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Murder, She Wrote #41
Murder She Wrote: Aloha Betrayed
Based on the Universal Television series created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson & William Link.
375 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2014
76 people are currently reading
931 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Fletcher
107 books1,064 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. The author credit for the novels is shared with the fictitious "Jessica Fletcher." The series has been continued by authors Renée Paley-Bain, Jon Land, Terrie Farley Moran, and Barbara Early.
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. The author credit for the novels is shared with the fictitious "Jessica Fletcher." The series has been continued by authors Renée Paley-Bain, Jon Land, Terrie Farley Moran, and Barbara Early.
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
September 27, 2024
Jessica Fletcher goes to Hawaii (as a guest of the Maui PD) to teach a class at Maui College on community involvement in criminal investigations. She befriends a young lady (college professor Mala Kapule) who eventually is found dead at the bottom of a cliff soon afterwards. Jessica suspects that Mala could have been murdered. So, she and her friend Mike Kane (a retired police detective) investigate how Mala died.
I really enjoyed this Murder She Wrote mystery. I loved the detailed Hawaiian setting… I felt like I was there! I liked the large cast of characters/suspects and I was curious to find out who the culprit was. I also liked Jessica’s friendly detective-partner Mike Kane.
Another exciting read from this highly enjoyable series!
I really enjoyed this Murder She Wrote mystery. I loved the detailed Hawaiian setting… I felt like I was there! I liked the large cast of characters/suspects and I was curious to find out who the culprit was. I also liked Jessica’s friendly detective-partner Mike Kane.
Another exciting read from this highly enjoyable series!
August 29, 2017
This was my first foray into the book version of the Murder, She Wrote series. Oh, how I wish I had read it sooner, but better late than never! Donald Bain is the sole author of this series, and has been since he wrote the first installment back in 1989. I adore the fact that he puts Jessica Fletcher's name on the books as well, as a nod toward her character being a mystery writer. Very clever!
In Aloha Betrayed, Jessica Fletcher finds herself in the middle of another murder mystery, this time surrounding the suspicious death of a young, controversial college professor named Mala Kapule (awesome name, btw). Jessica has been flown down to Maui from her hometown of Cabot Cove to be a lecturer on the campus where Mala is employed.
Also lecturing is one of the longest-running characters in this series, the retired detective Mike Kane, who currently lives on Maui with his wife Lani. He is supposed to be enjoying his retirement and spending a little quality time with his dear friend Jessica, but naturally fate intervenes and they find themselves investigating Mala's death together.
There's a fairly healthy list of possible suspects, all with different motives. Let's just say that Mala isn't necessarily the kind of person she's made out to be, but whether or not that's good, bad or in-between is up to the reader to decide.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read, although I do wish that some loose ends were tied up, especially as they feel important to the plot. Even so, I anticipate enjoying this series, and look forward to diving into another Jessica Fletcher mystery.
In Aloha Betrayed, Jessica Fletcher finds herself in the middle of another murder mystery, this time surrounding the suspicious death of a young, controversial college professor named Mala Kapule (awesome name, btw). Jessica has been flown down to Maui from her hometown of Cabot Cove to be a lecturer on the campus where Mala is employed.
Also lecturing is one of the longest-running characters in this series, the retired detective Mike Kane, who currently lives on Maui with his wife Lani. He is supposed to be enjoying his retirement and spending a little quality time with his dear friend Jessica, but naturally fate intervenes and they find themselves investigating Mala's death together.
There's a fairly healthy list of possible suspects, all with different motives. Let's just say that Mala isn't necessarily the kind of person she's made out to be, but whether or not that's good, bad or in-between is up to the reader to decide.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read, although I do wish that some loose ends were tied up, especially as they feel important to the plot. Even so, I anticipate enjoying this series, and look forward to diving into another Jessica Fletcher mystery.
May 26, 2016
I've always enjoyed the "Murder She Wrote" television series, so I thought I'd try one of the books inspired by the show and decided that a story set in Hawaii would be a good place to start. Jessica Fletcher goes to the Hawaiian island of Maui as a guest of the Maui Police Department to teach a class on community involvement in criminal investigations. Of course a dead body turns up along the way at the bottom of a cliff, that of a college professor whose acquaintance Jessica had made on her first day in Maui. The circumstances surrounding the beautiful, young girl's death seem suspicious to Jessica, so she decides to investigate with the help of her co-teacher, Mike Kane, who also happens to be a retired police detective.
I enjoyed this book so much. The story is written in the first person point-of-view of the always likable Jessica Fletcher. There were many potential suspects in the large and entertaining cast of characters. I found the pieces of info on Hawaiian culture and customs to be extremely interesting. I loved the beautiful and detailed descriptions of Maui, from luaus and beaches, to an exciting trip to the summit of the Haleakala volcano to see the sunrise above the clouds, and then the subsequent journey by bicycle back down the winding mountainside. The story was just like watching an episode of Murder She Wrote. The mystery was good and the sights of Maui fantastic and have me longing to visit the beautiful island paradise.
I enjoyed this book so much. The story is written in the first person point-of-view of the always likable Jessica Fletcher. There were many potential suspects in the large and entertaining cast of characters. I found the pieces of info on Hawaiian culture and customs to be extremely interesting. I loved the beautiful and detailed descriptions of Maui, from luaus and beaches, to an exciting trip to the summit of the Haleakala volcano to see the sunrise above the clouds, and then the subsequent journey by bicycle back down the winding mountainside. The story was just like watching an episode of Murder She Wrote. The mystery was good and the sights of Maui fantastic and have me longing to visit the beautiful island paradise.
August 21, 2021
Recuperato nella biblioteca dell’albergo. L’ho visto e non ho resisitito. La Jessica è sempre la Jessica e anche stavolta non mi ha deluso.
La nostra scrittrice questa volta, è stata invitata alle Hawaii per tenere un corso, insieme ad un ex poliziotto, alle nuove reclute della polizia locale. Conosce la nipote di un amico di Seth, il medico di Cabot Cove, che però purtroppo muore in un incidente.
Ovviamene lei non è convinta e tra feste, gite sul vulcano, balli di hula e té all’hananas inizia a investigare.
Mi piace molto, perché è una lettura leggera che allo stesso incuriosisce. Perfetta sotto l’ombrellone.
La nostra scrittrice questa volta, è stata invitata alle Hawaii per tenere un corso, insieme ad un ex poliziotto, alle nuove reclute della polizia locale. Conosce la nipote di un amico di Seth, il medico di Cabot Cove, che però purtroppo muore in un incidente.
Ovviamene lei non è convinta e tra feste, gite sul vulcano, balli di hula e té all’hananas inizia a investigare.
Mi piace molto, perché è una lettura leggera che allo stesso incuriosisce. Perfetta sotto l’ombrellone.
