A Slaying in Savannah
A Murder,
She Wrote Mystery
Jessica
Fletcher and Donald Bain
NAL Books (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-451-22505-8 (0451225058)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22505-4 (9780451225054)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $21.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Jessica Fletcher is saddened when her eccentric old
friend Tillie Mortelaine passes away—and surprised to learn that
Tillie has left her a million dollars. But there are strings attached.
Jessica must use the money to help the literacy fund she and Tillie
established years ago in Savannah, Georgia. And she will receive the
money only if she can solve a mystery within the month: the murder of
Tillie’s fiancé, Wanamaker Jones.
As Jessica settles into Tillie's Savannah mansion and meets its
collection of odd boarders, she discovers that the spirit of the murder
victim haunts the grounds. And that there are those in Savannah who are
looking to cash in on Jessica’s failure.
Review: Jessica
Fletcher must solve a 40-year-old cold case in less than 30 days in A Slaying in Savannah, the 30th
book in this series by the renowned mystery writer (and co-written with
Donald Bain).
Jessica is saddened to learn of the death of her dear friend and
co-founder of the National Coalition for Literacy, Tillie Mortelaine.
Tillie’s lawyer, Roland Richard, after informing Jessica of
Tillie’s death, tells her that because she wanted the program
they had created to go on long after her death, she had left the sum of
$1 million to Jessica but with one stipulation: Jessica will receive
the money to be donated to the literacy foundation if she is able to
solve a cold case, the murder of Tillie’s fiancé,
Wanamaker Jones, forty years ago. Lillie has given her thirty days to
crack a case the police couldn’t. No weapon was ever found and
there were no clues. Memories have undoubtedly faded over the years. If
the killer is not already dead, he (or she) remains at large. Jessica
goes to Savannah to face the people that were there at that fateful New
Year’s Eve party when Wanamaker was shot to death. They
couldn’t or wouldn’t help the police then. Why should they
help Jessica now?
Like many old homes in Savannah, Tillie's house is believed to be
haunted. It has even been said that the ghost (or spirit) of
Tillie’s great-great-grandfather has been seen and heard roaming
the halls as has Tillie’s murdered fiancé. As Jessica gets
settled in, she comes face to face with others who have been named in
Tillie’s will and soon realizes she is not a welcome guest in the
old house. Mentioned in Tillie’s will are her greedy niece and
nephew who feel sure she would have left the house to them; after all
they were her only family. Others on the list are Mrs. Goodall, the
housekeeper; her tenants who live in the guest house; retired General
Pettigrew who claims he had asked Tillie to marry him and she had
agreed; the Grogans, Arthur and Samantha, studying the field of
paranormal phenomena and trying to bring back the ghost of Wanamaker;
Dr. Warner Payne, her doctor; and Charmelle, Tillie’s oldest
friend, and her brother Frank O’Neill. Jessica wonders just why
she was asked to try to solve this crime when Tillie wouldn’t be
there to see the outcome. Was she trying to penalize those she thought
had done harm to her? And why would she jeopardize the literacy
program? The answers to these questions must come in thirty days or
sooner if Jessica could solve the decades old murder.
