Customer Reviews

Murder, She Wrote: A Little Yuletide Murder

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jessica Fletcher is back in Cabot Cove, Maine to celebrate Christmas. But when farmer Rory Brent is shot dead, her Christmas celebrations are thrown into turmoil as she follows a set of clues to the real murderer.

This is a book that is extremely easy to read; like watching an episode of the TV show, it is uncomplicated and unpretentious. My only problem with this book is the small number of suspects which makes coming to your own conclusion that much easier.

For fans of 'Murder, She Wrote', this is probably one of the best of the series to start with. For crime novel fans, it's not exactly Agatha Christie, but it's an enjoyable read all the same.

Having been a fan of the television series since the mid-1980s, I was happy to discover Donald Bain's continued novelizations. I began with "Yuletide" simply because holiday mysteries set in small snowy villages have always appealed to me. In terms of setting and plot, I was not disappointed.

What I appreciate the most about novels based on television shows is the tremendous amount of information readers get about familiar characters. For instance, we learn about some of Jessica's habits when she's home in Cabot Cove: her favorite way to walk around town, her ability to strike up converstaion with her neighbors, and what foods she enjoys and doesn't enjoy! We even learn the first thing she does when entering her home. Above this, what was particularly striking was the flavoring of regional vocabulary.

As a writing teacher, I was bothered by the half-dozen or so "typos" that appeared throughout the edition I read. Such sloppy editing from such an acclaimed myster writer is simply unacceptable. I'd suggest, Jessica, that you get a new editor!

Otherwise, Bain's style, superbly reflected through the first person point of view, is easy and quick.

I'm looking forward to reading other novels in the series--hopefully sans typos!

For the past twelve years, the residents of Cabot Cove, Maine celebrate Christmas with a festival that started with a few carolers. Over the years, the gala event has evolved into a week long happening filled with tourists and guests, who want to partake in "America's most traditional Christmas celebration". Resident Jessica Fletcher is especially looking forward to her hometown's holiday celebration after spending the last few seasons away from home.

However, Jessica's idyll time is abruptly over when her neighbor Rory Brent, who always plays Santa Claus, is found murdered. With one noted exception, the immediate suspect in everyone's mind is Maine's year round Scrooge, Jake Walther, a lunatic with a temper, who was known to loathe the victim. However, there is one person who thinks that maybe the wrong individual has been falsely accused of murder. Jake is in luck for that person is Jessica, who begins to seek the underlying reason that Santa was killed.

The tenth novel in the ever popular "Murder She Wrote" series, A LITTLE YULETIDE MURDER, is a well written New England cozy in which readers know exactly what they are going to get since there are no surprise twists. It is sort of like going to McDonalds where the customer knows what the burger will taste like regardless of location. Still, the charm of this novel and its predecessors is that the characters and story lines remain true to the TV series. Though several TV movies are expected over the next couple of years, fans of Ms. Fletcher will find the novels are a superb replacement for the canceled weekly show.

Harriet Klausner

Mystery writer Jessica Fletcher feels that this Christmas will be her best ever, as she finally has time to relax in the sleepy little town of Cabot Cove, Maine. A town that she has formally adopted as her own. Without a deadline holding her down this December, Jessica feels that she'll finally have the opportunity to embrace the small-town festivities, starting with the annual Christmas festival. However, when the body of one of Jessica's beloved neighbors, Rory Brent - a.k.a. Saint Nick - is found, a bullet-wound to the head, the Christmas season takes a turn for the worst. Suddenly, Jessica is determined to find out who shot the man everyone admired, for donning the big red suit each and every Christmas Eve, in an attempt to brighten the eyes of each and every girl and boy by ho-ho-ho-ing his way into everyone's hearts as Santa Claus at the annual festival. Jessica knows that there will be no peace on earth until the murderer has been brought to justice, but with everyone in town pointing the finger at Rory Brent's longtime enemy, and resident town mean man, Jake Walther, no one seems to be considering the possible other suspects roaming around the small town. People who may seem innocent, but could be hiding a very deadly secret. Now, as Jessica begins snooping around, she starts to uncover some very important evidence that leads her to believe that the sheriff has made a very big mistake, and arrested the wrong person. Now, Jessica, with a little help from some of her friends, is determined to bring the true murderer to justice before Christmas, or else there's no chance of this holiday being merry or bright.