May 2, 2015
I enjoy the novels where Jessica is in Cabot Cove surrounded by all her friends but a good portion of the time Jessica is off on an adventure that takes her to all manner of interesting locales. In this case, the beautiful island of Maui with all its breathtaking scenery and deep history makes a startling contrast to the violent act of murder.
Mike Kane was an interesting character and I sort of wished he wasn't tucked in so far away from Maine, because I wouldn't mind hearing from him again. He was a bright spot in an otherwise tepid mystery plot that was enjoyable all the way up until the end when it veered off course with an outlandish conclusion, and a few too many loose threads hanging. Of course in real life we can't always have everything wrapped up in a neat little bow, and I suppose in the end some of those lingering questions didn't really matter since the murderer was caught, and we presume justice will be served. However, I would have liked the victim's reputation and character vindicated as well. So, I ended up feeling “at sixes or sevens” about how things turned out.
All the same, it was good to touch base with Jessica again and here's hoping she will stay in Cabot Cove for the next Murder, She Wrote mystery coming soon!
This review is the copyrighted property of Night Owl Reviews. To read this review in it's entirety visit: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...
Mike Kane was an interesting character and I sort of wished he wasn't tucked in so far away from Maine, because I wouldn't mind hearing from him again. He was a bright spot in an otherwise tepid mystery plot that was enjoyable all the way up until the end when it veered off course with an outlandish conclusion, and a few too many loose threads hanging. Of course in real life we can't always have everything wrapped up in a neat little bow, and I suppose in the end some of those lingering questions didn't really matter since the murderer was caught, and we presume justice will be served. However, I would have liked the victim's reputation and character vindicated as well. So, I ended up feeling “at sixes or sevens” about how things turned out.
All the same, it was good to touch base with Jessica again and here's hoping she will stay in Cabot Cove for the next Murder, She Wrote mystery coming soon!
This review is the copyrighted property of Night Owl Reviews. To read this review in it's entirety visit: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...
April 8, 2023
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Jessica Fletcher leaves Cabot Cove and lands in the tropical paradise of Hawaii to co-host a lecture series about community members getting involved in police investigations. Something she is an expert at. Legendary retired Hawaiian detective Mike Kane is her co-host for the lecture series and they become fast friends as he shares his Hawaiian life, lore, and legends with her. She also meets a young professor, Mala Kapule, with ties back in Maine, but before they can spend much time together, the young woman is killed, found at the foot of a rocky cliff. Mala was an activist and her current project was to keep the “world’s largest solar telescope” from being built atop Haleakala. Her quest is to protect and preserve the delicate ecology of the entire area. The quest probably led to her death but Jessica and Mike need to follow every clue to uncover the truth. They also need to stay alive long enough to do that as the killer’s quest is to get away with MURDER!
This book is a travelogue mixed with a mystery. I have wanted to travel to Hawaii forever and this book hit several of Maui’s hot tourist activities giving me a little virtual vacay. Let me be clear, it can’t replace actually going there in person. That item is still at the top of my bucket list. The descriptions definitely whetted my appetite for things to do and see. I want to witness the sunrises and sunsets and attend the luau and check out the volcanos myself.
The mystery in the story is a little light as the setting seemed to get even more time than the investigation. Because I was a fan of the television show it is so easy to imagine Jessica’s antics and hear her voice when she speaks. Jessica and Mike follow the clues and get a little help from his old friends on the force. Even when in Hawaii she hops on a bike to follow a clue. Things did take a turn when she tried to enjoy a popular tourist attraction on her own. It turned into quite a harrowing event but it moved the investigation forward. I do love how Jessica is always up for almost anything and she isn’t afraid to return to the scene of the crime several times as she tries to pull all the clues together. I really enjoyed the way Mike and Jessica worked together and the way he invited her to his family event. He really lives the Aloha spirit.
Murder She Wrote: Aloha Betrayed was a fun and entertaining story. Great characters and a captivating mystery all set in a tropical paradise. A nice little escape.
Jessica Fletcher leaves Cabot Cove and lands in the tropical paradise of Hawaii to co-host a lecture series about community members getting involved in police investigations. Something she is an expert at. Legendary retired Hawaiian detective Mike Kane is her co-host for the lecture series and they become fast friends as he shares his Hawaiian life, lore, and legends with her. She also meets a young professor, Mala Kapule, with ties back in Maine, but before they can spend much time together, the young woman is killed, found at the foot of a rocky cliff. Mala was an activist and her current project was to keep the “world’s largest solar telescope” from being built atop Haleakala. Her quest is to protect and preserve the delicate ecology of the entire area. The quest probably led to her death but Jessica and Mike need to follow every clue to uncover the truth. They also need to stay alive long enough to do that as the killer’s quest is to get away with MURDER!
This book is a travelogue mixed with a mystery. I have wanted to travel to Hawaii forever and this book hit several of Maui’s hot tourist activities giving me a little virtual vacay. Let me be clear, it can’t replace actually going there in person. That item is still at the top of my bucket list. The descriptions definitely whetted my appetite for things to do and see. I want to witness the sunrises and sunsets and attend the luau and check out the volcanos myself.
The mystery in the story is a little light as the setting seemed to get even more time than the investigation. Because I was a fan of the television show it is so easy to imagine Jessica’s antics and hear her voice when she speaks. Jessica and Mike follow the clues and get a little help from his old friends on the force. Even when in Hawaii she hops on a bike to follow a clue. Things did take a turn when she tried to enjoy a popular tourist attraction on her own. It turned into quite a harrowing event but it moved the investigation forward. I do love how Jessica is always up for almost anything and she isn’t afraid to return to the scene of the crime several times as she tries to pull all the clues together. I really enjoyed the way Mike and Jessica worked together and the way he invited her to his family event. He really lives the Aloha spirit.
Murder She Wrote: Aloha Betrayed was a fun and entertaining story. Great characters and a captivating mystery all set in a tropical paradise. A nice little escape.
March 12, 2023
“OMICIDIO ALLE HAWAII” è un romanzo appartenente alla collana “La Signora in Giallo”, nel quale la protagonista si ritrova a vivere una nuova avventura sull’isola di Maui.
È stato un tuffo nel passato, che nostalgia! Mi sono rivista bambina, davanti alla TV, a guardare gli episodi della serie televisiva, in onda su Rai1 prima del telegiornale dell’ora di pranzo, con Angela Lansbury che interpretava la scrittrice Jessica Fletcher. Ciò che ai tempi non sapevo era che la Fletcher non fosse solo un personaggio fittizio, ma la reale autrice delle storie trasmesse, assieme a Donald Bain.
