What do you think?
Rate this book
Murder, She Wrote #9
Assassinio a bordo. La Signora in Giallo
La celeberrima giallista Jessica Fletcher non può non accogliere con entusiasmo la proposta del suo agente letterario. Si tratta di essere ospitata sulla Queen Elizabeth II, in rotta da Southampton tra mille lussi e intrattenimenti. In cambio Jessica deve tenere qualche conferenza e scrivere una commedia da rappresentare sul transatlantico. Una volta a bordo, conosce anche altri passeggeri di richiamo. Tra loro lo chef Carlo di Giovanni, il giudice Dan Salon, la timida botanica Elaine Anathous e l'arrogante Marla Tralaine, ex star hollywoodiana, già sospettata dell'assassinio del suo ultimo marito. Ma proprio quando a Jessica sembra di potersi rilassare, ecco che scopre un piedino dalle unghie scarlatte sporgere da una scialuppa.
298 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
123 people are currently reading
1099 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Fletcher
115 books1,060 followersLibrarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Jessica Fletcher (born Jessica Beatrice MacGill, and writes under the initialed J.B. Fletcher) is a fictional character from the US television series Murder, She Wrote.
In keeping with the spirit of the TV show, a series of official original novels have been written by American ghostwriter Donald Bain and published by the New American Library. The author credit for the novels is shared with the fictitious "Jessica Fletcher." When the first novel in the series, Gin and Daggers, was published in 1989 it included several inaccuracies to the TV series including Jessica driving a car which she could not do as she never learned to drive. Due to fans pointing out the errors, the novel was republished in 2000 with most of the inaccuracies corrected.
Source: Wikipedia
Jessica Fletcher (born Jessica Beatrice MacGill, and writes under the initialed J.B. Fletcher) is a fictional character from the US television series Murder, She Wrote.
In keeping with the spirit of the TV show, a series of official original novels have been written by American ghostwriter Donald Bain and published by the New American Library. The author credit for the novels is shared with the fictitious "Jessica Fletcher." When the first novel in the series, Gin and Daggers, was published in 1989 it included several inaccuracies to the TV series including Jessica driving a car which she could not do as she never learned to drive. Due to fans pointing out the errors, the novel was republished in 2000 with most of the inaccuracies corrected.
Source: Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
September 12, 2025
5 Stars. It's just so Angela Lansbury - the photo on the front cover, the character, and the script. The image in my mind is of a person I'd like to meet - is that Fletcher or Lansbury? This one's a good one as ghost writer Donald Bain crafts an intriguing puzzle for us to enjoy, and possibly solve before the final pages, as we vicariously cross the north Atlantic with Jessica from New York to Southampton aboard the famous Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner. She is invited to travel to London on the liner as a guest lecturer with the challenge of writing a play - to be delivered one act per afternoon during the voyage. One of her fellow speakers is murdered, the faded movie star Marla Tralaine. She was to have a small walk-on in Jessica's play. It all seems to revolve around Miss Tralaine, what with former lovers and other surprise connections with fellow passengers. Our hero gets appreciated help from Mary Ward, an elderly contest winner from North Carolina. Jessica actually writes a second play, a short one which she dashes-off in an hour while on board. The QE2 ceased cruising in 2008, so this might be your last chance to experience history. (De2019/Se2025)
May 28, 2010
I usually like the Murder She Wrote series a lot. This one was a disappointment for three reasons. It wasn't as well written as the previous ones in the collection. While reading, I often felt like the book was an advertisement for a cruise line. The ending was incredibly far fetched. I hope the next one is better.
March 22, 2009
a cruise on the QE2 turns deadly after a passenger is murdered, and jessica fletcher sets out with the help of others to slove the murder
July 28, 2012
Jessica Fletcher is asked to lecture and to write a murder mystery play for a crossing of the QE2. Waxing nostalgic over the crossing she and her husband had taken 20 years before, Jessica takes on the job and looks forward to some relaxation. When a passenger is murdered, Jessica becomes involved in the search for the killer.
The repetitive "he said," "she said" was irritating. Readers can usually tell who's doing the talking unless your writing is disorganized, so it wasn't necessary to include most of the "he said"s and "she said"s. However, if and when an author includes them, there should be more variety. Commented, answered, replied, scoffed, growled, any number of other verbs are available!
