Customer Reviews

Murder, She Wrote: Panning For Murder

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sisters Wilimena and Kathy share a famous ancestor but not much else. Wilimena better known, as Willie to her friends is foot loose and fancy free, had had at least five husbands and has been known to disappear for months at a time without telling anybody where she is. Kathy is a reliable soul who has never married and just happens to reside in Cabot Cove, Maine. As this latest entry in the "Murder She Wrote" series begins Kathy along with some other Cabot Cove residents are dinning with Jessica and talking about the famous author's upcoming cruise to Alaska. It just happens that Willie had taken that same cruise a few weeks earlier and disappeared at one of the ports of call. Normally this would be nothing to worry about but this time Kathy is worried because Willie was on that cruise in search of gold.

The famous ancestor that the sisters share was a famous Alaska madam known as Dolly and she was reported to have a large stash of gold, which as her next of kin the sisters would be entitled to. Willie was off looking for the gold when she vanished and Kathy is worried. Before Jessica knows what's happening Kathy invites herself along on the cruse so that Jess can help her look for her missing sister.

Now Jessica's restful vacation plans turn into yet another mystery for her to solve. As is usual in these books Jessica puts her observational abilities and common sense to work and is soon hot on Willie's trail. She becomes very worried though because she soon finds out that Willie has literally told everyone she met about the gold. Then the dead bodies start to show up and both Jessica and Kathy begin to despair that they will ever find Willie alive.

I normally prefer the stories from this series that are set in Cabot Cove because of the delightful cast of characters that inhabit that lovely little town and I wasn't sure if I would care for this entry at all. It didn't take me long though to get completely hooked. Mr. Bain has a unique talent when it comes to describing the scenery of the locations where his stories take place and his marvelous descriptions made me feel as if I were in Alaska on that cruise and I have always dreamed of just such a trip. He also introduces some excellent characters both on the ship and on land that almost made up for the lack of Cabot Cove regulars in this book. Better yet he doesn't hide clues from his readers in this fine addition to this series and a observant reader will start to pick up clues fairly early on that will be of great importance in figuring out just who the villain is. This is in fact probably the best book in this series that isn't set in Cabot Cove and is one of the top five out of the whole series. I am impressed!

I have read many of the Murder She Wrote books which have all been very well written and interesting. This particular story, based in Alaska and for some parts on a cruise ship, was not disappointing. Although I found it to be more predictable than some of the others, it kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen next. I did miss the rest of the crew from Cabot Cove, but it was made up for by some interesting and colorful characters. I would recommend it for any true Murder She Wrote fans. Never disappointing.

This is a very enjoyable book and the kind of a book you might want to read again and again over the years. It comes to life more if you know the TV characters. I plan to read it again next year. It has an inspiring aspect to it and perhaps one day I will take an Alaskan Cruise as well.

Jessica Fletcher goes to Alaska inseach of a friends Sister only to see alot of beautyful country;and Men's mean side.The adventure is really brought out making you want to see this wonderful State for yourself.

Received Murder She Wrote: Panning For Murder, promptly and in good condition. It is a great mystery with my favorite sleuth, Jessica (Angela Lansbury). It is a good mystery just like all of her other ones. I especially enjoyed going on the cruise (vicariously) to Alaska with Jessica and her friend.

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.

This is one of my two favorite cozy series. I loved this book even more than usual, if that's possible, as I've always dreamed of going to Alaska. My mom's favorite show was Murder She Wrote and I use to watch with her, so reading the series always reminds me of my mom. I was surprised Jessica wasn't more suspicious of a certain character as it seemed obvious that the person was not as they seemed but as usual the likable of the characters made this book a great read.

Jessica Fletcher has been anticipating her Alaskan cruise for a long time, and the big day is finally approaching. However, when her neighbor, Kathy Randall, approaches her and asks to accompany Jess on the cruise, her first instinct is to refuse. It seems that Kathy's irresponsible younger sister has disappeared in Alaska, after taking that exact same cruise. The Alaskan police have no clue as to what has happened to Wilimena Randall, and Kathy is hoping that by retracing her steps, she and Jessica can find out just what has happened.

Poof! Up go Jessica's plans for a quiet week in a puff of smoke. It seems that Willie has told just about everyone that she is going to Alaska to retrieve a legacy from her long-lost aunt - a fortune in gold! It seems to Jess that someone got very interested in that gold...and apparently still is!

My wife and I were huge fans of Murder, She Wrote when it was on television, and I am so glad to be able to see (sort of) Jessica Fletcher in new adventures. Overall, I found this story to be quite good. I found the characters to be quite interesting, and enjoyed watching Jess do her stuff. My one complaint against the book is that an important detail is left unexplained at the end. I would elaborate, but I don't want to give any of the ending away. Suffice it to say that I found the lack of explanation disturbing and unsatisfying.

But, that said, I did enjoy the book, and don't hesitate to recommend it to all my fellow fans of J. B. Fletcher.

This is the first of this series/set of books that I've read. I enjoyed the story line mainly because it took place in Alaska and I am familiar with many of the places mentioned in the book. Just my opinion, but I found the writing style to be just "so-so" and somewhat amateurish. The book is good enough that I will definitely finish reading it, but not good enough to make me want to read any others by this author for that reason. And what's with the last chapter that's printed upside down? Is it just MY book or are they all this way?

my mom read these book and said it was a great book to read, i have read past murder she wrotes book and they all are great mystery
i would recommend book to anybody that lovesa good mystery