Coffee, Tea, or Murder?

Murder, She Wrote #27

by Jessica Fletcher, Donald Bain

A brand new mystery in the USA Today bestselling series from America's favorite sleuth.

Ms. Fletcher learns that the friendly skies aren't so friendly after all.

When Cabot Cove's own Wayne Silverton debuts his new airline, he invites Jessica Fletcher and other locals on the inaugural flight from Boston to London. Jessica is thrilled for the opportunity to visit her dear friend, Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland. But the reunion hits turbulence when George is called to the airport to investigate the apparent murder of Wayne Silverton.

Jessica and George decide to put their sleuthing skills together. But there's a full passenger list of suspects-and Jessica's going to have to catch a killer before she can catch a flight home.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Audiobook, Contemporary, Crime

273 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 3, 2007

About the author

Librarian’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

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Oh, yeah it's Murder, It's Murder, She Wrote..."

Watching the hilarious youtube video "Murder, She Wrote Theme with Lyrics" (which you should totally watch, by the way) reminded me how much I loved this show. I picked up a copy of "Coffee, Tea, or Murder?" from my local library, post haste!

This book is unoffensive comfort food, to be sure. I was a little disappointed that the murder in question didn't actually occur on the flight "Murder on the Orient Express" style but that's a minor quibble. The author even included a minor love story for Jessica which was oh so mild and oh so sweet.

A recommend for any fans of gentle mysteries solved by sweet old ladies.

P.S. It's funny that they keep Jessica in the modern day and reference things in the past but don't act like Jessica should be in her late 80's/early 90's at this point. Once her love interest is like "I might be retiring soon" and I'm like "Dude, you have to be ancient! Of course you should retire! What are you, a Supreme Court Justice?!"

[Liam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall I have few issues with Donald Bain's murder she wrote books. Namely I think he makes Jessica too thirsty, and I think all MSW fans will agree that Jessica Fletcher thirsts for no man! She plays it cool. He also completely changes some of the characters from the series, sheriff Metzger is completely unrecognizable from the character in the show. These issues are complaints that I normally put on the back burner while reading the MSW novels.

That being said I absolutely hated this book. For a couple of reasons

1. It's mostly shameless self promotion. This books plot centers around an airline so there is a lot focus about the glory days off commerical flight and flight attendants. Throughout the book Jessica references a "great' book "Coffee, Tea, or Me." This book is a fictionalized account of the glamourus sex filled experiences of flight attendants. The book was published as a part of a PR campaign for a commercial airline. Donald Blain was the author of this book. As I read Coffee, Tea, or Murder it just felt like he was bringing up the book constantly to toot his own horn.

2. I have read 6-7 of Donald Bain's MSW novels and this book more so than any others had a big issue with the male gaze. The book is written from Jessica's pov and she is constantly describing the appearance of women in a sexualized manner. I really don't think that a 60 year old widow would have the internal dialogue as written. I was very aware that the book was written by a man.

3. The murder plot felt like an afterthought. It stalls at certain points. There aren't many clues. This was one of the weaker MSW Book plots.

I wouldn't recommend this book. I would skip it and move on to other books in the series. I wish I had...

[Rachaelbookhunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cabot Cove's own Wayne Silverton is debuting a new airline. For just a little more money passengers will be able to fly in comfort, harkening back to the old days of air travel. On the maiden flight from Boston to London Wayne has invited citizens from Cabot Cove, reporters, and other important individuals. His wife and fellow investors are also on the flight.

Once the plane arrives in London Jessica is excited to reunite with Scotland Yard inspector George Sutherland. What's not so exciting is the murder of Wayne Silverton soon after.

I always learn something from a Murder She Wrote book. Interesting facts or bits of history are included. We learn a little about the aviation industry, and I enjoyed the short tour around London.

My favorite scenes were on the plane at the beginning and end of the book. Less interesting to me were the scenes with George Sutherland. There is nothing wrong with him as a character. It's just not as fun when he's involved. Jessica and George's scenes are repetitive. Less time is spent with Mort and Seth who are quite funny.

