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Murder, She Wrote #55
Killer on the Court
Jessica is delighted when her nephew Grady invites her to spend a few days with his family in an oceanside New York bungalow. She packs her bags and heads down to the city, ready to spend some quality time with Grady, his wife, Donna, and their young son, Frank.
But the morning after Jessica’s arrival, Donna finds her boss dead on a tennis court, and Jessica’s dreams of a relaxing visit are quashed. Everyone in the small beachside community is a suspect, and the local authorities—headed by an old colleague of Cabot Cove sheriff Mort Metzger—have asked that no one leave town. Will Jessica be able find a killer and salvage the rest of her trip?
But the morning after Jessica’s arrival, Donna finds her boss dead on a tennis court, and Jessica’s dreams of a relaxing visit are quashed. Everyone in the small beachside community is a suspect, and the local authorities—headed by an old colleague of Cabot Cove sheriff Mort Metzger—have asked that no one leave town. Will Jessica be able find a killer and salvage the rest of her trip?
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2022
75 people are currently reading
519 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
May 28, 2022
Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran is a 2022 Berkley publication.
Jessica celebrates the completion of her latest book by accepting an invitation from Grady, Donna, and her grandnephew, Frank, to join them in New York at a beachside bungalow. The trip is sponsored by Donna’s company- but the relaxing vacation turns tense when Donna discovers her boss dead on the tennis court. Immediately, Jessica suspects foul play and soon her suspicions are confirmed. The Fletcher’s have been asked to stand by while the investigation proceeds, which gives Jessica plenty of time to do her own digging- which unearths a nest of greed and family resentments leaving her no shortage of suspects.
What fun to catch up with Grady and his family, and the locations couldn’t have been better for summer mystery. This installment was sweet- with so many touching moments between Jessica and Frank. The mystery did seem to take a back seat in this installment and Jessica seemed a bit distracted in this one and not especially interested in butting her nose in too far. All the same the mystery wraps up nicely, with an unexpected twist I never saw coming- and that’s always a good thing for me.
The mystery was subdued this time around, but the moments with Jessica and her family were priceless. I don’t think we’ve seen Jessica’s interaction with family have such poignancy either on the show or in previous incarnations of the book series. I liked it- and hope we will see more of this side of Jessica in the future- but also hope the mystery areas will not lose momentum in the process.
Overall, a very nice addition to this long running series and a good one to pop into your beach bag this summer!
3.5 stars
Jessica celebrates the completion of her latest book by accepting an invitation from Grady, Donna, and her grandnephew, Frank, to join them in New York at a beachside bungalow. The trip is sponsored by Donna’s company- but the relaxing vacation turns tense when Donna discovers her boss dead on the tennis court. Immediately, Jessica suspects foul play and soon her suspicions are confirmed. The Fletcher’s have been asked to stand by while the investigation proceeds, which gives Jessica plenty of time to do her own digging- which unearths a nest of greed and family resentments leaving her no shortage of suspects.
What fun to catch up with Grady and his family, and the locations couldn’t have been better for summer mystery. This installment was sweet- with so many touching moments between Jessica and Frank. The mystery did seem to take a back seat in this installment and Jessica seemed a bit distracted in this one and not especially interested in butting her nose in too far. All the same the mystery wraps up nicely, with an unexpected twist I never saw coming- and that’s always a good thing for me.
The mystery was subdued this time around, but the moments with Jessica and her family were priceless. I don’t think we’ve seen Jessica’s interaction with family have such poignancy either on the show or in previous incarnations of the book series. I liked it- and hope we will see more of this side of Jessica in the future- but also hope the mystery areas will not lose momentum in the process.
Overall, a very nice addition to this long running series and a good one to pop into your beach bag this summer!
3.5 stars
August 9, 2024
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Another successful, murderous-romp with Jessica Fletcher!
Killer on the Court is the 55th-installment of the long-running and much loved Murder, She Wrote series.
To say I am huge fan of this series would not be an exaggeration. This is actually the 39th-book that I have read in this series and I don't plan on stopping any time soon.
Jessica Fletcher and Murder, She Wrote both are super nostalgic for me; bringing back great memories from my childhood. It makes me happy every time I pick up one up.
Terrie Farley Moran, the latest author to contribute to this series, has absolutely nailed the tone and feel of what comprises a MSW story.
In this latest mystery, Jessica travels from Cabot Cove to Rockaway Beach in New York for a holiday with her nephew, Grady, his wife, Donna and their son, Frank.
The Fletchers secured their beachside bungalow through Donna's work, as her boss's family owns multiple properties in the area.
On the very first full day of Jessica's stay, as is known to happen, Donna discovers the dead body of her boss on the property's tennis court.
The local police initially believe it was some sort of accident, a malfunctioning ball machine to blame, but Jessica's not buying it.
She can't help it. Her mind doesn't like inconsistencies, so of course she gets involved. Jessica will get to the bottom of it.
I enjoyed this. I always love when Jessica travels and the beachside setting of this was rather relaxing, even with the murder.
I also always enjoy Grady and Donna. Frank on the other hand drives me a bit batty and I found his dialogue in this one a little far-fetched, but I digress.
Learning about the company that Donna works for and the family at the helm of that company was interesting. There were quite a few red herrings and I think Farley Moran did a great job building up the suspense.
I am really loving Farley Moran at the helm of this series and hoping she continues on for further installments. If you haven't read any of the books in this series before, and love a Cozy Mystery, you can start anywhere, they do not need to be read in order.
If you see a synopsis that jumps out at you, give it a go. If you enjoy it, you have 54 more to try after that. Who knows, maybe you'll catch up with me!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Keep 'em coming please!!!
Another successful, murderous-romp with Jessica Fletcher!
Killer on the Court is the 55th-installment of the long-running and much loved Murder, She Wrote series.
To say I am huge fan of this series would not be an exaggeration. This is actually the 39th-book that I have read in this series and I don't plan on stopping any time soon.
Jessica Fletcher and Murder, She Wrote both are super nostalgic for me; bringing back great memories from my childhood. It makes me happy every time I pick up one up.
Terrie Farley Moran, the latest author to contribute to this series, has absolutely nailed the tone and feel of what comprises a MSW story.
In this latest mystery, Jessica travels from Cabot Cove to Rockaway Beach in New York for a holiday with her nephew, Grady, his wife, Donna and their son, Frank.
