Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston
Murder, She Wrote #61
By Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran
ISBN 9780593820193
Author’s website: terriefarleymoran.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
Jessica Fletcher has dinner with her old pal Harry McGraw and gets pulled into a puzzling murder case.
Invited to deliver a lecture at the Boston Public Library, Jessica Fletcher excitedly makes plans to see local friends. Naturally that includes dinner at Gilhooley’s with PI Harry McGraw. Harry excitedly talks about his latest client, the CEO of Cure All Pharmaceuticals, who’s received anonymous blackmail demands and wants Harry to identify the culprit. Cookie, Gilhooley’s longtime bartender, also has something he wants to tell; he asked Harry to investigate his daughter Aileen’s boyfriend, who Cookie thinks is too slick by half, but now Harry is too wrapped up in this new case. While Jessica wonders how best to approach Aileen, the young woman stumbles into Gilhooley’s covered in blood. She just discovered her boyfriend’s corpse — and quickly becomes the chief suspect in his murder!
Review:
It was a delight to read the latest Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston. Jessica Fletcher has been a favorite sleuth since I read one of the mysteries several years ago, and each new one is better than the one prior. The way Jessica observes her surroundings, the things that fascinate her, her calm demeanor, and her genuine interest in people are some of the qualities that made her an excellent teacher, bestselling author, and sleuth.
The characters are designed with excellence. I regularly learn something fascinating about them, such as Seth being a long-time Revolutionary War re-enactor of Major Prentiss at the annual Battle of Cabot Cove celebration in full uniform. Each person is described through realistic conversations and behaviors. It was a delight to see historical sites in Boston with Jessica and Seth, and his reaction to some of the statues. There was just enough of the past woven in to bring flavor to their sightseeing. I was happy to see Harry again, as he is just quirky enough to be a delight.
Jessica was invited to speak at the Boston Public Library. Seth Hazlitt, Cabot Cove’s favorite physician and Jessica’s long-time friend, is traveling with her. Jason Lancaster, a doctor and Seth’s friend from medical school, would give a lecture in Boston about the same time, so it made sense for them to travel together and see some of the sites they mutually appreciate. Jessica was also going to visit Harry, the PI who has helped Jessica with past cases. She has helped him also over the years; this time he needs her assistance.
The day Seth and Jessica arrived, they planned to meet Harry at his favorite pub, Gilhooley’s, for dinner. Jessica can already taste her favorite dish there, shepherd’s pie, and Harry is excited to tell them about his new client. Jessica introduced Cookie, the bartender, to Seth. Cookie introduced them to his daughter, Aileen and her boyfriend, Victor. He is very proud of Aileen, but doesn’t want Victor dating his daughter. Especially after Paddy, the noted loan shark in the area, came in and pulled Victor aside for a heated discussion.
Harry’s new case was to help Ali Sulaiman, the president of Cure All Pharmaceuticals. He was co-developing a new drug to slow the disease progress of dementia to improve lives of those afflicted with it. Someone threatened to release some dirt about his past that would affect his position and potentially the drug release. He paid the bribe to protect himself. The person contacted him again, claiming to have a copy of the drug’s formulation. Unless Sulaiman pays up again, they would release the proprietary information. Harry had to find the extortionist so they could end his harassment.
Harry had promised Cookie that he would look into Victor’s background. With his new investigation for Cure All Pharmaceuticals, he had not had time to do so, and asked for Jessica’s help. Cookie asked if Jessica would be willing to spend a little time with Aileen while she is in Boston. Both being teachers, the two ladies had much common ground, and Aileen was a big fan of Jessica’s writing. He is terribly worried about Aileen, as her boyfriend owed substantial money to the loan shark.
The evening Jessica came for dinner and to chat, Aileen was very late. She had stopped by Victor’s apartment on the way. He had not been answering his phone, and she wanted to leave a note for him. Instead, she found him on the floor, unconscious. While putting a pillow under his head, she found blood underneath him, realized he was dead, grabbed his coat to cover the blood on her clothing, and hurried to the pub.
The police were sent to Victor’s apartment. Lieutenant Starkey, who Cookie and Harry knew, wanted his officers to take Aileen to the station for questioning. With no evidence to the contrary found at Victor’s, she was considered the only person of interest in Victor’s murder.
I was completely stumped! I attempted to list suspects, and could see why the police focused on Aileen. Several people strongly disliked Victor, but had no motive to murder him. What a surprise to find out who did it and the motive to do so! Regarding the bribery, it was also shocking to learn who was trying to extort the president of the drug company. How Jessica, with help from Seth and Harry, solved the murder and extortion was brilliant, and I am looking forward to seeing Jessica again. I highly recommend this mystery, and others in the series, to those who appreciate the television series and those who enjoyed well-written cozy mysteries.