The mystery isn't the most exciting that Jessica has been involved in, but the uncomfortable scenes when she's interrogating suspects are fun. I did enjoy the feeling of the characters being stuck in place. The ending is very thrilling and rivals many scenes in popular thrillers.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jessica and most of the Cabot Cove regulars including Sheriff Metzger and Seth are invited guests of the inaugural flight from Boston to Stanstead airport in London of Wayne Silverton's new airline which emphasizes customer service and passenger comfort. Jessica's friend Scotland Yard inspector George Sutherland meets her at the hotel. He receives a call about a body at the airport, and Jessica tags along. The corpse is Wayne Silverton who has been stabbed with a small knife with a folding blade. Angela, of course, fully involves herself in the investigation, and George supports her efforts because of her knowledge of the persons who flew aboard the plane. I listened to the audio version of this. At first I was disappointed Angela Lansbury was not the narrator, but after awhile I settled in the cadence of Cynthia Darlow's voice. (Of course, I would probably prefer for each character to be narrated by the person who starred in that role on the series.) I'm not sure about FAA rules for the crew on flights, but this crew seemed to carry a lot of weapons. I would have thought they would be subject to similar rules passengers must follow. I would expect an air marshal to carry a gun. I enjoyed the book more than my rating indicates. It's a perfect book for reading or listening while traveling.

[Courtny · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this addition to the Murder, She Wrote world Jessica and her friends Seth and Mort are given the opportunity to ride in a high fashioned and new airplane from a fellow citizen and owner. Jessica is excited to go to London with her friends and to maybe see potential love interest and Scotland Yard Detective, George.

The owner of the airline was murdered and of course our Jessica has decided that she is going to help her beau in solving the murder. I listened to this on audiobook and I enjoyed it. It wasn't the best of the Murder, She Wrote series I've read so far.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy these cozy mysteries because I love the characters but I have one frustration: when are Jessica and the inspector going to....date more? Move to each other's countries? Get married? LOTS of books I have been waiting....patiently. :-) Hint, hint.....

[SB*needs low angst books* · Rating 2 out of 5]

review more later
It is a decent mystery story. It was a solid easy read.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

#27 of the series.

I loved Murder, She Wrote when it was on tv and watched it when it was on Netflix. Trying to watch it now is a little difficult as the times are either during sleep or school. So getting a chance to read the books or listening to them on audio is the next best thing.

In this, Jessica and others from Cabot Cove, the hometown of one of the owners of the new airline, have been invited as special guests to fly the inaugural flight to England. After they arrive, the owner is found dead with a knife in his back in the cockpit. Jessica is asked to help Scotland Yard to solve the murder since she is friends with the main investigator who values her thoughts.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book got the tone of the show right but I honestly can’t say I enjoyed being in Jessica’s head like that because sometimes it didn’t feel quite like Jessica. This book it’s also very descriptive in a way that made me do quite a bit of skim reading. I solved the murder towards the end so that was nice but there were times that I didn’t want to pick it up and read just because I wasn’t feeling hooked. A good book but not the best.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised when this popped up on my library's app. I didn't know they existed, but nostalgia made me give it a try. It was nice for that reason. Beyond that, meh. It was largely true to the form of the TV show, but somehow that didn't translate well for me. Idk. I guess I just like my Jessica Fletcher better in one hour segments.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Murder, She Wrote books because I loved the show. This one was a little less interesting than some others. It had a lot of the usual Cabot Cove characters but was set in London and on an airplane over the Atlantic. I would have liked them to explore London a bit more but it was meant to be a very short visit. Overall, it was a nice cozy mystery.

[Candyce Sweet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book even though my review might sound like I didn’t. My rating even suggests I liked this book. But really, Jessica, are you some sort of almost super hero now? I don’t want to give to much away, but the ending didn’t feel like what a real person would do. It felt like what some sort of superhero would do. I love Jessica, but is she really just absolutely fearless? Come on. Still, I enjoyed the novel, so that should count for something. Really.

