Close-Up On Murder by Donald Bain

Murder, She Wrote: Close-Up On Murder by Donald Bain ISBN-13: 9780451465252 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Signet Released: September 2, 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Cabot Cove is being invaded—by Hollywood. One of Jessica’s older novels is being adapted into a big-budget movie. The producer has decided to shoot on location, since the book was loosely based on a murder that shocked Cabot Cove several years earlier.

Unfortunately, everyone on the set seems to have a hidden agenda. A novice director wants his shot at the big time. The lead actress has many unreasonable demands. Her astrologer sees trouble in the stars. And a stranger on the movie lot is stalking Jessica.

When a body is found on the set, a strip of celluloid film wrapped around its neck, there’s a cast and crew of possible suspects. With tensions between locals and the Hollywood horde mounting, Jessica must find the killer before anyone else is left on the cutting room floor.


My Review:
Close-Up On Murder is a cozy mystery. It's the 40th book in the series. You don't have to read the previous novels to understand this one, but it'll be more fun if you have some familiarity with the "Murder, She Wrote" TV show.

If you've watched the TV show, you have a fair idea of what the book is like. The characters were enjoyable and realistic. The mystery was a clue-based puzzle mystery. I had a fair idea of whodunit by the end, but I wasn't certain until about the same time Jessica was, so the pacing of the clues was good.

There was no sex. There was one use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable mystery.

Blooper: In the novel, Jessica picks up a gun at the scene of a crime. I don't know why she didn't give it to the cop; it just disappears.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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