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Jane Jeffry #15
A Midsummer Night's Scream
Excellent Book
227 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
3 people are currently reading
357 people want to read
About the author
Jill Churchill
42 books199 followersA pseudonym used by Janice Young Brooks.
Jill Churchill, winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards, and nominated for an Anthony for her best-selling Jane Jeffry series, lives as Jane does, in a midwestern suburb. On purpose! She says writing this series and the Grace and Favor series is the best treat she can have without a knife and fork.
Under her real name, Janice Young Brooks, and various pseudonyms, she's written historical novels, a gothic novel, and a history textbook as well as many articles for newspapers and magazines. When she's not writing, she's avidly doing genealogy which she says is a lot like mysteries with all the red herrings, clues, speculations, and surprises.
She gardens enthusiastically, needlepoints superbly, and plays a mean game of gin against the computer. She has a son and daughter and two granddaughters, Rose Louise and Emma. Janice is currently in a battle of supremacy with her cat Max.
Jill Churchill, winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards, and nominated for an Anthony for her best-selling Jane Jeffry series, lives as Jane does, in a midwestern suburb. On purpose! She says writing this series and the Grace and Favor series is the best treat she can have without a knife and fork.
Under her real name, Janice Young Brooks, and various pseudonyms, she's written historical novels, a gothic novel, and a history textbook as well as many articles for newspapers and magazines. When she's not writing, she's avidly doing genealogy which she says is a lot like mysteries with all the red herrings, clues, speculations, and surprises.
She gardens enthusiastically, needlepoints superbly, and plays a mean game of gin against the computer. She has a son and daughter and two granddaughters, Rose Louise and Emma. Janice is currently in a battle of supremacy with her cat Max.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
July 7, 2010
The series started out okay, got better, kind of stagnated, then dipped down. Since I'd read all the others, and know the characters, I thought I'd catch up, with this one and the newest one (The Accidental Florist). Now I'm not so sure I'll read the next.
It almost seems like the mystery is a side issue that intrudes on the story once in a while. Some irony is the "play" in the book is bad, especially the ending. I thought the ending of this book was very anti-climatic (like an excursion from the real story, slipped in to wrap things up). The epilogue, to close it off, wasn't too bad.
It almost seems like the mystery is a side issue that intrudes on the story once in a while. Some irony is the "play" in the book is bad, especially the ending. I thought the ending of this book was very anti-climatic (like an excursion from the real story, slipped in to wrap things up). The epilogue, to close it off, wasn't too bad.
April 8, 2018
I haven't read any of the others, and it is unlikely I will after this. Golly. The only time it comes alive is when Churchill describes the caterer's foods. The mystery, and I use the word kindly, is solvable in about twenty seconds. The descriptions of theatre and theatre people are preposterous to anyone who works in it (I do). The writing is leaden. And for some odd reason, Ms. Churchill includes a Dragnet roundup of what happens to all of the imaginary characters after the mystery is solved. If the reader doesn't care about them during the actual story? Yeah, not so much in the aftermath.
September 3, 2020
Interested in catering? Maybe needlepoint? Churchill spends more time on these subjects than on her characters and what we do get is stereotypical. Even the information about getting published is contrived. Churchill includes vague mentions of a relationship with a detective that takes second place to a best friend. Chicago is the setting but it could have been Pella, Iowa for all the description we get of that remarkable city. The murders seem like an afterthought, forced onto the pages because the series is supposed to be a mystery one.
November 30, 2018
It was a good story and enjoyable to read. I didn't like all the edit errors and felt that these should have been corrected before printing.
2018
Jane has finished her first book and it is being looked at for publication and she needs to find an agent to help protect her interests. While this is going on, she and her friend, Shelley, are tasting meals created by caterers, hired by Shelley to provide small, snack meals to the cast and crew of the play. The play is written and directed by Professor Emery, who dislikes the actor, playing the oldest son. Shelley and Jane make friends with the female actor hired to portray the matriarch. They all go to a class together with the costume designer, to learn cross stitch.
So much is happening in the story and it helped to move it along and I feel like I have read this book before, but I don't remember ever borrowing it before. I feel that it is important to note that it was published in 2005 because there is a character who states that she will never have a computer in her home and she won't use one. I find this interesting as there are now people who state that they won't ever own a smartphone but have computers in their homes.