The Fletchers secured their beachside bungalow through Donna's work, as her boss's family owns multiple properties in the area.
On the very first full day of Jessica's stay, as is known to happen, Donna discovers the dead body of her boss on the property's tennis court.
The local police initially believe it was some sort of accident, a malfunctioning ball machine to blame, but Jessica's not buying it.
She can't help it. Her mind doesn't like inconsistencies, so of course she gets involved. Jessica will get to the bottom of it.
I enjoyed this. I always love when Jessica travels and the beachside setting of this was rather relaxing, even with the murder.
I also always enjoy Grady and Donna. Frank on the other hand drives me a bit batty and I found his dialogue in this one a little far-fetched, but I digress.
Learning about the company that Donna works for and the family at the helm of that company was interesting. There were quite a few red herrings and I think Farley Moran did a great job building up the suspense.
I am really loving Farley Moran at the helm of this series and hoping she continues on for further installments. If you haven't read any of the books in this series before, and love a Cozy Mystery, you can start anywhere, they do not need to be read in order.
If you see a synopsis that jumps out at you, give it a go. If you enjoy it, you have 54 more to try after that. Who knows, maybe you'll catch up with me!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Keep 'em coming please!!!
May 17, 2022
Jessica Fletcher has just sent her latest manuscript to her publisher, so she is happy she gets to spend some time with her nephew, Grady, his wife, Donna, and their son. They are staying in a cottage right on the beach for a month thanks to Donna’s job. However, Jessica’s first morning there, Donna finds the body of her boss on a private tennis court. Jessica doesn’t want to get involved, but she can’t stop asking questions. Will she figure out what happened?
Grady and Donna (after Grady met her) were some of my favorite supporting characters on Murder, She Wrote, so I was pleased with how they were captured here. I could easily hear the actors in my head, and I loved spending time with them. Sadly, the rest of the characters were a little weak with only one or two defining characteristics. Meanwhile, the plot wandered some with a slow start and a bit too much vacation time. That’s not to say it didn’t have a couple of good twists and a nice resolution. Ultimately, fans of the series will enjoy getting to spend time with favorite characters again.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Grady and Donna (after Grady met her) were some of my favorite supporting characters on Murder, She Wrote, so I was pleased with how they were captured here. I could easily hear the actors in my head, and I loved spending time with them. Sadly, the rest of the characters were a little weak with only one or two defining characteristics. Meanwhile, the plot wandered some with a slow start and a bit too much vacation time. That’s not to say it didn’t have a couple of good twists and a nice resolution. Ultimately, fans of the series will enjoy getting to spend time with favorite characters again.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
September 3, 2025
3.50 🌟
Mood/ Seasonal Reading: Summer
Thought I would love this one more than I did but the family stuff was cute.
Mood/ Seasonal Reading: Summer
Thought I would love this one more than I did but the family stuff was cute.
May 11, 2022
4.5 stars
Another great Murder She Wrote mystery. I am really enjoying Terrie Farley Moran's writing style and take on classic characters like Jessica, Dr. Seth Hazlitt and Sheriff Mort Metzger.
Another great Murder She Wrote mystery. I am really enjoying Terrie Farley Moran's writing style and take on classic characters like Jessica, Dr. Seth Hazlitt and Sheriff Mort Metzger.
February 13, 2022
Another enjoyable mystery in this delightful series with Jessica Fletcher. Jessica's nephew Grady invites her to spend a few days with his family in a oceanfront beach bungalow on Rockaway Beach in New York. The Courtland family own the business Donna works for and invite her and her family to stay in one of the family owned beach bungalows as a reward for her hard work. Jessica looks forward to spending time with Grady, Donna, and especially her ten year old grandnephew Frank. Right away there are tensions among the family and some of the staff from the company. When Donna's boss ends up murdered at the tennis court everyone in the small beachside community is a suspect. The local police detective is an old friend of Sheriff Mort Metzger from Cabot Cove and asks for Jessica's assistance in solving the murder. As always there are many red herrings and twists and turns in this book. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book in this series. Thank you Net galley for the advance copy!
June 18, 2022
In the minority here. I liked the last book Terrie wrote and thought Jessica was back but this was dull. Too much grand nephew, not enough mystery.
April 22, 2022
Murder She Wrote – Killer on the Court
Jessica Fletcher is looking forward to spending some time with her nephew, Grady, his wife Donna, and their son Frank at a beach bungalow on Rockaway Bay. Donna works for the family-owned Courtland Finance and Investment Company. The family-owned company owns several bungalows on Rockaway Bay and since Donna had recently been promoted at work, a month's vacation at the family-owned bungalows on the beach was an added bonus.
The morning after Jessica arrives, Donna finds Jason Courtland, CEO of the company, dead on the tennis court. Was his death an accident or murder? Many believe it was due to a faulty tennis tossing machine. Jason’s mother, and family matriarch, Matilda Courtland, asks Jessica to help solve the mystery of her son’s death.
As a long-time fan of the Murder, She Wrote TV series, and still watching reruns, I enjoyed reading this book and “catching up” with familiar characters from the TV series. The author was descriptive of the area, and I could easily visualize Rockaway Bay as well as the people. I will definitely read more Murder She Wrote books as I thoroughly enjoyed this book as much as I enjoy watching the series and recommend this Jessica Fletcher mystery.
Jessica Fletcher is looking forward to spending some time with her nephew, Grady, his wife Donna, and their son Frank at a beach bungalow on Rockaway Bay. Donna works for the family-owned Courtland Finance and Investment Company. The family-owned company owns several bungalows on Rockaway Bay and since Donna had recently been promoted at work, a month's vacation at the family-owned bungalows on the beach was an added bonus.
The morning after Jessica arrives, Donna finds Jason Courtland, CEO of the company, dead on the tennis court. Was his death an accident or murder? Many believe it was due to a faulty tennis tossing machine. Jason’s mother, and family matriarch, Matilda Courtland, asks Jessica to help solve the mystery of her son’s death.
As a long-time fan of the Murder, She Wrote TV series, and still watching reruns, I enjoyed reading this book and “catching up” with familiar characters from the TV series. The author was descriptive of the area, and I could easily visualize Rockaway Bay as well as the people. I will definitely read more Murder She Wrote books as I thoroughly enjoyed this book as much as I enjoy watching the series and recommend this Jessica Fletcher mystery.
