Special Guest – Barbara Early – Author of Murder, She Wrote: Snowy with a Chance of Murder #AuthorInterview #Giveaway

I am delighted to welcome Barabara Early to Escape with Dollycas today:

I was in college in 1984 when the first episode of Murder, She Wrote aired, and to be honest, I may have been a couple of years late in joining the party. I recall Remington Steele(‘82) and Scarecrow and Mrs. King(‘83), leading the way by introducing strong female characters, known for their intelligence more than their jiggle. I remember I was hooked on MSW by ‘86, because I vividly recall struggling to stay up to watch it on a Sunday night—when I had to be at work the next morning at 6am, after an hour-long commute.

I suppose, from the point of view of an early 20-something at the time, that what initially attracted me was that I saw in Jessica Fletcher a hint of one of my favorite mystery protagonists, Miss Jane Marple. While I can now better appreciate the difference in age between the two, they shared the experience of being undervalued and underestimated. Instead of being angry and bitter over this, they proved their worth over and over again, with a brilliance that surprised their antagonists–and yet they both maintained a steady humility, friendly disposition, and good temper. Well, most of the time.

When I was first approached as to whether I’d be interested in joining Terrie Moran in writing Murder, She Wrote books, I had mixed feelings. Not as to whether I wanted to write them—it’s a dream job! My question was whether I could do the character justice. It’s a heady thing writing dialogue knowing that readers will “hear” it in Dame Angela Lansbury’s voice. What convinced me to try (I still had to submit a proposal for the editor) was a combination of Terrie’s encouragement and the recognition that I was now a fifty-something female former English teacher turned mystery writer, and Jessica and I had something in common!

It can also be intimidating to try to follow in the footsteps of the treasure-trove of authors who have written this character in the past: Donald and Renee-Paley Bain, Jon Land, Terrie Farley Moran, and those who originated the television character in the first place: Fisher, Levinson, Link, and the many episode writers. While I have yet to see how readers receive my efforts to chronicle Jessica’s latest adventure, I hope that my age, experience, and hard work will lend that ring of authenticity to her voice.

Meanwhile, I’m having a lot of fun. It’s hard not to really enjoy a job that starts with a leisurely cup of coffee or two and a couple of hours of television watching to ensure that I get the voices just right, but it’s also a part of the job I take very seriously. The series left us with some well-drawn and beloved main characters. Dr. Seth Hazlitt, the thrifty curmudgeon on the outside, is full of compassion and wisdom for those who care to see it. Sheriff Metzger, the streetwise NYC cop who retired to Cabot Cove thinking it would be simpler and relaxing, started out as a bit of an antagonist in those early episodes, but later grew to be one of Jessica’s closest friends. “Mrs. F,” as he chose to call her, has become almost a term of endearment.

As for Jessica herself, her manner of speaking is precise, crisp, and a notch or two more formal than my natural voice, with–perhaps because of her years spent teaching English–more literary and poetic allusions and a huge active vocabulary, yet her tone is nearly always friendly and gracious and never snooty. Writing her spoken and internal dialogue, for me, involves layers and multiple editing passes, first putting on paper what Jessica is trying to say, then tweaking it to better resemble how I think she would actually phrase that idea. And then doing it again, until I hear it in Jessica’s voice myself.

Forty years have passed since Murder, She Wrote introduced us to Jessica, and I’m happy to see that enthusiasm for the series hasn’t waned much. Episodes can be found on multiple channels and streaming services and there’s talk of a movie. Clothing and giftware can still be purchased and a new Jessica Fletcher action figure was just released. (Yes, of course, I got one! It has a little typewriter and everything!) I almost feel like I got to play with mine early—and not just her, but Seth and Mort and all the rest of the finely-drawn characters from both the television run and the fifty-nine books that have been released prior to this one—and move them around the big, gorgeous doll house that is Cabot Cove, Maine.

Thank you, Barabra for visiting with us today!

Keep reading for more information about Barbara’s new book…

Murder, She Wrote: Snowy with a Chance of Murder
by Jessica Fletcher & Barbara Early

About Snowy with a Chance of Murder

Murder, She Wrote: Snowy with a Chance of Murder
Cozy Mystery
60th in Series
Setting – Maine
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (March 18, 2025)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593820045
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593820049
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D7G8TTLR

In a nod to Rear Window, this newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series finds Jessica Fletcher coping with an injury that leaves her homebound—and a murder just outside her window!

Jessica Fletcher has taken a nasty spill on the ice, leaving her in a wheelchair for several weeks. She tries to work on her latest manuscript but finds herself distracted by a new neighbor moving in across the street. There’s good reason for her to be distracted, because soon after unpacking his sparse belongings, Mr. Rymer is out in the front yard, building somewhat risqué (read: naked) snow sculptures.

While Cabot Cove debates whether the sculptures are a protected form of art or a public display of lewdness, someone starts destroying them at night. Rymer doesn’t seem upset. He just makes new ones. No need to get the police involved over a little snow, he says. Especially when there’s plenty more of it and a blizzard in the forecast.

The morning after the storm, Jessica looks out the window to see a new sculpture across the street—and the body of Mr. Rymer half-buried in the snow. Can Jessica catch a cold-blooded killer from her chair by the window?

About the Authors