[Blanche Devereaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alot more turbulent turns in the plot this time with tons of people with motives and tons of possibilities that seem clichè and probable but not what you think at all!!!! And i AM OVER JESSICA when it comes to George! Nobody said you gotta get married but DAMMIT make some greater moves and at least TRY more than you're doing.....love me some Mr. sutherland....second audible done

[Eric Chucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

The principal characters from the show were well-rendered but the mystery, airline trivia, and London tourism weren't very interesting to me. I will say I did not have the killer guessed correctly, so I suppose it deserved marks for that.

[Dree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always love Jessica!

[Aparna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: Another solid read with decent plot, plus we get the added benefit to see Jessica flying a plane. Bain was very close to the tone of the original Murder, She Wrote series. A little fast paced, he made the story but not too much.

Coffee, Tea, or Murder? is the 27th novel in the long-running Murder She Wrote series co-written by Donald Bain & fictional writer Jessica Fletcher. It was first published on April of 2007. Jessica along with several of her friends from Cabot Cove take the maiden flight of the new airlines SilverAir from Boston to London. However upon reaching London they find the owner of the airlines murdered. And George Sutherland, Inspector at Scotland Yard and romantic interest of Jessica, is pulled into the investigation, and Jessica gets tugged along too. Now they have to together figure out who the murderer was before the catch their flight back to America.

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 2023, 56 books have been written in this series. They are all written in first person narration.

Jessica and George are again united in this book and they are involved in a murder investigation, naturally! We hear a little more about George's dead wife. We also see George trying to push the relationship to be more than just friends. Interesting to see where this will turn into in the future books.

The 9/11 tragedy is mentioned more than once in this book. Reference to another one of Donald Bain's book from way back in 1967 is seen several time. He was the ghost writer for the book "The Coffee, Tea or Me?", a memoir by the fictitious stewardesses Trudy Baker and Rachel Jones, who had depicted the sexual escapades of the pilots and stewardesses. In fact the title of this book is a byplay on the title of the original title of the 1967 book.

Again we get first hand tour of London and its places through Jessica's eyes. Also we get an introductory lesson on the criminal laws and court procedures in England. And a rant from one of the characters on the regulation of planes and disgruntled passengers. We get lessons on Bernoulli Principle as well.

Also first hand account of the Air Mail Scandal by Trans World Airlines (TWA) in 1934. Finally we get to see Jessica flying a plane, albeit she was in the First Officer's chair, but we see her prowess in flying. I was impressed just like how George was impressed towards the end when she takes him in the sky on their solo flight.

Interesting to also note that this book is mentioned on the cover as "never before published". I wonder does it mean that there was no hardcopy for this book, and a direct paperback print?

Another solid read with decent plot, plus we get the added benefit to see Jessica flying a plane. Bain was very close to the tone of the original Murder, She Wrote series. A little fast paced, he made the story but not too much.

Spoiler Alerts:

1. Plot Reveals:
a. SilverAir owners & employees: Wayne Silverton, founder and chairman, & his wife Christine; Flight attendants - John Slater, Gina Mohlani; Carl Scherer, first officer & his wife Betsy, a flight attendant; Captain Bill Caine; Salvatore "Sal" Casale, one of the investors; Churlson Vicks, another investor; Jason, Wayne's son;
b. There is no clear reason as to the jealousy that Seth feels towards George-Jessica's relationship. Since Jessica and Seth have been friends for a very long time, I suppose he might feel jealous a bit.

2. Sub Plots:
a. Friends of Jessica Fletcher: Dr. Seth Hazlitt, long-time friend in Cabot Cove, Maine; George Sutherland, senior inspector with Scotland Yard; Morton "Mort" Metzger, Cabot Cove Sherriff and his wife Adele / Maureen?; 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 Characters appear frequently: 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 Tyme 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; 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;
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;
e. Jessica Fletcher’s family: Grady Fletcher, nephew that she and her late-husband Frank raise, his wife Donna and child Frank;
f. We continue to see Mort Metzger's wife being called as Maureen. But she was named Adele in the TV show…and also in the 50th book, A Time for Murder, she was back to Adele. Not sure when Bain changed it back to Adele since I have a few more books to go before I reach the 50th book, but perhaps the readers made him change it back.
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 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.
k. 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.

3. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
a. Jed's wife was named Alicia all along till now. In this book she is named Barbara. Is she Alicia? Or Barbara?

[Lollyletsgo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was interesting as it was similar to a locked room mystery- all characters/murder and victim- introduced at the beginning and only 1 or two additions, but at the same time, included a trip to London.

At some point I'd love to actually study how Fletcher/Bain sets these mysteries up- usually after reading a few you can see a pattern emerge- but not with this series. Interesting. And fun to read.

[Kellene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, easy read. I always enjoy my adventures with Jessica and her friends.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS AN AUDIOBOOK. Jessica Fletcher finds herself caught up in the middle of another murder case involving an old Cabot Cove native and current founder of start-up, upscale commercial airline, Silver Air. Wayne Silverton invites some of his former Cabot Cove associates and friends, dignitaries and the press, on Silver Air's inaugural flight to London's Stanstead airport from Moston, USA. Wayne has pulled out all the stops for this flight, wining and dining his guests, even arranging for limousines to meet them at London's Stanstead airport to take them to their respective hotels. Everyone is impressed and looking forward to their next adventure the following day when they get the news that Wayne Silverton has been found dead in his own airplane. Turns out Wayne had a host of enemies and any one of them could have turned hatred into murder. 

This was an excellent mystery that kept me guessing who the killer might be until the very end. I enjoyed many aspects of the story including the comparisons made between England's customs and laws versus the United States. I learned many interesting little facts and tidbits along the way, and it's always a pleasure listening to Jessica's words of wisdom and her adept crime-solving skills. It was also sweet to see Jessica Fletcher and her Scotland Yard inspector friend George Sutherland meet up in London and spend a little cozy time together. (This was a clean, wholesome relationship between two widowed friends that was portrayed very tastefully which I thoroughly enjoyed.) I really loved Coffee, Tea or Murder and look forward to my next Jessica Fletcher adventure.

[Dena · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first of this series I read. Or rather, listened to the audio version. One of the worst readers I've had the displeasure of listening to. Instead of her ludicrous attempt with the various accents (Vermont, English, Scots, etc.) she ought to have just read the book, varying her voice for the characters. The story itself- referrals to/explanations of "Britishisms" might be useful or fun for people who know nothing about the Brits, never read a novel or saw a TV show set in Britain, but they were silly inclusions for the rest of us. I watched Murder She Wrote, back when it was new. But gave up after a while since the plots were the same, only the names & sometimes locations, changed. I usually like "cozies" to escape from current events-- but I like them better-written and definitely better read.

[Tracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this all started with one of Zan's photos on Flickr. She posted a photo of a coffee mug promoting the book, Coffee, Tea, or Me? about airline stewardesses in the 60s. I searched for the book on nypl.org, and Coffee, Tea, or Murder? also came up in the search results. How can you resist a title like that?

Full disclosure: I've never seen an episode of Murder She Wrote in my entire life, but this book made me wish I'd seen the entire series. My favorite part of the book is that Jessica Fletcher is actually listed as the author.

I hadn't read a pulp mystery book in ages, so this was sort of fun, trying to figure out whodunit. But I think I'll stick to Agatha Christie in the future.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical of this series. Wherever Jessica goes someone dies. WARNING:DON'T EVER INVITE JESSICA FLETCHER OVER TO YOUR HOUSE.

This time while visiting her friend George in London who just happens to be an Inspector with New Scotland yard she gets involved in the murder investigation of her acquaintance Wayne with whom she was a guest on his brand new airline.

Who knew she was a pilot too.

[Teri-K · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing's a bit stiff but the story was fun. I especially enjoy the books that have Inspector Sutherland from Scotland Yard, too. I can always hear Angela Lansbury's voice while I read these.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually liked the relationship between Jessica and George. I wish they can be together! It’s so different from the book! The mystery is okay.