2018
Jane has finished her first book and it is being looked at for publication and she needs to find an agent to help protect her interests. While this is going on, she and her friend, Shelley, are tasting meals created by caterers, hired by Shelley to provide small, snack meals to the cast and crew of the play. The play is written and directed by Professor Emery, who dislikes the actor, playing the oldest son. Shelley and Jane make friends with the female actor hired to portray the matriarch. They all go to a class together with the costume designer, to learn cross stitch.
So much is happening in the story and it helped to move it along and I feel like I have read this book before, but I don't remember ever borrowing it before. I feel that it is important to note that it was published in 2005 because there is a character who states that she will never have a computer in her home and she won't use one. I find this interesting as there are now people who state that they won't ever own a smartphone but have computers in their homes.
April 22, 2019
Book #52 of the EBN challenge at my library.
Challenge Topic: A book with a punny title.
This was a fun little read and quick too. Humorous with serious parts in it. Loved the way she developed the characters but sometimes I wondered where she was going with the story and why she repeated some things.
Challenge Topic: A book with a punny title.
This was a fun little read and quick too. Humorous with serious parts in it. Loved the way she developed the characters but sometimes I wondered where she was going with the story and why she repeated some things.
March 20, 2017
Jane and her friend, Shelley, are involved in a play produced by the local university. Jane and Shelley show up each evening for rehearsals to check on the catering that Shelley has set up for the rehearsals. Murder occurs.
September 9, 2024
For many years now, this series has been one of my guiltiest of guilty pleasures. Come to think of it, there's really no reason to feel any guilt. OK, forget the guilt; these books give me all kinds of pleasure every time I pick one up. I can't think of any book in the series that caused me to question whether I should keep reading. If you haven't attempted this one, I hope you will. The books are extremely short, highly readable, and fun without exception.
Jane and her friend Shelley Our hiring caterers to feed a theatre company. Alas, these are amateur actors, and once Jane gets a look at the script, she's rather appalled for the few good actors who may be sacrificing pieces of their career to do this dreadful mystery.
Not everything is sweetness and light where the theater company is concerned. Someone murders one of the main actors. Days later, that same someone attacks and nearly murders a janitor.
The two women work closely with Jane's boyfriend, a local cop, to ferret out a killer. I enjoyed this book because at no time was Jane's life in danger. I like that kind of unpredictability from this author. She avoids tropes and formulas rather nicely, and I'm sorry she's no longer alive to keep writing this series. If every single mom could be like Jane, the world's kids would be significantly better off. She is kind when she must be, a disciplinarian when that is necessary, and a woman of wisdom who can figure out the balance. That's impressive by every measure. I can't help but wax rhapsodic about this series. Not only is it wonderfully fun, but the NLS narrator is fantastic. Alas those who follow me in this space and are not eligible to borrow the book from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled will hear a different narrator. I'm sorry you don't have access to Jill fox. She is among the finest and best of the best. Not worth losing your side over, I can reassure you. But she really is almost that good. Almost.
Jane and her friend Shelley Our hiring caterers to feed a theatre company. Alas, these are amateur actors, and once Jane gets a look at the script, she's rather appalled for the few good actors who may be sacrificing pieces of their career to do this dreadful mystery.
Not everything is sweetness and light where the theater company is concerned. Someone murders one of the main actors. Days later, that same someone attacks and nearly murders a janitor.
The two women work closely with Jane's boyfriend, a local cop, to ferret out a killer. I enjoyed this book because at no time was Jane's life in danger. I like that kind of unpredictability from this author. She avoids tropes and formulas rather nicely, and I'm sorry she's no longer alive to keep writing this series. If every single mom could be like Jane, the world's kids would be significantly better off. She is kind when she must be, a disciplinarian when that is necessary, and a woman of wisdom who can figure out the balance. That's impressive by every measure. I can't help but wax rhapsodic about this series. Not only is it wonderfully fun, but the NLS narrator is fantastic. Alas those who follow me in this space and are not eligible to borrow the book from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled will hear a different narrator. I'm sorry you don't have access to Jill fox. She is among the finest and best of the best. Not worth losing your side over, I can reassure you. But she really is almost that good. Almost.
