Jessica Fletcher takes a vacation break in Rockaway Beach, New York with her nephew Grady, his wife Donna, and his young son Frank (named for her late husband). When one of Donna's colleagues is found dead on a tennis court, pummeled by tennis balls from a mechanical server, Jessica steps in to investigate.

I wanted to read Murder She Wrote: Killer on the Court because I love the old Murder She Wrote TV series. I have not read any of the other books this series, but now I really want to. I also like tennis, so that added to my interest in this mystery.

This book is so well written. Jessica's voice is especially well done, and so true to her beloved character. The writing is engaging -- with warm scenes of Jessica and her great-nephew Frank, tidbits about New York, and of course mystery solving!

The descriptions are wonderful too, like:

"I awoke to the sound of chirping and saw a goldfinch perched on the outside ledge of my bedroom window, his yellow body brightening the gloomy overcast sky that served as his background. I slipped out of bed as carefully as I could, trying not to frighten him away. But it was no use. Birds are sensitive to motion, and he flew off. As soon as I opened the window wider, I could hear his friends and cousins singing in the trees. I began to take deep breaths of the warm, moist air coming in off the ocean. I was sure it would bring rain along with it well before the day’s end. During the summer months, I have an almost childlike expectation that every day will be sunny and cheerful. But if today wasn’t going to cooperate, it didn’t matter to me. I didn’t need sunshine to feel exuberant." (eBook location 91)

The mystery aspect of this novel was fun - just the right amount of suspects, and the storytelling kept me guessing right up to the solution!

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder She Wrote: Killer on the Court, and recommend it for cozy mystery fans -- and especially for anyone who loves Murder She Wrote.

4.5 Stars - Top Pick

Famous mystery writer Jessica Fletcher has just finished writing her latest book. She rewards herself with what she hopes will be a relaxing trip to New York’s Rockaway Beach with her nephew, Grady, and his family. They are staying in a cottage owned by Grady’s wife’s bosses so it’s awkward when they get caught in the middle of some of that wealthy family’s drama. Things get even worse when one of the family members is murdered and Grady’s wife, Donna, discovers the body. Luckily Jessica is there to work with local law enforcement to help bring a killer to justice.

I have enjoyed the Murder She Wrote novels for several years and was a fan of the television series. However, I think anyone who is new to either could still enjoy this cozy mystery. Jessica is such an appealing main character. She is a successful writer, but remains humble and down-to-earth. She is smart, observant, and kind, but isn’t afraid to express her opinion. The mystery was interesting and fans of Agatha Christie will appreciate members of a powerful family in conflict leading to several suspects in the murder. The book has a nice, even pace with a great balance between the time Jessica takes to investigate and the time she is able to spend unwinding at the beach. The family scenes with Jessica, Grady, Donna, and her great-nephew Frank are so engaging and descriptive.I wish I could have walked along the boardwalk, fished, and attended art camp with Jessica and 10-year-old Frank! Grady has really matured since his early appearances in the series andI liked getting to know him and his family better in this story.

A few clues were given, but even more red herrings were included in the story. I was surprised when the identity of the murderer was revealed, but was satisfied with the way the book ended. This is the third book in the series written by Terrie Farley Moran and I enjoy her style of writing. Although Jessica didn’t spend much time in Cabot Cove in this book, I still like Moran’s portrayal of the main characters of Jessica, Dr. Seth Hazlitt, and Sheriff Mort Metzger. I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end and highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good cozy mystery, especially fans of this series.

~ Christine

Killer on the Court is the 55th book in the Murder She Wrote book series! Of course, there have been various authors, but I’ve only read ones written by Terrie Farley Moran. And they are great! Even if you’ve never read any of the series, you can definitely read any of them as stand-alone books. I know those of you in my generation (Gen X) or prior generations have surely heard of Jessica Fletcher! I have fond memories of watching Murder She Wrote on television. My favorites were the early episodes in which Jessica was still using a manual typewriter and the episodes that took place in Cabot Cove. Though Jessica has moved on to using a tablet, and this book takes place in beach side community in New York, I absolutely loved it. Jessica is staying with her nephew Grady, his wife Donna, and their young son Frank.

