Jane Jeffry, Shelley Nowack, and the rest of their neighbors are thrilled that a Hollywood movie is being filmed in the field behind their houses. Initially they enjoy meeting actors such as Lynette Harwell and George Abington as well as director Roberto Cavagnari. They also enjoy the glimpses into what goes on behind the scenes of a major movie. But Jane and Shelley soon find out the truth behind the glamour - Lynette is totally spoiled, thinking only of herself and not noticing or caring who she hurts as long as she gets her own way. So when property master Jake Elder is murdered, Lynette barely seems to notice. But Jane does - her boyfriend Detective Mel VanDyne is in charge of the murder investigation and unless he solves the case quickly, he won't be able to go away for the weekend with Jane. So Jane, with Shelley's help, begins to question the actors and others on the set, not only to solve the murder but also to find out who trashed her kitchen. And when there is a second murder, and Jane is now a suspect, she has even more incentive to find the killer."A Knife to Remember" by Jill Churchill is a nicely done cozy mystery. The movie setting is a lot of fun and a nice change of pace from the other Jane Jeffry mysteries. The behind the scenes look into the movies was very interesting. The various actors and their personalities add a lot to the book, especially the spoiled Lynnette and the people working behind the scenes in the movie, notably nurse Maisie Valkenberg, Lynette's devoted helper Olive Longabach, and Jake's assistant Butch Kowalski. Jane is a fully developed character at this point in the series, ready to move into a deeper relationship with Mel yet still capable of being hurt when she finds out about yet another of her late husband's indiscretions. Her worries over how to tell her children she is going away for the weekend with Mel is well written and very believable. One of the things I like best about this series is how well Churchill captures the aspects of family life especially Jane's struggles as a single parent and in dealing with her children, especially Katie, who is struggling with her hormones. There's a delightful scene in the book where Katie and Jane put their differences aside and work together to make clothespin dolls. Scenes like that are what makes this series so enjoyable. The mystery itself is well plotted, with plenty of suspects and I love the way Churchill gives Jane a legitimate reason for investigating the murder. As often happens in this series, the scene where the killer is revealed reads like something out of an Agatha Christie mystery. Finally, the very end of the book is sure to make readers smile."A Knife to Remember" is a great cozy mystery.
What do You think about A Knife To Remember (1999)?
