Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Murder, She Wrote: Murder in Season - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Murder, She Wrote: Murder in Season (Murder, She Wrote #52) by Jessica Fletcher and Jon Land

Rating: Really Liked It!
Source: Publisher

Description:  With work on the reconstruction of her beloved home almost complete, Jessica Fletcher is in high holiday spirits, spearheading the annual Christmas parade and preparing for her nephew Grady and his family to come to town. The only thing dampening the holiday cheer is the discovery of two sets of bones on Jessica’s property: one set ancient, the other only about a year old. It’s concluded that they were both placed there during the reconstruction, and Jessica suspects that, despite the centuries between them, the remains might be connected.

Soon tabloid reporter Tad Hollenbeck arrives in Cabot Cove to write a story about what he calls “the murder capital of the country.” But when Tad himself is murdered, Jessica speculates that his arrival, his death, and the discovery of the bones are all somehow linked.

As Jessica digs deeper to find the connection between the bones and Tad’s murder, everything seems to come back to a mystery that has long plagued Cabot Cove. If she wants to solve the case, she’ll need to delve into her beloved town’s dark history, or else this holiday season may be her last....

Genre:  Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I love spending more time with Jessica Fletcher and this might just be the most Christmas-y cover I've seen this year!

My Impression:  I'm always up for spending time with Jessica Fletcher but I must admit - the books that take place in Cabot Cove are especially my favorite.  This was lots of fun with the town history getting dug up (literally and figuratively).  Seth and Mort were definitely front and center as was Harry McGraw (who in my head is and will always be Jerry Orbach) and we even got Grady and family.  There's lots of Christmas cheer with plays and parades but of course, this being Cabot Cove, the bodies are dropping like flies.  The pacing is fast and fun with lots of questions and theories.  I thought I had it figured out a time or two only to second guess myself or form a new theory.

The only thing that dampened my enjoyment a bit of this mystery is the lack of the "Why" question being fully answered.  I know the who and the general why and am good with both but felt like it needed a bit more development.  It feels a little bit like the author learned last minute that his 300 page book really could only be 250 and he had to do some last minute editing.  

If you are looking for a fun and cozy holiday mystery this is one that can't be missed.  Don't let the fact that this is number 52 scare you off as I think you can easily jump right in for a bit of Cabot Cove fun.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  Jessica Fletcher is one of my favorite fictional characters and I think I enjoy the books almost as much as I do the show.  I've really been enjoying trying out the earlier books and am looking forward to the next one in the series.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a series you really must try - especially if you enjoy the show!

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

4 comments:

  1. It certainly does have a gorgeous Christmasy cover. Sorry the "why" wasn't quite developed but does sound like it was so worth reading.

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  2. I love that cover! I have been working my way through this series in order. I am a long way from 52, but am enjoying each one. My favorites take place in Cabot Cove as well.

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  3. Amazing how many books are in this series.

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  4. I really need to give these mysteries a try.

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