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica Fletcher boards a transatlantic flight expecting nothing more than a plush seat, a hot towel, and a classy reunion in London. What she gets is a dead airline mogul, an in-flight roster of shady business connections, and a murder that lands harder than international jetlag. In Coffee, Tea, or Murder?, Jessica is one part luxury passenger, one part reluctant investigator, and entirely fed up with people turning first-class perks into motive for murder.

It all starts with Cabot Cove’s very own Wayne Silverton. He’s launching a boutique airline aimed at bringing the glamour back to air travel — think vintage vibes, high-end service, and the kind of press event where even the lobster bisque has PR talking points. For the inaugural flight from Boston to London, Wayne invites a carefully curated guest list: his investors, a few Cabot Cove locals, some airline industry insiders, and Jessica, who’s genuinely excited to visit her friend, Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland.

But the reunion with George gets cut short when Wayne Silverton turns up dead not long after their arrival in London. Jessica and George quickly realize this wasn’t some tragic accident or mid-flight health issue — Wayne was murdered, and the suspect list is as tightly packed as the plane’s first-class cabin. Was it one of the investors who didn’t like Wayne’s management style? A disgruntled employee with access to the cabin? Or perhaps someone close to home who had more to gain from his death than anyone realized?

As Jessica starts asking questions, the shine of Wayne’s airline begins to tarnish. The business was more fragile than it looked, the team more divided, and Wayne himself less beloved than his polished public image suggested. Jessica works the case both in the luxury lounges of London and over cups of tea with George Sutherland, who remains steady but slightly dull — their scenes have a certain by-the-book rhythm, but Jessica’s sleuthing still brings the sharpness.

The pacing of this one feels like a flight with occasional turbulence. Some sections glide — especially the early airplane scenes and Jessica’s direct interviews — but others stall in repetitive character beats and not-so-subtle nostalgia. There are references to Coffee, Tea or Me? (a cheeky ‘60s book about airline stewardesses), which feel a bit shoehorned and meta, especially knowing it was authored by Donald Bain himself. It adds a weird layer of inside baseball, like the author is elbowing us in the ribs mid-investigation.

Still, Jessica is in full command — cool, collected, and no less formidable than a customs agent with questions. When the final twist hits, it’s a solid payoff, made better by the fact that Jessica never once lets the glamour or the London setting distract her from finding the truth.

This one’s a respectable 3.5 stars. Not the most explosive mystery in the series, but it’s got atmosphere, corporate secrets, a splash of transatlantic intrigue, and Jessica doing her best sleuthing at 35,000 feet. Murder never takes a vacation — even in business class.

[C. John Kerry]

Well this one took awhile to read didn't it. My mother used to watch this show all the time, but I have only watched it occassionally in syndication. In this book an entrepreneur who calls Cabot Cove has started up a new airline to take passengers from the US to England. It will emphasize a level of service not seen on the major airlines these days, the betting being that people will pay extra for this level of service. Unfortunately on the maiden flight the business man is found murdered after the plane has landed in London. He was definitely alive when the plane touched down so the murder happened after it had landed. Jessica's favourite Scotland Yard Inspector is the officer assigned to the case. There is no lack of suspects. The victim's business partners are on the shadier side of the street, his current wife has her issues with him, he was a bit of a philanderer so there are possibilities on that end and his son from his first marriage has entered the picture as well. Also the murder weapon does point to a specific person, but anyone could have used it. All in all an intersting problem for our investigators. It takes a return flight, with the Inspector also on board this time, before it all gets resolved.
I have read a couple of other books in this series and enjoyed them so I was willing to give them a try. I found that I enjoyed this one as well. I admit I gave up trying to figure out who dunnit. However, the ending/solution did make sense. The title of this one does of course make reference to what was a prevaling attitude in the airline industry at one time, or so I have read. I am too young to have any first hand knowledge of this. There is also a reference to those times by one of the airline employees as well. All in all a good one. If you were a fan of the series, or just like mysteries in general give this one a try. Happy reading.