May 21, 2022
This is the fifty-fifth instalment in the Murder She Wrote series featuring the ubiquitous Mrs Fletcher and, well, what can I say. For starters, being an avid cozy mystery reader, I am astonished that this is my first foray, though, like millions of others, I have watched many of the tv shows.
In Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court, Jessica is holidaying with her nephew, Grady, niece, his wife, Donna, and their young son, Frank. They are at New York’s Rockaway Beach in a cottage owned by Grady’s wife’s employers, the Courtland family. The very next morning after Jessica Fletcher's arrival, the two Mrs Fletchers, Jessica and Donna, are on the beach along with Frank and Grady. Jessica and Frank are busy constructing elaborate sandcastles. Frank suddenly hears his mum shrieking the noise coming from the beach bungalow area. A tennis ball machine is pumping out vivid yellow balls at a vast rate of knots and a dead man is lying on the ground; it's Jason Courtland.
In an investigation led by Detective Vincent (Vinnie) Tieri and Detective Aisha Kelly, Jessica naturally gets involved. Who could possibly not love the observant, resourceful and smart J. B. Fletcher? Frank, too is worth a mention and was definitely my second favourite character in the novel as he acts like a 10-year-old should, to somebody of my generation; Gen X or older. As far as the mystery is concerned, I took a wild guess at around the ½ way mark, not really getting anywhere useful with my own sleuthing as there were many suspects with a variety of plausible motives. So the eventual reveal was a surprise. A super beachside setting, some lovely family moments and the colourful characters contribute richly and I am certainly motivated to read a few more Murder She Wrote Novels. I'm spoilt for choice between book one, Gin and Daggers, something more recent, such as book fifty-four, Debonair in Death or any instalment in between.
Thanks to Great Escapes Book Tours, the author and Berkley for a complimentary copy of Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.
In Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court, Jessica is holidaying with her nephew, Grady, niece, his wife, Donna, and their young son, Frank. They are at New York’s Rockaway Beach in a cottage owned by Grady’s wife’s employers, the Courtland family. The very next morning after Jessica Fletcher's arrival, the two Mrs Fletchers, Jessica and Donna, are on the beach along with Frank and Grady. Jessica and Frank are busy constructing elaborate sandcastles. Frank suddenly hears his mum shrieking the noise coming from the beach bungalow area. A tennis ball machine is pumping out vivid yellow balls at a vast rate of knots and a dead man is lying on the ground; it's Jason Courtland.
In an investigation led by Detective Vincent (Vinnie) Tieri and Detective Aisha Kelly, Jessica naturally gets involved. Who could possibly not love the observant, resourceful and smart J. B. Fletcher? Frank, too is worth a mention and was definitely my second favourite character in the novel as he acts like a 10-year-old should, to somebody of my generation; Gen X or older. As far as the mystery is concerned, I took a wild guess at around the ½ way mark, not really getting anywhere useful with my own sleuthing as there were many suspects with a variety of plausible motives. So the eventual reveal was a surprise. A super beachside setting, some lovely family moments and the colourful characters contribute richly and I am certainly motivated to read a few more Murder She Wrote Novels. I'm spoilt for choice between book one, Gin and Daggers, something more recent, such as book fifty-four, Debonair in Death or any instalment in between.
Thanks to Great Escapes Book Tours, the author and Berkley for a complimentary copy of Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.
May 17, 2022
Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court is book #55 in the Murder She Wrote series by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran.
Jessica is going down to spend time with her nephew Grady and his family at the beach. Donna’s boss is found dead and Jessica gets pulled into a murder investigation.
I’m a fan of the Murder, She Wrote TV series and this was just like another episode of the show. While reading it, I could picture Jessica, Grady, and Donna saying the words. Even if you haven’t watched the show, the mystery was very intriguing with so many suspects. I loved the relationship between Jessica and her grandnephew, Frank. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Jessica is going down to spend time with her nephew Grady and his family at the beach. Donna’s boss is found dead and Jessica gets pulled into a murder investigation.
I’m a fan of the Murder, She Wrote TV series and this was just like another episode of the show. While reading it, I could picture Jessica, Grady, and Donna saying the words. Even if you haven’t watched the show, the mystery was very intriguing with so many suspects. I loved the relationship between Jessica and her grandnephew, Frank. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
September 5, 2022
Jessica Fletcher is vacationing on Rockaway beach with her nephew Grady, his wife Donna, and their young son Frank. What could be better than the beach cottage which Donna's employer has let them have for a month? When they find the employer dead on the private tennis court, however, Jessica suspects it's murder. Fortunately, the detective investigating the case is an old pal of Cabot Cove's sheriff, who gives Jessica a glowing recommendation. Jessica enjoys her family time with Frank, especially, and solves the crime too. As is often the case, the style of the "co-author" doesn't match previous authors in this series.
June 4, 2022
Murder on the court was a good audio book. I really enjoyed the characters. I am a big fan of the murder she wrote series. A must listen to for anyone who likes fiction
August 15, 2022
I could never find any clear explanation about what Edwina's husband, Tyler was stealing from the company, nor what the big deal was about bringing files to the beach compound. They already said an audit turned up nothing substantial, and the book never gave an explanation that I could find about what was actually wrong. Mostly seemed like a red herring to make you think he had a reason to murder Jason. And why the girl waited all these years, even though she'd been teaching there for several summers, made little sense either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2022
Not up to par
I am a huge fan and have all the books but this one was long winded and lacked Jessica's usual plots. I found the characters annoying especially Frank who for a young boy spoke in terms of an older person. If you skip this one you won't be missing anything!
I am a huge fan and have all the books but this one was long winded and lacked Jessica's usual plots. I found the characters annoying especially Frank who for a young boy spoke in terms of an older person. If you skip this one you won't be missing anything!
August 2, 2022
I usually enjoy this series but this one disappointed. I enjoyed learning about a location that was new to me but the murder itself, then the ongoing conversations and scenarios suspended belief.
October 15, 2023
Pretty sure I got a cavities from how obnoxiously sweet and kind and conscientious and understanding and never misbehaving Frank was written to be.
