Murder, She Wrote: Trick or Treachery

Trick or Treachery by Donald Bain and Jessica Fletcher is a 2000 Berkley publication.

It’s that time of year again- 🎃

I’ve really lost interest in horror novels, but I did want to read a ‘Fall/Halloween’ story in October. The best way I can think of to do that is to find a good cozy mystery as there is usually no shortage of Halloween themed stories in that sub-genre.

I love the Murder She Wrote series and was glad I was able to grab this one at the library with no waiting.

An old ghost legend has gained new interest when a man shows up promising the legend has dire plans for the residents of Cabot Cove. Even levelheaded Jessica seems to feel something sinister is in the air. When a new resident, rumored to be a witch, is show more murdered at an annual Halloween party- it is anyone’s guess as to who murdered her and why…

This book was written a LONG time ago when Donald Bain was at the helm. It’s one of the better installments, though, I must say. There was a mildly spooky atmosphere- just the right amount- while keeping the mystery on track. The author did a great job ending chapters with a nice revelation that deepened the mystery and kept me turning pages to see what would happen next! The ending was a maybe a little cheesy- but I still liked it. An excellent Halloween treat.

Overall, a very enjoyable ‘Halloween’ cozy- exactly what I was in the mood for!

4.5 stars show less

This was a DNF. I found the narration clunky and the dialogue unnatural. The narration went on digressions about how wonderful a place Cabot Cove is and how Jessica Fletcher has such great friends, and its overall tone didn't fit how I imagine Jessica Fletcher would talk. The dialogue, meanwhile, contained almost hammy asides ("A Cuban cigar! Aren't those illegal in this country?") and loads of exposition about how the characters related to each other and their relevance to the story. Also, in a book that short, the murder should happen fairly quickly, but after three chapters there was no sign of the murder, so I gave up.

I read this a few years back and I remembered enjoying it. The book is written as though Jessica Fletcher is talking to me. I am a little hazy about the story, but I remember it involving undertones of witchcraft and of course a couple of murders. The setting was Cabot Cove and its residents were preparing for Halloween but a new resident comes in and murders happen. Of course the the needle of suspicion points towards the new resident, and the chaos ensues. The book is perfect if you want to read a small-town murder mystery that has warm characters. Plus the added element of spookiness is a bonus.

When Jessica Fletcher goes to an annual Halloween party in Cabot Cove the town "witch" is found murdered later that night, near the house the party was held. Who could have done it? Jessica does some investigating on her own and helps the police to try to solve the case.

This was the first "Murder She Wrote" book I read and it was just like the show! I had fun trying to find out who the villain was.

It was an entertaining read with interesting characters/suspects, good atmosphere, a séance, murder, and a nice setting...Cabot Cove at Halloween time! I also liked the ending.

A great book to read around Halloween!

This was such an enjoyable and entertaining Halloween mystery. Jessica Fletcher attends a Halloween party and before the night is over, a body is discovered murdered on the premises. This makes all the costumed guests suspects. As Sheriff Mort Metzger begins his investigation into the murder, Jessica can't resist joining in the investigation, as well, offering her assistance.

Cabot Cove was the perfect setting for this Halloween tale. The cast of characters were a lot of fun, including an alleged witch, and a spiritual medium. And then there's The Legend of Cabot Cove, Hepzibah Cabot, whose ghost is said to haunt the cemetery. I enjoyed the small-town atmosphere, cozy setting, gossipy grapevine, and familiar faces. And I thought that the show more ending was great. show less

I loved getting back to the Murder, She Wrote series. I loved visiting with my favorite characters and the Halloween setting was lots of fun. The ending was a little over the top, which stopped it from being a 5 star read. Bain tried a little too hard to add a supernatural element for Halloween, but it was still worth the read.

Trick or Treachery: Book #14- 3.5 stars...

I use to love to watch the Murder She Wrote series on TV but I've never read any of the books until now. I thought it would be fun to revisit the series during our Booklikes Halloween Bingo and see if the books are as good as the show. This book in particular is set during the Halloween season & one of the older versions of this book has a pumpkin on the cover (see below) so it was also perfect for my "Pumpkin" square.

This is a fun story- all of the residents of Cabot Cove attend a Halloween costume party & what fun is a party without a murder. The story also features a ghost -The Legend of Cabot Cove and a visiting psychic.

Overall, it was a nice story to get in the Halloween spirit and it was show more fun revisiting Cabot Cove and its residents but after reading the book, I still like the TV show more. Each time Jessica visits a neighbor or store etc. on her handy dandy bicycle (If you've seen the show, you know is very frequently) they go through the same niceties over and over again which, in the book it felt too forced. On air, you don't notice it as much or at least I didn't at the time. I also think that the cinematic elements of the TV series make it a lot more suspenseful then the book which I liked. I haven't seen the show in a while though so it may come across differently to me now then it did when I was younger.

I'm not totally going to forgo the book series. There are a couple more I'd like to read but I definitely don't see myself reading all 46 books. I am going to watch some Murder She Wrote reruns though. If you haven't seen the show yet, watch it first!

*I read this for my 2016 Halloween Bingo: ~Pumpkin~ square
Current Bingo Status
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