Friday, April 27, 2018

Friday Linkups - A Date with Murder















It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
Have you ever thought of writing a respectful, but angry letter to ask them WHY they killed off one of your favorite characters in a novel?

My Answer:
Most of the novels I read now are either mysteries where the dead people are unknown or unlikable or fiction with a pretty low death count.  However, when I was a kid I was absolutely livid when Louisa May Alcott killed off a character in the sequel to Eight Cousins called Rose in Bloom.  As an adult I can see why she killed him off but as a kid I was furious and definitely would have considered a letter if that had been an option.

So I'm a huge fan of Murder, She Wrote.  I'm not sure if it's because I have memories of my grandmother watching it when I was little, or the fact that they're just solid mysteries, or that I really think Angela Lansbury is fantastic.  Regardless of the reasons I have done some serious binge watching of the show but somehow I never managed to read any of the spin off books.  Until now that is!  I couldn't resist a mystery involving online dating AND Jessica Fletcher so I'm now enjoying the coziest of cozies with Murder, She Wrote: A Date With Murder by Jessica Fletcher, Donald Bain and Jon Land.

The Beginning:
"Come on, Jess - everything's riding on you."

My Thoughts:
While I would definitely trust Jessica Fletcher to take care of just about anything I do wonder what's going on in this beginning.  It turns out it's a game of horseshoes and as someone who's super competitive I do see this as important!

The 56:
He flirted with the thinnest of smiles.  "From reading your books, Mrs. Fletcher, I can tell you obviously know that's not the case."
"I write fiction."

My Thoughts:
Did I mention I love Jessica Fletcher?   She's just fantastic and she doesn't allow anyone to get all condescending on her.

So what do you think?  Keep reading?  Are you a Murder, She Wrote fan?


24 comments:

  1. I don't think I read any as a kid where they were killed off but oo that would have made me mad, too. It sure does when it happens these days. Just had a hero killed 300 pages into the book. *peeved glare*

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  2. I love Jessica Fletcher, too! The show plays regularly now on one of the Hallmark Channels, and I love hearing it in the background when I'm reading.

    I must try one of the books. Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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  3. Oh too funny Katherine, Murder, She Wrote immediately brings to mind memories of watching this with my grandparents each week.

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  4. I bet this is a good read. I never read the books, but watched the show faithfully back in the 80's. :-) Happy weekend!

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  5. Great Blog Hop answer...thanks for sharing and for coming by my blog.

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  6. I've never read any of the Murder, She Wrote novels but I did enjoy the television program. This week I have Better Off Read by Nora Page. Happy reading!

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  7. I loved watching the show but didn't realize there were books. My Friday Quotes

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  8. One of my friends has a family ritual of watching Murder She Wrote, and I have seen a handful of episodes. This books sounds just as wonderful. Thanks for sharing it. :)

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  9. We watched the original series, here in the UK and the many spin-off, made for TV films, which followed. I believe there was also one full-length feature film, although I have never read any of the books on which the character was based.

    Angela Lansbury was so well suited for the role of Jessica Fletcher and I thought that she also did an admirable job when she was invited to take the lead in a couple of Agatha Christie 'Miss Marple' films, although so many others obviously disagreed and the idea was canned!

    I don't read too many cozy mysteries, but this sounds like a series I really should have started on by now!

    Thanks for sharing those happy memories and I hope that you enjoy your reading :)

    Yvonne x

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  10. Ghostwriting for a fictional character must have been odd. The fictional character gets all the credit. But maybe they get all the complaints, too.

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  11. I've been slowly collecting the books in this series. I have a few yet to get and then I plan to read them one after the other. I adored the television show!

    My Friday 56 from Shadowfall

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  12. Oh this sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing! Hope you have a great weekend! :)

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  13. Haha. Good old Murder She Wrote *hums theme song*

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  14. I’ve listened to a few Murder She Wrote books. I’ve really enjoyed most of them. The writing team are husband and wife. Sadly, the wife passed away about 3 or 4 years ago I believe, and the husband died recently, maybe within the last year and a half or so. I have a few of these books on my bookshelf at home as well.

    I say continue reading. ( :

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  15. I've never seen Murder she Wrote (well I think I've seen parts of episodes) and didn't know there were books, but I imagine they would be super cozy reads! :)

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  16. I've never seen Murder She Wrote, so I'm not sure if I would keep reading myself, but I think you definitely should since you love the show.

    Have a great weekend. - Katie

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  17. I remember Murder she wrote, I used to watch it as a child. I used to love mysteries.

    Angelica @ Paperback Princess

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  18. I used to watch Murder, She Wrote as a kid too. I wish my memories of it were more vivid. Perhaps I can catch some rereuns. Hope you enjoy your weekend!

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  19. I do remember being crushed when VC Andrews killed off my favorite character from a series I read in high school. I wouldn't have written a letter but I wasn't happy. I do remember watching Murder, She Wrote. Enjoy this one!

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  20. I used to watch Murder She Wrote. :-) I have never tried to books! I hope you enjoy it, Katherine. It does sound good.

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  21. I used to love watching Murder She Wrote. I miss it...

    Lauren @ Always Me

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  22. Murder, She Wrote comes on all the time at my job haha! It's cute for what it is, but I'm not a huge fan of the show. I know this is a big thing to do on social media, especially if the author already has an account to interact with their fans, only to get hate and death threats when they kill of a beloved character. But for me, I don't take it personal. I really don't care, in fact, I like it when someone important dies because that's apart of life. The people we love die!! Don't send authors hate and death threats just because you can't handle their death. How do you think the author felt when they had to outline their fave's death?! My BBH

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  23. I would feel stupid writing to an author about that. Ha ha. Not as a child, that would be cute, but as an adult, too funny. XD

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