July 16, 2022
As a great fan of the show, this is only the first book in the series that I have read. Basically, I picked it up because it also looked like it involved tennis by looking at the cover. I was pleasantly surprised by the mystery and felt very at home with all the well-known characters from the show. We also find out a few things that have happened since the show ended. I must say that the way the person perished is out of the ordinary.
I highly recommend this books for not only fans of Jessica & Cabot Cove, but for other cozy fans as it can be read as a stand-alone in my opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for a digital ARC of his book. All opinions are my own.
I highly recommend this books for not only fans of Jessica & Cabot Cove, but for other cozy fans as it can be read as a stand-alone in my opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for a digital ARC of his book. All opinions are my own.
August 15, 2022
Donna was sobbing immensely and crying pitifully. What happened? The tennis court behind her had a machine pitching tennis balls at lightening speed. Balls were landing on someone lying on the ground. It looked like the person had not moved for quite awhile. Oh my.. call 911. Jessica is visiting her nephew and his wife and their son Frank at a oceanside NY bungalow for a few days vacation. The morning after Jessica's arrival they find the body on the tennis court. Lots of digging into the terrible incident to see who the person was that planned this murder.......Great read. I loved little Frank, now 10 years old and full of enthusiasm for the fun times with Aunt Jessica. This event was not a good one, but in the end the mystery is solved.....
June 2, 2022
This was a fun story - a nice return to the style of MSW books written by Donald Bain. The characters felt true to themselves, and authentic to the tv show. I also loved the attention to detail regarding the NYC setting.
May 30, 2022
I loved it! Fans of JB Fletcher will love this latest in the MSW series, especially since Grady, Donna, and young Frank feature prominently. Well-written with lots of suspects, just the way I like my cozies! A+++
August 17, 2022
I had such a fun time reading this book! 💖
December 16, 2024
Typical Murder She Wrote story. Easy pleasant read.
February 6, 2025
Stars: 4 / 5
Recommendation: A surprising ending that the author manages to keep the readers on the edge till the very last few pages. So much to catch up Grady & family too, when we here about them in Proxy mostly. Kudos !
Killer on the Court is the 55th novel in the long-running Murder She Wrote series co-written by Terrie Farley Moran & fictional writer Jessica Fletcher. It was first published on May of 2022.
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 October 2024, 59 books have been written in this series. They are mostly written in first person narration.
In this installment, after sending her latest manuscript to her publisher, Jessica heads to NYC to be with her nephew Grady and his family at a beachfront home, she gets embroiled in the murder of Donna's boss. She has limited time and resources before she can find the killer.
This is the third book under Terrie Farley Moran as the author. And I have to say she has done a good job of retaining Donald Bain's legacy and I see that the mishaps that Jon Land made have been corrected and we are back to how these books used to look like. She dedicates the book to her daughter Joan Marie Moran.
We are back to Maureen being Mort's wife in this book. Jon Land had Mort and Adelle remain married. But we saw in Donald Bain's book that Mort and Adele get divorced and Adele goes back to New York. Mort marries Maureen who becomes his second wife.
In the very first book that Terrie's pens (#53, Killing in a Koi Pond), she has Jessica attend a writer's conference in Bethesda, Maryland called "Malice Domestic" before she goes to Columbia, NC visiting her friend. Even though there was a book with the title "Domestic Malice" written by Donald Bain (#28) (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...), Terrie continues with that conference name in this book as well.
The author has Jessica reminisce about Jessica's time in Hamptons when she visited her then publisher Vaughn Buckley and his wife Olga. We saw that story in A Palette for Murder (#7) written by Donald Bain (https://galavantreflections.com/2023/...).
Nancy Pollard, is the new publisher for Jessica Fletcher as of this book. I believe Vaughn Buckley is no longer involved for her American Books.
The book however takes a surprising turn when Jessica delves into the world of SEC and money laundering. The killer was most surprising for me. Hadnt had any inclination in that direction at all. Great writing by author Terrie to keep the suspense to the very last few pages. Kudos!
A surprising ending that the author manages to keep the readers on the edge till the very last few pages. So much to catch up Grady & family too, when we here about them in Proxy mostly. Kudos !
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
a. On Pg. 241, Line 5, it should be Anya who leads Jessica to Tilly. Not Tilly as mentioned.
2. Plot Reveals:
a. Characters we see here:
i. Courtland Family: Jason Courtland, CEO of Courtland Finance and Investments (Donna's boss and his wife Linda); Madeline and Juliet, Dennis' grandkids; Shane, Billy & Karie, Jason's granddaughters; his sister Edwina Courtland-Young, and husband Tyler Young, and also a member of board of directors; Matilda Courtland, matriarch of Courtland family; Anya Wiggins, Matilda's companion; Dennis, Jason's youngest sibling; Billy and Shane, Jason's grandkids
ii. Others: Tariq, park ranger; Reggie Masterson and Carissa Potter, art teachers at the community center; Julius Machelli, family friend of the Courtlands; Anthony Barlowe, ex-employee; Mrs. Jamie Ingram, community center's management; Lawrence Torsney, long time client of the Courtlands / aka Agent Josh Keppler from FBI;
iii. Law Enforcement: Officer Lasky; Detective Vincent Tieri; Detective Aisha Kelley; Diego, Julius' sommelier;
b. Detective Tieri is a friend of Sherriff Mort Metzger from his time in NYC.
c.
3. Sub Plots:
a. Friends of Jessica Fletcher: Dr. Seth Hazlitt; George Sutherland, senior inspector with Scotland Yard, formerly with British Special Air Service; Morton "Mort" Metzger, Cabot Cove Sherriff and his wife Maureen; Eve Simpson, realtor friend with Cabot Cove Realty called Simpson Realty; Ethan Cragg, Cabot Cove’s chief town elder; Susan Shevlin, travel agent and her husband Jim, Current Mayor of Cabot Cove; Charlene Sassi, baker;
b. Literary contacts and friends: Harry McGraw, her private eye friend; Matt Miller, her literary agent & his wife Susan; Paulette, Matt's assistant; her British Publisher Griffin Semple, son of her original publisher Archibald Semple; Herb Mason, her accountant.