Frank was definitely my favorite character in the book because he acts like a 10 year old should act…like a kid! Step foot into any 5th grade class in America, and I guarantee many of the class will dress and act like they’re at least 16. Most of them will have smartphones,and most of them will have zero respect. I know this because my daughter teaches middle school. The stories she tells would knock your socks off! These kids have zero respect because they’ve got zero consequences for their behavior. But, as I was saying, Frank is a delight! He has complete respect for his elders, loves board games, loves to read, and plays on the beach. That is how most kids were back in the old days…like when I was a kid! He is so sweet to his great-aunt Jessica, inviting her to his art classes, playing games with her, riding bikes with her, and just enjoying being with her in general. And he’s so respectful! Needless to say, he brought joy to my heart every time he was in a book passage.

The murder mystery is very puzzling and not easy to solve. There are many suspects with varying motives. The local law enforcement doesn’t know Jessica, so they’re very suspicious of her and Donna since they are the first to find the body. However, once the lead detective talks to Sheriff Metzger of Cabot Cove, he begins to rely on Jessica’s intuitive mind. Jessica looks outside the box for clues and motives, so her help is quite valuable in solving murders. The murder on the tennis court is no exception. With Jessica’s help, the murderer is apprehended, and the beach vacation is saved.

Murder She Wrote: Killer on the Court has all the elements I love in a cozy mystery! (And none of the elements that make me feel a book isn’t so cozy!) With its wonderfully written characters, beachside setting, and a mystery with many suspects, Killer on the Court is a cozy mystery book that I absolutely would recommend to readers of all ages.

Having just finished her latest book, Jessica Fletcher has plans to spend time with her great nephew Frank in Rockaway beach. Just as soon as Jessica was ready to relax, her niece Donna’s boss was found dead at the tennis courts. Was in a accident or was he possibly murdered? Will Jessica be able to solve the mystery and still have time to relax?
Thank you Netgalley, Jessica Fletcher, Terrie Farley Moran, and Berkley Publishing group for the opportunity to read and review this book. I have always loved the show Murder, She Wrote and reading this book felt like I was watching another episode on TV. I love a good mystery/thriller and this book was no exception! This was a quick and easy book that is perfect for either sitting pool side, at the beach, or even on a gloomy rainy day being snuggled up in some nice warm blankets with a hot cup of coffee. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend this to any fans of Jessica Fletcher and who love a good mystery. I’m rating this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Even a well deserved vacation is not without excitement for famous mystery writer Jessica (J.B.) Fletcher. This time she is off to the beach with her nephew and his family. It turns out to be a working vacation for all, including the local police.
Fortunately Jessica is put in touch with a friend of her own hometown sheriff, Mort.
He assures the New York detectives to trust Jessica's hunches and insights.
Grady's son, Frank, adds much needed energy and brightness to the book.
I enjoyed and appreciated the historical aspects of the book.
Fans of this series, as well as of the television portrayal of Jessica and her Cabot Cove cronies, will delight in the tone and voice of this 55th installment. Author Terrie Farley Moran does an excellent job of remaining faithful to the beloved series.

Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court is book #55 in the Murder She Wrote series by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran.

Jessica is going down to spend time with her nephew Grady and his family at the beach. Donna’s boss is found dead and Jessica gets pulled into a murder investigation.

I’m a fan of the Murder, She Wrote TV series and this was just like another episode of the show. While reading it, I could picture Jessica, Grady, and Donna saying the words. Even if you haven’t watched the show, the mystery was very intriguing with so many suspects. I loved the relationship between Jessica and her grandnephew, Frank. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Jessica Fletcher has just sent her latest manuscript to her publisher, so she is happy she gets to spend some time with her nephew, Grady, his wife, Donna, and their son. They are staying in a cottage right on the beach for a month thanks to Donna’s job. However, Jessica’s first morning there, Donna finds the body of her boss on a private tennis court. Jessica doesn’t want to get involved, but she can’t stop asking questions. Will she figure out what happened?

Grady and Donna (after Grady met her) were some of my favorite supporting characters on Murder, She Wrote, so I was pleased with how they were captured here. I could easily hear the actors in my head, and I loved spending time with them. Sadly, the rest of the characters were a little weak with only one or two defining characteristics. Meanwhile, the plot wandered some with a slow start and a bit too much vacation time. That’s not to say it didn’t have a couple of good twists and a nice resolution. Ultimately, fans of the series will enjoy getting to spend time with favorite characters again.

