Murder, She Wrote--A Date with Murder

March 5, 2018
The well-plotted 47th series entry (after 2016’s Hook, Line and Murder) shows that Land (Strong to the Bone and eight other Caitlin Strong novels) is a worthy successor to Bain (1935–2017), the author of all the previous Murder, She Wrote mysteries starring mystery writer Jessica Fletcher. When 47-year-old entrepreneur Hal Wirth dies of an apparent heart attack at his annual Labor Day party in Cabot Cove, Maine, Hal’s widow, Babs, a close friend of Jessica’s, is devastated. Babs must also cope with unexpected financial worries after Hal’s lawyer tells her that what was once a $10 million company is nearly bankrupt due to bad investments Hal made in recent months. Meanwhile, Jessica finds a note to Hal from Eugene Labine, a former business partner, threatening to sue him. The stakes rise with Labine’s subsequent shooting murder. Jessica once again turns sleuth, and eventually figures out that a ruthless killer is at work. Series fans will be pleased to find this popular franchise in Land’s able hands.