Comunque, in questo giallo leggero e scorrevole, la curiosa scrittrice si trova alle Hawaii per affiancare un detective in pensione in una serie di lezioni di criminologia da tenere alle giovani reclute del corpo di polizia. Viene accolta calorosamente da Mala (la nipote dell’amico di un suo amico) che, inaspettatamente, viene rinvenuta morta ai piedi di una scogliera a picco sul mare. Pare un incidente, ma Jessica non ne è convinta e decide di impegnare il suo tempo sulla splendida isola tra lezioni, gite ed esperienze turistiche, senza per questo disdegnare di svolgere anche indagini approfondite.
Al di là della trama portante, in questo libro ho particolarmente apprezzato il fatto che gli autori abbiano colto ogni occasione per rendere partecipe il lettore di questo esotico viaggio, narrando luoghi, leggende, usi e costumi relativi alla vita sull’isola di Maui e, per quanto mi riguarda, facendomi sognare di poter mollare tutto e partire seduta stante per una rilassante ed istruttiva vacanza alle Hawaii.
È stato un tuffo nel passato, che nostalgia! Mi sono rivista bambina, davanti alla TV, a guardare gli episodi della serie televisiva, in onda su Rai1 prima del telegiornale dell’ora di pranzo, con Angela Lansbury che interpretava la scrittrice Jessica Fletcher. Ciò che ai tempi non sapevo era che la Fletcher non fosse solo un personaggio fittizio, ma la reale autrice delle storie trasmesse, assieme a Donald Bain.
Comunque, in questo giallo leggero e scorrevole, la curiosa scrittrice si trova alle Hawaii per affiancare un detective in pensione in una serie di lezioni di criminologia da tenere alle giovani reclute del corpo di polizia. Viene accolta calorosamente da Mala (la nipote dell’amico di un suo amico) che, inaspettatamente, viene rinvenuta morta ai piedi di una scogliera a picco sul mare. Pare un incidente, ma Jessica non ne è convinta e decide di impegnare il suo tempo sulla splendida isola tra lezioni, gite ed esperienze turistiche, senza per questo disdegnare di svolgere anche indagini approfondite.
Al di là della trama portante, in questo libro ho particolarmente apprezzato il fatto che gli autori abbiano colto ogni occasione per rendere partecipe il lettore di questo esotico viaggio, narrando luoghi, leggende, usi e costumi relativi alla vita sull’isola di Maui e, per quanto mi riguarda, facendomi sognare di poter mollare tutto e partire seduta stante per una rilassante ed istruttiva vacanza alle Hawaii.
September 2, 2024
Probably my favorite installment I’ve read so far.
July 4, 2019
Libro tranquillo e non particolarmente impegnativo, adatto per la stagione estiva e per dei pomeriggi pigri.
La trama è scorrevole e la scrittura piacevole e senza intoppi, i personaggi sono un po' scontati ma non avrei mai indovinato l'assassino. L'ambientazione è descritta con estrema cura ed è molto particolareggiata, spesso sembra avere più importanza della trama stessa; questo particolare fa sembrare il libro quasi una promozione del turismo alle Hawaii, ma tutto sommato non fa storcere eccessivamente il naso e quadra bene con il resto dello scritto.
La trama è scorrevole e la scrittura piacevole e senza intoppi, i personaggi sono un po' scontati ma non avrei mai indovinato l'assassino. L'ambientazione è descritta con estrema cura ed è molto particolareggiata, spesso sembra avere più importanza della trama stessa; questo particolare fa sembrare il libro quasi una promozione del turismo alle Hawaii, ma tutto sommato non fa storcere eccessivamente il naso e quadra bene con il resto dello scritto.
August 11, 2023
This was another fun MSW mystery. My favorite aspect of this story was the setting...Maui. What's not to love about that? :) The mystery of what caused a young college professors death: accident or murder was intriguing and full of likable (mostly) characters was an extremely enjoyable read. Looking forward to my next mystery with the incomparable Jessica Fletcher!!
January 18, 2025
Ehhh not the best Murder She Wrote out there…
May 31, 2014
The 41st Murder She Wrote novel is rich in history and filled with mystery and the reader is taken on a dangerous and sometimes dramatic adventure alongside Jessica Fletcher.
The pros:
The lush, breathtaking surroundings of Hawaii, and the island of Maui. Also, at the beginning of each chapter, readers are introduced to Hawaii's language and culture. For those of us unfamiliar with Hawaii, the book offers rich characterizations of its people and lifestyle. There are enough suspects to keep the reader guessing who killed botanist professor, Mala Kapul. The page-turning mystery is riveting enough to keep you glued until the final page.
The cons:
The solution. The killer's identity is revealed on a whim by Jessica Fletcher and is somewhat unbelievable. The ending is abrupt and rushed, as if the author did not know how to end the story or was too tired by the last few chapters that he tied up the book by leaving a slew of unanswered questions and loose ends for the reader to ponder on his of her own. Character development, especially that of the murder vic, Mala, was underdeveloped, leading to those up-in-the-air questions posed to the reader in the last chapter. Lastly, the second murder, which happens close to the end of the book where Jessica points a finger at the killer, stemming from Jessica's speculation, is preposterous.
The mystery of "Aloha Betrayed" is well-plotted. But readers may be discouraged and put off by the speedy, unresolved ending.
April 22, 2014
I'm giving this one 4 stars because the ending was a bit annoying, with quite a few unresolved questions remaining. Still, the rest of this book was a lot of fun; the mystery was interesting and the setting was excellent! I kept googling all the places in Maui that Jessica was visiting so that I could see them for myself. Each chapter starts with a Hawiaan phrase, and the book talks a lot about Hawiaan customs and traditions which was very interesting. I found myself wanting POG, pineapple iced tea and, oh yeah, a trip to Hawaii!
September 27, 2015
I enjoyed this for the most part, but as other reviews note, it's an oddly bleak ending: victim turns out to be cruel, greedy, and manipulative; unanswered questions are left with her past; Jessica kinda walks away shrugging over whether evil land developer project is good or bad; guy tries to kill her and she just kinda moves on; mistress of killer's wife lives in delusion; angry war vet just... Stays sad and angry; finally: side character randomly killed off via heart attack Jessica isn't even present for. This is a hell of a bleak read in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2018
Murder She Wrote, Continuation When this show first appeared on tv, my mom loved the show and watched it religiously. Eventually, I started watching it, too and enjoyed it. I wasn't as religious about watching it (between work, school and homework there wasn't time) and so would watch whenever I could. Then it was on Netflix and I would watch a few episodes at a time to catch up. Then one day in a library, I saw the books, not all of them, just some. I borrowed one here or there.
I found this originally as an audiobook and borrowed it, but didn't get very far and gave up. I found it again as a Kindle book and regular book and borrowed it so that I could read it to fill in the Reading around the USA mysteries. It took care of Hawaii (I know there are many out there, but this worked, too).