I love reading these books as light entertainment since I loved the show. I liked the setting and having Grady and Donna there. I felt like their son Frank was too “perfect” for a child. The murder and mystery were good although it was drawn out for too long.

It’s a nice summer cozy mystery read, best to be enjoyed on a boat, beach or anywhere relaxing with water in sight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the shows, and I have enjoyed every book I've read in the series. I haven't read them all, but they can be read as standalone novels. If you like cozy mysteries, this is a great book to add to your TBR pile. It's always fun to sleuth things out with Jessica Fletcher. There were some surprise twists, as well. To me, this series may never get old!

Jessica Fletcher is visiting her nephew, Grady, his wife, Donna, and son, Frank. It is supposed to be a relaxing break at the beach in Rockaway NY. And it is until Donna discovers her boss’s body lying on a tennis court - her boss’s dead body.

Though there is some initial suspicion that the Fletcher clan may have been involved. That is quickly resolved, but then it falls on Jessica working with the NYPD to eliminate the suspects and identify the guilty party.

The result is a relaxing cozy mystery that moves quickly to a satisfying conclusion. It did leave this reader with two concerns. First, Frank is the most well-behaved, well-mannered, ten-year-old I have ever met - somewhat uncharacteristic for a young man his age. Second, the book’s resolution comes about unexpectedly with few hints provided to the reader as to the guilty party. Even with those flaws, the book was an enjoyable story and well-worth four stars I am giving it.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Jessica is looking forward to spending time with her nephew Frank and his family in Rockaway Beach.
Frank's wife, Donna has been rewarded for outstanding work with a month in her company's beach compound.
When Donna discovers her boss dead on the tennis court Jessica's vacation takes an unexpected turn.
Business irregularities and family scandals come to light with Jessica aiding the police in the investigation.
This long- running series continues to reward readers with interesting characters and plots.

Jessica is delighted when her nephew Grady invites her to spend a few days with his family in an oceanside New York bungalow. She packs her bags and heads down to the city, ready to spend some quality time with Grady, his wife, Donna, and their young son, Frank. But the morning after Jessica’s arrival, Donna finds her boss dead on a tennis court, and Jessica’s dreams of a relaxing visit are quashed. Everyone in the small beachside community is a suspect, and the local authorities—headed by an old colleague of Cabot Cove sheriff Mort Metzger—have asked that no one leave town. Will Jessica be able find a killer and salvage the rest of her trip?

I was a big fan of the Murder, She Wrote television series. So when there started being books written with the same characters, I had to read them since I could picture all the characters. I have read them all up to this one, and it is #55! I am also a big fan of Terrie Farley Moran's books, so when she became the "co-writer", I knew it would be good. I think she has added quality and substance to the series along with some interesting story lines. After this many books, sometimes a series gets old, but I think this one is just getting better. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read the newest installment in one of my favorite series.

Another enjoyable mystery in this delightful series with Jessica Fletcher. Jessica's nephew Grady invites her to spend a few days with his family in a oceanfront beach bungalow on Rockaway Beach in New York. The Courtland family own the business his wife Donna works for, and invite her and her family to stay in one of the family owned beach bungalows as a reward for her hard work. Jessica looks forward to spending time with Grady, Donna, and especially her ten year old grandnephew Frank. Right away there are tensions among the family and some of the staff from the company. When Donna's boss ends up murdered at the tennis court everyone in the small beachside community is a suspect. The local police detective is an old friend of Sheriff Mort Metzger from Cabot Cove and asks for Jessica's assistance in solving the murder. As always there are many red herrings and twists and turns. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book in this series. Thank you Net galley for the advance copy!

This is book 55 in the very popular Jessica Fletcher series that I really enjoy. It is also the third book co-authored by Terrie Farley Moran. In this new story, Jess takes a few weeks off to join Grady, Donna, and grandnephew Frank at a beach house on Long Island owned by Donna's boss. Early in the trip, Jess and Donna discover the body of one of Donna's bosses on the tennis court, being bombarded with 100 mph tennis balls. Quite an unusual method of murder! It is as entertaining as ever to watch Jessica solve the mystery. I usually enjoy family members being included in these stories, but grandnephew Frank is just a bit too perfect. He does not act or talk like a regular kid. Plus, Grady and Donna are prime examples of helicopter parents whose behavior becomes a little tiresome. These objections are why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an ARC.