Murder in Season: A Murder, She Wrote Mystery

Land’s satisfying sixth Murder, She Wrote mystery (after The Murder of Twelve) finds writer-sleuth Jessica Fletcher reluctantly agreeing to play Mrs. Claus in the Cabot Cove, Maine, annual Christmas parade, and glad the renovation of her lovely old house is coming to an end. Then workmen digging up her lawn to install a new septic system discover the remains of two bodies, one dating from the late 18th century, as well as a colonial-era oak chest. While Jessica and friends are investigating the scene, Tad Hollenbeck, a reporter for a “tawdry tabloid show... promoting wacko theories,” arrives with his camera crew. He tells the startled Cabot Covians he’s doing a story on their town’s alarming per capita murder rate. A further examination of the evidence does indeed prove that the two bodies have been murdered, and the chest contains documents relating to the founding fathers of Cabot Cove. Then Tad, too, is murdered. Planning for the parade and other Christmas festivities provides counterpoint to the crime solving. This appealing—if murder-prone—world is a splendid place to spend a bit of the holiday season. Agent: Robert G. Diforio, D4EO Literary. (Nov.)