Jessica is leaving Cabot Cove and traveling to Edmonton, the capital of Canada’s province in Alberta, to watch her cousin co-star in a musical revue with the popular Derek Braverman. Jessica brings along her Cabot Cove friends to enjoy this fun excursion, but Jessica soon learns her sleuthing skills are desperately needed when a murder occurs at the theater in the 58th Murder, She Wrote Mystery, MURDER BACKSTAGE.
When Jessica arrives in Edmonton, she reconnects with her favorite cousin, Emma Macgill. Emma is excited for opening night at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Emma introduces Jessica and her friends to the theater group, including the star Derek Braverman. Mort and Seth are admirers of the iconic actor and are happy to meet the man. As Jessica and her friends fill their days with fun excursions and dining, Emma is busy rehearsing for opening night. When Jessica accompanies Emma to the theater one night for a costume fitting, they find a dead body in the orchestra lift backstage. The dead man was the hotel bartender and a part-time stagehand. When a bloody cane is found nearby, Jessica knows it is murder. Who wanted to hurt the young man? The suspect list includes directors, understudies, stagehands, hotel staff, and prior romantic interests. As Jessica delves deeper into the mystery, she is uncertain who the actual target is and if a long-ago secret may hold the answer to the present-day crime. On top of this mystery, Jessica has to deal with an overzealous hotel staff member who has cornered Jessica into doing a book signing, and some small-time thieves at the hotel. Jessica has her hands full, and her leisurely trip has now turned into a working vacation.
MURDER BACKSTAGE follows the winning formula of the Murder, She Wrote television series. Jessica and her dear friends provide the entertainment as they travel to a unique setting and interact with interesting characters. The mystery has a sophisticated feel with descriptions of Edmonton, the food, local attractions, and customs. The theater group is full of dramatic people, including those who are hiding secrets from their past. As each day brings a new clue, Jessica expertly uses her resources to find the answers to help local law enforcement. The secondary mystery of the missing items at the hotel, and the evolving book signing, keep Jessica on her toes and always attentive to every detail. This well-plotted, fast-paced mystery is an enjoyable installment in this long-running popular series.
The newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.
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.
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