Murder, She Wrote: Snowy with a Chance of Murder

Murder, She Wrote #60

By Jessica Fletcher and Barbara Early

ISBN: 9780593820056

barbaraearly.com

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Synopsis:

In a nod to Rear Window, this newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series finds Jessica Fletcher coping with an injury that leaves her homebound—and a murder just outside her window!

Jessica Fletcher has taken a nasty spill on the ice, leaving her in a wheelchair for several weeks. She tries to work on her latest manuscript but finds herself distracted by a new neighbor moving in across the street. There’s good reason for her to be distracted, because soon after unpacking his sparse belongings, Mr. Rymer is out in the front yard, building somewhat risqué (naked) snow sculptures.

While Cabot Cove debates whether the sculptures are a protected form of art or a public display of lewdness, someone starts destroying them at night. Rymer doesn’t seem upset. He just makes new ones. No need to get the police involved over a little snow, he says. Especially when there’s plenty more of it and a blizzard in the forecast.

The morning after the storm, Jessica looks out the window to see a new sculpture across the street—and the body of Mr. Rymer half-buried in the snow. Can Jessica catch a cold-blooded killer from her chair by the window?

Review:

I was very happy with this new mystery in the Murder, She Wrote series! It captured and held my attention throughout with new and regular characters and engaging mysteries. There was humor, camaraderie, and much speculation around Jessica Fletcher’s kitchen table.

One misstep on her porch and steps prevented Jessica from being a keynote speaker on the Mystery Lovers Cruise. Instead, she went to the hospital, then was restricted to where her wild motorized wheelchair could take her. Both ankles and her right wrist were severely sprained. Dr. Seth Hazlitt gave her two choices: stay in a rehab facility, or get a home health aide. He recommended Alice Myers, one who has impressed him. Jessica, a private person, didn’t want a stranger living in her home, but at least she could be home.

Sheriff Mort Metzgar told Jessica about current local cases, neither of which required her assistance. Victor and his wife, Maria, owned a taco truck that did not yet have a customer base, so they were living in their truck. Victor was found murdered in their food truck, but Maria had not been seen. It was assumed, based on the location of his wounds, that the barely five-foot-tall Maria inflicted them since their loud disagreements were overheard by several people.

There is a shoplifter in Cabot Cove who has been caught on security cameras stealing a jacket, gloves, and food items, mostly bologna, earning him the nickname Bologna Kid. Just to stir the plot a bit, someone published a book by Dr. Seth Hazlett (incorrectly spelled) with a paper he published about thirty years earlier with Artificial Intelligence-selected clips from many internet sources. AI can be a gem in the right hands, but in the wrong hands, it could be harmful and fraudulent. Seth was concerned more for those who might try to use the obsolete information than for those who tried to make money from it.

The Swansons, who owned the home across the street from Jessica, were out of town for the winter. She became concerned when someone moved into it. She was concerned until she called Mrs. Swanson, who confirmed that their home had been leased for a short time through the local property management service. It is the same company Jessica contracted with to check her home and plants when she was out of town.

Being primarily homebound was a challenge for Jessica.  She was horrified to realize that she was acting like a busybody by peeking out the window, with binoculars, at the man across the street. When he made snow sculptures that a neighbor called snow porn, something had to give. The man claimed he did these “artistic” shows around the country, so the mayor didn’t want him to stop, as the town could benefit from winter day tourists. Each of his sculptures was battered down, despite deputies being there around the clock. Then, after a heavy storm, the man was found dead in a pile of snow.

Each character was designed with a masterful hand, from the usual Cabot Cove friends and acquaintances to the strange artist and the Bologna Kid. I enjoyed Alice, the young home health aide who helped Jessica. Jessica began to mentor her in the basics of writing, for which Alice had a flare. Jessica came to genuinely care about Alice. From the crabby nonagenarian down the street to Seth Hazlitt, one of the kindest and most compassionate doctors and friends, this is a place where I enjoy visiting.

Jessica is detail oriented and more observant than most, but is currently limited to her motorized wheelchair. She was allowed to go into the home across the street, accompanied by the sheriff, and she took photos to send to the owners. With the information provided to her by the sheriff, several friends, and video footage of the shoplifter, she was able to assist in revealing the bad guys of every open crime, including Seth’s plagiarist.

The resolutions were stunning and complex, and I was sad for some of those involved. The addition of Barbara Early as an author of this series presents a seamless and solid voice for Jessica Fletcher, a perfect segue between Ms. Early and Ms. Terrie Farley Moran. Each author is an excellent writer for this series! I highly recommend this, and all of the Murder, She Wrote series!