I was an avid watcher of MURDER, SHE WROTE when I was about 7-years-old, but then I lost touch with TV, and forgot about Jessica Fletcher, and her sleuthing skills. So when I happened upon this holiday mystery starring the mystery writing detective in Barnes & Noble, I absolutely had to have it. Boy did it bring back memories. Not only was this an enjoyable mystery, that left me wondering whodunit, but the flow of dialogue was amazing, and really showcased Donald Bain's knowledge of the show and its characters. I literally felt like I could hear the characters speaking as I read their lines throughout the novel, as they were so true to what I was used to on the show. Jessica, as always, was a pleasure - sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, but not in an obnoxious, overbearing way; more of a caring, concerned neighbor way; and the interaction between her and Dr. Seth Hazlitt, along with the slew of other characters was amazing. What was so perfect about A LITTLE YULETIDE MURDER is that it truly does revolve around the holidays, and doesn't just try and pass itself off as a Christmas book like so many other holiday releases nowadays. Donald Bain has truly outdone himself, and won a fan for life. Have yourself a merry little murder with the Cabot Cove gang!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Christmastime in Cabot Cove and time for the annual Christmas Festival. But where's Santa? Why, he's been shot dead out on the farm! And Jessica (J.B.) Fletcher is on the case. This continuation of Cabot Cove capers is a comfortable visit with old friends.

The "Murder, She Wrote" book series is "based on the Universal television series" ostensibly written in the 1st person by Jessica Fletcher, with a little help from Donald Bain. This series could have been just an effortless knock-off capitalizing on the TV show - but it is, actually, quite good and could be a standout stand alone series of its own. More's the better that it offers the opportunity to continue the Cabot Cove characters we've come to cherish on TV.

It's a (quaint little cozy and) Wonderful Life! (and death.) /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer.

Its early December in Cabot Cove and the denizens of this small Maine town have gathered to plan their annual Christmas Festival. After a while someone notices the absence of the ever-jovial Rory Brent who always plays Santa at the festival. Knowing that only something serious could keep Brent away from this meeting the townspeople send someone to check on Santa. To the great dismay of the whole town, Rory Brent is found in one of his barns, shot to death.

Following the murder there are more than a few questions floating around Cabot Cove not the least of which is who will play Santa this year. One thing that everybody seems certain of however is the identity of the murderer. Jake Walther is almost universally disliked in Cabot Cove and it is well known that he and the victim didn't get along. Furthermore, the victim's son immediately accuses Walther of the murder so that in the eyes of the public Jake has already been tried and convicted. Jessica is not sure whether or not Jake is guilty but she is very disturbed by the attitude of her fellow citizens. She keeps reminding both others and herself that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. She doesn't get actively involved however until Jake's wife Mary asks for her help and the more the famous mystery writer finds out, the more she digs. Along the way she discovers that "Saint Rory" wasn't so saintly after all and that several other people aren't really who they seem to be.

I have always been very fond of the books in this series that feature Cabot Cove and I particularly enjoyed spending Christmas in this quaint little snow-covered town. The plot is a little slow to develop at times but the author still manages to make this book very hard to put down. Just enough information dribbles in during each chapter to make you really want to find out what happens next. Even more enjoyable is the fact that some of the characters in this book are very complex which is not the norm for this series. Actually, I found the ending of the book to be quite touching and the depth of feeling that came across from the characters was very moving.

In my opinion, this is one of the better books in this series and I highly recommend it to any fan of Jessica Fletcher or warm fuzzy mystery novels. Plus, you'll never guess who ends up playing Santa!

This is one of the better Murder, She Wrote mysteries I've read since "Rum and Razors" back in 1995. I enjoy the setting of small, snowy towns, and Donald Bain captures that in "A Little Yuletide Murder." Suspense is evident in this book, as is a handful of twists and turns with 3-Dimensional characters. Each page is intriguing, which keeps readers wanting more. The reason I recommend this book so highly is because of the quality of writing each page exemplifies. Good writing is hard to find today, but I can say Donald Bain has "it."

Jessica is finally back in Cabot Cove for Christmas. Every year an annual Christmas festival is held, and the santa clause is played a local called Rory Brent.
But when Rory is found murdered, the whole town goes into a state of shock. Who could do this to such a sweet man? But when Jessica does some investigating of her own, some of Rory's dark secrets are revealed. Will Jessica solve the murder before Christmas?
While this is an okay book, the plot can move some-what slow. You do not want to read this if you are new to the series. But to a old fan, I can reccomend this.

Jessica Fletcher unwraps a deadly puzzle when she sets out to discover who killed "Santa Claus" -- a.k.a. her neighbor Rory Brent, who played St. Nick at the town's yearly Christmas Eve Celebration.

Donald Bain has managed to capture the feel of the television show with these novels. I have read four before this, and they were all great, just a bit better than this one. But still, this is the Jessica we all know and love, and one of the best novel series/television sleuths around today.