Rum and Razors
Book 3- Murder, She Wrote Series
After recovering from pneumonia and finishing her latest mystery novel, Jessica Fletcher travels to St. Thomas for a much-needed vacation. Her close friends, Laurie and Walter Marschalk, invited her to their resort, Lover’s Lagoon Inn. Not too long after her arrival, while walking on the beach, Jessica uncovers Walter’s dead body. Reluctantly, Jessica is thrust into a world of political corruption, greed, and love affairs. When somebody is arrested for the murder, Jessica believes the police have the wrong man. She is committed to finding the true murderer, even if it puts herself in danger and forces her to ask uncomfortable questions about her friend, Laurie.
This was a very engaging, interesting mystery. Honestly, there were times I was unsure where the solution to the murder was headed. It was not predictable. Additionally, there was an interesting point early on in the novel where Jessica stops in a store in St. Thomas and the cashier recognizes her. He says he enjoys her mystery novels, but was disappointed she used a razor blade as the murder weapon. He tells Jessica that a razor was more violent than necessary, and it did not seem to be in keeping with Jessica’s style. Jessica seemed affected by this and promised she would consider the criticism for her next mystery. In this novel, the razor blade was the murder weapon and Jessica was especially horrified about this when she finds Walter. I liked this parallel in the novel. It seemed to reinforce what the cashier said, and it was a clever literary device.
Next Book in Series: Brandy and Bullets
Next Book to Review: Jane and the Stillroom Maid (Book 5- Jane Austen Mystery series)