Jessica Fletcher has arrived in Maui, HI to co-teach a class with a famous retired detective, Mike Kane. On her arrival, she finds another person she has been asked to find and meet, Mala, a friend of Seth Haslitt's granddaughter. On the first night, Jessica is going to a luau and looks for Mala there but meets, Bob and his wife, Elaine, Professor Luzon and his wife, Honi and his graduate assistant, Grace. Just before she leaves, Grace tells Jessica that Mala was at the luau, but that she was arguing with someone. Jessica also overhears some men talking about getting rid of a woman if she continues to cause trouble.
She is told about Mala's death by Mike and they begin to look into the death of Mala because while the officials are calling it an accident, they don't believe it was an accident.
I did enjoy this story and was glad that I finally got a chance to read it.
I found this originally as an audiobook and borrowed it, but didn't get very far and gave up. I found it again as a Kindle book and regular book and borrowed it so that I could read it to fill in the Reading around the USA mysteries. It took care of Hawaii (I know there are many out there, but this worked, too).
Jessica Fletcher has arrived in Maui, HI to co-teach a class with a famous retired detective, Mike Kane. On her arrival, she finds another person she has been asked to find and meet, Mala, a friend of Seth Haslitt's granddaughter. On the first night, Jessica is going to a luau and looks for Mala there but meets, Bob and his wife, Elaine, Professor Luzon and his wife, Honi and his graduate assistant, Grace. Just before she leaves, Grace tells Jessica that Mala was at the luau, but that she was arguing with someone. Jessica also overhears some men talking about getting rid of a woman if she continues to cause trouble.
She is told about Mala's death by Mike and they begin to look into the death of Mala because while the officials are calling it an accident, they don't believe it was an accident.
I did enjoy this story and was glad that I finally got a chance to read it.
March 4, 2025
Wow, I didn't like this!!! This is the first Murder She Wrote tie-in novel I've read, and I'll have to see if the other one on my shelf is any better or if I should just ditch this novel series.
Bain tries so hard to make this feel Hawaiian, it felt like a very shallow exoticization of an entire culture. I am surprised this was published in 2014. I would have expected it to be a 1950s to 60s novel written when Americans were super into the idea of the new state of Hawai'i. This was a caricature!
I also hated that Bob, the tourist who likes to sexually harass women, gets reported for hugging a hotel employee without consent, and Jessica's response was "Sometimes people take displays of affection the wrong way." I'm also not sure that it was a hug because Elaine could be an unreliable narrator and there was a throwaway line from Mike about the cops getting called on a hotel because of a peeping tom in a tree. Are we sure that Bob WASN'T the peeping tom?
Come on, we don't need to do this. And I don't want a Jessica Fletcher that thinks sexual assault is ok.
Oh yeah, ending felt rushed too.
Bain tries so hard to make this feel Hawaiian, it felt like a very shallow exoticization of an entire culture. I am surprised this was published in 2014. I would have expected it to be a 1950s to 60s novel written when Americans were super into the idea of the new state of Hawai'i. This was a caricature!
I also hated that Bob, the tourist who likes to sexually harass women, gets reported for hugging a hotel employee without consent, and Jessica's response was "Sometimes people take displays of affection the wrong way." I'm also not sure that it was a hug because Elaine could be an unreliable narrator and there was a throwaway line from Mike about the cops getting called on a hotel because of a peeping tom in a tree. Are we sure that Bob WASN'T the peeping tom?
Come on, we don't need to do this. And I don't want a Jessica Fletcher that thinks sexual assault is ok.
Oh yeah, ending felt rushed too.
April 7, 2022
My husband and I have been enjoying the old Murder, She Wrote TV series lately, so I was tickled to see this book at the library.
This book reads a lot like one of the shows, with a little more time to present setting, characters, and detail. It's not great literature, but it was a fun diversion. There was a plot event toward the end that I was not expecting!
All in all, I think the shows are better, but this was still fun!
This book reads a lot like one of the shows, with a little more time to present setting, characters, and detail. It's not great literature, but it was a fun diversion. There was a plot event toward the end that I was not expecting!
All in all, I think the shows are better, but this was still fun!
March 20, 2018
It probably doesn't help having started with # 41 in the series, but I was quite dissappointed by the book. I think it loses soo much of the charm of the TV series. somehow it doesn't give me the same feeling of looking forward to discover JB's new adventures. It doen't seem to be the saem JB, really...
June 23, 2022
Cozy and fun mystery; I loved the setting and the full cast of characters. I was left guessing until the end, and what an ending it was. The perfect audiobook as a companion to my walks!
August 11, 2020
A real Jessica Fletcher mystery
Great info on Hawaii, interesting characters, and I could see Angela Lansbury in the part very well. I bet she made quite the tale of it for Seth.
Great info on Hawaii, interesting characters, and I could see Angela Lansbury in the part very well. I bet she made quite the tale of it for Seth.
September 5, 2024
Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: The setting is wonderful, but cant ignore the droning that goes on in some places. Yet it was a decent read although I am not sure why it took so long for me to complete. A travelogue mixed with mystery certainly has a certain charm for sure !
Aloha Betrayed is the 41st novel in the long-running Murder She Wrote series co-written by Donald Bain & fictional writer Jessica Fletcher. It was first published on April 1 of 2014. In this book Jessica heads the tropical paradise, the island of Maui, to give a lecture on community involvement in police investigations. She inadvertently gets tangled in the murder of a professor who taught at the college she was lecturing.
This is my take on the series of books written by a plethora of authors and Jessica Fletcher (fictional author) based on the 80s and 90s popular American crime drama television series Murder, She Wrote. These books are ghost written by Donald Bain and fictional author Jessica Fletcher for the first 43 books until 2015. Then Donald Bain wrote these with Renee Paley Bain and Jon Land for four more books. After Donald Bain passed away in 2017, Jon Land alone took the baton and continued with Jessica Fletcher for 5 more books until 2020. Starting 2021 the series was picked by Terrie Farley Moran again pairing with the fictional writer Jessica Fletcher. As of April 2024, 58 books have been written in this series. They are mostly written in first person narration.
Interesting of note that every chapter in the book begins with a quote in Hawaiian language and translated in English along-side. A nice local touch, I must say. The plot also touches on the environmental perils that the Hawaiian islands face, the options that researches are experimenting to provide sustainable environments, using wind energy and above all the idea of agriculture that grows fishes and plants in the same pond, landscaping with drought-resistant plants. Aquaponics and Xeriscaping is explained and explored in the plot.
We hear the story of Maui, the mischievous hero. It reminded me so much of the 2016 American musical fantasy adventure film, Moana, by Disney. Perhaps his book brought the character of Maui to light, but the movie shot it through the roof.
