary was convinced someone was going to kill her and didn’t want her death to be classified as “natural causes.” She wanted her killer to be apprehended. She required Jennifer to live in her antebellum Gothic manor and keep all the evidence she had already collected, primarily threatening notes written in block letters. She suspected her deceased husband’s sister, Eileen, who, she said, never liked her and wanted the house.
Mary said she would pay Jennifer $1000 a week in advance and, while Jennifer thought the request was very strange, she needed the money and Mary added a heavy dose of guilt if she didn’t take the job. She did not expect Jennifer to prevent her death. Jennifer decided she would try it out and figured she could back out and return the money if the situation didn’t work out.
Jennifer is shown reluctantly to her room by Melba, the day housekeeper. It is directly above Mary’s room and had a history of two previous occupants who some people thought haunted the house.
During Jennifer’s first night in the mansion, she heard screams from Mary’s room. By the time she is able to get out of her room--a major problem because the door opened outward and it had been wedged shut–she finds Mary’s room unoccupied but a huge amount of blood soaking the bed.
With the aid of her journalist boyfriend Sam and her writing club friends, Jennifer tries to complete her part of the bargain, proving Mary was indeed murdered and finding and bringing the killer to justice.
The characters seem real as do their conversations. The story flows (and twists) nicely and has some wit and inside jokes (i.e., After Jennifer disconnected the answering machine, Judy Fitzwater wrote, “In a galaxy far, far away the phone was ringing.”
Three interesting observations: “You got somethin’ to say, you tell it to a person while they’re living. You can’t be sure how much they hear after they’re dead. No need making amends then.” “You got to plant your good deeds early, so they have time to blossom in your old age.” “But sometimes people were a little too anxious to wait for God’s justice.”
This is the second Jennifer Marsh book I’ve read. It will not be the last.
Mary was convinced someone was going to kill her and didn’t want her death to be classified as “natural causes.” She wanted her killer to be apprehended. She required Jennifer to live in her antebellum Gothic manor and keep all the evidence she had already collected, primarily threatening notes written in block letters. She suspected her deceased husband’s sister, Eileen, who, she said, never liked her and wanted the house.
Mary said she would pay Jennifer $1000 a week in advance and, while Jennifer thought the request was very strange, she needed the money and Mary added a heavy dose of guilt if she didn’t take the job. She did not expect Jennifer to prevent her death. Jennifer decided she would try it out and figured she could back out and return the money if the situation didn’t work out.
Jennifer is shown reluctantly to her room by Melba, the day housekeeper. It is directly above Mary’s room and had a history of two previous occupants who some people thought haunted the house.
During Jennifer’s first night in the mansion, she heard screams from Mary’s room. By the time she is able to get out of her room--a major problem because the door opened outward and it had been wedged shut–she finds Mary’s room unoccupied but a huge amount of blood soaking the bed.
With the aid of her journalist boyfriend Sam and her writing club friends, Jennifer tries to complete her part of the bargain, proving Mary was indeed murdered and finding and bringing the killer to justice.
The characters seem real as do their conversations. The story flows (and twists) nicely and has some wit and inside jokes (i.e., After Jennifer disconnected the answering machine, Judy Fitzwater wrote, “In a galaxy far, far away the phone was ringing.”
Three interesting observations: “You got somethin’ to say, you tell it to a person while they’re living. You can’t be sure how much they hear after they’re dead. No need making amends then.” “You got to plant your good deeds early, so they have time to blossom in your old age.” “But sometimes people were a little too anxious to wait for God’s justice.”
This is the second Jennifer Marsh book I’ve read. It will not be the last.
April 7, 2013
Elderly socialite Mary Bedford Ashton offers to pay unpublished mystery novelist/amateur sleuth Jennifer Marsh $1,000 per week to stay at the Ashton mansion. Mary is positive someone is out to murder her. Jennifer's job is to take notes to give to the police to help crack the case.
Jennifer isn't so sure the old lady's elevator goes all the way to the top but (against her better judgement) she accepts the proposition. She then finds herself embroiled in family drama, long-dead family history, threatening notes, and even a possible ghost.
