Donald Bain

Copyright Paperback Collection (Library of Congress)

After attending a writers' conference in New Orleans, Jessica Fletcher can't resist staying an extra week for the annual jazz festival. In her short time there, she gets a chance to sample everything the city has to offer -- its delectable food, its wonderful music, and of course, its unique blend of murder and corruption.

A Murder, She Wrote Mystery : a Novel

Murder in a Minor Key

Jessica Fletcher

In New Orleans to attend a writers' conference, Jessica Fletcher is delighted when she encounters her old friend, music critic Wayne Copely, who offers to show her around the annual jazz festival, but her plans are turned upside down when Wayne is found dead next to the grave of an old voodoo queen. Original.

Giulia Pianta

Read for the 2020 N.E.W.T.s
HERBOLOGY: Puffapods - flowers on cover (ok they are on Jessica's shirt and very small but it stil counts)
Grade awarded: A

When I started reading the Murder, She Wrote books, it was a summer of many years ago (I reckon maybe 10? Maybe more?) and I got two books of the series from an Italian second-hand book shop. Of course my copies were in Italian, and so were the many other books in the series I got afterwards. 
But what annoyed me to no end was that the publisher translated only some of the books, probably those that were better written or could interest the Italian readers.

Since I now read most of my books in English, I could finally tackle those that were never brought to Italy, and I admit some of the non-translated ones had a reason for staying in English only.
But this one I don't get.

Obviously, none of these is a literary masterpiece, but this one was one of the best of this series! It really was interesting, the mystery was enticing and the setting in New Orleans soooo lovely. Jessica tries many different dishes, shows us a lot about jazz, tells us about snakes, I even learned about wax cylinders.

I also had very little knowledge of voodoo and it was great to get to see a bit more of that (I hope the representation was good and accurate, not knowing much I can't judge if it was).

I was quite involved in the story. I was sad the killed person dies, and I was satisfied by the ending, which I had predicted yayy doesn't happen often! And of course the cosy element was so enjoyable too. There is something so satisfying in reading about Jessica having dinner in her room and then read on an armchair before going to bed at 9 and wake up at 6. Why do I like these small details so much?

I was worried I wouldn't like this but it ended up being one on the best so far.

Murder in a Minor Key A Murder, She Wrote Mystery : a Novel

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