Murder, She Wrote: Fit for Murder
by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran
About Murder, She Wrote: Fit for Murder
Murder, She Wrote: Fit for Murder
Cozy Mystery
57th in Series
Setting – Maine
Berkley (January 23, 2024)
Hardcover : 288 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593640691
ISBN-13 : 978-0593640692
Digital ASIN : B0CHDQ2PFD
Jessica Fletcher learns that exercise can be murder in this new entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.
Former editor of the Cabot Cove Gazette, Evelyn Phillips is back in Cabot Cove. Evelyn tells Jessica and Seth that she got a couple of really weird notes from Bertha Mae Cormier so she’s come back to town to check on her old friend. She demands that Jessica come with her to see Bertha Mae, who is a bit dithery but no more so than Jessica remembers her being in recent years.
Jessica does become somewhat concerned when Bertha Mae starts to talk about her new neighbor, Martin Terranova. He is quite charming and very health conscious and he teaches yoga and meditation in his pool house. Maureen Metzger says that she and Bertha Mae became friends in Terranova’s class and mentions how solicitous he is to his older clients.
Jessica attends one of his classes and does notice that Terranova is flirtatious with several elderly clients, especially Bertha Mae. Evelyn is becoming convinced that Bertha Mae is being mesmerized by Terranova and that he is after Bertha Mae’s money. A short while late, Martin turns up dead in his weight room. What at first blush seems to be an accident, soon proves to be murder and Jessica must put her investigative skills to the test when Evelyn becomes the prime suspect.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I have wanted to jump back into this series for a while and was happy to do it with this book. In Fit for Murder, the former editor of the Cabot Cove Gazette, Evelyn Phillips, returns to town because she is worried about Bertha Mae Cormier and her “weird” behavior. When she receives no help from Dr. Seth Hazlitt, she insists Jessica come with her to pay a visit on the woman. At first, Jessica sees no real change in Bertha Mae, but then when the over 80-year-old woman starts to talk about a “show starting” she does get a little concerned. Then they see Bertha Mae’s new neighbor, Martin Terranova, appear outside his home/business and hop on a treadmill. Apparently, he is the show. Bertha Mae is clearly smitten with the man and she explains that by taking his classes she has become a new woman.
Jessica and Evelyn decide to attend the next class with Bertha Mae and they notice Mr. Terranova is very flirty and attentive to Bertha Mae and to his other elderly clients. Evelyn is positive the man is after Bertha Mae’s money and she is going to prove it. But before she gets a chance, Martin Terranova is found dead and it wasn’t an accident. He was murdered and sadly the former editor of the Cabot Cove Gazette is going to need Jessica’s help because she is the #1 suspect in his death.
The reason I love this series is that it unfolds just like an episode of the popular television show that I have started binging on again now that all 12 seasons are available to watch on Peacock. While many of the actors from the series including Angela Landsbury have passed away I love that Terrie Farley Moran and Berkley have kept them alive and on new adventures of crime-solving in these books. I enjoy all the relationships Jessica has built over the years and that the author continues to bring new people to Cabot Cove to keep these stories current and fresh.
The author has plotted out an interesting mystery. Gym owner Martin Terranova was clearly up to something to get himself killed. Jessica is going to help Sheriff Mort Metzger prove it. She gets some assistance from the new editor of the Cabot Cove Gazette, Dan Andrews, as she tries to find out if the victim has a pattern of deceit. As expected the sheriff isn’t always happy with Jessica’s efforts but when she finds more suspects and evidence the sheriff’s deputies missed he has to admit the woman has great instincts and the ability to make clues fit together. It is fun to tag along with her and see how her mind makes sense of all the information she takes in. Some clues really stood out to me and they put me on the right track to pin down the killer.
Ms. Moran tangled an intriguing subplot within the murder mystery regarding some shenanigans at the fire department. Of course, Jessica gets involved there too making sure the right person is held accountable.
My visit to Cabot Cove was fun and entertaining. Murder, She Wrote: Fit for Murder is well-plotted and well-written. If you are like me and have fallen behind on this series or if you a new to Jessica Fletcher and her amateur sleuthing this is the perfect book for you. Readers are given enough history about the characters and Cabot Cove to dive right in.
It looks like Jessica and her friends are going to be busy this year! Book 58,
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Authors
Along with Jessica Fletcher, Terrie Farley Moran co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series including Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court. She is the author of the Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mystery series and also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer Awards, Moran has published numerous mystery short stories. The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is hanging out with any or all of her seven grandchildren.
Author Links – Webpage Facebook
Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenguinRandomHouse –
Also by Terrie Farley Moran
Great Escapes Praise for Murder, She Wrote: Fit for Murder
by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran
I enjoyed reading Murder She Wrote: Fit for Murder, and I recommend it for its cozy Cabot Cove setting, wonderful characters, and well-plotted mystery! I’m looking forward to Jessica’s next adventure!
~Christy’s Cozy Corners
Terrie Farley Moran does a great job of keeping these characters and places alive. If you love Jessica Fletcher and her world, I would recommend this book.
~Books To The Ceiling
Author Terrie Farley Moran excels at staying true to the voice and vibe of the original characters and maintaining the timeless nature of Cabot Cove while also creating new people and stories to entertain us.
~Reading Is My SuperPower
I am giving five stars to Fit for Murder by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran. If you like reading a book that plays out like a television episode, this series is perfect for you.
~Baroness’ Book Trove
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I love all these characters so much. I’m so glad they keep writing books in this series.
I love that you are watching the episodes on television! I di too. Such a relaxing and comforting series. Thank you for a heartwarming review of Fit for Murder.
Sounds like a great book.
I love the Murder She Wrote series and look forward to reading this new book.