Well, loyal readers, the time has finally come. The 50th Murder, She Wrote book has arrived! Jon Land, who took over the writing of the series in 2018, has slid so easily into the driver's seat, allowing fans not to miss a single Cabot Cove slice of pie at the local diner --- or an occasional murder or two.

A TIME FOR MURDER kicks off with one of my favorite literary quotes of all time, courtesy of the late, great P.D. James: “What the detective story is about is not murder but the restoration of order.” That pretty much says it all and sets the tone for Jessica Fletcher's latest murder mystery, which jumps back and forth in time more than any other Murder, She Wrote novel in recent memory.

"A TIME FOR MURDER is another stellar entry in this long-running series. Readers will thoroughly enjoy the time jumps as they help ramp up the suspense to almost unbearable levels. The result is a breathtaking finale that most will not see coming."

The book opens with Jessica being interviewed for an article that will be featured in the Cabot Cove High School Eagle. Kristi Powell shows off interviewing techniques that rival those of professional media types, and she seems to keep wanting to steer the interview towards a murder investigation that took place in the town of Appleton 25 years earlier. Jessica states that she never comments on that case --- primarily for legal reasons as her testimony impacted the outcome, but also for personal reasons as she has no desire to put Appleton’s residents through an event they have long sought to forget.

Even though she rebuffs the young reporter, those questions open up a floodgate of memories and emotions for Jessica. It takes her back to a time when her husband, Frank, was still alive, and they were raising their nephew, Grady, under their roof. More precisely, these flashbacks bring her back to that fateful afternoon when Walter Reavis, the principal of Appleton High School, was killed by a blow to the back of his head. The murder weapon was an object in his office, and Jessica --- who was working there at the time as a substitute teacher --- was one of the last people to see him alive. As a result, the police narrowed down the timeframe for the murder, and a handful of individuals were captured on camera. This led to the arrest and conviction of Tyler Benjamin, the star of the football team with a track record full of behavioral issues.

This trip down memory lane bothers Jessica so much that she contacts the principal of Cabot Cove High to request another meeting with Kristi. When she is brought into a class that Kristi is attending, Jessica is shocked to discover that the young woman to whom she is introduced is not the same Kristi Powell with whom she had just met. She is now firmly invested in finding out who the mystery interviewer is, and begins to question her own thoughts that helped a murder investigation eventually convict an individual she knew in her heart was innocent.

Jessica does not have to wait long as her friend, Sheriff Mort Metzger, informs her that a woman was found shot to death in a parked vehicle. This person who claimed to be Kristi Powell was actually in her early 30s, and fingerprint records bring back her name as Ginny Genaway. Further digging provides an even more interesting revelation: Ginny's maiden name was Reavis, and she was the murdered principal’s daughter. Jessica's head is truly spinning, as it only further supports her feelings that the real murderer has not been brought to justice.

A TIME FOR MURDER is another stellar entry in this long-running series. Readers will thoroughly enjoy the time jumps as they help ramp up the suspense to almost unbearable levels. The result is a breathtaking finale that most will not see coming. I was happy to lose myself within the book, and I love the ease with which the recurring characters speak with one another. However, if you're looking for a cozy New England weekend, you may want to cross Cabot Cove off your future vacation list and pick a safer locale, where the local author-in-residence does not attract murder like a magnet.