Another irritation for me was the goody-goodness of Jessica. She won't drink, and when someone gives her a free drink, she only takes a few sips to be polite. She's on a luxurious ship but chooses boring meals that she could get at home like blueberry pancakes and Caesar salad. Her one main desire for the crossing was to lounge on deck, wrapped in a blanket and sipping something or other (I can't even remember what), just like she and her husband had done 20 years before. She kept correcting everyone when they referred to the crossing as a "cruise." Come on! If you're going to relax, then relax and live it up a little. I don't remember Jessica being such a prim and proper bump on the log in the TV series.
There were a lot of characters, too many for me to keep track of them in a relatively short book. However, the number of characters meant that the killer was not as obvious as they might have otherwise been. It was an okay book.
The repetitive "he said," "she said" was irritating. Readers can usually tell who's doing the talking unless your writing is disorganized, so it wasn't necessary to include most of the "he said"s and "she said"s. However, if and when an author includes them, there should be more variety. Commented, answered, replied, scoffed, growled, any number of other verbs are available!
Another irritation for me was the goody-goodness of Jessica. She won't drink, and when someone gives her a free drink, she only takes a few sips to be polite. She's on a luxurious ship but chooses boring meals that she could get at home like blueberry pancakes and Caesar salad. Her one main desire for the crossing was to lounge on deck, wrapped in a blanket and sipping something or other (I can't even remember what), just like she and her husband had done 20 years before. She kept correcting everyone when they referred to the crossing as a "cruise." Come on! If you're going to relax, then relax and live it up a little. I don't remember Jessica being such a prim and proper bump on the log in the TV series.
There were a lot of characters, too many for me to keep track of them in a relatively short book. However, the number of characters meant that the killer was not as obvious as they might have otherwise been. It was an okay book.
August 29, 2011
I actually did not really enjoy this book. I love Murder,She Wrote book series. But this book did lack of a good ,cohesive plot. First of the all, the murder itself appeared to early even before all the characters were nicely introduced and their peculiarities were exposed. The victim had hardly any time to form an opinion about her character. All the characters involved were too thinly written except for Mary Ward. She was adorable. Overall a little let down than I expected.
December 14, 2016
For a 25 cents garage sale book I enjoyed this greatly!
March 6, 2020
I love the setting so much! I have never been on a cruise and I am not sure I will ever manage (anything that is not solid ground gives me horrible motion sickness).
But I so want to go on the Queen Elizabeth 2 now! I could see all the luxurious rooms and the entertainment and oh I want to see that too!
The mystery was also good, as usual there were many characters that could have committed the murder.
The story was very lively and it kept me interested.
As in all the other instalments so far, I like seeing the day-to-day life of Jessica, but I also think she is quite different from the TV series. I hope her character is better adjusted in the next books, as rewatching some of the episodes made me realise there are quite a few differences.
But I so want to go on the Queen Elizabeth 2 now! I could see all the luxurious rooms and the entertainment and oh I want to see that too!
The mystery was also good, as usual there were many characters that could have committed the murder.
The story was very lively and it kept me interested.
As in all the other instalments so far, I like seeing the day-to-day life of Jessica, but I also think she is quite different from the TV series. I hope her character is better adjusted in the next books, as rewatching some of the episodes made me realise there are quite a few differences.
July 8, 2017
Jessica Fletcher does it again and saves the day: I find it highly entertaining that when accused of being a snoop she denies it, which we all know she is she can not help it. This was an enjoyable read from start to finish and I was glad Jessica found some time to herself as little as it was . I was also glad she had a chum to help her along the way which put the lime wedge in the drink so to speak.
May 23, 2016
I just love the stories about Jessica Fletcher, as well the written ones as the ones on television. It is easy, uncomplicated but still quite witty. A good choice when you have too much on your mind to read something too complex, but still interesting enough to take you away from daily worries.
March 24, 2020
Murder She Wrote was a tv staple when I was younger, so in the midst of all this staying at home, I thought I’d grab Murder on the QE2 off my shelf. I’m honestly not sure where I picked it up or who gave it to me, but it was enjoyable. There’s a bit of nostalgia while reading it, they talk about floppy disks and VHS tapes and the internet is still pretty new.
Jessica is on an all-expense-paid trip across the Atlantic on the luxury ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, and mind you it’s a crossing, not a cruise, no matter what it seems like. She’s a guest lecturer, speaking about mystery writings, and she also writes an original play that will be performed on board. Surprise, surprise, someone’s murdered. The dead woman is one of the other lecturers, an aging actress trying to revive her career. And of course, she’s connected with multiple people on board, each of whom might have a motive to want her dead.
