Customer Reviews

Knock Em Dead a Murder She Wrote Mystery (Thorndike British Favorites)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have read all the Jessica Fletcher/Donald Bain books to date and love them all. I could hardly believe my luck, when I found this book on Amazon.com and immediately ordered it. The only problem is that I can't put it down, leaving me waiting (hopefully) for the next book. I love all the characters in the books including Dr. Hazlitt, Sheriff Metzger, but especially Jessica!

This book was great. A real page turner. Jessica Fletcher has done it again. This is defenitely one of the best books in the series. I would just like to comment to the other person who reviewed this book. I can't beleive you gave it only three stars. I personally think that a book without Seth and Mort in it is a real plus. They're nothing characters. Anyway, read this book, you'll love it.

As much as I am a lover for the theater, I had trouble putting this book down. I felt as if I was part of this book, walking with Jessica from place to place in search of the crazed killer. "Knock 'em Dead" is full of suspense. I enjoyed this novel so much that I recommend it to anyone who is interested in not only mysteries, but theater too.

Jessica Fletcher the mystery writer is a great fan of live theater but has never had one of her books made into a Broadway play. Finally however, her book "Knock 'Em Dead" will be brought to life on the Great White Way. The Cabot Cove locals are thrilled for her but are also worried about her because there is a serial killer loose on Broadway and he or she is targeting theaters.

As the play comes together Jessica meets many new people, some of whom she becomes quite fond. Before too long however there is a murder in the very theater where her play is being put together and worse yet the victim is the play's producer. Needless to say, Jessica discovers the body and by the MO the killing looks like the work of the serial killer. Absolute chaos follows and it looks for a while like Jessica's play may never hit the stage. To make matters even more convoluted; most of the people involved with the production couldn't stand the dead producer so if it wasn't the work of the serial killer the list of suspects is almost endless.

I enjoyed this book but of the books in this series that I have read, it is probably my least favorite entry. First of all, there is what seems like dozens of new characters introduced in this book, very few of which are fleshed out at all. I found myself having to stop reading so that I could try to remember just who this person who had just shown back up was on numerous occasions and having to do that can ruin the flow of a good story in no time flat. Jessica also comes across as just a tad too uptight and closed minded in this story and always seems to be offended at one thing or another. This is the case in some of the other books as well but it seems to be a little more pronounced in this story. She does however show a very kind and sweet side when dealing with the bodyguard that Sheriff Metzger sent down from Maine. Finally, the ending just didn't do anything at all for me. It seemed about as dramatic as a snail race and left me with no real closure at all. A good mystery book needs to give the reader this closure and this ending falls far short of that goal. On the other hand, the tension is built up quite well as the end approaches, so well in fact that the book's success at tension building may have added to the let down I felt when I reached the end.

I must admit that I like the stories that are set in Cabot Cove much more than the ones like this that follow Jessica's travels and that may have colored my attitude but I don't really think so. There are some very good and exciting passages in this book and it is by no means a book that you should avoid. This is just not my favorite entry in a series of which I am very fond.

"Knock Em' Dead" is the 12th in the 'Murder, She Wrote' novel series. Donald Bain has managed to capture the tone of the television series it is based on, making for an entertaining if occasionally light read.

Whilst this novel isn't a literary classic, it isn't a bad story either. It's clearly written, at the best moments a page-turner and at its worst moments still readable without getting bored.

I have collected all of the Murder She Wrote books to date and re-read them every so often. I find them very 'readable'. This one is no exception.

Another excellent book by Donald Bain. There are a few annoying things I would like to point out -

The publicist for Knock Em Dead is Priscilla Hoye. The same name was used for the publicist of Cabot Cove's festival in a Little Yuletide Murder.

The conductor of Cabot Cove's symphony orcherstra Peter Eder was used in the Murder, SHe wrote book where Jessica goes to the Hamptons.

Stop using names from other books, especially when they take different roles. It's annoying + Jessica Fletcher isn't real, the author should only be DOnald Bain and written in the first person; it doesn't matter if the viewpoint is not the author

LIKE TO KNOW WEATHER THE CABOT COVE MALES WILL BE IN THIS NEW BOOK OR NOT LET ME KNOW BEFORE I BUY SO I KNOW IF I LIKE OR NOT OKAY