A fun storyline with nice characterization and some good twists and turns. I loved the sub-story of 30-year-past suicide of Mary's stepdaughter - young hippie Juliet. I waited eagerly for every moment the attention turned to the Juliet storyline. That would have made a great novel all by itself! I'd give my rating for this book one more star if it weren't for several "clunkers" that marred total immersal in the storyline.
First, Monique told Jennifer so determinedly that Jennifer "had to meet" Eileen McEvoy (Mary's sister-in-law and the prime suspect) in order to understand why such a genteel lady couldn't possibly have committed murder. Jennifer may have been fooled, but I found Eileen unlikable and totally believed she could do it. Especially when the chapter ended with Eileen saying, basically, "If someone else hadn't gotten her, I would have."
Then there is Mary's missing body. Everybody knows that when the body is missing and nobody has actually seen it, the "victim" turns up alive at some point. Especially when you've watched "General Hospital" for thirty years, like I have. I've seen it a million times. So, to me, the big shocker would have been if Mary HADN'T turned up alive.
On a smaller scale, some kind of power struggle was going on between Jennifer and Monique over the writer's group. The only way I knew it is because the author told me, and I didn't really care anyway.
I loved the bittersweet epilogue. Perfect way to end this story! Even though we never get to meet the character of Juliet except through that single diary entry, she be someone I think about for a long time.
Jennifer isn't so sure the old lady's elevator goes all the way to the top but (against her better judgement) she accepts the proposition. She then finds herself embroiled in family drama, long-dead family history, threatening notes, and even a possible ghost.
A fun storyline with nice characterization and some good twists and turns. I loved the sub-story of 30-year-past suicide of Mary's stepdaughter - young hippie Juliet. I waited eagerly for every moment the attention turned to the Juliet storyline. That would have made a great novel all by itself! I'd give my rating for this book one more star if it weren't for several "clunkers" that marred total immersal in the storyline.
First, Monique told Jennifer so determinedly that Jennifer "had to meet" Eileen McEvoy (Mary's sister-in-law and the prime suspect) in order to understand why such a genteel lady couldn't possibly have committed murder. Jennifer may have been fooled, but I found Eileen unlikable and totally believed she could do it. Especially when the chapter ended with Eileen saying, basically, "If someone else hadn't gotten her, I would have."
Then there is Mary's missing body. Everybody knows that when the body is missing and nobody has actually seen it, the "victim" turns up alive at some point. Especially when you've watched "General Hospital" for thirty years, like I have. I've seen it a million times. So, to me, the big shocker would have been if Mary HADN'T turned up alive.
On a smaller scale, some kind of power struggle was going on between Jennifer and Monique over the writer's group. The only way I knew it is because the author told me, and I didn't really care anyway.
I loved the bittersweet epilogue. Perfect way to end this story! Even though we never get to meet the character of Juliet except through that single diary entry, she be someone I think about for a long time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2011
I really liked this book. I kept me turning the pages and wondering what would happen next. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Jennifer and how she figures out a crime. She kept me guessing until the end about who the killer was. Am looking forward to finding the rest of the books in this series to read.
March 27, 2011
A very quick and easy read. I would definitely read more in this series as the characters are all likable ladies. I'm unsure about the love interest, Sam, though. The romance seems uncultivated and mostly unneeded.
February 27, 2013
Judy Fitzwater's Dying to Be Murdered is a well-crafted cozy genre mystery. I did see the plot twist coming, but it was still satisfying. I am disappointed to discover that my library system does not have any of Fitzwater's other titles!
March 11, 2015
Gotcha
This story had me from the very beginning. Loved it. Again good story and great characters that are expanding their personalities. Again the "murderer" can be figured out but it was fun reading. Looking forward to the next book
This story had me from the very beginning. Loved it. Again good story and great characters that are expanding their personalities. Again the "murderer" can be figured out but it was fun reading. Looking forward to the next book
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews