Murder Backstage by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran [Review]

Murder Backstage (Murder, She Wrote #58) by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: April 11, 2025

Murder, She Wrote
(see Amazon series page for all books)
53. Killing in a Koi Pond
58. Murder Backstage - Paperback | Kindle

Jessica Fletcher
| Amazon |

Terrie Farley Moran
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Jessica Fletcher’s British cousin, Emma MacGill, will be traveling to Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, to perform with internationally famous star of stage, screen, and television Derek Braverman in an old-fashioned musical review. Emma would love for Jessica to join her there and suggests she bring along some friends. Having just finished her latest book, Jessica is ready for a vacation and is delighted to agree. Dr. Seth Hazlitt and Sheriff Mort Metzger are huge fans of Braverman, so they are eager to tag along, and their fanboy behavior gives Jessica and Mort’s wife, Maureen, more than occasional cause to roll their eyes.

Upon arrival in Edmonton, Jessica is quickly outed as mystery writer J. B. Fletcher, and despite numerous protests, a hotel staffer arranges a book signing for her. This and touristy adventures arranged for the group make for a much busier trip than Jessica was expecting. When a hotel bartender, who also happens to be a stagehand for Emma’s play, turns up dead backstage at the theater, Jessica’s fun and relaxing vacation quickly becomes anything but.

Thoughts on Murder Backstage: I have a bit of a soft spot for Jessica Fletcher and her investigating ways. In other words, these books are a fun way to dive into new crimes since I've seen all the TV episodes.

This time around, Jess is invited to Edmonton to spend some time with her look-alike cousin, Emma. While this is supposed to be a vacation for Jess and her friends, THINGS HAPPEN. As they tend to do around this amateur sleuth. It's not all murder and mayhem, however. Jess, Seth, Mort, and Maureen also get to see the sights, learn a little about the history of the city they're visiting, and see exactly how dramatic things can get when actors, stagehands, and producers are trying to get a production up and running.

Throw in hotel staff who don't know when to back off and some petty theft, along with a couple of awkward encounters with the star of the show, and Jessica has her hands full. But unraveling mysteries is her thing, so she eventually figures things out. *thumbs up*