A Vote for Murder

I have collected all of the Murder She Wrote books to date and re-read them every so often. I find them very 'readable'. This one is no exception.

If you miss "Murder, She Wrote," or, can't get enough of the reruns on TV or DVD, then you've come to the right place. This is the first Jessica Fletcher mystery I have read and it was just like watching the show, but in novel form. Donald Bain has perfectly captured Jessica's personality (you get to read her thoughts, unlike TV) and the story line was intriguing - it had me guessing whodunit through each chapter -trying to put the clues together to come up with the killer. If you like an old fashioned murder mystery, or just loved "Murder, She Wrote," then you'll love this book (and probably the whole series) of Murder, She Wrote books by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain!

Pat Nebel, the wife of Maine's junior senator Warren Nebel is a literacy enthusiast and has, with the help of her husband, set up a literacy drive in conjunction with the Library of Congress. Jessica is invited to participate and heads off to Washington for a week of bookish activities. She is especially pleased that her trip coincides with a conference in DC that has brought her friend Inspector George Sutherland of Scotland Yard to town. She isn't able to get George an invitation for the reception at the White House but she does wrangle him a place at the dinner hosted by Senator and Mrs. Nebel on the program's opening night. They discover that the senator has a glamorous mansion when they arrive at his home, a mansion that over looks the Potomac and has a set of rickety steps leading down to a dock on the river. The philandering Senator Nebel is living mighty high on the hog it seems. After dinner, George and Jessica decide to take a stroll down to the river and there they find the lifeless body of Nebel's chief of staff Nikki Farlow. Once it is determined that Farlow was indeed murdered, the local police detective begins to look to Jessica for help as he tries to figure out who committed the crime. It doesn't take detective Moody long to figure out that having Jessica Fletcher on the trail is like having money in the bank. As Jessica sorts through the possible motives, she finds that there are several that had or imagined that they had a good reason to want Farlow dead. Then of course there are the spin-doctors, the lawyers, and the other politicians that get involved in the case, which not only complicates things; it frustrates Jessica to no end. To make matters even more complicated; the senator himself has been getting death threats in regard to an upcoming vote dealing with the location of a nuclear power plant near Cabot Cove. In this book, unlike some of the others in this series, the reader has all of the clues necessary to figure out who did it before Jessica announces her verdict. It isn't easy though, and you will have to pay very close attention if you want to catch the killer before Jessica does. As a side plot to the main murder story this book focuses on the rivalry between inspector Sutherland and Dr. Seth for Jessica's attention. Sutherland seems to be in the lead as this book ends but I'm pulling for Seth all the way. The tweed wearing, pipe smoking Scottish detective just comes across as phony to me for some reason. That's the beauty of these books, one gets so drawn into the story that you feel as if you know these people and you get all protective. That my friends is a sign of good writing and this book is most assuredly well written. It is definitely one of the better entries in the series.

Jessica has come to Washington, D.C. to participate in a weeklong literacy drive. An added benefit is that she will get to spend time with Scotland Yard inspector George Sutherland, who is in town for a conference. At an extravagant party at the Virginia home of Maine's junior senator Warren Nebel, she and George descend some dark, rickety stairs to the dock and find the body of his chief of staff Nikki Farlow. At first the police think it was an accident; that she tumbled down the stairs. Neither Jessica nor George buy that. With further investigation, the police determine that it was murder. Detective Moody from the Fairfax County Police Department realizes what a resource he has in Jessica. He asks her for her help. She enlists George to assist as well, not always to the pleasure of Detective Moody. Senator Nebel's wife, Pat, who is Jessica's friend, has been ill. He requests that Jessica spend some time with her during the week. With all the investigation, spending time with Pat and spending time with George, she doesn't get to participate much in the literacy drive she came to town for. There are many rumors that Senator Nebel and Nikki had had an affair. His wife Pat even believes this. Could he have killed her? If so, why now? As she begins to delve deeper into Nikki's death, she become privy to some information that was not released. Could this prove that the Senator had nothing to do with her murder? I always enjoy books in this series. Since I've watched it on t.v. for so many years, I can see Jessica and the other main characters doing the activities I read about. It is a great cozy series and is always an easy read. This book being set in the D.C. area made it even more enjoyable for me, since I live in the area. I highly recommend this book.

Jessica Fletcher of Cabot Cove, Maine is invited by her state's junior senator Warren Nebel to attend a literary function sponsored by his wife Pat. Jessica accepts so that she can show support to Congress' Literacy Program and because her friend Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland will be there too. During Jessica's first night in DC, she and George are invited to the senator's mansion for dinner. As they are leaving, they find the body of Nebel's Chief of Staff Nikki Farlow. The police act like an accident occurred until the coroner's office reported the victim died by a blow to her head. Rumors sweep Washington that Nikki and Nebel were lovers and even his spouse thinks he killed his paramour because she was blackmailing him. Jessica believes that there is more to this homicide than the obvious simple solution; with George's help, she begins her unique brand of inquiry. Jessica Fletcher novels are always fun to read and her latest caper, MURDER SHE WROTE: A VOTE FOR MURDER is no exception. The mystery writer cum sleuth wins the respect of the lead detective on the case with her keen observations and astute conclusions that enable her to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Fans of the long running series will appreciate this fast-paced amateur sleuth tale starring a wonderful heroine. Harriet Klausner