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I am delighted to share my thoughts today about
Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial by Jessica Fletcher and Barbara Early!
Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial
by Jessica Fletcher and Barbara Early
About Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial
Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial
Cozy Mystery
63rd in Series
Setting – Starts in Cabot Cove, Maine, but most of it takes place in and around Los Angeles.
Publisher : Berkley
Publication date : May 12, 2026
Print length : 320 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-10 : 0593952901
ISBN-13 : 978-0593952900
Digital
ISBN-13 : 978-0593952924
ASIN : B0FM7785KS
The newest delightful entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series, featuring mystery novelist Jessica Fletcher.
Jessica Fletcher and friends Seth Hazlitt and Maureen and Mort Metzger team up for pub trivia and crush the competition, then are stunned to learn that the prize is a chance to appear in a five-day trivia tournament filming in LA.
No one expects life-or-death stakes! But on day one of the tournament, a crew member is murdered. Who would benefit from derailing the show? Jessica has to come up with the ultimate answer.
In a metafictional twist, the investigation takes Jessica and the gang to the filming locations of their favorite mystery shows, where they discuss how Columbo, Monk, or Jim Rockford might go about solving the case.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
After winning a local pub trivia contest, Jessica Fletcher and friends, Seth Hazlitt, Maureen, and Mort Metzger, win a chance to participate in Pub Trivia Live, a televised 5-day trivia tournament in Los Angeles. The studio wasn’t covering much of anything. They were responsible for their own meals, lodging, and travel. Jessica’s niece, Victoria, and her husband, Howard, have a huge place that they have decided to turn into a B&B, and they invite Jessica and her friends to stay with them. Howard recently purchased an old limousine to take their guests on tours, so their travel around town is covered, too. With only airfare and meals to worry about, they decide to hop on a plane and head for LA.
Uncertain of what to expect, they arrive on day one, check in, head to hair and makeup, find their spots on the set, and get ready to answer some trivia questions. Team Mainely Brilliant did well on day 1, earning 2nd place. Yet the excitement of the broadcast is cut short when, moments after the live show ends, the soundman is found slumped over his console. Seth and Mort rush to assist, but there is nothing to be done. Jessica immediately recognizes that the trip has taken a deadly turn.
Aside from the murder investigation and the pub trivia show, Howard has made plans to take his guests to some locations where their favorite mystery shows are filmed. How would Jim Rockford, Monk, Remington Steele, or Columbo handle the murder case the Mainely Brilliant team has on their hands?
There was so much to love about this story—first, the pub trivia contest theme. Jess, Seth, Mort, and Maureen make an awesome team. They each have their strengths, which makes the game so much fun. Second, Victoria and Howard’s huge Hollywood mansion. They have a wonderful permanent guest, a mystery guest, and maybe a treasure. Third, Howard’s carefully planned outings for his visitors from Maine are equally enjoyable, blending excellent restaurants, Hollywood history, and affectionate nods to classic detective television. And, fourth, the puzzling mysteries to solve by Jessica and her friends. It isn’t Jessica’s first trip to LA, so when Lieutenant Gabriel Careras walks onto the set, she is happy because he understands her need to investigate. He also appreciates her insight and asks her to keep her eyes and ears open.
What I particularly appreciated was the way each supporting character contributed meaningfully to the investigation. Seth draws on his medical expertise, Mort puts his detecting skills to good use, Maureen emerges as especially resourceful in uncovering information, and Howard proves more useful than expected with his theories and observations. The studio setting is populated with credible suspects, simmering tensions, and acts of tampering, all of which sustain the suspense. Because the motives are not immediately obvious, Lieutenant Gabriel Careras’ eventual explanations feel both necessary and satisfying.
It was also refreshing to leave Cabot Cove for a lively excursion to Hollywood. Ms. Early’s descriptive writing brings each location vividly to life, and the various subplots integrate smoothly with the central mystery rather than distracting from it. It has been some time since Victoria and Howard last played a role, and both they and their housemate add considerable texture to the narrative. By the end of the story, they have even more good things to handle.
It is impressive that Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivia is the sixty-third installment in the series and the second written by Ms. Early. She has clearly developed a strong feel for these characters and for the tone that makes this series so enduring. As a longtime fan of both the books and the television series, I finished this entry hoping there will be many more adventures featuring the ever-reliable Jessica Fletcher.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
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About the Authors
Jessica Fletcher is a bestselling mystery writer who has a knack for stumbling upon real-life mysteries in her various travels. Barbara Early coauthors this volume.
Barbara Early earned an engineering degree, but after four years of doing nothing but math, developed a sudden allergy to the subject and decided to choose another occupation.
Before she settled on murdering fictional people, she was a secretary, a schoolteacher, a pastor’s wife, and an amateur puppeteer. She lives in Western New York State (Go Bills!), where she enjoys cooking, crafts, classic movies and campy seventies television, board games, and spending time with her granddaughters.
Before teaming up with Jessica Fletcher, she previously wrote the Vintage Toyshop Mystery series and the Bridal Bouquet Shop Mysteries (as Beverly Allen).
Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – Penguin Random House
You can find all 63 books in the Murder She Wrote Series HERE.
Also written by Barbara Early
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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.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org, and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.” These funds are often used for gift cards and other giveaways.
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