Book Review: Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas (Murder, She Wrote, #59) by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran

A Killer Christmas by Jessica Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As Cabot Cove plans its biggest Christmas season ever, someone adds murder to the Calendar of Events.

A Killer Christmas is the 59th novel in the long-running Murder, She Wrote mystery series penned by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran, and this latest tale does not disappoint. All the regulars are present and accounted for, with some newbies on hand, just in time for the holidays and a homicide.

Reading a new mystery set in Cabot Cove is like returning to your cozy book hometown. Jessica Fletcher, Dr. Seth Hazlitt, Sheriff and Maureen Metzger, and so many others feel like family. With each added adventure, I’m always left in awe of how the authors maintain such perfect continuity from story to story and are able to work in so many familiar residents. In this story, the whole town comes together to plan a Christmas calendar of events to rival any in the state to win the title of Maine’s Christmas Town.

The plot unfolds quietly with a lot of focus on the planning of the holiday events, setting arrangements in motion, and Eve trying to secure the sale of a large mansion on the cliffs overlooking the cove that will net her substantial commission. While interesting because I like Jessica and her circle of friends and acquaintances, I thought the build-up toward the murder took too long, Rose Marie’s death not occurring until over halfway into the book. Her death occurs almost on the page, in front of several women, including Jessica, and no one saw anything to make them believe that her time was imminent. And a recent altercation with another character distracts everyone on the case. However, the truth does not stay hidden long, and there is an interestingly calm and civil resolution to the investigation.

I recommend A KILLER CHRISTMAS to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy holiday-themed stories.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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