Murder, She Wrote: Blood on the Vine [Paperback]

Jessica Fletcher (Author), Donald Bain (Author)

Book Description

Series: Murder She Wrote | Publication Date: April 1, 2001

Bestselling author Jessica Fletcher travels to California's wine country for rest and relaxation. What she finds is an old Hollywood friend, dead from an apparent suicide-and a vintage crop of enemies who suggest to Jessica that something's rotten in Napa Valley.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Signet (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451202759
• ISBN-13: 978-0451202758
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #290,285 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Vintage Mystery, April 15, 2001

By 

algerina "algerina" (Saint Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Murder, She Wrote: Blood on the Vine (Paperback)

Blood on the Vine is just the kind of book you want to read on a rainy afternoon. Donald Bain presents a cozy puzzle with all the right sort of villains to keep the reader entertained. The setting in California wine country was a wonderful vacation from the Maine winters. So vivid the descriptions I could almost taste the wine. Including Jessica's friend the Scotland inspector brought a light touch of romance to the plot. I think this is one of the best in an enjoyable series. I recommend it it to all of Jessica Fletcher's fans

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but not the best, August 25, 2002

By 

"el_zorro_negro" (San Jose, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder, She Wrote: Blood on the Vine (Paperback)

I love the Jessica Fletcher mystery books, but this one just didn't seem right some times.
The characterization of Jessica just seemed off. There seemed to be an arrogance about her (and George Sutherland) that I found unappealing and not in keeping with either the televison program or other books in the series.
George Sutherland is given a very large role in this mystery, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But at times, Jessica seemed more like his assistant than the star of the book.

There was also a poorly done scene at a spa. I kept thinking about how much more intersting it would have been if Jessica had done one of her "addle brained old woman" or "rich snob" acts to get the information she needed rather than the direct approach used by the author. Even without going that route, I think the whole scene could have been handled much better. One of the things that I always liked about the character was that she never completely loses her cool. This particular scene just did not ring true to me.
There is also a revelation near the end of the book that seems to come from out of nowhere. I think there was a definite need for some foreshadowing prior to this.
On the postive side, the book is engaging and easy to read. If it were not part of the Murder She Wrote series, I think I would have liked it more. It just doesn't seem like Jessica to me.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taste some deadly wine!, March 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder, She Wrote: Blood on the Vine (Paperback)

"Blood on the Vine" is exactly what I wanted. I enjoyed this book so much I read it in one sitting. The reason for my interest specifically is because of the good, quality writing illustrated on every page. The essential key in keeping readers engrossed and intrigued in books is the the writing itself. "Blood on the Vine" is a page turner, particularly from the quality writing and storyline. However, one thing that disturbs me when I read Murder, She Wrote mysteries is that the protagonist is always unmoved at the end of the story. Regardless, the book is an interesting read.