I enjoyed the details of life onboard the ship, although I do wish the food had been more interesting. Jessica does not have the most adventurous taste buds. The characters, both passengers, lecturers, staff, and actors in the play are an interesting lot. The mystery wasn’t outstanding, but at the same time, I didn’t really expect it to be. I was a bit surprised at some of the revelations as the story went along though.
Overall, Murder on the QE2 was a good read, exactly the type of cozy mystery I was in the mood for. Sometimes, re-visiting favorite characters is just what I need. I may have to pick up some more of the series.
Jessica is on an all-expense-paid trip across the Atlantic on the luxury ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, and mind you it’s a crossing, not a cruise, no matter what it seems like. She’s a guest lecturer, speaking about mystery writings, and she also writes an original play that will be performed on board. Surprise, surprise, someone’s murdered. The dead woman is one of the other lecturers, an aging actress trying to revive her career. And of course, she’s connected with multiple people on board, each of whom might have a motive to want her dead.
I enjoyed the details of life onboard the ship, although I do wish the food had been more interesting. Jessica does not have the most adventurous taste buds. The characters, both passengers, lecturers, staff, and actors in the play are an interesting lot. The mystery wasn’t outstanding, but at the same time, I didn’t really expect it to be. I was a bit surprised at some of the revelations as the story went along though.
Overall, Murder on the QE2 was a good read, exactly the type of cozy mystery I was in the mood for. Sometimes, re-visiting favorite characters is just what I need. I may have to pick up some more of the series.
January 4, 2020
My first read of 2020! What a great way to kick off the year.
Murder, mystery, a crossing of the Atlantic, VHS tapes and floppy disks. Jessica Fletcher is on an all expense paid trip across the Atlantic on the luxury ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, as a guest lecturer to speak about mystery writings, and to write an original play to be performed on board. However, and what a shocker, murder finds her in the middle of the Atlantic when she discovers a socialites body! All thoughts of relaxation, tea, and shuffleboard are thrown overboard. Jess teams up with the head of ship security, by request of the captain to find the murderer.
I love me an amateur sleuth mystery, and the Murder She Wrote books fill the order perfectly. My favorite part of all? Jessica Fletcher and all the residents of Cabot Cove have appeared to be frozen in time, as this book takes place in 1997 and Jessica is still in her early sixties and enjoying the modern luxuries of VHS tapes, satellite connections, the World Wide Web, and of course fax machines! Still she sticks to her usual antics to crack the case before the ship reaches its destination in England and the killer gets away.
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars
Favorite Quote: "Amazing, I thought, how efficient the Cabot Cove grapevine was. It's more effective than the internet and World Wide Web combined"
Murder, mystery, a crossing of the Atlantic, VHS tapes and floppy disks. Jessica Fletcher is on an all expense paid trip across the Atlantic on the luxury ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, as a guest lecturer to speak about mystery writings, and to write an original play to be performed on board. However, and what a shocker, murder finds her in the middle of the Atlantic when she discovers a socialites body! All thoughts of relaxation, tea, and shuffleboard are thrown overboard. Jess teams up with the head of ship security, by request of the captain to find the murderer.
I love me an amateur sleuth mystery, and the Murder She Wrote books fill the order perfectly. My favorite part of all? Jessica Fletcher and all the residents of Cabot Cove have appeared to be frozen in time, as this book takes place in 1997 and Jessica is still in her early sixties and enjoying the modern luxuries of VHS tapes, satellite connections, the World Wide Web, and of course fax machines! Still she sticks to her usual antics to crack the case before the ship reaches its destination in England and the killer gets away.
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars
Favorite Quote: "Amazing, I thought, how efficient the Cabot Cove grapevine was. It's more effective than the internet and World Wide Web combined"
February 15, 2020
Jessica Fletcher's literary agent called to let her know she would be making a crossing on the QE2 as long as she would give a lecture and write a play to be performed by a professional group of actors. That sounded easy enough. Jessica looked forward to relaxing during her free time. However, the first morning she was on board she decided to go for a walk with a fellow passenger after breakfast. They discovered the body of an aging movie actress who was trying to make a come back. There were many suspects in the death which turned out to be a homicide. Jessica and her ship mate Mary Ward team up to solve the crime. I find the "Murder She Wrote" series to be very entertaining good mysteries.
April 16, 2023
As I'm moving along this series (very slowly lol) each book is getting better and better. I had all kinds of theories mapped out on who the murderer was and was still a bit surprised after reading this.
I do have some questions though that won't get answered because the story seems to have forgotten to answer them but I still found this quite enjoyable.
