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Happy Friday, all! Today I am super excited to share my review of another book I group read, and we unanimously endorsed, Manuscript for Murder by Jessica Fletcher and Jon Land, and now available from Berkley! My mom was a huge Murder She Wrote fan, so we are both really excited about this addition to the series!

My Thoughts:

This is Jon Land’s second installment in the Murder, She Wrote series, though many other books (over 40 to be exact!) have been written. 

I expected Manuscript for Murder  to be light and cozy, but there is plenty of depth and suspense. In case you didn’t know, Jessica Fletcher is a novelist and sleuth-on-the-side. A friend of hers, Lane Barfield, who also happens to be her publisher, gets in hot water due to money corruption leading to an FBI investigation. 

This friend later turns up dead. Jessica’s mission becomes proving her dear friend’s innocence. She senses a cover-up almost immediately. At the root of it all? A mysterious manuscript that Lane planned to publish, which is now missing. 

Jessica is risking it all to find the manuscript. She is searching to not only find the document, but to discover who wrote it. Jessica’s sleuthing is her own signature style.

I found Manuscript for Murder  to be exciting and suspenseful, and the writing is solid and engaging. If I can no longer see new episodes of the TV show (and haven’t been able to for some time!), this series is the next best thing and then some. I highly recommend this to suspense and mystery fans. It’s good stuff! 

Many thanks to Berkley for the copy to review. All opinions are my own. 

Synopsis:

Jessica Fletcher investigates a mysterious manuscript with deadly consequences in the latest entry in this USA Todaybestselling series…

Jessica Fletcher has had plenty to worry about over her storied career, both as a bestselling novelist and amateur sleuth. But she never had any reason to worry about her longtime publisher, Lane Barfield, who also happens to be a trusted friend. When mounting evidence of financial malfeasance leads to an FBI investigation of Lane, Jessica can’t believe what she’s reading.

So when Barfield turns up dead, Jessica takes on the task of proving Barfield’s innocence–she can’t fathom someone she’s known and trusted for so long cheating her. Sure enough, Jessica’s lone wolf investigation turns up several oddities and inconsistencies in Barfield’s murder. Jessica knows something is being covered up, but what exactly? The trail she takes to answer that question reveals something far more nefarious afoot, involving shadowy characters from the heights of power in Washington. At the heart of Jessica’s investigation lies a manuscript Barfield had intended to bring out after all other publishers had turned it down. The problem is that manuscript has disappeared, all traces of its submission and very existence having been wiped off the books.

With her own life now in jeopardy, Jessica refuses to back off and sets her sights on learning the contents of that manuscript and what about it may have led to several murders. Every step she takes brings her closer to the truth of what lies in the pages, as well as the person who penned them.

Check out these reviews by the other Book Besties:

Berit at Audio Killed the Bookmark

Holly at Dressed to Read

Kendall on Goodreads

Mackenzie at PhDiva

Melisa at The Book Collective

Have you read Manuscript for Murder, or is it on your TBR? Have you read any of the Murder, She Wrote mysteries, or were you you a fan of the show? Do you have any favorite fall reads? Happy Reading! ~ Jenni THR

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