Before writer and crime solver, Richard Castle hit the television screen, there was Jessica Fletcher in the Murder She Wrote series. Like Castle, whose book was published after the series became a success, the Murder She Wrote books by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain became popular. Unlike Heat Wave in which the author is shown only as Richard Castle (a fictional character) and the ghostwriter's name is not mentioned, the Murder She Wrote Series does give credit to Donald Bain.
Murder in Moscow:
Best selling mystery writer Jessica Fletcher is embarking on the trip of a lifetime. The first stop is Washington, D.C. and a series of lavish receptions, culminating in a meeting with the President. Then it's on to Russia where Jessica and several publishing colleagues are on a mission to help their Russian counterparts build a publishing industry.
But her dream trip threatens to turn into a nightmare. First, a mysterious man approaches her with a dubious request, and his corpse is found by the Jefferson Memorial. Once Jessica reaches Moscow, things go from bad to worse, when she witnesses a horrifying crime, a man is murdered during dinner and Jessica is kidnapped. She doesn't know who to trust.
My thoughts:
This was very much like the series (you can almost hear Angela Lansbury speaking) and although there are some tense moments, it doesn't come across as a nail biting, action packed situation. As with anything involving Russian espionage, the plot was confusing and never really explained. This was written in the 90s not long after the Cold War had ended and Russia was struggling with crime and a government that was faltering in its efforts to bring democracy to the country.