Jessica Fletcher is a friend of every family who's ever seen the
television show and it's easy to welcome her back in these entertaining
mysteries. One can almost hear the theme music playing while turning
the title page. The characters are familiar in a neighborly way (both
good and bad) and the story in A
Slaying in Savannah fits perfectly into the body of work already
produced. A pleasure to read, this is an ideal book for that cold
winter afternoon with the fireplace aglow.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of A Slaying in Savannah and to Penguin Group for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read A Slaying in Savannah? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
Gin
and Daggers
McGraw-Hill (Hardcover), June 1989
ISBN-10: 0-07-003239-4 (0070032394)
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-003239-2 (9780070032392)
Manhattans
and
Murder
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), December 1994
ISBN-10: 0-451-18142-5 (0451181425)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-18142-8 (9780451181428)
Rum
and Razors
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), April 1995
ISBN-10: 0-451-18383-5 (0451183835)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-18383-5 (9780451183835)
Brandy
and
Bullets
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), August 1995
ISBN-10: 0-451-18491-2 (0451184912)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-18491-7 (9780451184917)
Martinis
and
Mayhem
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), December 1995
ISBN-10: 0-451-18512-9 (0451185129)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-18512-9 (9780451185129)
A
Deadly Judgment
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), April 1996
ISBN-10: 0-451-18771-7 (0451187717)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-18771-0 (9780451187710)
A
Palette for
Murder
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), October 1996
ISBN-10: 0-451-18820-9 (0451188209)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-18820-5 (9780451188205)
The
Highland
Fling Murders
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), April 1997
ISBN-10: 0-451-18851-9 (0451188519)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-18851-9 (9780451188519)
Murder
on the QE2
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), October 1997
ISBN-10: 0-451-19291-5 (0451192915)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-19291-2 (9780451192912)
Murder
in Moscow
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), May 1998
ISBN-10: 0-451-19474-8 (0451194748)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-19474-9 (9780451194749)
A
Little
Yuletide Murder
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), October 1998
ISBN-10: 0-451-19475-6 (0451194756)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-19475-6 (9780451194756)
Murder
at the
Powderhorn Ranch
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), May 1999
ISBN-10: 0-451-19476-4 (0451194764)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-19476-3 (9780451194763)
Knock
'em Dead
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), October 1999
ISBN-10: 0-451-19477-2 (0451194772)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-19477-0 (9780451194770)
Trick
or
Treachery
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), October 2000
ISBN-10: 0-451-20152-3 (0451201523)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-20152-2 (9780451201522)
Blood
on the Vine
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), April 2001
ISBN-10: 0-451-20275-9 (0451202759)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-20275-8 (9780451202758)
Murder
in a
Minor Key
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), October 2001
ISBN-10: 0-451-20434-4 (0451204344)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-20434-9 (9780451204349)
Provence
- To
Die For
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), April 2002
ISBN-10: 0-451-20566-9 (0451205669)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-20566-7 (9780451205667)
You
Bet Your Life
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), October 2002
ISBN-10: 0-451-20721-1 (0451207211)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-20721-0 (9780451207210)
Majoring
in
Murder
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), April 2003
ISBN-10: 0-451-20832-3 (0451208323)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-20832-3 (9780451208323)
Destination
Murder
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), September 2004
ISBN-10: 0-451-21284-3 (0451212843)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21284-9 (9780451212849)
Dying
to Retire
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), April 2004
ISBN-10: 0-451-21171-5 (0451211715)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21171-2 (9780451211712)
A
Vote for Murder
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), September 2005
ISBN-10: 0-451-21631-8 (0451216318)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21631-1 (9780451216311)
The
Maine Mutiny
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), April 2005
ISBN-10: 0-451-21468-4 (0451214684)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21468-3 (9780451214683)
Margaritas
and
Murder
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), September 2006
ISBN-10: 0-451-21931-7 (0451219317)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21931-2 (9780451219317)
A
Question of
Murder
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), April 2006
ISBN-10: 0-451-21817-5 (0451218175)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21817-9 (9780451218179)
Three
Strikes
and You're Dead
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), September 2007
ISBN-10: 0-451-22200-8 (0451222008)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22200-8 (9780451222008)
Coffee,
Tea, or
Murder
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), April 2007
ISBN-10: 0-451-22087-0 (0451220870)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22087-5 (9780451220875)
Panning
for
Murder
Obsidian (Hardcover), September 2007
ISBN-10: 0-451-22220-2 (0451222202)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22220-6 (9780451222206)
Murder
on Parade
NAL Books (Hardcover), April 2008
ISBN-10: 0-451-22367-5 (0451223675)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22367-8 (9780451223678)
A Slaying in Savannah
NAL Books (Hardcover), September 2008
ISBN-10: 0-451-22505-8 (0451225058)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22505-4 (9780451225054)
Madison
Avenue
Shoot
NAL Books (Hardcover), April 2009
ISBN-10: 0-451-22603-8 (0451226038)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22603-7 (9780451226037)
Omnimystery keywords for A Slaying in Savannah ...
Location(s) referenced: Savannah, Georgia.
