Murder, She Wrote: Murder in a Minor Key

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.

During a previous trip to New Orleans Jessica met and became fast friends with Wayne Copely, a jazz critic for the local paper who took it upon himself to introduce the mystery writer to both jazz and the unique cuisine of New Orleans. This book takes Jessica back to the Big Easy to promote her latest book and to her delight she finds that her visit coincides with a huge jazz festival. Once again Jessica hooks up with the effusive Mr. Copely and he continues to introduce his Yankee friend to the wonders of New Orleans. This time however Jessica is not the center of Copely's attentions for he is on the trail of one of the early masters of Jazz. Actually, he is on the trail of some very old cylinder recordings that may or may not exist. Not many people believe that the recordings exist or were ever made for that matter but Copely is determined to exhaust every trail for the discovery of these recordings would be a major event in the jazz world. Apparently his efforts take him too far however for Copely turns up dead sitting against the tomb of Marie Laveau, the famous voodoo Queen. Rattlesnake bite says the coroner and the police close the case before poor old Wayne is even in the ground. Everything is just too rushed for Jessica's taste and naturally she begins to investigate on her own, searching both for a possible murderer and also for the elusive recordings. Some of the characters in this book may come across as a little far-fetched but anyone who has ever visited the Crescent City and especially the French Quarter will find each and every character presented to be perfectly believable. Bain also does an admirable job of describing the atmosphere of New Orleans, from the oppressive heat to the food, and from the lively music to the darker criminal elements. I feel certain that this author has made several trips to New Orleans and he has soaked up the flavor of the city like a sponge. Despite the numerous possibilities to let the story roam through the mystique of the Quarter, Bain did a good job of keeping the murder at the center of the plot. I must admit that I thought that the story dragged a little at times and that the author got just a little too caught up in some details that had nothing to do with the mystery but overall the story flowed along pretty well. This is also the most elusive mystery that I have found in this series because there are just so many dead ends and red herrings floating about. In truth, there are probably just a few too many false leads and Jessica's ability to sort through them all so quickly is just a tad unbelievable. In spite of these flaws however, this is another winner from the pen of Donald Bain and is certainly not a book that any fan of this series will want to miss. If you are also a great fan of New Orleans like myself you will want to move this book to the top of your to be read list because this story just oozes New Orleans charm. Combine this book with a good stout Hurricane (the drink) and may

This is one great book. It ranks up there with "a palette for murder. The characters are three dimensional and exciting. The descriptions of New Orleans are rich and vivid. You will learn things, like what wax records are. A great book for a loyal fan or a beginer of this series.

Late night music and dancing, streets packed with tourists, the bizarre crossing of Southern etiquette, Voodoo practice, and jazz music, the sultry weather - chapter by chapter, the city of New Orleans during Jazz Fest sets the mood in Murder, She Wrote: Murder in a Minor Key. This book is a sweet note in the series, full of the usual twists and devices that both inform the plot and educate the reader (who has ever heard of a "cylinder" recording?). I personally can't wait to get myself to New Orleans for a chicory coffee, a plate of beignets, and a signed copy of this book. Bravo, Fletcher and Bain.