c. Other Cabot Cove characters: Josh, the mailman; Jed Richardson, bush pilot and owner of Jed's Flying Service, and his wife Alicia / Barbara?, His brother Harvey, owns the local Gas-and-Go; Mara, owns Mara’s Luncheonette, as of #54, Mara has branched out into NH and VT; Hank Weathers, a homeless war vet; Seamus McGilray, manager of Hill House Hotel per the 51st book / Thomas Wilkerson per the 47th book; Richard "Dick" Mann, Fire Chief; 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 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, and investment advisor, and his wife Ellen; Pat Hitchcock, Cabot Cove's popular nurse and teacher?; 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; Dan Andrews, editor of Cabot Cove Gazette; Maniram Chatterjee & his wife Hita, jewelry shop owners; Sanford Teller, public relations agency; Lee, postmistress; Loretta Spiegel, owns beauty salon; Barnaby Longshoot; Brad Crandall; SeaBasket, a supermarket; Father Donald Barnes; Becky Thayer, owner of Cabot Cove Catering; Doris Ann, librarian; Ansell Hodges, homeless veteran; Clara, Seth's longtime receptionist; Carl Cragg, Ethan's cousin and Building inspector; Demetri and his cousin Nick, Cabot Cove Taxi Service; Ideal Molly, Jessica's long time neighbor; Lavinia Wahl, another friend; Maeve O'Bannon, Jessica's another neighbor; Dr. Gregory Leung, Cabot Cove Hospital Deputy Administrator; Rosie Santangelo, teaches arts and crafts; Walter Hendon, harbormaster; Sally Thomson, sales associate at Charles Department Store; Margo Linwood, front desk at Hill House; Edward, Library aide; John Martinez, a library patron; Lorna Mason, Library Committee treasurer; Nancy, a newish committee member; Joseph, maitre d' at Hill House
d. Sheriff Metzger’s staff & other law enforcement: Deputy Andy Jenks / Broom??; Deputy Jack; Rookie Wendell Watson and his mother Gloria; Deputy Harold; Deputy Jerry; Deputy Evan; Deputy Chip; Alfred Gillo, medical examiner; Judge Kaplan; Marie Poutre, dispatcher; Officer Edgar; Gladys, a civilian dispatcher; Deputy Billy Simms; NYPD lieutenant with Major Case Squad Artie Gelber; Deputy Muldoon; Deputy Floyd McCallum
e. Jessica Fletcher’s family: Grady Fletcher, nephew that she and her late-husband Frank raise, his wife Donna and child Frank. Grady plans to open his own accounting firm in book #52.
f. From the 9th book, Murder on the QE2: Mary Ward has been a prominent character in this book. Will she resurface again?
g. 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?
h. 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. Now that Bain is gone and Land has taken over, will there be a back story or will he just leave it as one of the names without explanation.
i. 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?
j. From the 37th book: If I ever try the sidecar recipe I will have to post it again referring the 37th book. But Angela Lansbury did print a cookbook based on the food items shared either in the episodes or by characters of the series. https://www.silverscreensuppers.com/t...
k. From the 47th book:
i. Mort jokes that Jessica is a magnet for murder; and Jessica quips that can she use that as a title. We know that this title has never been done so far in her books or the fictional ones she wrote on the TV show. May be a future book?
ii. Again we don’t see the criminal Armand Dejong's body found. So did he succumb to the injuries caused by fire or escape?
l. From the 48th book, Manuscript for Murder:
i. We come to know that Mort was in Vietnam that we had never heard either on TV show or the earlier books.
m. 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.
n. From the 54th book, Debonair in Death: Deputy Andy's full name become Andy Broom vs Andy Jenkins.
Recommendation: A surprising ending that the author manages to keep the readers on the edge till the very last few pages. So much to catch up Grady & family too, when we here about them in Proxy mostly. Kudos !
Killer on the Court is the 55th novel in the long-running Murder She Wrote series co-written by Terrie Farley Moran & fictional writer Jessica Fletcher. It was first published on May of 2022.
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 October 2024, 59 books have been written in this series. They are mostly written in first person narration.
In this installment, after sending her latest manuscript to her publisher, Jessica heads to NYC to be with her nephew Grady and his family at a beachfront home, she gets embroiled in the murder of Donna's boss. She has limited time and resources before she can find the killer.
This is the third book under Terrie Farley Moran as the author. And I have to say she has done a good job of retaining Donald Bain's legacy and I see that the mishaps that Jon Land made have been corrected and we are back to how these books used to look like. She dedicates the book to her daughter Joan Marie Moran.
We are back to Maureen being Mort's wife in this book. Jon Land had Mort and Adelle remain married. But we saw in Donald Bain's book that Mort and Adele get divorced and Adele goes back to New York. Mort marries Maureen who becomes his second wife.
In the very first book that Terrie's pens (#53, Killing in a Koi Pond), she has Jessica attend a writer's conference in Bethesda, Maryland called "Malice Domestic" before she goes to Columbia, NC visiting her friend. Even though there was a book with the title "Domestic Malice" written by Donald Bain (#28) (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...), Terrie continues with that conference name in this book as well.
The author has Jessica reminisce about Jessica's time in Hamptons when she visited her then publisher Vaughn Buckley and his wife Olga. We saw that story in A Palette for Murder (#7) written by Donald Bain (https://galavantreflections.com/2023/...).
Nancy Pollard, is the new publisher for Jessica Fletcher as of this book. I believe Vaughn Buckley is no longer involved for her American Books.
The book however takes a surprising turn when Jessica delves into the world of SEC and money laundering. The killer was most surprising for me. Hadnt had any inclination in that direction at all. Great writing by author Terrie to keep the suspense to the very last few pages. Kudos!
A surprising ending that the author manages to keep the readers on the edge till the very last few pages. So much to catch up Grady & family too, when we here about them in Proxy mostly. Kudos !
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
a. On Pg. 241, Line 5, it should be Anya who leads Jessica to Tilly. Not Tilly as mentioned.
