Leafing Through Pages – Trouble at High Tide (Murder, She Wrote # 37)

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Stars: 3 / 5

Recommendation: With a twist in the conclusion of the mystery, this plot is as cozy as wearing your favorite flannel PJs and enjoying a hot cup of cocoa during the cold winters. J. B. Fletcher is more true to her TV personality in this. The details to the surroundings was not over the top like other books. A good read all in all.

Trouble at High Tide is the 37th novel in the long-running Murder She Wrote series co-written by Donald Bain & fictional writer Jessica Fletcher. It was first published on April of 2012. Jessica takes up an offer of judge to enjoy a week in one of his cottages in the beautiful Bermuda. However, she arrives into a situation where locals are dealing with murders that are very much similar to Jack the Ripper murders. And then one of the guests at her host gets murdered in a similar way. Despite her best intentions she is roped into investigating the murder of the guest before more are killed.

This is my take on the series of books written by a plethora of authors and Jessica Fletcher (fictional author) based on the 80s and 90s popular American crime drama television series Murder, She Wrote. These books are ghost written by Donald Bain and fictional author Jessica Fletcher for the first 43 books until 2015. Then Donald Bain wrote these with Renee Paley Bain and Jon Land for four more books. After Donald Bain passed away in 2017, Jon Land alone took the baton and continued with Jessica Fletcher for 5 more books until 2020. Starting 2021 the series was picked by Terrie Farley Moran again pairing with the fictional writer Jessica Fletcher. As of 2023, 56 books have been written in this series. They are all written in first person narration.

This time around when George Sutherland, the Scotland Yard Chief Inspector made his appearance, it was a pleasant feeling to read about him and the subtle romantic interactions between him and Jessica. Although he appears physically after we get to more than 1/2 the book, but he appears on phone earlier than that. And we see a little more of their romance budding further more.

Author Donald Bain has a memoriam for his good friend Craig Thomas, a fellow author of thrillers from Wales. He was noted for his Mitchell Gant and Kenneth Aubrey series of novels. It makes more sense now that he created Jessica’s love interest based in United Kingdom. I wont be surprised if he had based the character on his good friend Thomas.

Mention of a police procedure and investigation blog by Lee Lofland is seen at the beginning of the book. I was curious if the said blog, The Graveyard Shift Blog and it indeed still exists and is a very much alive blog.

We hear a lot more about Jack the Ripper and that history along with fictional myth about Jersey Devil. And ofcourse history about several buildings and locations in Bermuda through Jessica’s eyes. I was also pleased that Jessica enjoyed a tearoom experience in Bermuda. This is one place that I drink tea, and nowhere else. It has been so long been to a tea room with my friends. Time to go to one soon.

On a more lighter note, I loved the whole episode of Jessica trying to investigate the shop owner on the knives all the while not making it look like an investigation, rather that a scatter-brained old woman is asking for details. This was humorous.

With a twist in the conclusion of the mystery, this plot is as cozy as wearing your favorite flannel PJs and enjoying a hot cup of cocoa during the cold winters. J. B. Fletcher is more true to her TV personality in this. The details to the surroundings was not over the top like other books. A good read all in all.

Spoiler Alerts:

1. Plot Reveals:
   1. Judge Thomas “Tom” Betterton’s family & staff: Adam Wyse, his personal assistant; Madeline Betterton, step-daughter; Stephen Betterton, Madeline’s brother and step-son; Alicia Betterton, his niece; Norlene, housekeeper and cook; Margo Silvestry, Tom’s girlfriend; Claudia Betterton, Tom’s fourth wife.
   2. Other guests that frequent the Judge’s home: Godfrey Reynolds, British publisher of Tom’s book, and his wife Daisy; Daniel and Lillian Jamison, neighbors of the Judge.
   3. Other characters: Richard Mann, a gallery owner; Agnes Chudleigh-Stubbs, and her grandnephew Charles Davis.
   4. Law Enforcement: Constable Valentree; Commissioner Leonard Hanover; Inspector Veronica Macdonald, forensic expert; John Gilliam, criminal profiler; Freddie Moore, CID investigator; Officer Jock; Constable Andrews; Superintendent Jonathan Bird; Deputy Commissioner Allan Mumford; Chief Inspector A.M. Tedeschi.
   5. I was curious about the cocktail called Side Car. May be when I start alcohol again I will try this. Seems like an easy recipe.
2. Sub Plots:
   1. Friends of Jessica Fletcher: Dr. Seth Hazlitt, long-time friend in Cabot Cove, Maine; George Sutherland, senior inspector with Scotland Yard; Morton “Mort” Metzger, Cabot Cove Sherriff and his wife Maureen; Eve Simpson, realtor friend working at Cabot Cove Realty; Sam Booth, mayor of Cabot Cove; Ethan Cragg, Cabot Cove’s chief town elder.
   2. Literary contacts and friends: her publisher Vaughan Buckley of Buckley House, his fashion model wife Olga Buckley and their dogs Sadie and Rose; Harry McGraw, her private eye friend; Matt Miller, her literary agent & his wife Susan; Paulette, Matt’s assistant.
   3. Other Characters appear frequently: Josh, the mailman; Jed Richardson, only bush pilot for Cabot Cove and owner of Jed’s Flying Service, and his wife Alicia / Barbara?; Mara, restaurant owner of Mara’s Luncheonette; Hank Weathers, a homeless war vet; Seamus McGilray, manager of Hill House Hotel; Richard “Dick” Mann, Fire Chief; Charlene Sassi, a baker; Susan Shevlin, travel agent and her husband Jim, Mayor of Cabot Cove; Professor Donskoy; Roberta Dougherty, bookstore owner; Richard Koser, photographer, and his wife MaryJane; Barbara DePaoli, Chamber of Commerce’s secretary; Anthon Colarusso, dentist; Beth and Peter Mullin, owners of flower shop Old Tyme Floral; Sam Davis, investment advisor; Jack Decker, publisher of Cabot Cove’s monthly magazine; Peter Eder, Cabot Cove’s symphony orchestra; Bob Daros, owns Heritage Fuel; Tim Purdy, treasurer of chamber of commerce and historian and president of  Cabot Cove’s historical society, also an investment advisor, and his wife Ellen; Pat Hitchcock, Cabot Cove’s popular nurse and teacher?; Gloria Watson, Wendell’s mother; Joseph “Joe” Turco, an attorney; Marcia Davis, costume designer; David and Jim Raneri, owners of Charles Department Store; Ralph Mackin, town attorney; Ed and Joan Lerner, retirees; Brenda Brody, copy editor of Cabot Cove Insider; Doug Treyz, dentist, and his wife Tina; Jack and Marilou Decker, publishers of Cabot Cove Insider; Peter and Roberta Walters, owners of the radio station; Horace Teller, publisher of Cabot Cove News; Doris Sitar, assistant manager at Cabot Cove Savings Bank; Dmitri, owner of local taxi company; Phil Wick, field manager of the phone company; John St. Clair, professor of business law at Cabot Cove Community College; Dr. Jennifer “Jenny” Countryman, Seth’s partner; Reginald “Reggie” Weems, insurance agent; Richard Jenkins & Sal Marterella, city council members; Jack Wilson, the Veterinarian, and his wife Tobe; Evelyn Phillips, editor of Cabot Cove Gazette; Maniram Chatterjee & his wife Hita, jewelry shop owners.
   4. Sheriff Metzger’s office staff & other law enforcement: Deputy Andy Jenks; Deputy Jack; Rookie Wendell Watson; Deputy Harold; Deputy Jerry; Alfred Gillo, medical examiner; Judge Kaplan; Marie Poutre, dispatcher.
   5. Jessica Fletcher’s family: Grady Fletcher, nephew that she and her late-husband Frank raise, his wife Donna and child Frank.
   6. We continue to see Mort Metzger’s wife being called as Maureen. Although we now know the reason why Mort’s wife is different than the TV series, I distinctly remember her name being changed to Adele in the 50th book, A Time for Murder. Looks like the confusion is not completely alleviated.
   7. I remember reading one of the later books (and couldn’t figure out which one was that) where we see Sam Booth as the mayor of Cabot Cove. However, since I started reading the series from the beginning, looks like the mayor of Cabot Cove is Jim Shevlin. I wonder if Sam Booth surfaces as I remember from way back read.
   8. The prominent photographer of Cabot Cove’s last name is spelled differently in the 30th book A Slaying in Savannah. Up until then he was “Koser” and now he is “Kaser” in that book. Wonder if it will change back in future.
   9. In the 27th book Coffee, Tea or Murder? we see that Jed’s wife is named Barbara. But up until then she was named Alicia. Wonder if Bain will have a backup story for that in future books.
   10. From the 9th book, Murder on the QE2: Mary Ward has been a prominent character in this book. Will she resurface again?
   11. From the 10th book, Murder in Moscow:
       1. There is still no resolution as to who or how Ward Wenington was killed in D.C. and why Vladislav “Vlady” Staritova was killed in Russia. What was the connection?
       2. Alexandra Kozhina disappears at the end of the plot. And will she surface in another book?
   12. From the 3th book:
       1. Tom Craig offers Michael Haggerty a book deal to write about his escapades as an undercover British spy.
       2. There is reference to a very expensive luxury perfume called Shalini in the book. The name sounded Indian so I was curious why it was called a luxury perfume. Turns out it is a French Parfum but made with exotic flowers of rare occurrence. No wonder its very pricey.
       3. There is no closure as to who actually kills the person in the first murder.
       4. Will Jennifer Kahn, the alleged jewel thief, walk away free since they could only find circumstantial evidence against her and nothing concrete?
   13. In the 50th book, A Time for Murder, Jessica is shown at Hill House, Cabot Cove’s very own Inn due to a fire at her Victorian home at 698 Candlewood Lame. I wonder if the 49th book, Murder in Red, has anything to do with her house getting caught fire which almost killed her.
   14. From the 51st book, The Murder of Twelve:
       1. Author Land gives considerable mystery to Seamus McGilray’s character. I wonder if he resurfaces in a future book.
       2. Towards the end of the book, Mort jokes that Jessica should run for mayor. Hmm…something to look forward to I suppose.