May 2, 2020
Jane Jeffry and her best friend Shelley become involved in a local community college's production of a play written and directed by one of the drama professors. They are involved because Shelley's husband had bought the theater but found it would not work for his purposes so he donated it to the college. Shelley's role was to engage caterers to feed the performers and others involved in the production; she was doing this partly to find good caterers for her husband's company parties. Jane just came along for the ride, until one of the actors is murdered.
June 24, 2025
It was an alright read but definitely wasn't my favorite. It felt like it was written for older ladies and also middle schoolers at the same time. Very dumbed down but also very out of touch with dialogue and the rest of the text. The reason behind the main characters being involved felt very out of place. I also found the plot extremely predictable, not just with the killer's identity but also with the motive. Overall it was a silly read that was easy enough to get through, but I wouldn't choose to read it again.
July 6, 2017
I've not read Churchill before and although I finished this one I didn't love it. Between a needlepoint class, catering details, and a subpar theater production, I felt like I was missing something. Maybe not reading the series in order makes a difference but several times something new was just being talked about and I didn't feel any introduction. The murders didn't seem to even be a big deal and the ending, although most cozies are, was predictable. Not a satisfying read.
November 22, 2021
Admittedly, I have found the delights of cozy mysteries in the past year or so, and this one falls into that category. HOWEVER… this is possibly the most bland book I’ve ever read. The writer doesn’t paint vivid pictures, and the dialogue is just plain dull.
I kept reading it, figuring it was a series and *someone* must enjoy the writing and that maybe I was missing something. But, no. Definitely not for me.
I kept reading it, figuring it was a series and *someone* must enjoy the writing and that maybe I was missing something. But, no. Definitely not for me.
March 24, 2021
A cozy mystery without the cutesy.
I was worried when I saw that this was far into a series. While I could tell it was part of a series it is fine for a first-timer. The main character is into writing, needlepoint classes, and taste testing caterers for a theater group. There was a murder of an actor in the small theater group. An all-together well-developed read.
I was worried when I saw that this was far into a series. While I could tell it was part of a series it is fine for a first-timer. The main character is into writing, needlepoint classes, and taste testing caterers for a theater group. There was a murder of an actor in the small theater group. An all-together well-developed read.
July 5, 2017
I hadn't read Churchill in a long while and I enjoyed it immensely.Jane and her best friend Shelley have gotten into mysterious murders many times and this one revolves around college theater productions. Light, fast reading. Very enjoyable!
December 22, 2024
Cute read. The plot and the storyline were excellent except that it felt like it ended abruptly. Like the characters. This is only my second book by this author so I liked that there of Mel in this story. Not much suspense, but has some humor. Recommend.
October 12, 2017
I didn't enjoy this mystery as much as I do Danielle Steele. As a matter of fact, I'm not much of a mystery reader.
July 5, 2019
I love Jill Churchill and this book did not disappoint. Fun mind candy all the way.
September 8, 2019
Relatively interesting cast of characters but pretty simple plot.
December 18, 2022
Not one of the best of the series. But, I still enjoyed spending time with the characters and feeling very cozy with this cozy mystery.
April 23, 2023
Not one of the best of the series. But, I still enjoyed spending time with the characters and feeling very cozy with this cozy mystery.
December 4, 2023
Not very much of a mystery. Easy, quick read. The way it was written got on my nerves because not very intelligent. What I mean by this is that it was like reading an elementary school book. Sorry.
December 25, 2025
Not the book for me. extremely slow, boring and predictable
July 17, 2017
I've not read Churchill before and although I finished this one I didn't love it. Between a needlepoint class, catering details, and a subpar theater production, I felt like I was missing something. Maybe not reading the series in order makes a difference but several times something new was just being talked about and I didn't feel any introduction. The murders didn't seem to even be a big deal and the ending, although most cozies are, was predictable. Not a satisfying read.
October 26, 2009
Jane Jeffry's friend, Shelley Nowack, has agreed to find caterers to provide meals for participants in a play the local community college is putting on and asks Jane to help her. Jane agrees, figuring she can work on her latest hobby, needlepoint, while watching the rehearsal. She also hopes to get some ideas for a new book that she is writing. But Jane gets more than she bargained for when an actor in the play is murdered and the janitor at the theater is attacked. Jane's longtime boyfriend, police Detective Mel van Dyne, in investigating the case and asks for Jane's help as she knows the cast and crew quite well. Jane has plenty of suspects for Mel, including the director-playwright, Steven Imry and all the cast members.
