Murder, She Wrote: A Slaying In Savannah [Hardcover]

Jessica Fletcher (Author), Donald Bain (Author)

Book Description

Series: Murder She Wrote | Publication Date: September 30, 2008

Jessica Fletcher digs up a home-grown murder mystery down South in this brand-new installment in the USA Today bestselling series.

Jessica is saddened when her eccentric old friend Tillie Mortelaine passes away—and surprised to learn that Tillie has left her a million dollars. But there are strings attached. Jessica must use the money to help the literacy fund she and Tillie established years ago in Savannah, Georgia. And she will receive the money only if she can solve a mystery within the month: the murder of Tillie’s fiancé, Wanamaker Jones.

As Jessica settles into Tillie’s Savannah mansion and meets Tillie’s boarders, she also discovers that the spirit of Wanamaker Jones haunts the grounds. And that there are those in Savannah who are looking to cash in on Tillie’s demise—and Jessica’s failure...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Bain's 30th mystery based on the classic TV series Murder She Wrote (after Murder on Parade), Jessica Fletcher, Cabot Cove's crime-solving novelist, stands to inherit $1 million from the estate of her late friend, 91-year-old Tillie Mortelaine, if she can solve within a month the 1967 murder of Tillie's fiancé, Wanamaker Jones, who was shot during a New Year's eve party at Tillie's historic home in Savannah, Ga. Jessica soon settles into Mortelaine House, where she meets a number of odd tenants, including an eccentric professor at the Institute of Paranormal Relations and the younger man by some 20 years who was Tillie's second fiancé. Ferreting out who killed Wanamaker is tough work, but Jessica, as always, rises to the challenge. Ghostly assistance adds to the charm of the spunky sleuthing, though some readers may find the pacing a tad too sedate. (Oct.)
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About the Author

Jessica Fletcher is a bestselling mystery writer who has a knack for stumbling upon real-life mysteries. Donald Bain, her longtime collaborator, is also the writer of more than 90 other books, many of them bestsellers.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: NAL Hardcover (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451225058
• ISBN-13: 978-0451225054
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #566,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, October 7, 2008

By 

Joyce C. Moser "mystery hound" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Murder, She Wrote: A Slaying In Savannah (Hardcover)

I love reading the "Murder, She Wrote" books. I feel as if I am seeing a new episode of the much loved TV series!

"A Slaying In Savannah" was not a disappointment. Jessica receives a phone call from a lawyer requesting that she come to Savannah to hear the reading of the will of her old friend, Tillie. Turns out, Tillie is leaving Jessica a million dollars to be given to a charity they started together years ago! The catch? To get the million dollars Jessica must solve a murder that happened 40 years ago, within 30 days of the reading of the will! A challenge to be sure, things are even more complicated by angry relatives, so-called friends, and a couple who live in the guest house who believe the mansion is haunted.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grits She Ate, November 4, 2008

By 

Dennis Phillips "The Book Friar" (Bulls Gap, Tennessee USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Murder, She Wrote: A Slaying In Savannah (Hardcover)

Jessica Fletcher is one of my favorite amateur sleuths and Savannah is my absolute favorite city in the world so I have been eagerly anticipating the release of this book for months. I am now happy to report that I was not disappointed!

I was a bit delayed in getting the book because my wife snatched it almost before it came in the door and I can happily report that she also gives it very high marks. Since we both have an interest in all things ghostly it didn't hurt one bit that there was a ghost in this story and that the ghost may well have had a hand in Jessica's ability to solve the mystery. Considering that the murder Jessica was investigating had happened forty years ago it isn't surprising that she might need a little otherworldly help in coming up with a solution.

I was amazed at how well Donald Bain caught the atmosphere of Savannah and it is patently obvious that he spent some time in that most charming of cities before he wrote this book. He not only caught the outgoing nature of the people there but he also hit upon the unfortunate pompous attitude of a few Savannah natives. Most importantly though he captured the eccentric nature that seems to permeate so many old Savannah families and it is that friendly, yet eccentric nature of so much of the population that helps to make Savannah such a special place and few authors do it justice. John Berendt captured it perfectly and now Donald Bain has followed suit.

The whole story revolves around the last will and testament of an elderly and wealthy Savannah lady with whom Jessica has worked previously on a literacy program. The will specifies that Jessica will be paid the sum of one million dollars to be given to the literacy fund but not until she solves the murder of the deceased's fiancé. That unsolved murder took place forty years ago in the deceased's house and that is the very house where Jessica will be staying. To make matters even worse Jessica only has a month to solve the case and she was to work around an elderly lawyer with a deep drawl, a snobby judge, a couple of ghost hunters, an amorous doctor and a man who claims to be a General. As a note to the author I very much liked the reference to the valiant General J. Johnston Pettigrew, CSA.

The plot of this book manages to stay on track more than is the case with a lot of cozy mysteries but the author still manages to take a few excursions into the history and culture of Savannah including its vaunted St. Patrick's Day celebration. This entry into the "Murder She Wrote" series is probably comes closer to the feeling of the TV series than do any of its predecessors and even if it weren't set in Savannah I think that I would have greatly enjoyed it. It seems that as of late each new entry in the series is an improvement over the last one and that trend continues here. Save for the misspelling of Paula Deen's name I can't find a single thing to complain about.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Southern Charm, October 3, 2008

By 

Rosa "Bookworm" (Detroit,MichiganUSA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder, She Wrote: A Slaying In Savannah (Hardcover)

This is my third novel novel that I have read. It was throughly enjoyable. It starts out with Jessica Fletcher being invited to Savannah,Georgia for the reading of the will of her friend Tillie. But as always there a catch in order to get 1 million left to her for the literacy program that they started. She must solve the mystery of her dead fiancee within one month. They are a lot of surprises in this novel. If you are a fan you will enjoy.