This book made me believe once and for all that the Jessica Fletcher in the tv series and the Jessica Fletcher in the book series are two different people. There's just too many differing qualities between the two. I've accepted this one and am along for the ride now and am looking forward to reading the next one. I seem to have quite a bit of catching up to do.
I do have some questions though that won't get answered because the story seems to have forgotten to answer them but I still found this quite enjoyable.
This book made me believe once and for all that the Jessica Fletcher in the tv series and the Jessica Fletcher in the book series are two different people. There's just too many differing qualities between the two. I've accepted this one and am along for the ride now and am looking forward to reading the next one. I seem to have quite a bit of catching up to do.
January 18, 2021
Jessica is off on the Queen Elizabeth 2 as a guest lecturer with a few other lecturers. This is her second trip and she is looking forward to relaxing and reading after her lectures. However, fate has different plans for her when one of her fellow lecturers ends up discovered in very very poor health - dead.
This was a good book but had a slow start. I enjoyed the descriptions of the QE2 but some of the characters were a bit flat, probably because they were all new characters. None of her Cabot Cove friends in this one. Not one of her better works.
This was a good book but had a slow start. I enjoyed the descriptions of the QE2 but some of the characters were a bit flat, probably because they were all new characters. None of her Cabot Cove friends in this one. Not one of her better works.
May 20, 2017
Jessica agrees to give a lecture during a crossing on the QE2, and to work on a murder mystery play to be performed aboard the ship. It seems like a good way to relax and unwind...until one of the other lecturers is murdered. With the help of a fan on board, Jessica tracks the killer while trying to make sure she keeps up with her own duties.
This book was great fun and, since the real QE2 is no longer cruising the seas, it's the closest you can get to on onboard experience these days.
This book was great fun and, since the real QE2 is no longer cruising the seas, it's the closest you can get to on onboard experience these days.
January 19, 2018
I enjoyed this mystery solved by Jessica Fletcher. I have never taken a "cruise" before, but I want to go on one sometime. I'm amazed at how many people were on board that had some sort of relationship with the murder victim. And I'm just as surprised to find out that the second death that occurred was not a murder, but a suicide. An interesting ending to this story.
February 9, 2022
I quite liked Jessica in this installment and I loved Mary Ward. She's the 80s version of Miss Marple. The setting wasn't incorporated quite as much as I would have liked, but the mystery was interesting and there was minimal Seth and the other annoying one from Cabot's Cove, so all in all, great book.
November 12, 2015
As a fan of the TV series I really enjoyed this book. With so many suspects with any number of motives anything could happen. I got so caught up in the story towards the end I forgot who I suspected! But I'd recommend this book for fans of JB Fletcher.
June 1, 2018
I love reading murder, she wrote books! The author makes me feel like Jess's good friend and we are sharing a adventure together or she's sharing her latest adventure with me over tea in her kitchen or at Mara's diner. I'm always excited to read the next and sorry when it's done.
April 11, 2013
Pretty interesting and I like it being on a cruise... but too many people involved in the deed. I don't mind many suspects but I hate too many people being involved, either directly or indirectly.
June 27, 2015
I have enjoyed all the Jessica books.
March 13, 2015
I'm a sucker for mysteries on cruise ships.
March 4, 2017
Some of these books portray Jessica different than the television show but this one is more in tune with how the television series went. Keeps you guessing throughout!
October 13, 2018
It's murder on an ocean liner crossing the Atlantic! Jessica Fletcher is all over it! Yet, another clever who- dun- it from the series of Murder She Wrote books.
February 8, 2020
Entertaining quick read about a couple murders on a cruise, while we were on a cruise. It was just like watching an episode of Murder She Wrote.
August 30, 2020
Quick, easy, enjoyable read. Definitely for those who love the TV show (which I do, not even going to say “as a guilty pleasure” 😁).
January 15, 2018
I’m so glad I discovered these books! Murder, She Wrote is one of my favourite television shows and the accompanying books have now become a favourite too. ‘Murder on the QE2’ sees Jessica Fletcher accept the job of writing an original mystery play for the five day crossing and also giving a lecture on mystery writing. Of course, wherever Jessica goes murder usually follows and when a fellow lecturer is found dead Jessica becomes thrown into another mystery.
Just like the show the characters are established quickly – there’s a fiery Italian chef, a famed mountain climber, the host of a successful gardening show and a diva leading lady who shuns the other passengers. It’s pretty easy to spot the intended victim and it’s no surprise when the diva winds up dead. But who could have done it? The list is long and as Jessica delves deeper into her life it appears quite a few of her fellow passengers have secret connections to the victim.
