Murder, She Wrote: A Fatal Feast [Mass Market Paperback]

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 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.

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