Book Review: The Highland Fling Murders by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain

The Highland Fling Murders (Murder, She Wrote #8). Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain.  Berkley Books (1997). 290 pages. Genre: Cozy Mystery.  

First Line: "'Before Candlemas we went by East Kinloss, and then we yoked a plewghe of paddokis (frogs or toads).'"

Summary:  Jessica and eleven friends from Cabot Cove take a trip to Great Britain.  Inspector George Sutherland, a friend of Jessica's, invites the group to spend several days at his home in Scotland.  George's home is a castle that is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a witch who was executed long ago.  Jessica doesn't believe in ghosts, but on her first night there she catches a glimpse of the spectre.  She is not sure how to explain what she saw, but she is still not convinced it was a ghost.  Within a few days a local young lady is executed in the same manner as the legendary witch.  There is definitely something evil going on in the village of Wick and Jessica is determined to discover its source.

My thoughts:  Taking a trip with eleven friends sounds complicated.  But, as is often the case with Jessica Fletcher, she is able to diffuse disagreements with her no nonsense manner before they get out of hand.  At the beginning of their trip, the groups spends a few days in London.  One of the couples on the trip goes off on their own to do some exploring.  When they don't return, the group starts searching for them.  Someone remembers they were going to visit the Tower of London. After involving the police, the group sets off to look for them.  As it turns out, they are at the Tower of London being held hostage by a man who wants to clear the name of a relative who was burned at the stake. There are some tense moments as it all gets sorted out.  I enjoyed the history the author gave in regards to the Tower and what it meant to be locked up there in Tudor times.  

By the time the group gets to the castle in Scotland, nerves are on edge.  Most people in the town of Wick believe that the ghost of the witch who was executed inhabits the castle.  They are very superstitious and believe that the Sutherland family is cursed and therefore blame George for every bad thing that happens.  This has been difficult for George, but he is not ready to sell the castle that has been in his family for hundreds of years. 

There are two mysteries that need solving - the ghost and the murder of the local young lady. This was a bit tricky.  There weren't any obvious suspects for the murder, so Jessica had to begin looking in different directions.  She works with the local law enforcement, as usual.  There were several clues that seemed to be unrelated, but began to fit together as the story progressed.  The ghost aspect did lend a bit of eeriness to the story.  However, I always appreciate Jessica's insistence that there is no such thing as ghosts and her determination to find out what is causing the phenomenon. 

Jessica and George's relationship moves into new territory. We learn something about our heroine's past, as well as how she views her present.

Overall, this was a good addition to the series.  It was not one of my favorites, but that won't keep me from reading the next book in the Murder, She Wrote series.  

Quotes:

"Today, the Tower of London is anything but a brutal prison.  The famed Crown Jewels are housed there; fifty families reside within its walls, and use the 120-foot-wide moat, now covered with green grass for picnics."

"I love fly-fishing, and do it as often as time allows back home.  It's the most liberating personal experience I know.  The world disappears, all tension dissipates; there is only you and the water and the fish."

"I didn't try to fight my sweet tooth.  I savored a piece of fudge with my tea and returned to reading Malcolm James's novel."