2. Plot Reveals:
a. Characters we see here:
i. Courtland Family: Jason Courtland, CEO of Courtland Finance and Investments (Donna's boss and his wife Linda); Madeline and Juliet, Dennis' grandkids; Shane, Billy & Karie, Jason's granddaughters; his sister Edwina Courtland-Young, and husband Tyler Young, and also a member of board of directors; Matilda Courtland, matriarch of Courtland family; Anya Wiggins, Matilda's companion; Dennis, Jason's youngest sibling; Billy and Shane, Jason's grandkids
ii. Others: Tariq, park ranger; Reggie Masterson and Carissa Potter, art teachers at the community center; Julius Machelli, family friend of the Courtlands; Anthony Barlowe, ex-employee; Mrs. Jamie Ingram, community center's management; Lawrence Torsney, long time client of the Courtlands / aka Agent Josh Keppler from FBI;
iii. Law Enforcement: Officer Lasky; Detective Vincent Tieri; Detective Aisha Kelley; Diego, Julius' sommelier;
b. Detective Tieri is a friend of Sherriff Mort Metzger from his time in NYC.
c.
3. Sub Plots:
a. Friends of Jessica Fletcher: Dr. Seth Hazlitt; George Sutherland, senior inspector with Scotland Yard, formerly with British Special Air Service; Morton "Mort" Metzger, Cabot Cove Sherriff and his wife Maureen; Eve Simpson, realtor friend with Cabot Cove Realty called Simpson Realty; Ethan Cragg, Cabot Cove’s chief town elder; Susan Shevlin, travel agent and her husband Jim, Current Mayor of Cabot Cove; Charlene Sassi, baker;
b. Literary contacts and friends: Harry McGraw, her private eye friend; Matt Miller, her literary agent & his wife Susan; Paulette, Matt's assistant; her British Publisher Griffin Semple, son of her original publisher Archibald Semple; Herb Mason, her accountant.
c. Other Cabot Cove characters: Josh, the mailman; Jed Richardson, bush pilot and owner of Jed's Flying Service, and his wife Alicia / Barbara?, His brother Harvey, owns the local Gas-and-Go; Mara, owns Mara’s Luncheonette, as of #54, Mara has branched out into NH and VT; Hank Weathers, a homeless war vet; Seamus McGilray, manager of Hill House Hotel per the 51st book / Thomas Wilkerson per the 47th book; Richard "Dick" Mann, Fire Chief; 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 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, and investment advisor, and his wife Ellen; Pat Hitchcock, Cabot Cove's popular nurse and teacher?; 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; Dan Andrews, editor of Cabot Cove Gazette; Maniram Chatterjee & his wife Hita, jewelry shop owners; Sanford Teller, public relations agency; Lee, postmistress; Loretta Spiegel, owns beauty salon; Barnaby Longshoot; Brad Crandall; SeaBasket, a supermarket; Father Donald Barnes; Becky Thayer, owner of Cabot Cove Catering; Doris Ann, librarian; Ansell Hodges, homeless veteran; Clara, Seth's longtime receptionist; Carl Cragg, Ethan's cousin and Building inspector; Demetri and his cousin Nick, Cabot Cove Taxi Service; Ideal Molly, Jessica's long time neighbor; Lavinia Wahl, another friend; Maeve O'Bannon, Jessica's another neighbor; Dr. Gregory Leung, Cabot Cove Hospital Deputy Administrator; Rosie Santangelo, teaches arts and crafts; Walter Hendon, harbormaster; Sally Thomson, sales associate at Charles Department Store; Margo Linwood, front desk at Hill House; Edward, Library aide; John Martinez, a library patron; Lorna Mason, Library Committee treasurer; Nancy, a newish committee member; Joseph, maitre d' at Hill House
d. Sheriff Metzger’s staff & other law enforcement: Deputy Andy Jenks / Broom??; Deputy Jack; Rookie Wendell Watson and his mother Gloria; Deputy Harold; Deputy Jerry; Deputy Evan; Deputy Chip; Alfred Gillo, medical examiner; Judge Kaplan; Marie Poutre, dispatcher; Officer Edgar; Gladys, a civilian dispatcher; Deputy Billy Simms; NYPD lieutenant with Major Case Squad Artie Gelber; Deputy Muldoon; Deputy Floyd McCallum
e. Jessica Fletcher’s family: Grady Fletcher, nephew that she and her late-husband Frank raise, his wife Donna and child Frank. Grady plans to open his own accounting firm in book #52.
f. From the 9th book, Murder on the QE2: Mary Ward has been a prominent character in this book. Will she resurface again?
g. 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?
h. 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. Now that Bain is gone and Land has taken over, will there be a back story or will he just leave it as one of the names without explanation.
i. 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?
j. From the 37th book: If I ever try the sidecar recipe I will have to post it again referring the 37th book. But Angela Lansbury did print a cookbook based on the food items shared either in the episodes or by characters of the series. https://www.silverscreensuppers.com/t...
k. From the 47th book:
i. Mort jokes that Jessica is a magnet for murder; and Jessica quips that can she use that as a title. We know that this title has never been done so far in her books or the fictional ones she wrote on the TV show. May be a future book?
ii. Again we don’t see the criminal Armand Dejong's body found. So did he succumb to the injuries caused by fire or escape?
l. From the 48th book, Manuscript for Murder:
i. We come to know that Mort was in Vietnam that we had never heard either on TV show or the earlier books.
m. 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.
n. From the 54th book, Debonair in Death: Deputy Andy's full name become Andy Broom vs Andy Jenkins.
July 4, 2023
Such a fun Jessica Fletcher mystery full of JB’s family as she joins Grady, Donna, and Frank on their vacation at the beach.
April 30, 2022
Jessica Fletcher is visiting her nephew, Grady, his wife, Donna, and son, Frank. It is supposed to be a relaxing break at the beach in Rockaway NY. And it is until Donna discovers her boss’s body lying on a tennis court - her boss’s dead body.
Though there is some initial suspicion that the Fletcher clan may have been involved. That is quickly resolved, but then it falls on Jessica working with the NYPD to eliminate the suspects and identify the guilty party.
The result is a relaxing cozy mystery that moves quickly to a satisfying conclusion. It did leave this reader with two concerns. First, Frank is the most well-behaved, well-mannered, ten-year-old I have ever met - somewhat uncharacteristic for a young man his age. Second, the book’s resolution comes about unexpectedly with few hints provided to the reader as to the guilty party. Even with those flaws, the book was an enjoyable story and well-worth four stars I am giving it.
_____________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.
Though there is some initial suspicion that the Fletcher clan may have been involved. That is quickly resolved, but then it falls on Jessica working with the NYPD to eliminate the suspects and identify the guilty party.