As expected most of the characters from Cabot Cover are not seen in the book, and some only mentioned. This took quite a while for me to finish, mainly because it seemed a lot of droning and less of sleuthing. The plot does touch on the effects of science on environment; and what local Hawaiians are doing to preserve. And we are taken into the Hawaiian legends too - Story about Maui; Story about the ohia tree; Uli the Goddess;
Again the plot ends with some open ended plot points that might surface in future book? One of the characters, Elaine kept saying ‘Oh Bob’ while Bob just says and does the most random thing ever was grating on my nerves after a while.
The setting is wonderful, but cant ignore the droning that goes on in some places. Yet it was a decent read although I am not sure why it took so long for me to complete. A travelogue mixed with mystery certainly has a certain charm for sure !
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
a. On Pg. 64, Elijah Kapule's cab company is called "AAA Taxi". But on Pg. 66, it is mentioned as "Triple-A Taxi".
2. Plot Reveals:
a. Other co-lecturers and professors: Detective Mike Kane; Professor Abbott Luzon and his wife Honi; Grace Latimer;
b. Other characters: Bob and Elaine Lowell; Helen and Marian; Detective Henry Tahaki; Elijah Kapule, a cab driver;
3. Sub Plots:
a. Friends of Jessica Fletcher: Dr. Seth Hazlitt; George Sutherland, senior inspector with Scotland Yard; Morton "Mort" Metzger, Cabot Cove Sherriff and his wife Maureen / Adele?; Eve Simpson, realtor friend working at Cabot Cove Realty; Sam Booth, mayor of Cabot Cove; Ethan Cragg, Cabot Cove’s chief town elder.
b. Literary contacts and friends: her publisher Vaughan Buckley of Buckley House, his fashion model wife Olga Buckley and their dogs Sadie and Rose; Harry McGraw, her private eye friend; Matt Miller, her literary agent & his wife Susan; Paulette, Matt's assistant.
c. Other Cabot Cove characters: Josh, the mailman; Jed Richardson, only bush pilot for Cabot Cove and owner of Jed's Flying Service, and his wife Alicia / Barbara?; Mara, restaurant owner of Mara’s Luncheonette; Hank Weathers, a homeless war vet; Seamus McGilray, manager of Hill House Hotel; Richard "Dick" Mann, Fire Chief; Charlene Sassi, a baker; Susan Shevlin, travel agent and her husband Jim, Mayor of Cabot Cove; Professor Donskoy; Roberta Dougherty, bookstore owner; Richard Koser, photographer, and his wife MaryJane; Barbara DePaoli, Chamber of Commerce's secretary; Anthon Colarusso, dentist; Beth and Peter Mullin, owners of flower shop Old Thyme Floral; Sam Davis, investment advisor; Jack Decker, publisher of Cabot Cove's monthly magazine; Peter Eder, Cabot Cove's symphony orchestra; Bob Daros, owns Heritage Fuel; Tim Purdy, treasurer of chamber of commerce and historian and president of Cabot Cove's historical society, also an investment advisor, and his wife Ellen; Pat Hitchcock, Cabot Cove's popular nurse and teacher?; Gloria Watson, Wendell's mother; Joseph "Joe" Turco, an attorney; Marcia Davis, costume designer; David and Jim Raneri, owners of Charles Department Store; Ralph Mackin, town attorney; Ed and Joan Lerner, retirees; Brenda Brody, copy editor of Cabot Cove Insider; Doug Treyz, dentist, and his wife Tina; Jack and Marilou Decker, publishers of Cabot Cove Insider; Peter and Roberta Walters, owners of the radio station; Horace Teller, publisher of Cabot Cove News; Doris Sitar, assistant manager at Cabot Cove Savings Bank; Dmitri, owner of local taxi company; Phil Wick, field manager of the phone company; John St. Clair, professor of business law at Cabot Cove Community College; Dr. Jennifer "Jenny" Countryman, Seth's partner; Reginald "Reggie" Weems, insurance agent; Richard Jenkins & Sal Marterella, city council members; Jack Wilson, the Veterinarian, and his wife Tobe; Evelyn Phillips, editor of Cabot Cove Gazette; Maniram Chatterjee & his wife Hita, jewelry shop owners; Sanford Teller, runs public relations agency; Lee, postmistress; Loretta Spiegel, owns beauty salon.
d. Sheriff Metzger’s office staff & other law enforcement: Deputy Andy Jenks; Deputy Jack; Rookie Wendell Watson; Deputy Harold; Deputy Jerry; Alfred Gillo, medical examiner; Judge Kaplan; Marie Poutre, dispatcher; Officer Edgar.
e. Jessica Fletcher’s family: Grady Fletcher, nephew that she and her late-husband Frank raise, his wife Donna and child Frank.
f. We know the reason as to why Mort Metzger's wife is called Maureen as of the 20th book A Slaying in Savannah. However, I distinctly remember her name being changed to Adele in the 50th book, A Time for Murder. Looks like the confusion is not completely alleviated.
g. I remember reading one of the later books (and couldn’t figure out which one was that) where we see Sam Booth as the mayor of Cabot Cove. However, since I started reading the series from the beginning, looks like the mayor of Cabot Cove is Jim Shevlin. I wonder if Sam Booth surfaces as I remember from way back read.
h. From the 9th book, Murder on the QE2: Mary Ward has been a prominent character in this book. Will she resurface again?
i. From the 10th book, Murder in Moscow:
i. There is still no resolution as to who or how Ward Wenington was killed in D.C. and why Vladislav "Vlady" Staritova was killed in Russia. What was the connection?
ii. Alexandra Kozhina disappears at the end of the plot. And will she surface in another book?
j. In the 27th book Coffee, Tea or Murder? we see that Jed's wife is named Barbara. But up until then she was named Alicia. Wonder if Bain will have a backup story for that in future books.
k. From the 30th book:
i. Tom Craig offers Michael Haggerty a book deal to write about his escapades as an undercover British spy.
ii. There is no closure as to who actually kills the person in the first murder.
iii. Will Jennifer Kahn, the alleged jewel thief, walk away free since they could only find circumstantial evidence against her and nothing concrete?
l. From the 37th book: If I ever try the sidecar recipe I will have to post it again referring the 37th book.
m. In the 50th book, A Time for Murder, Jessica is shown at Hill House, Cabot Cove’s very own Inn due to a fire at her Victorian home at 698 Candlewood Lame. I wonder if the 49th book, Murder in Red, has anything to do with her house getting caught fire which almost killed her.
n. From the 51st book, The Murder of Twelve:
i. Author Land gives considerable mystery to Seamus McGilray’s character. I wonder if he resurfaces in a future book.
ii. Towards the end of the book, Mort jokes that Jessica should run for mayor. Hmm…something to look forward to I suppose.
