Jessica Fletcher is invited to spend New Year's at an English castle. On her arrival, she discovers the body of a lady's maid. Then, during the New Year's Ball fireworks display, the lord of the manor is poisoned. Of course, Jessica is the one who must solve the crime.

This is yet another standard entry in the seemingly neverending Murder, She Wrote series. In this installment we get a very charming setting full of dull, incredibly flat characters and an obvious, not-so-cunning plot. Overall, it's just a very boring read. ( )

Murder, She Wrote: Death Of A Blue Blood is the 42nd book in the Murder She Wrote series.

Jessica Fletcher and George Sutherland have been invited to Lord and Lady Norrance's New Years Eve Ball at Castorbrook Castle. While Jessica is unpacking, she looks out the window of her room and sees a lady lying on the lawn. She goes to see if she can be of help, but finds that Lady Norrance's maid is dead. When she goes to find someone to help her, she finds that the door she came out of is locked. The Norrance's seem to be more worried about whether the ball will still be able to be held. Then as the ball is winding down Lord Norrance becomes ill and soon dies. Death being ruled as poisoning.
Jessica and Geroge, who''s with Scotland Yard, but on holiday, begin to do a little sleuthing of their own. They soon learn that he was experiencing money problems and has been trying to sell his estate.

Also going on in the area, cattle farmers are up in arms about the animal rights activists taking exception to the farmers killing off the badger population, as the badgers can carry TB that can be passed along to the cattle.

Jessica and George need to help find the killer before any more lives are lost and to find a way to solve the differences between the cattle ranchers and activist.

I really enjoyed this story and will probably watch for the next one. ( )

One of the better additions to a very long running series, Death of a Blue Blood reunites Jessica Fletcher with her longtime friend (and possible love interest?!) George Sutherland of Scotland Yard. Leaving Maine behind, this story is pleasantly set in the Cotswalds, as some of the very best British cozies are. There's a castle, a neighborhood pub, a fancy New Year's Eve ball and murder, of course. The Norrances are quite the group of characters, finding it difficult to remain owners of a big drafty castle without outside involvement. Whether it becomes an inn or a supplier of a line of racing horses, remains to be seen when first the former governess is found dead, then another character is poisoned. Jessica inserts herself into situations that call for a deft hand and as usual, ferrets out a lot of useful information. ( )