The trip is also tinged with personal sadness for Jessica. The last time she was on the QE2 it was twenty years ago, just before her beloved husband Frank passed away. My heart always goes out to JB when she remembers her time with Frank, she was so deeply in love with him and no man has come close since. This trip is full of happy memories that they made together.
Usually if I read books set on cruise ships they completely put me off the idea! But this one made we want to hop on the nearest P & O, it sounded like a fantastic trip (apart from the murder!)
This was a quick yet enjoyable read. These books are becoming comfort reads for me, I know I’ll enjoy them and I know what to expect. They are great mysteries, amusing, fun, full of dodgy and intriguing characters and my hero, Jessica Fletcher will always save the day. I love ‘em.
Just like the show the characters are established quickly – there’s a fiery Italian chef, a famed mountain climber, the host of a successful gardening show and a diva leading lady who shuns the other passengers. It’s pretty easy to spot the intended victim and it’s no surprise when the diva winds up dead. But who could have done it? The list is long and as Jessica delves deeper into her life it appears quite a few of her fellow passengers have secret connections to the victim.
The trip is also tinged with personal sadness for Jessica. The last time she was on the QE2 it was twenty years ago, just before her beloved husband Frank passed away. My heart always goes out to JB when she remembers her time with Frank, she was so deeply in love with him and no man has come close since. This trip is full of happy memories that they made together.
Usually if I read books set on cruise ships they completely put me off the idea! But this one made we want to hop on the nearest P & O, it sounded like a fantastic trip (apart from the murder!)
This was a quick yet enjoyable read. These books are becoming comfort reads for me, I know I’ll enjoy them and I know what to expect. They are great mysteries, amusing, fun, full of dodgy and intriguing characters and my hero, Jessica Fletcher will always save the day. I love ‘em.
July 12, 2020
My second foray into the Murder She Wrote book series was an enjoyable one. I quite enjoyed this book, the investigative process, the more colorful characters than in the previous book I read, the great setting (especially when the stormy weather set in). It was fun seeing Jessica with a sort of sidekick in this book, and I liked seeing the realistic side of her that having to investigate and try to solve a murder during a time when she's supposed to be relaxing and also people coming to question her about it, random strangers included, can be tedious and annoying and get to her.
If I have any complaints was that we barely got to know the victim, and that the reveal of the culprit felt weird, not the way I was expecting it to go. But overall I quite enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more.
If I have any complaints was that we barely got to know the victim, and that the reveal of the culprit felt weird, not the way I was expecting it to go. But overall I quite enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more.
July 7, 2023
Admittedly, I read this book a long time ago. However, I have a truly terrible memory, so the good news is that I can reread books that I enjoy and experience them for the first time again. (It's a blessing and a curse.)
I remember liking this one the first time that I read it, but that was all that I actually remembered about the book.
It's not one of the absolute best that I've read in this series, but I did enjoy it. It didn't go at all like I expected it to go (despite the fact that I read it before).
It takes place on a cruise ship, and definitely has some Death on the Nile vibes. Still, it's very enjoyable, and I recommend it to fans of Murder, She Wrote. (Of course, I do think that any cozy mystery aficionados would also enjoy the series, even if they never got into the television show.)
I remember liking this one the first time that I read it, but that was all that I actually remembered about the book.
It's not one of the absolute best that I've read in this series, but I did enjoy it. It didn't go at all like I expected it to go (despite the fact that I read it before).
It takes place on a cruise ship, and definitely has some Death on the Nile vibes. Still, it's very enjoyable, and I recommend it to fans of Murder, She Wrote. (Of course, I do think that any cozy mystery aficionados would also enjoy the series, even if they never got into the television show.)
April 21, 2012
Murder on the QE2 has mystery novelist Jessica Fletcher crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Elizabeth 2, having been asked to write a murder mystery play as part of the onboard entertainment. While she and another guest, a charming woman who won a local murder mystery contest, are walking on one of the decks, the woman spots something unusual. She and Jessica get a closer look and discover one of the female passengers was murdered. Several of the guests on board were part of the victim's life. Jessica, with the help of the woman who first discovered the body, solves the crime but she encounters several twists and turns along the way--some of them are deadly.
This book is an excellent companion piece to The Queen's Jewels which takes place aboard the Queen Mary 2.
This book is an excellent companion piece to The Queen's Jewels which takes place aboard the Queen Mary 2.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews