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It is my pleasure to share my thoughts about Murder, She Wrote – Murder Backstage by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran today.
Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage
by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran
About Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage
Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage
Cozy Mystery
58th in Series
Setting – Edmonton in Alberta, Canada
Publisher : Berkley (April 2, 2024)
Paperback : 272 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593640756
ISBN-13 : 978-0593640753
Digital ASIN : B0CHDKVL78
The newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.
Jessica Fletcher’s British cousin, Emma MacGill, will be traveling to Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, to perform with internationally famous star of stage, screen, and television Derek Braverman in an old-fashioned musical review. Emma would love for Jessica to join her there and suggests she bring along some friends. Having just finished her latest book, Jessica is ready for a vacation and is delighted to agree. Dr. Seth Hazlitt and Sheriff Mort Metzger are huge fans of Braverman, so they are eager to tag along, and their fanboy behavior gives Jessica and Mort’s wife, Maureen, more than occasional cause to roll their eyes.
Upon arrival in Edmonton, Jessica is quickly outed as mystery writer J. B. Fletcher, and despite numerous protests, a hotel staffer arranges a book signing for her. This and touristy adventures arranged for the group make for a much busier trip than Jessica was expecting. When a hotel bartender, who also happens to be a stagehand for Emma’s play, turns up dead backstage at the theater, Jessica’s fun and relaxing vacation quickly becomes anything but.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Now that her latest book is finished Jessica Fletcher is ready for a break. Her cousin Emma MacGill is traveling from the UK to Edmonton in Alberta, Canada to take part in an old-fashioned musical review. Derek Braverman is an internationally famous star of screen, television, and stage and is ready to retire but he wants one more big show and has invited Emma to be part of it. Emma would love for Jessica to be there for opening night. Emma even invites Dr. Seth Hazlitt, Sheriff Mort Metzger, and his wife Maureen. Seth and Mort are big fans of Derek Braverman so they are thrilled to go on the trip. Maureen is excited too.
Jessica hoping to fly under the radar and just have a good time is saddened that she is immediately recognized as mystery author J. B. Fletcher but she is even more upset that a member of the hotel staff assumes that she would be willing to have a book signing at the hotel gift shop. She explains several times she is not there to work, she is on vacation and has no plans to do a book signing. The staffer has also arranged for Jessica, Seth, Mort, and Maureen to take in the sights of Edmonton.
As if Jessica doesn’t have enough on her plate, a hotel bartender and stagehand for Emma’s musical review is found dead backstage at the theater. She suddenly finds herself and her friends investigating his murder. So much for a fun-filled vacation. Can Jessica go anywhere and not find a murder mystery to solve?
It was so good to see Jessica, Seth, Maureen, and Mort get away from Cabot Cove for a little vacation. They all deserved it. The murder didn’t happen until about 33% into the book so they did get to see some sights before the investigation began. What I really enjoy is that as a fan of the television series, I easily visualize the characters and hear their voices in my head.
Since Jessica didn’t really know the deceased or any of the cast and crew she needed her cousin’s help. While the show rehearsals didn’t stop, they did move to another location, so Emma wasn’t available very often forcing Jessica to get to know all the players/suspects in other ways. Readers are introduced to all these characters and the author does an excellent job of making each unique and memorable. Emma being an almost twin to Jessica was fun.
The murder mystery was very well-plotted with plenty of twists and turns. There was also the mystery of items missing from the hotel including Seth’s prized pen. Jessica and her friends taking on an investigation in Edmonton was a delight especially when Sergeant Enook was familiar with the books of J. B. Fletcher. She knew Jessica wasn’t going to sit idly by. It was great that Jessica, Emma, and the Sergeant were together when a major clue came from an unexpected place. What was even better was the way the Canadian police, Jessica, and Cabot Cove Sheriff Mort worked together to get the evidence they needed to make the arrest. I was totally surprised when the killer was revealed.
I really enjoyed touring around Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with my fictional friends from Cabot Cove. Their driver Rob was a fantastic guide with his knowledge about the places to see and the area’s history. I would love to visit someday.
Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage was an entertaining read with the wonderful Jessica Fletcher solving another first-rate mystery. With the author’s comfortable writing style and familiar characters it was easy to escape right into this latest Murder, She Wrote mystery.
Each book in this series reads well on its own, so don’t think twice about starting with or jumping back in with Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage.
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 –
You can find all 58 books in the Murder She Wrote Series HERE.
Also by Terrie Farley Moran
Great Escapes Praise for Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage
by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran
5 Stars
I loved this wonderful mystery. I loved how well this book was written to bring Jessica and all her friends from Cabot Cove back to life. I loved how she and her friends are able to solve a murder and what happened to many missing items. I loved the humor!
~Bigreader’sites Blog
Murder Backstage has all of the elements I love in a Murder She Wrote novel. I highly recommend it for its well-written characters, lovely setting, and puzzling murder!
~Christy’s Cozy Corners
Overall, Murder Backstage is a great way to spend a vicarious vacation with Jessica and her friends. The writing is pitch-perfect for recreating characters first seen almost forty years ago on television. 4 stars!
~Diane Reviews Books
I recommend Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage – and this entire series – for fans of the Murder, She Wrote TV series, and for anyone who enjoys well-written cozy mysteries!
~View From The Birdhouse
It’s lovely to see a long-time series continue with such strength. I’ll always add a Murder, She Wrote to my reading stack and I’m so pleased that Terrie uses her writing talent to carry the banner!
~Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books
MURDER, SHE WROTE: MURDER BACKSTAGE combines the beauty of Edmonton, the drama of theatre, and a finely crafted mystery along with wit and friendship in a delightful mystery.
~Cozy Up With Kathy
4 stars! A family reunion turns sour when there’s a murder backstage
I recommend MURDER, SHE WROTE: MURDER BACKSTAGE to cozy mystery readers, especially fans of the book and television series.
~Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
5 Stars! Ms. Moran does these characters justice in the way she brings them from the show into her books. I love returning to Jessica’s world and solving a mystery with her with each new installment of this series.
~Baroness’ Book Trove
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April 2 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW
April 3 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
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April 5 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
April 6 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading – REVIEW
April 7 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
April 8 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
April 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 9 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
April 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
April 11 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
April 12 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
April 13 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
April 13 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT
April 14 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
April 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
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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.”
How fun that Emma is in this one!
I was so happy to bring Emma and Jessica together again! I am delighted that you enjoyed Edmonton as much as I did. I, too, would love to visit one day. Thanks for a wonderful review!!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the book.
I look forward to reading this new addition to the Murder, She Wrote series. Thanks for sharing.
This book sounds like so much fun. I enjoy learning about cities I am not familiar with. And who better to travel with than Jessica Fletcher?