Murder She Wrote: Madison Avenue Shoot-Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

Murder She Wrote: Madison Avenue Shoot
Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
Obsidian, Apr 7 2009, $22.95
ISBN: 9780451226037

On her way back home to Cabot Cove, Maine after a convention in Chicago, mystery writer Jessica Fletcher visits her nephew Grady, his wife Donna, and their nine year old son Frank in Manhattan. Accountant Grady asks his famous Aunt Jessica to star in a commercial touting Permezzo international credit-card company as that will gain him favor with his boss; reluctantly on the advice of her agent she agrees.

At the shoot, Jessica meets the other three notables: TV cook Stella “Cookie” Bedford, industry-exposé author Anne Tripper, and new age mystic Lance Severson along with the film crew, the credit card brass, and the hanger-ons. When Frank vanishes, Grady and Jessica search for him only to find the corpse of the creative director shrewish Betsy Archibald. NYPD Detective Chesney is unimpressed with Jessica’s credentials and suspects either Frank or Grady as they had a motive to kill the shrew. Jessica investigates and begins to uncover motives of other people as the victim was universally hated.

The latest Murder She Wrote whodunit is an engaging tale that fans of the series will enjoy. The first half of the novel introduces the audience to the key cast members so that the latter half of the investigation by Jessica makes more sense as motives become obvious. However that technique also delays the prime fun of following Jessica while she sleuths. Still this is a fun read as Jessica stars in a MADISON AVENUE SHOOT.

Harriet Klausner