Jessica Fletcher Finds Murder at Home
I’ve dipped in and out of the Murder, She Wrote novels over the last few years. When I saw that Barbara Early was joining the franchise, I knew I had to give her efforts a try, so I picked up Snowy with a Chance of Murder.
If you’ve missed the novel, yes, they are tie-ins to the TV series. Yes, they’ve expanded on the world of the show. This is book 60, after all. But you don’t need to read them in order. I certainly haven’t. I figure there is the occasional reference I am missing by not doing that, but there is nothing that has seriously impacted my enjoyment of these books.
This book opens with Jessica Fletcher getting ready to head out on a mystery themed Caribbean cruise as a special guest, the perfect thing to counter the cold of February in Cabot Cove, Maine. But a slip on the ice lands her in a wheel chair instead.
Trapped inside, her new neighbors catch her attention. The man is a snow sculptor, although his sculptures are in questionable taste. They are drawing the attention of people in town, resulting in crowds. Meanwhile, there’s been a murder in a food truck, but Sherif Metzger has a suspect, if only he can locate her. Will Jessica get drawn in even though she’s stuck in a wheel chair?
If you are getting Rear Window vibes, you wouldn’t be too far out of line. In fact, the characters make that connection at one point. However, the action isn’t limited to Jessica’s house. She still gets out and about quite a bit, which keeps things from feeling too claustrophobic.
It also keeps the story from being a clone of the movie, which I appreciated. I did find the beginning a bit uneven. There are multiple storylines being introduced, but even so, it felt like we were treading some of the same ground we’d already covered. However, when the plot really kicked into gear, it was fun watching everything fall into place.
As any fan of the series (TV or book) knows, the joy of the Cabot Cove episodes is the community of characters we get to know. I’m thrilled to say this book captures that perfectly. We see lots of names fans will recognize, and they all felt just like they did in the show. I could picture the actors delivering the lines. I especially liked Jessica’s relationship with Mort Metzger, which the books haven’t always captured well. I even laughed at some of the character interactions.
While spring may be just around the corner, there’s still time to curl up with a good book. If you want to capture some of those winter vibes, you’ll be glad you picked up Snowy with a Chance of Murder.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book
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