Recommendation: The setting is wonderful, but cant ignore the droning that goes on in some places. Yet it was a decent read although I am not sure why it took so long for me to complete. A travelogue mixed with mystery certainly has a certain charm for sure !
Aloha Betrayed is the 41st novel in the long-running Murder She Wrote series co-written by Donald Bain & fictional writer Jessica Fletcher. It was first published on April 1 of 2014. In this book Jessica heads the tropical paradise, the island of Maui, to give a lecture on community involvement in police investigations. She inadvertently gets tangled in the murder of a professor who taught at the college she was lecturing.
This is my take on the series of books written by a plethora of authors and Jessica Fletcher (fictional author) based on the 80s and 90s popular American crime drama television series Murder, She Wrote. These books are ghost written by Donald Bain and fictional author Jessica Fletcher for the first 43 books until 2015. Then Donald Bain wrote these with Renee Paley Bain and Jon Land for four more books. After Donald Bain passed away in 2017, Jon Land alone took the baton and continued with Jessica Fletcher for 5 more books until 2020. Starting 2021 the series was picked by Terrie Farley Moran again pairing with the fictional writer Jessica Fletcher. As of April 2024, 58 books have been written in this series. They are mostly written in first person narration.
Interesting of note that every chapter in the book begins with a quote in Hawaiian language and translated in English along-side. A nice local touch, I must say. The plot also touches on the environmental perils that the Hawaiian islands face, the options that researches are experimenting to provide sustainable environments, using wind energy and above all the idea of agriculture that grows fishes and plants in the same pond, landscaping with drought-resistant plants. Aquaponics and Xeriscaping is explained and explored in the plot.
We hear the story of Maui, the mischievous hero. It reminded me so much of the 2016 American musical fantasy adventure film, Moana, by Disney. Perhaps his book brought the character of Maui to light, but the movie shot it through the roof.
As expected most of the characters from Cabot Cover are not seen in the book, and some only mentioned. This took quite a while for me to finish, mainly because it seemed a lot of droning and less of sleuthing. The plot does touch on the effects of science on environment; and what local Hawaiians are doing to preserve. And we are taken into the Hawaiian legends too - Story about Maui; Story about the ohia tree; Uli the Goddess;
Again the plot ends with some open ended plot points that might surface in future book? One of the characters, Elaine kept saying ‘Oh Bob’ while Bob just says and does the most random thing ever was grating on my nerves after a while.
The setting is wonderful, but cant ignore the droning that goes on in some places. Yet it was a decent read although I am not sure why it took so long for me to complete. A travelogue mixed with mystery certainly has a certain charm for sure !
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
a. On Pg. 64, Elijah Kapule's cab company is called "AAA Taxi". But on Pg. 66, it is mentioned as "Triple-A Taxi".
2. Plot Reveals:
a. Other co-lecturers and professors: Detective Mike Kane; Professor Abbott Luzon and his wife Honi; Grace Latimer;
b. Other characters: Bob and Elaine Lowell; Helen and Marian; Detective Henry Tahaki; Elijah Kapule, a cab driver;
3. Sub Plots:
a. Friends of Jessica Fletcher: Dr. Seth Hazlitt; George Sutherland, senior inspector with Scotland Yard; Morton "Mort" Metzger, Cabot Cove Sherriff and his wife Maureen / Adele?; Eve Simpson, realtor friend working at Cabot Cove Realty; Sam Booth, mayor of Cabot Cove; Ethan Cragg, Cabot Cove’s chief town elder.
b. Literary contacts and friends: her publisher Vaughan Buckley of Buckley House, his fashion model wife Olga Buckley and their dogs Sadie and Rose; Harry McGraw, her private eye friend; Matt Miller, her literary agent & his wife Susan; Paulette, Matt's assistant.
c. Other Cabot Cove characters: Josh, the mailman; Jed Richardson, only bush pilot for Cabot Cove and owner of Jed's Flying Service, and his wife Alicia / Barbara?; Mara, restaurant owner of Mara’s Luncheonette; Hank Weathers, a homeless war vet; Seamus McGilray, manager of Hill House Hotel; Richard "Dick" Mann, Fire Chief; Charlene Sassi, a baker; Susan Shevlin, travel agent and her husband Jim, Mayor of Cabot Cove; Professor Donskoy; Roberta Dougherty, bookstore owner; Richard Koser, photographer, and his wife MaryJane; Barbara DePaoli, Chamber of Commerce's secretary; Anthon Colarusso, dentist; Beth and Peter Mullin, owners of flower shop Old Thyme Floral; Sam Davis, investment advisor; Jack Decker, publisher of Cabot Cove's monthly magazine; Peter Eder, Cabot Cove's symphony orchestra; Bob Daros, owns Heritage Fuel; Tim Purdy, treasurer of chamber of commerce and historian and president of Cabot Cove's historical society, also an investment advisor, and his wife Ellen; Pat Hitchcock, Cabot Cove's popular nurse and teacher?; Gloria Watson, Wendell's mother; Joseph "Joe" Turco, an attorney; Marcia Davis, costume designer; David and Jim Raneri, owners of Charles Department Store; Ralph Mackin, town attorney; Ed and Joan Lerner, retirees; Brenda Brody, copy editor of Cabot Cove Insider; Doug Treyz, dentist, and his wife Tina; Jack and Marilou Decker, publishers of Cabot Cove Insider; Peter and Roberta Walters, owners of the radio station; Horace Teller, publisher of Cabot Cove News; Doris Sitar, assistant manager at Cabot Cove Savings Bank; Dmitri, owner of local taxi company; Phil Wick, field manager of the phone company; John St. Clair, professor of business law at Cabot Cove Community College; Dr. Jennifer "Jenny" Countryman, Seth's partner; Reginald "Reggie" Weems, insurance agent; Richard Jenkins & Sal Marterella, city council members; Jack Wilson, the Veterinarian, and his wife Tobe; Evelyn Phillips, editor of Cabot Cove Gazette; Maniram Chatterjee & his wife Hita, jewelry shop owners; Sanford Teller, runs public relations agency; Lee, postmistress; Loretta Spiegel, owns beauty salon.
d. Sheriff Metzger’s office staff & other law enforcement: Deputy Andy Jenks; Deputy Jack; Rookie Wendell Watson; Deputy Harold; Deputy Jerry; Alfred Gillo, medical examiner; Judge Kaplan; Marie Poutre, dispatcher; Officer Edgar.
e. Jessica Fletcher’s family: Grady Fletcher, nephew that she and her late-husband Frank raise, his wife Donna and child Frank.
f. We know the reason as to why Mort Metzger's wife is called Maureen as of the 20th book A Slaying in Savannah. However, I distinctly remember her name being changed to Adele in the 50th book, A Time for Murder. Looks like the confusion is not completely alleviated.
