Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage
by
Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran
A family reunion turns sour when there’s a murder backstage.
Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage is the 58th book in the popular Murder, She Wrote cozy mystery series based on the long-running television series of the same name. When Jessica and her Cabot Cove friends, Dr. Seth Hazlitt, Sheriff Mort Metzger, and his wife, Maureen, travel to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to meet up with Jessica’s cousin, actress Emma Macgill, they are anticipating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the men’s childhood film idol, Derek Braverman, whom Emma is preparing to co-star with in his final musical revue before retiring. However, instead of a warm family reunion and a special visit with the star, they have a close encounter with death when a member of the company is found murdered backstage.
As on the television show, Jessica can’t escape murder, even while on vacation and with family and friends. She, Emma, and the folks from Cabot Cove are pulled into the investigation, especially when they witness suspicious behavior by some of the theatre staff. Jessica, in her usual manner, is blunt and persistent in her pursuit of answers and uncovers secrets in places the police never thought to look, while Seth and Mort realize that it’s often best never to meet your idols. I was stumped on the who and why until the final reveal, but there were plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing one possible suspect and another.
I recommend MURDER, SHE WROTE: MURDER BACKSTAGE to cozy mystery readers, especially fans of the book and television series.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.