The result is a relaxing cozy mystery that moves quickly to a satisfying conclusion. It did leave this reader with two concerns. First, Frank is the most well-behaved, well-mannered, ten-year-old I have ever met - somewhat uncharacteristic for a young man his age. Second, the book’s resolution comes about unexpectedly with few hints provided to the reader as to the guilty party. Even with those flaws, the book was an enjoyable story and well-worth four stars I am giving it.
_____________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.
March 12, 2024
Great cozy mystery. Loved the storyline with Grady and his family.
July 26, 2024
Before reading this I read Murder in Season by Jessica Fletcher and Jon Land. It was my first time reading a book from the Murder, She Wrote series but I have seen all the episodes. I loved Murder in Season. It had all the good side characters and it was funny. It felt like the show and the characters, but more in-depth. Some parts of the mystery I solved but some I didn’t before the ending. I thought it was a super enjoyable story that made me want to read more. So, I headed down to Indigo and this book was the only other one there. Tennis doesn’t really appeal to me but I needed something to read so I picked it up anyway.
The book has nothing to do with tennis, which is fine with me, but it also isn’t the characters I know from this series. Jessica was like a boring robot caricature of an old lady. I know Ms. Lansbury was Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and not Mary Poppins, but the character in this book was like if Mary Poppins didn’t sing and wasn’t fun. Grady’s son Frank was a completely unrealistic nine year old. He was either the most enthusiastic, well mannered, and perfectly behaved little boy of all time or this author has never been around children. Everything the kid did was the best thing ever and he was so excited to do it that was obnoxious. The Donna character was the opposite of how she was supposed to be. And, even the “ayuhs” coming out of Seth’s mouth were in the wrong place in the sentence.
Then there was the mystery….
The characters in this book, even thought Jessica is a total stranger, tell her super personal secrets on first meeting her. This is what the whole book is like:
Jessica: Hello housekeeper, is the mother home?
Housekeeper: She is home but she is too sad to have visitors. Let me just tell you this one thing though, even though you didn’t ask and I don’t really know you… In the distant past the mother had a love affair with a man and was going to leave her husband, but he died in a car accident, so she didn’t. I have never told anyone this and no one knows so keep it to yourself.
Jessica: Of course I will and it is totally regular of you to tell me such a private detail about your employer and best friend’s life. Oh, I see my great-nephew Frank over there. I guess I should go.
Frank: Aunty Jess! There you are, I love you!
Jessica: I love you too Frank. What do you say about going home and helping your mother clean the house and then we can have tea.
Frank: Oh yes aunty Jess. Cleaning is my favourite thing to do and I am so excited I am just going to run home and clean ahead of you. Thanks for such a great idea!
Fin
Also,
Why were the tennis balls shaved? And how does a machine launching shaved balls at 100 mph end up with all the balls hitting a man lying on the ground on the other side of the court, and they make a pile on him? Some of Newton’s laws are not coming together for me on this one…
And,
I am not an American so may be biased but why was there so much history about the American revolution? It was insane.
Another thing,
The ending was predictable as far as who did it. What made it even more ridiculous was that Jessica confronts the murderer who, denies it for two sentences. Then, Jessica gives her a raised eyebrow and she spews out a whole confession. The murder blurts out why and how they did it. They even say that they shaved the tennis balls, but they never say why.
In summary, it is my opinion that no one should read this book if they actually like Murder, She Wrote. The series should get rid of this lame author immediately. Terrible!
The book has nothing to do with tennis, which is fine with me, but it also isn’t the characters I know from this series. Jessica was like a boring robot caricature of an old lady. I know Ms. Lansbury was Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and not Mary Poppins, but the character in this book was like if Mary Poppins didn’t sing and wasn’t fun. Grady’s son Frank was a completely unrealistic nine year old. He was either the most enthusiastic, well mannered, and perfectly behaved little boy of all time or this author has never been around children. Everything the kid did was the best thing ever and he was so excited to do it that was obnoxious. The Donna character was the opposite of how she was supposed to be. And, even the “ayuhs” coming out of Seth’s mouth were in the wrong place in the sentence.
Then there was the mystery….
The characters in this book, even thought Jessica is a total stranger, tell her super personal secrets on first meeting her. This is what the whole book is like:
Jessica: Hello housekeeper, is the mother home?
Housekeeper: She is home but she is too sad to have visitors. Let me just tell you this one thing though, even though you didn’t ask and I don’t really know you… In the distant past the mother had a love affair with a man and was going to leave her husband, but he died in a car accident, so she didn’t. I have never told anyone this and no one knows so keep it to yourself.
Jessica: Of course I will and it is totally regular of you to tell me such a private detail about your employer and best friend’s life. Oh, I see my great-nephew Frank over there. I guess I should go.
Frank: Aunty Jess! There you are, I love you!
Jessica: I love you too Frank. What do you say about going home and helping your mother clean the house and then we can have tea.
Frank: Oh yes aunty Jess. Cleaning is my favourite thing to do and I am so excited I am just going to run home and clean ahead of you. Thanks for such a great idea!
Fin
Also,
Why were the tennis balls shaved? And how does a machine launching shaved balls at 100 mph end up with all the balls hitting a man lying on the ground on the other side of the court, and they make a pile on him? Some of Newton’s laws are not coming together for me on this one…
And,
I am not an American so may be biased but why was there so much history about the American revolution? It was insane.
Another thing,
The ending was predictable as far as who did it. What made it even more ridiculous was that Jessica confronts the murderer who, denies it for two sentences. Then, Jessica gives her a raised eyebrow and she spews out a whole confession. The murder blurts out why and how they did it. They even say that they shaved the tennis balls, but they never say why.
In summary, it is my opinion that no one should read this book if they actually like Murder, She Wrote. The series should get rid of this lame author immediately. Terrible!
January 6, 2023
Confession: I'm a huge Murder She Wrote fan
As a serious fan of the TV series this book had a pretty substantial hurdle to overcome and unfortunately it has some serious issues.
Let's start with the continuity problems. The Murder She Wrote TV series first ran in 1984. I can't recall her age ever being clearly stated, but in the first episode Jessica has just retired from teaching. Let's say that puts her at 60 in 1984. In this book the setting is clearly very near today's time. There are numerous references to cell phones, smart watches, and Ipads. The first Apple Watch was released in 2015 so by that Math, Jessica is in her 90s. But based on her actions in the book she would give Jack Lalanne a run for his money.