g. I remember reading one of the later books (and couldn’t figure out which one was that) where we see Sam Booth as the mayor of Cabot Cove. However, since I started reading the series from the beginning, looks like the mayor of Cabot Cove is Jim Shevlin. I wonder if Sam Booth surfaces as I remember from way back read.
h. From the 9th book, Murder on the QE2: Mary Ward has been a prominent character in this book. Will she resurface again?
i. From the 10th book, Murder in Moscow:
i. There is still no resolution as to who or how Ward Wenington was killed in D.C. and why Vladislav "Vlady" Staritova was killed in Russia. What was the connection?
ii. Alexandra Kozhina disappears at the end of the plot. And will she surface in another book?
j. In the 27th book Coffee, Tea or Murder? we see that Jed's wife is named Barbara. But up until then she was named Alicia. Wonder if Bain will have a backup story for that in future books.
k. From the 30th book:
i. Tom Craig offers Michael Haggerty a book deal to write about his escapades as an undercover British spy.
ii. There is no closure as to who actually kills the person in the first murder.
iii. Will Jennifer Kahn, the alleged jewel thief, walk away free since they could only find circumstantial evidence against her and nothing concrete?
l. From the 37th book: If I ever try the sidecar recipe I will have to post it again referring the 37th book.
m. In the 50th book, A Time for Murder, Jessica is shown at Hill House, Cabot Cove’s very own Inn due to a fire at her Victorian home at 698 Candlewood Lame. I wonder if the 49th book, Murder in Red, has anything to do with her house getting caught fire which almost killed her.
n. From the 51st book, The Murder of Twelve:
i. Author Land gives considerable mystery to Seamus McGilray’s character. I wonder if he resurfaces in a future book.
ii. Towards the end of the book, Mort jokes that Jessica should run for mayor. Hmm…something to look forward to I suppose.
November 15, 2024
Was a fun beach read for my trip to Hawaii. I enjoyed the eccentric characters Jessica met on this trip.
January 22, 2022
So the books in this series are either a hit or a miss for me, and unfortunately, this one falls into the "miss" category. I loved the beautiful Maui setting, but that's about all I loved with this one. In this one, Jessica has flown to Maui to give a lecture to new police recruits along with retired detective Mike Kane. While on the island she is tasked with delivering a letter to the family of Seth's deceased doctor friend. She meets his niece and has coffee with her. Later the niece is murdered and Jessica drops everything else to discover the killer.
In addition to the setting, I loved the character of Mike Kane and I would love to see more of him in future books. Maybe Jessica can go back to Hawaii in one of the Terrie Farley Moran books. The plot of this one was just too all over the place. There were literally so many side scenes that didn't matter in the end and there were waaayyyy too many unanswered questions and plot holes. I know that's how it is in real life, but I read to escape, and especially when I read a cozy mystery, I want everything wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end. This book just felt so lackluster compared to all the others in the series. Even Jess felt like she was just going through the motions in this one trying to get to her next cup of pineapple iced tea. In the end, Jessica just shrugs and says "oh well too bad" and flies back to Cabot Cove. The victim who she claimed to care so much about was never vindicated. There was no charm in this one, just a lot of unnecessary sadness and this book suffered greatly from that mid-late lag. The "red herrings" were anything but and I spotted the killer and the motive the first time we met them.
This one was just not great for me. This is really too bad because I'd really been looking forward to this one and I usually enjoy the Donald Bain entries in the series. Maybe I'm getting too spoiled with how GOOD the Terrie Farley Moran books have been so far!
In addition to the setting, I loved the character of Mike Kane and I would love to see more of him in future books. Maybe Jessica can go back to Hawaii in one of the Terrie Farley Moran books. The plot of this one was just too all over the place. There were literally so many side scenes that didn't matter in the end and there were waaayyyy too many unanswered questions and plot holes. I know that's how it is in real life, but I read to escape, and especially when I read a cozy mystery, I want everything wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end. This book just felt so lackluster compared to all the others in the series. Even Jess felt like she was just going through the motions in this one trying to get to her next cup of pineapple iced tea. In the end, Jessica just shrugs and says "oh well too bad" and flies back to Cabot Cove. The victim who she claimed to care so much about was never vindicated. There was no charm in this one, just a lot of unnecessary sadness and this book suffered greatly from that mid-late lag. The "red herrings" were anything but and I spotted the killer and the motive the first time we met them.
This one was just not great for me. This is really too bad because I'd really been looking forward to this one and I usually enjoy the Donald Bain entries in the series. Maybe I'm getting too spoiled with how GOOD the Terrie Farley Moran books have been so far!
March 20, 2015
Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain are at it again with the forty-first novel in the Murder She Wrote series, Aloha Betrayed. Fans of the old television show will love Jessica's take on Hawaii in this book. With details about everything from plant life to culture this book is a traveler's dream, but it borders on getting lost in the details, instead of the mystery. Perhaps not my favorite of the Murder She Wrote books, but still a solid installment in a long lived series.
Jessica is at it again, this time in Hawaii. I liked the fact that the author was able to give Jessica a reason to be in the state that was believable. I could just see Jessica giving a lecture on just this topic or something similar. I always loved her forthright and upfront manner when it came to solving mysteries and that is exactly what readers get in this installment of the series. Aloha Betrayed is clue-based and the reader is able to follow the evidence just like the heroine. Unfortunately, this one leaned a little further away from the mystery aspects of the book and centered more on Hawaii itself.
This would have made a great story about the state of Hawaii, it's landmarks, things to do, places to see, etc. But it was supposed to be a cozy mystery. Don't get me wrong there was a murder and Jessica did solve it, but the bulk of the materiel in the book was not related to that part of the book. So the balance was way off. I think it's great to set a good scene and draw the reader in, but an author can sometimes go a little overboard and I think that's what happened here.
Bottom Line:
This one is just a bit slow and a little underdeveloped. I wanted more character involvement and stronger connections to each clue. I didn't want to know as much about the flora and fauna as I did about 'whodunit'. It wasn't predictable, just not up to the usual standard of this series. I hope for more with the next one, because I'm sure this writing duo has a lot more stories to tell.
Jessica is at it again, this time in Hawaii. I liked the fact that the author was able to give Jessica a reason to be in the state that was believable. I could just see Jessica giving a lecture on just this topic or something similar. I always loved her forthright and upfront manner when it came to solving mysteries and that is exactly what readers get in this installment of the series. Aloha Betrayed is clue-based and the reader is able to follow the evidence just like the heroine. Unfortunately, this one leaned a little further away from the mystery aspects of the book and centered more on Hawaii itself.