Jill Churchill's last Jane Jeffrey mystery "Bell, Book, and Scandal" was pretty bad but I had hoped that was just a one-time thing. Unfortunately, "A Midsummer Night's Scream" is almost as bad, if not worse. Outside of Jane's success as a novelist, there is no character development and the only new interesting character is Gloria Bunting. The writing is stiff and some passages, such as the needlepoint class instructions seem like they are quoted from books. The dialogue is awkward and artificial and at least once Churchill loses track of which character is speaking. Even cozy bits, such as Jane's cat catching a mole are badly written and feel forced.
The Jane Jeffry mystery series used to be a light, cozy, pleasant read and it's a shame to see the series go downhill so fast. I recommend reading the other books in the series and skipping the last two. Hopefully that the next one will be better and puts the series back on track.
Jill Churchill's last Jane Jeffrey mystery "Bell, Book, and Scandal" was pretty bad but I had hoped that was just a one-time thing. Unfortunately, "A Midsummer Night's Scream" is almost as bad, if not worse. Outside of Jane's success as a novelist, there is no character development and the only new interesting character is Gloria Bunting. The writing is stiff and some passages, such as the needlepoint class instructions seem like they are quoted from books. The dialogue is awkward and artificial and at least once Churchill loses track of which character is speaking. Even cozy bits, such as Jane's cat catching a mole are badly written and feel forced.
The Jane Jeffry mystery series used to be a light, cozy, pleasant read and it's a shame to see the series go downhill so fast. I recommend reading the other books in the series and skipping the last two. Hopefully that the next one will be better and puts the series back on track.
December 16, 2011
A Midsummer's Night Scream is clearly a continuation of the slow downward slide in quality that began with Bell, Book, and Scandal, and ends with the horrible The Accidental Florist.
Bell, Book, and Scandal had, I think, only one change in viewpoint. A Midsummer's Night Scream had several changes in viewpoint, mostly from Mel's view, which is unusual in this series.
Despite the series name, A Jane Jeffry Mystery, Jane had almost nothing to do with solving this mystery. In fact, most of this book revolved around tasting testing caterers and attending a needlepoint class. Since neither the caterers nor the needlepoint class had anything to do with the mystery, their constant presence in the story was distracting and served no purpose in advancing the story or the mystery.
Unlike previous mysteries in this series, Jane does very little thinking about this mystery. In fact, she does almost no thinking about the murder, potential motives, or potential guilty parties.
The oddest part of this book: the epilogue. No previous book in this series has ever done a "where are they now" ending to the story. It was out of place, not remotely entertaining, and again, not from Jane's viewpoint. None of the "where are they now" statements would be anything Jane could possibly know.
Jill Churchill, if you are tired of writing this series, just stop. Don't try to wrap everything up neatly for Jane as you did in The Accidental Florist. Just stop writing.
Bell, Book, and Scandal had, I think, only one change in viewpoint. A Midsummer's Night Scream had several changes in viewpoint, mostly from Mel's view, which is unusual in this series.
Despite the series name, A Jane Jeffry Mystery, Jane had almost nothing to do with solving this mystery. In fact, most of this book revolved around tasting testing caterers and attending a needlepoint class. Since neither the caterers nor the needlepoint class had anything to do with the mystery, their constant presence in the story was distracting and served no purpose in advancing the story or the mystery.
Unlike previous mysteries in this series, Jane does very little thinking about this mystery. In fact, she does almost no thinking about the murder, potential motives, or potential guilty parties.
The oddest part of this book: the epilogue. No previous book in this series has ever done a "where are they now" ending to the story. It was out of place, not remotely entertaining, and again, not from Jane's viewpoint. None of the "where are they now" statements would be anything Jane could possibly know.
Jill Churchill, if you are tired of writing this series, just stop. Don't try to wrap everything up neatly for Jane as you did in The Accidental Florist. Just stop writing.
November 15, 2016
Good, but different from the others.
