Leafing Through Pages - Majoring In Murder (Murder, She Wrote # 19)
First posted on WordPress here.
For review of all movies and TV shows by Dame Angela Lansbury, go here.
For movies, TV shows and books surrounding actors and actresses who were part of Dame Angela Lansbury’s 80’s and 90’s American crime drama television series Murder, She Wrote, go here on my other blog on LiveJournal and here on WordPress.
Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: Easier to know who the culprits were very early on in the plot, but it was interesting to read how Jessica comes to conclusion in the end. It was definitely a slow read but it still retained the charm of a cozy mystery.
Majoring In Murder is the 19th novel in the long-running Murder She Wrote series co-written by Donald Bain & fictional writer Jessica Fletcher. It was first published on April 1, 2003. This time Jessica is in Schoolman, Indiana for teaching a creative writing course when plans are marred by an unexpected tornado, one that had not happened in more than 60 years. And a murder occurs in the midst of the tornado which Jessica ends up investigating even though the authorities call it an accident.
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.
First time I have seen a book in this series that began with a prologue. Although it didn’t add much to the tale, looked like any other opening chapter. Jessica has some tough hurdles to pass through before she could convince the authorities about the murder.
I am glad though that she did not patch up with the person who caused the more trouble and even goes too far in blaming her. She was not stupid enough like in Murder in Moscow, the 10th book, where she accepts friendship of a person who had put her through hell. As a human being, even if we can forgive people, its hard to patch up once the bond is broken. There will always be a scar that mars the image the mirror shows.
In the process of uncovering the truth of one accident / murder, Jessica ends up solving a cold case of a missing person too. Although to get to there we had endure with a lot of detailed descriptions of the scene. I wish Bain could tone down these lengthy descriptive scenes.
Easier to know who the culprits were very early on in the plot, but it was interesting to read how Jessica comes to conclusion in the end. It was definitely a slow read but it still retained the charm of a cozy mystery.
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Plot Reveals:
a. Schoolman College staff: Harriet Schoolman Bennett, dean of students; Frank, a maintenance man; George, a maintenance man; Rebecca McAllister, American Lit professor; President Lowell Needler; Archibald "Archie" Constantine, Sociology professor; Coach Adams; Roberta Dougherty, public relations person; Elizabeth "Betty" St. Claire, College Nurse; Philip "Phil" Adler, college bursar; Professor Vernon "Verne" Foner, English department; Zoe Colarulli, wife of Harris and Assistant Professor of English; Letitia Tingwell, department secretary; Professor Lawrence "Larry" Durbin, authority on Shakespeare, and his wife Melissa; Professor Emmanuel "Manny" Rosenfield; Mrs. Grace, kitchen staff; Professor Rosenfield.
b. Schoolman Students: Eli Hemminger; Tyler; Alice; Harris Colarulli, postdoctoral fellow; Edgar Poole, graduate assistant; Janine; Freddie; Barbara; Maria.
c. Other characters: Lieutenant Bill Parish; Pastor Getler; Brad Zelinsky, county coroner; Eunice Carberra, runs the gift shop at the hospital; Lorraine Newmark, murder victim's sister; Officer Jenkins.
2. Sub Plots:
a. 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 Adele / Maureen?; Eve Simpson, realtor friend working at Cabot Cove Realty; Sam Booth, mayor of Cabot Cove; Ethan Cragg, Cabot Cove’s chief town elder.
b. 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.
c. 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; 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 who is the 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; 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.
d. 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.
e. Jessica Fletcher’s family: Grady Fletcher, nephew that she and her late-husband Frank raise, his wife Donna and child Frank.
f. We continue to see Mort Metzger's wife being called as Maureen. But she was named Adele in the TV show…and also in the 50th book, A Time for Murder, she was back to Adele. Not sure when Bain changed it back to Adele since I have a few more books to go before I reach the 50th book, but perhaps the readers made him change it back.
g. From the 9th book, Murder on the QE2: Mary Ward has been a prominent character in this book. Will she resurface again?
h. From the 10th book, Murder in Moscow:
i. 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?
ii. Alexandra Kozhina disappears at the end of the plot. And will she surface in another book?
i. 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.
j. From the 51st book, The Murder of Twelve:
i. Author Land gives considerable mystery to Seamus McGilray’s character. I wonder if he resurfaces in a future book.
ii. Towards the end of the book, Mort jokes that Jessica should run for mayor. Hmm…something to look forward to I suppose.
3. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
a. Even though Jessica is giving a guest lecture, she is not a full-fledged professor. Yet she is addressed as a "Professor" several times in the book. In the TV show she was never addressed that way. I think Bain deviated from the norm but this was false portrayal of the character.
b. On Pg. 181, Line 8 from bottom, the closing quote is missing.