[Juliet Minerva Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally got back into the Murder, She Wrote series! While I am acutely aware that these books are so different from the TV series (and never in a good way), they are still really cosy for me. Maybe this one wasn’t my favourite, but I still had a nice time reading it.

I was hoping the murder would take place in the air, and it would need to be solved by the time they landed. But alas, this was not the case. I can’t complain much because the main part of the story takes place in London, but the characters were a bit too spread out and the investigation was on the slow side.

The ending was cool, I wasn’t such a fan of the co-pilot taking over the plane and Jessica having to talk him out of doing who knows what. But I liked seeing her pilot and land the plane, and also realising the murderer was actually the wife of the co-pilot. It was mostly based on speculation and her gut feeling, but still satisfactory.

Maybe the only thing worth mentioning was that Jessica was more uptight than usual. I get that she’s on the old-ish side, but at some point she says it’s always good policy not to speak evil of the dead. And I am sorry but I completely disagree, the guy was a sleazeball and it was quite clear that his bad dealings got him killed, so talking bad about him is the whole point??? Since you should figure out who were the people that got hurt by him enough to retaliate?? Also, I never really understood why horrible people should be treated as saints when they die.

But apart from this, it was fun and a good experience, and I hope to soon move on to the next book in the series.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

You might wish to be a close friend of Jessica Fletcher, but not a casual acquaintance. High murder rates for those folks.

I’ve watched a few of the TV shows, but this was the first Murder, She Wrote audiobook I’ve listened to. At first, I felt disappointed that Angela Lansbury didn’t narrate the audiobook. Hers is the voice I associate with Jessica Fletcher. However, narrator Cynthia Darlow did a fine job, not only as the sleuth, but as the other characters.

In the book, the author took two swipes at the deregulation of the airline industry. These seemed gratuitous to me, since they were irrelevant to the plot. Deregulation lowered the price of airline fares for most flights, a good thing for customers. The expressions of a negative opinion on this government action bounced me right out of the story and gave me a negative impression of the author.

The author could have cut many repetitive passages in the book and kept the prose tighter and shorter. Readers don’t need the sleuth to pause so often to summarize the clues gathered so far.

As a mystery, the plot held together pretty well, with fairly standard facets—the flawed murder victim; several suspects each with motive, means, and opportunity. Some nice surprises and twists. I felt a bit dissatisfied with the ending, but I won’t spoil by stating details.

The book seemed true to the characters in the TV show as I remember it. Fans of Murder, She Wrote will enjoy this book.

[The Mystery Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Coffee, Tea or Murder" by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain is a delightful addition to the beloved "Murder, She Wrote" series. When Cabot Cove's own Wayne Silverton debuts his new airline, he invites Jessica Fletcher and other locals on the inaugural flight from Boston to London. Jessica is thrilled for the opportunity to visit her dear friend, Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland. But the reunion hits turbulence when Wayne Silverton is found murdered on board the plane.

Jessica and George, combining their sharp minds and years of experience, decide to put their sleuthing skills together to investigate the murder. With a full passenger list of potential suspects and a limited space to investigate, the case proves to be a challenging one. Jessica must use all her wit and cunning to unravel the mystery and bring the killer to justice before she can even enjoy her visit with her friend.

"Coffee, Tea or Murder" is a charming and engaging read that perfectly captures the spirit of the "Murder, She Wrote" series. The blend of travel, international intrigue, and Jessica's trademark wit makes this a truly enjoyable mystery.

Rating: ★★★★☆

#CoffeeTeaOrMurder #JessicaFletcher #DonaldBain #CozyMystery #BookReview #TrueCrime #Bookworm #MysteryLover #Bookstagram #MysteryReader #BookwormLife #BookRecommendation #BookAddict #MysteryThriller #CozyMysteryLover #MysteryBookworm #BookishLife #MysteryBooksOfInstagram #Coffee #Tea #Murder