It's not just Jessica's age that's a problem. Her nephew Grady, a regular guest star of the series, first appears in Season 1 as a recent college grad trying to make his way in New York City. Let's say he's fresh out of college in that 1984 episode and that would make him 21. In this book he has a 10 year old son. That's a young kid for someone in his 50s, but not impossible if his wife is much younger. But Grady's wife is still Donna who he married in season 6 of the TV series who was never introduced as being substantially younger than him.
But perhaps the biggest problem of all is that 10-year-old son Frank. Frank was born in season 6 of the series which was originally broadcast in 1989. That would have made him 31 at the youngest when smartwatches and Ipads first arrived on the scene. Hence I was very confused to see him acting like a child and taking drawing classes at a daycare center. I was expecting some sort of backstory about Frank receiving a serious brain injury and receiving an intellectual disability.
Another problem is the technology I was just talking about. In the TV series Jessica's embrace of technology is that of one reluctantly dragged along by the pace of change and computers. In this book she's thrown off her techno-skepticism and fully embraced technology. Frankly, she needs to shut up her damn Ipad. I started to feel like she was one of those influencer types constantly shilling.
Beyond the structural problems the dialog sounds like it was written by an alien trying to approximate human interactions. Everyone talks like infomercial actors or like the replacement people in the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The movie The Room has more authentic dialog.
Here's a sample exchange:
"Why , thank you," I said. "Did I hear you say you lived in a cocoa exchange?"
"Well, the building was once the headquarters for the cocoa market here in New York, but really, in my opinion, headquarters for the entire world's cocoa market. But times do change and so does the use of buildings, so now it is the home tome and other New Yorkers who enjoy living in a distinctive building in the heart of thee Financial District. I am sure you've seen the famous Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue. The Cocoa Exchange is very similar. It was constructed where Pearl Street and Beaver Street converge at Wall Street."
The above isn't just an amazingly well-rendered depiction of someone struggling with Abergers. Everyone in the book talks like this.
Maybe a less devoted MSW fan would appreciate this book, but not me.
As a serious fan of the TV series this book had a pretty substantial hurdle to overcome and unfortunately it has some serious issues.
Let's start with the continuity problems. The Murder She Wrote TV series first ran in 1984. I can't recall her age ever being clearly stated, but in the first episode Jessica has just retired from teaching. Let's say that puts her at 60 in 1984. In this book the setting is clearly very near today's time. There are numerous references to cell phones, smart watches, and Ipads. The first Apple Watch was released in 2015 so by that Math, Jessica is in her 90s. But based on her actions in the book she would give Jack Lalanne a run for his money.
It's not just Jessica's age that's a problem. Her nephew Grady, a regular guest star of the series, first appears in Season 1 as a recent college grad trying to make his way in New York City. Let's say he's fresh out of college in that 1984 episode and that would make him 21. In this book he has a 10 year old son. That's a young kid for someone in his 50s, but not impossible if his wife is much younger. But Grady's wife is still Donna who he married in season 6 of the TV series who was never introduced as being substantially younger than him.
But perhaps the biggest problem of all is that 10-year-old son Frank. Frank was born in season 6 of the series which was originally broadcast in 1989. That would have made him 31 at the youngest when smartwatches and Ipads first arrived on the scene. Hence I was very confused to see him acting like a child and taking drawing classes at a daycare center. I was expecting some sort of backstory about Frank receiving a serious brain injury and receiving an intellectual disability.
Another problem is the technology I was just talking about. In the TV series Jessica's embrace of technology is that of one reluctantly dragged along by the pace of change and computers. In this book she's thrown off her techno-skepticism and fully embraced technology. Frankly, she needs to shut up her damn Ipad. I started to feel like she was one of those influencer types constantly shilling.
Beyond the structural problems the dialog sounds like it was written by an alien trying to approximate human interactions. Everyone talks like infomercial actors or like the replacement people in the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The movie The Room has more authentic dialog.
Here's a sample exchange:
"Why , thank you," I said. "Did I hear you say you lived in a cocoa exchange?"
"Well, the building was once the headquarters for the cocoa market here in New York, but really, in my opinion, headquarters for the entire world's cocoa market. But times do change and so does the use of buildings, so now it is the home tome and other New Yorkers who enjoy living in a distinctive building in the heart of thee Financial District. I am sure you've seen the famous Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue. The Cocoa Exchange is very similar. It was constructed where Pearl Street and Beaver Street converge at Wall Street."
The above isn't just an amazingly well-rendered depiction of someone struggling with Abergers. Everyone in the book talks like this.
Maybe a less devoted MSW fan would appreciate this book, but not me.
January 31, 2022
This is book 55 in the very popular Jessica Fletcher series that I really enjoy. It is also the third book co-authored by Terrie Farley Moran. In this new story, Jess takes a few weeks off to join nephew Grady, his wife Donna, and grandnephew Frank at a beach house on Long Island owned by Donna's boss. Early in the trip, Jess and Donna discover the body of one of Donna's bosses on the tennis court, being bombarded with 100 mph tennis balls. Quite an unusual method of murder! It is as entertaining as ever to watch Jessica solve the mystery. I usually enjoy family members being included in these stories, but grandnephew Frank is just a bit too perfect. He does not act or talk like a regular kid. Plus, Grady and Donna are prime examples of helicopter parents whose behavior becomes a little tiresome. These objections are why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an ARC.
June 21, 2023
Big fan of the show, so when I saw this at the library, I laughed and had to give it a go! This book is not a jam. The characters are one dimensional and talk like they're back in the 80s (or earlier, honestly) but for some reason they have ipads and smart watches? It was very jarring to read with this technology since this series famously takes place in the 80s-90s.
The author desperately threw in any familiar character name as often as possible, even if they had nothing to do with the story, and the conclusion was not satisfying at all.
All in all, this is a very silly book that stayed too far from the source, not to mention the clunky prose and strange word choice.
I would say, stick to the screen on this one.
The author desperately threw in any familiar character name as often as possible, even if they had nothing to do with the story, and the conclusion was not satisfying at all.
All in all, this is a very silly book that stayed too far from the source, not to mention the clunky prose and strange word choice.
I would say, stick to the screen on this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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