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Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: There is a lot of droning but slightly deviating from the normal cozy mystery genre. We are taken on a sort of political thriller ride all the way to the White House. Not the usual, yet interesting. Could have reduced the long muses and droning.
Manuscript for Murder is the 48th novel in the long-running Murder She Wrote series co-written by Jon Land & fictional writer Jessica Fletcher. It was first published on November of 2018. Just like the title says, the plot revolves around a missing manuscript that was given to Jessica to read, but her publisher gets killed, perhaps over it?
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 October 2024, 59 books have been written in this series. They are mostly written in first person narration.
This is the second book Land has written yet he acknowledges Donald Bain and his grandson, Zach Bain Shippee, who championed his attempt to step into Donald Bain’s shoes. Since the word Manuscript is in the title, it wasn’t a surprise to see Bain elude to several past authors such as Roald Dahl.
Jessica’s long time publishers have been Vaughan Buckley of Buckley House in America and Archibald and Griffin Semple in Britain for all the books Donald Bain had written. However, Land has the American publisher changed in this – it’s Lane Barfield. May be he wanted to kill the character, Land must have changed the name.
In the previous book, A Date With Murder (#47), I noticed that Land forgot that Jessica has fondness for George Sutherland, Scotland Yard Inspector, that we had seen him in several of her books penned by Donald Bain. He has Jessica reminisce about George in this book. Perhaps feedback was provided.
The title should give away the premise of the story, but surprising thing was, we get a story within the story. Also we understand the intricacies that come with publishing and writer. We come to know that Jessica never drinks, however, I remember her sharing a glass of sherry in many TV episodes.
Harry McGraw makes an appearance in this. I remember reading a later book (51st book The Murder of Twelve) where Harry kept calling Jessica as Little Lady. In fact he had started to call one of the characters in the 47th book A Date with Murder the same. Both times it bothered me. And Harry calls Jessica as Little Lady in this book as well, which is where he started doing perhaps. Or perhaps it was Jon Land’s quirk that he added to Harry’s character. But this was a deviation from the TV show where I don’t remember Harry doing that.
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 Lane and was being renovated. I thought it would be in 49th book, Murder in Red. But it actually was in this book. A mystery solved. 😛
Jon Land changed the route normally Murder She Wrote takes. He created a political thriller, as close to one can get. I am not sure if he is changing the genre from cozy mysteries to thrillers or taking these books in a totally different path but still keeping the genre.
There is a lot of droning but slightly deviating from the normal cozy mystery genre. We are taken on a sort of political thriller ride all the way to the White House. Not the usual, yet interesting. Could have reduced the long muses and droning.
Spoiler Alerts:
Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
In Chapter 16 on pages 157 and 157 Land has a very detailed description of Hill House and calls it a quaint little Victorian inn. However, on Pg. 162, he describes Hill House as lacking character.
Plot Reveals:
Characters we see here: Sharon Lerner, Director of White House communications; President Robert Albright and First Lady Stephanie; Zara Larson, Lane B’s assistant; Sergeant Ben McCreedy.
Sub Plots:
Friends of Jessica Fletcher: Dr. Seth Hazlitt; George Sutherland, senior inspector with Scotland Yard; Morton “Mort” Metzger, Cabot Cove Sherriff and his wife Maureen / Adele ?; Eve Simpson, realtor friend with Cabot Cove Realty aa Simpson Realty; Sam Booth, mayor of Cabot Cove; Ethan Cragg, Cabot Cove’s chief town elder.
Literary contacts and friends: her American 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; her British Publisher Griffin Semple, son of her original publisher Archibald Semple; Herb Mason, her accountant.
Other Cabot Cove characters: Josh, the mailman; Jed Richardson, bush pilot and owner of Jed’s Flying Service, and his wife Alicia / Barbara?, His brother Harvey, owns the local Gas-and-Go; Mara, owns Mara’s Luncheonette; Hank Weathers, a homeless war vet; Seamus McGilray, manager of Hill House Hotel according to the 51st book / It’s Thomas Wilkerson according to this 47th book; Richard “Dick” Mann, Fire Chief; Charlene Sassi, 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 Old Thyme 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, and investment advisor, and his wife Ellen; Pat Hitchcock, Cabot Cove’s popular nurse and teacher?; 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; Sanford Teller, public relations agency; Lee, postmistress; Loretta Spiegel, owns beauty salon; Barnaby Longshoot; Brad Crandall; SeaBasket, a supermarket; Father Donald Barnes; Becky Thayer, owner of Cabot Cove Catering; Doris Ann, librarian; Ansell Hodges, homeless veteran;.
Sheriff Metzger’s staff & other law enforcement: Deputy Andy Jenks; Deputy Jack; Rookie Wendell Watson and his mother Gloria; Deputy Harold; Deputy Jerry; Deputy Evan; Deputy Chip; Alfred Gillo, medical examiner; Judge Kaplan; Marie Poutre, dispatcher; Officer Edgar; Gladys, a civilian dispatcher; Deputy Billy Simms; NYPD lieutenant with Major Case Squad Artie Gelber.
Jessica Fletcher’s family: Grady Fletcher, nephew that she and her late-husband Frank raise, his wife Donna and child Frank.
We know the reason as to why Mort Metzger’s wife is called Maureen as of the 20th book A Slaying in Savannah. Mort and Adele get divorced and Adele goes back to New York. Mort marries Maureen who becomes his second wife. All of Donald Bain’s novels starting 20th book have this scenario. However Jon Land novels they remain married and his wife is back to being called Adele. Perhaps starting the 47th book when Jon Land co-authors with Donald Bain. However, I distinctly remember her name being changed to Adele in the 50th book, A Time for Murder.
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.
From the 9th book, Murder on the QE2: Mary Ward has been a prominent character in this book. Will she resurface again?
From the 10th book, Murder in Moscow:
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?
Alexandra Kozhina disappears at the end of the plot. And will she surface in another book?
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.
From the 30th book:
Tom Craig offers Michael Haggerty a book deal to write about his escapades as an undercover British spy.
There is no closure as to who actually kills the person in the first murder.
Will Jennifer Kahn, the alleged jewel thief, walk away free since they could only find circumstantial evidence against her and nothing concrete?
From the 37th book: If I ever try the sidecar recipe I will have to post it again referring the 37th book. But Angela Lansbury did print a cookbook based on the food items shared either in the episodes or by characters of the series.
From the 47th book:
Mort jokes that Jessica is a magnet for murder; and Jessica quips that can she use that as a title. We know that this title has never been done so far in her books or the fictional ones she wrote on the TV show. May be a future book?
Again we don’t see the criminal Armand Dejong’s body is never found. So did he succumb to the injuries caused by fire or escaped?
From the 48th book, Manuscript for Murder:
We come to know that Mork was in Vietnam that we had never heard either on TV show or the earlier books.
From the 51st book, The Murder of Twelve:
Author Land gives considerable mystery to Seamus McGilray’s character. I wonder if he resurfaces in a future book.
Towards the end of the book, Mort jokes that Jessica should run for mayor. Hmm…something to look forward to I suppose.
Galavant Reflections 