This would have made a great story about the state of Hawaii, it's landmarks, things to do, places to see, etc. But it was supposed to be a cozy mystery. Don't get me wrong there was a murder and Jessica did solve it, but the bulk of the materiel in the book was not related to that part of the book. So the balance was way off. I think it's great to set a good scene and draw the reader in, but an author can sometimes go a little overboard and I think that's what happened here.
Bottom Line:
This one is just a bit slow and a little underdeveloped. I wanted more character involvement and stronger connections to each clue. I didn't want to know as much about the flora and fauna as I did about 'whodunit'. It wasn't predictable, just not up to the usual standard of this series. I hope for more with the next one, because I'm sure this writing duo has a lot more stories to tell.
April 27, 2014
every time i see a new one of these has come out, i get a little flutter in my heart.
because even though they're fairly crappy quick reads,i feel some sort of inexplicable kinship with mrs. fletcher. she's my girl. my lady.
my secret fictional soulmate.
actually, that's probably miss marple, but since mrs. fletcher is an extension of her, it still works.
the books are nowhere near as good as the television show. mrs. fletcher never brings a velour tracksuit anywhere she travels. the mysteries always unravel in a comfortably predictable sort of way and even the police in whatever local haunt jessica finds herself in have started just accepting her meddling ways as part of the status quo.
it always sort of bums me out that a man writes jessica fletcher now. that might just be my inner feminist talking. or my jealousy that someone else gets free trips to hawaii just to write a mediocre book about america's favorite cabot cove widow.
this one is the touching tale of a pretty botanist who falls over a cliff. there are way too many unanswered questions about mala at the end that sort of ruin this one for me. was she a conniving woman set on making bank and using every man in the 7 mile radius? was she conniving ? or was she just an innocent victim?
I GUESS WE'LL NEVER KNOW.
aloha, bitches.
because even though they're fairly crappy quick reads,i feel some sort of inexplicable kinship with mrs. fletcher. she's my girl. my lady.
my secret fictional soulmate.
actually, that's probably miss marple, but since mrs. fletcher is an extension of her, it still works.
the books are nowhere near as good as the television show. mrs. fletcher never brings a velour tracksuit anywhere she travels. the mysteries always unravel in a comfortably predictable sort of way and even the police in whatever local haunt jessica finds herself in have started just accepting her meddling ways as part of the status quo.
it always sort of bums me out that a man writes jessica fletcher now. that might just be my inner feminist talking. or my jealousy that someone else gets free trips to hawaii just to write a mediocre book about america's favorite cabot cove widow.
this one is the touching tale of a pretty botanist who falls over a cliff. there are way too many unanswered questions about mala at the end that sort of ruin this one for me. was she a conniving woman set on making bank and using every man in the 7 mile radius? was she conniving ? or was she just an innocent victim?
I GUESS WE'LL NEVER KNOW.
aloha, bitches.
October 25, 2018
Orgogliosa fan della serie tv "Murder She Wrote", sono sempre stata incuriosita dai libri un po' perché "io, da grande, voglio essere Jessica Fletcher" e un po' per le copertine dozzinali che fanno sorridere i non addetti ai lavori e che fanno invece rabbrividire chi di grafica se ne intende.
La nostra Jessica si trova, in questo episodio, nelle isole Hawaii alle prese con jet lag, té all'ananas, ballerini di hula e ovviamente un omicidio.
La storia è banale, i colpi di scena tipici dei gialli sono pressoché inesistenti e, con un minimo di acume, si individua l'assassino prima di subito.
La scrittura è mediocre, a tratti semplicistica, ma scorrevole nel suo insieme.
Sono quasi del tutto convinta che il libro non diventerà un best seller nè entrerà mai a far parte dei grandi classici, tuttavia mi prendo la responsabilità di consigliare la lettura a chi cerca un libro leggero e non impegnativo. Potrebbe essere una valida alternativa agli Harmony letti in spiaggia sotto l'ombrellone.
La nostra Jessica si trova, in questo episodio, nelle isole Hawaii alle prese con jet lag, té all'ananas, ballerini di hula e ovviamente un omicidio.
La storia è banale, i colpi di scena tipici dei gialli sono pressoché inesistenti e, con un minimo di acume, si individua l'assassino prima di subito.
La scrittura è mediocre, a tratti semplicistica, ma scorrevole nel suo insieme.
Sono quasi del tutto convinta che il libro non diventerà un best seller nè entrerà mai a far parte dei grandi classici, tuttavia mi prendo la responsabilità di consigliare la lettura a chi cerca un libro leggero e non impegnativo. Potrebbe essere una valida alternativa agli Harmony letti in spiaggia sotto l'ombrellone.
May 13, 2015
My Thoughts...
In the 1980s I was a fan of the TV show, Murder, She Wrote, starring Angela Lansbury. It came on each Sunday evening and I tried never to miss it. Now years later when I get a hankering for a visit with Jessica Fletcher I reach for a book. Therefore, I chose this book to get to visit Hawaii through Jessica's eyes. It was a fun two day visit to Maui. I had visited the Islands in 1973, and this story brought back many fond memories.
As always I was never in doubt that Jessica would get to the bottom of the case. However, the fun is trying to catch the clues that leads Jessica to solving the case. I caught some of the clues to the puzzle, which is why I like cozy mysteries. The story kept me on my toes until the very end.... Another case solved by the renowned Jessica Fletcher.
This book is a part of my personal library and I enjoyed it enough to award it 4 'Aloha' stars.
P.S. Just a side thought, I now watch "Murder, She Wrote" on Netflix.
In the 1980s I was a fan of the TV show, Murder, She Wrote, starring Angela Lansbury. It came on each Sunday evening and I tried never to miss it. Now years later when I get a hankering for a visit with Jessica Fletcher I reach for a book. Therefore, I chose this book to get to visit Hawaii through Jessica's eyes. It was a fun two day visit to Maui. I had visited the Islands in 1973, and this story brought back many fond memories.
As always I was never in doubt that Jessica would get to the bottom of the case. However, the fun is trying to catch the clues that leads Jessica to solving the case. I caught some of the clues to the puzzle, which is why I like cozy mysteries. The story kept me on my toes until the very end.... Another case solved by the renowned Jessica Fletcher.
This book is a part of my personal library and I enjoyed it enough to award it 4 'Aloha' stars.
P.S. Just a side thought, I now watch "Murder, She Wrote" on Netflix.
February 14, 2017
For the most part, I enjoyed this book until the end. Way too many unanswered questions and unnecessary sadness. I still love Jessica Fletcher and will read more of these easy-read stories but this could have wrapped up with less questions and a hopeful tilt instead of a bleak one.
January 25, 2024
Great read as always. Love the way Jessica gets involved and discovers all the hidden capers and the murder is solved.
May 25, 2015
Al momento è il più bello della serie.
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