Mel's point of view and the police investigation, played a far larger roll than in any of the previous books in the series. And he's the one that solves the mystery, instead of Jane. Except for inadvertently passing on information that turned out to be useful clues for Mel, Jane and Shelley had very little to do with this mystery and its solution.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Mel's point of view and the police investigation, played a far larger roll than in any of the previous books in the series. And he's the one that solves the mystery, instead of Jane. Except for inadvertently passing on information that turned out to be useful clues for Mel, Jane and Shelley had very little to do with this mystery and its solution.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2010
The obvious theme of A Midsummer Night's Scream is the theater, but this book had a lot more going on than that. We see Jane making progress in her blossoming career as a author, Shelley testing caterers, and the the two of them taking a needlepoint class. With so many different activities going on, readers are sure to find something to grab their attentions. I may not care much about acting or needlepoint, but I loved the look at Jane's road to publication as well as the culinary aspect of the different caterers.
In A Midsummer Night's Scream, Jane and Shelley are on their home turf as they look into the death of an actor. That means finding time for the investigation while raising kids (not as much as before since the children are mostly grown). It also means more involvement from Mel, as it's his case.
The case itself is surprising. I only had the tiniest inkling who the murderer was right before they were revealed. The motive behind the murder was only slightly more obvious given earlier clues. All in all, it was a fun addition to the series.
In A Midsummer Night's Scream, Jane and Shelley are on their home turf as they look into the death of an actor. That means finding time for the investigation while raising kids (not as much as before since the children are mostly grown). It also means more involvement from Mel, as it's his case.
The case itself is surprising. I only had the tiniest inkling who the murderer was right before they were revealed. The motive behind the murder was only slightly more obvious given earlier clues. All in all, it was a fun addition to the series.
July 20, 2017
I think this is one of Jill Churchill's best. Shelly is trying to find a new caterer for Paul's business dinners and she has chosen a number of caterers to provide food for a theater group. Jane accompanies her to taste the food and help evaluate the companies. By the second day, a body turns up and there are a few candidates for the murder.
Along with the crime is the story of one of the stars of the play, and elderly actress who wants to take a needlepoint class with Jane and Shelly. She turns out to be a spunky and admirable character who provides some depth to the story. She has known Sylvia Sidney, actress, author and famed needle pointer. They all are fans of Sylvia's books, which I happen to also own. It was kind of interesting to want to chime in with my own opinions to add to the dialog of these three characters.
Along with the crime is the story of one of the stars of the play, and elderly actress who wants to take a needlepoint class with Jane and Shelly. She turns out to be a spunky and admirable character who provides some depth to the story. She has known Sylvia Sidney, actress, author and famed needle pointer. They all are fans of Sylvia's books, which I happen to also own. It was kind of interesting to want to chime in with my own opinions to add to the dialog of these three characters.
July 8, 2011
Maybe 2 1/2 stars. The character development was adequate and even though this is the first of the Jane Jeffry stories I've read, I had a good sense of who the characters were. One issue I had with the novel was the mystery seemed to be treated rather trivially while the more trivial background stories (such as needlepoint classes) seemed to be pushed into the foreground. Maybe the author was doing so, to give us a way to know one or two other characters, but it really was just distracting, and didn't really move the story forward.
Per a few of the reviews I've read, this is not this author's best example of her work. I'm glad to hear that since I picked this up because of the notation on the cover that the author is an Agatha award-winning author.
Per a few of the reviews I've read, this is not this author's best example of her work. I'm glad to hear that since I picked this up because of the notation on the cover that the author is an Agatha award-winning author.
July 31, 2013
It's been several years since I read any of the Jane Jeffry books so I thought I would just read the last two rather than go back to the beginning & re-read.
This book just didn't do much of anything for me. I thought the needlepoint class and caterer testing were quite distracting from what was supposed to be the mystery. The characters seemed pretty two-dimensional and the whole story rather flat.
Jane's only connection to the mystery seemed to be providing the link between the assault on the janitor and the theater death.
The epilogue at the end was surprising and seemed unnecessary.
One last thought: Given the title, am I the only person expected them to be performing a Shakespearian work?
Overall - a disappointment
This book just didn't do much of anything for me. I thought the needlepoint class and caterer testing were quite distracting from what was supposed to be the mystery. The characters seemed pretty two-dimensional and the whole story rather flat.
Jane's only connection to the mystery seemed to be providing the link between the assault on the janitor and the theater death.
The epilogue at the end was surprising and seemed unnecessary.
One last thought: Given the title, am I the only person expected them to be performing a Shakespearian work?
Overall - a disappointment
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews