Customer Reviews

Murder, She Wrote: A Fatal Feast

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

The latest "Murder She Wrote" caper is a celebration in more ways than one. Firstly, the setting of the story is in the picturesque village of Cabot Cove, Maine, which is adored by many viewers of both the TV and book series. Jessica Fletcher has a lot on her plate this time around, what with her work at the senior center, her long-growing list of house guest for Thanksgiving (Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland being one of the many arrivals), and the frustrations of meeting a tight deadline for her new book.

There is also the issue of a stranger in town. Jessica and a horde of other Cabot Covers have noticed him skulking around town in recent weeks. Jessica has seen him staring in the direction of her house. Others have observed his peculiarity at Mara's luncheonette by the dock. Who is he? What does he want? Soon Jessica adds an investigation to her to-do list, trying to decipher whom the mysterious man really is and what his intentions are in Cabot Cove.

Too, the issue of the mysterious mail being sent to Jessica's house is off-putting. Frightening, even. The results, however, are a dissapointment, considering that the author has used the solution once before in a prior book (1995's "Rum and Razors"). Regardless, the reader is pulled into a fast-paced mystery, turning the pages (or clicking a button on the Kindle), in a haste to connect the dots with Jessica. Is it a fan? A stalker? As avid readers of the book series know, the Down East mystery writer will get to the bottom of things, even if it means putting her own life on the line.

To further complicate the situation, Jessica encounters a few strange birds who have recently moved to the small town and are living down the road from her on Candlewood Lane. What secrets do they harbor?

As the holiday arrives in Cabot Cove, so does the inevitable act of murder. Aside from the mystery, the story carries with it an air of suspense. At one point, Jessica arrives home from her various errands around town, only to be greeted with an unlocked front door, which she finds quite surprising, if not downright scary. That night, she hears noises and footsteps traipsing somewhere upstairs. Or is it just her wild writer's mind at work again?

The atmosphere of this book feels like an early eighties episode of the TV series, excluding Jessica at the helm of Jed Richardson's Cessna and the visit of Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland. Jessica never learned how to drive a car, let alone pilot a Cessna. The storyline seems to work, albeit awkward at times seeing Jessica behind the wheel. However, including the character of George Sutherland only adds a sense of warmth to the already cozy story.

Donald and Renee Bain write with charm, adding colorful Cabot Cove characters and the hominess of Down East. A FATAL FEAST is a highlight in the series and one that fans of the TV and book series should not pass up.

T.B. Grant
10/6/09

I've been a big fan of Murder She Wrote since day one and got used to the majority of each show being the investigation of a murder and not non-essentials of the story before the murder. Unfortunately, this book, and the last two, spend way too many pages of details unnecessary to the plot. As a result, Jessica's sleuthing gets short-changed and rushed.

I favor the books that take place in Cabot Cove since they involve Jessica's close friends Seth and Mort. Interaction with them is kept to a minimum due to visiting Scotland Yard's George, whom Donald Bain introduced awhile back as a potential romantic interest for Jessica. They still can't make up their minds where to take their friendship, which further reduces pages for sleuthing. Seems like the memory of Frank's love promoted in the TV series is now gone.

The storyline has good potential. Too bad not all of it made it into the book.

This is such a delightful book. This time Jesssica really has her hands full. First, She has a book deadline to meet as well as pageant and thanksgiving feast to fulfill. Not to mention a mystery to solve with the help of her Scotland yard friend George. But as always Jessica is in rare form. This novel has suspense,humor and intrigue. With a whisper of romance on the side. If you are fan of the Murder She Wrote novels this will make you a bigger fan.

This was not one of the better "Murder She Wrote" books and the re-use of a prior storyline from "Rum and Razors", almost word for word, was a disappointing rip-off for the reader. A total cut and paste job. Did the author really think nobody would notice this? Sure hope he doesn't plan to start recycling other past storylines into his new "Murder She Wrote" books or I for one am done reading them.

One of my favorites since it takes place in Cabot Cove in the Fall during Thanksgiving and with an inviting mystery to boot.

You won't be disappointed in this one.

My only suggestion would be to add some of Jessica's recipes in the books--- they all "sound" so yummy!!

A Fatal Feast is the latest Murder, She Wrote paperback in the long running series based on the equally long running television show. However, it is a rather disappointing entry to the series.

We see Jessica in the midst of preparing Thanksgiving which she will be hosting at her house for her friends, and a visiting George Sutherland from England. With George's visit, Jessica beings to ponder her feelings for him and much of the book is spent on this relationship and often it overshadows the actual mystery. In fact it's not until about chapter 12 when the murder occurs and then its even further into the book that Jessica begins to seriously peruse the case, which means that everything is sort of rushed, especially the reveal of who the murderer is.

There is also a second mystery running throughout the book, this one again comes to a rushed conclusion. However, that is not the only this which is wrong with this second mystery. Jessica begins to receive cut out letters in the post and she begins to feel very uneasy about them as they eventually spell out GLOTCOYB and she has no idea what this means. She goes as far as getting the police involved and George also becomes slightly worried. However, this mystery has been recycled from an earlier book in the series, which I think is a terribly lazy decision by the author. Its almost as if they murder was as engaging enough on its own and he thought of this last minute as a filler. I have never really been disappointed by one of these books, but the use of a recycled storyline and the mystery-lite feel to the book has left me feeling slightly underwhelmed with this one.

So unlike other MSW novels, this one often drags and the mystery itself is greatly overshadowed by the Jessica and George relationship which by the end of the book isn't even made official. I hope that future books don't follow this pattern because I have a feeling we'll be getting plenty more of George and Jessica in the future.

I have purchased all of these. If you enjoyed the show, you will love the books.

The mystery (obvious only in a few points,) along with Jessica's beau's visit would have been enjoyable if the book itself was not so darned downcast. Ninety-five percent of the story had Jessica in an overly somber mood. Her character even states, "It seems that all I've had to offer since you arrived is a series of problems." Added to that fact was the author's choice of having Sheriff Metzger's character acting a complete donkey's behind throughout the entire book. At one point, there were reasons for his reticence but never for his rudeness. The ending revealed the answer to a smaller mystery and was also quite the letdown. All-in-all, not a "fun" read.

A Fatal Feast is the latest book in the Murder, She Wrote mystery series. The book harkens back to the old murder tv series with plenty of character-based revelations and suspense.

The only thing I didn't care for was the goofy sub story regarding the letters, totally unneeded.