Customer Reviews

Murder, She Wrote: Blood on the Vine

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

 

 

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

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.

"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.

This book seemed worse than most MSW novels. The characters that Jessica meets are one-dimensional and boring. This book also says what might happen to Jessica and George Sutherland relationship-wise.

I love Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain's Murder She Wrote series of novels, but this one seemed to be in bad taste. The motivations of some of the characters seemed a bit sordid. It wasn't the kind of thing I would want Jessica mixed up in. When the denouement revealed what had gone on behind the scenes, it left a bad taste in my mouth. It definitely wasn't a nice cozy.

This was a decent book in the series. However, Jessica seems to be a mite forgetful. One of the characters says he's "had a few bouts with a bad back myself." Jessica says, "Fortunately, I never have." Excuse me? She is forgetting the time she was in bed because of a bad back in season 3's episode of "Crossed Up." Not to mention various other times throughout the series. Or is Donald Bain not familiar with "Murder She Wrote"? I have noticed inconsistencies in other MSW books also. I will keep reading these books as I enjoy Jessica's adventures but sometimes glaring mistakes devalue the quality of a story.