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Quick answer: If you loved Jessica Fletcher, try Murder, She Wrote: Gin and Daggers, The Murder at the Vicarage, A Murder Is Announced, The Thursday Murder Club, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and Still Life. Each one is a cozy mystery with a clever amateur sleuth, a charming setting and a puzzle you can solve along with her.
Jessica Fletcher is the mystery-writing amateur detective of the TV series Murder, She Wrote. The tie-in novels, credited to “Jessica Fletcher” and long written by Donald Bain, then Jon Land and Terrie Farley Moran, follow Jessica as she solves murders in Cabot Cove, Maine, and on her travels. Readers love their cozy settings and clean puzzles. These books share their friendly sleuths and gentle mysteries.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Detective | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murder, She Wrote: Gin and Daggers | Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain | Cozy | readers who want the first tie-in novel |
| The Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie | Classic | readers who want Miss Marple |
| A Murder Is Announced | Agatha Christie | Classic | readers who want more Marple |
| The Thursday Murder Club | Richard Osman | Cozy | readers who like retirees sleuthing |
| The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency | Alexander McCall Smith | Gentle | readers who like warm sleuths |
| Still Life | Louise Penny | Village | readers who like small towns |
| Death on Demand | Carolyn Hart | Cozy | readers who like bookstore sleuths |
| The Cat Who Could Read Backwards | Lilian Jackson Braun | Cozy | readers who like cats |
| Aunt Dimity's Death | Nancy Atherton | Cozy | readers who like gentle mysteries |
| Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder | Joanne Fluke | Cozy | readers who like baking mysteries |
| Mrs. Pollifax: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman | Spy | readers who like older heroines |
| Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death | M.C. Beaton | Cozy | readers who like comic heroines |
| The Maid | Nita Prose | Modern | readers who like quirky sleuths |
| Body in the Library | Agatha Christie | Classic | readers who want classic Marple |
| Miss Seeton Draws the Line | Heron Carvic | Cozy | readers who like gentle older sleuths |
1. Murder, She Wrote: Gin and Daggers by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
Jessica solves a murder in London.
Best for: readers who want the first tie-in novel.
2. The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
Miss Marple solves a village murder.
Best for: readers who want Miss Marple.
3. A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie
A murder is advertised in the paper.
Best for: readers who want more Marple.
4. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Four retirees investigate murder.
Best for: readers who like retirees sleuthing.
5. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Mma Ramotswe opens a detective agency.
Best for: readers who like warm sleuths.
6. Still Life by Louise Penny
Inspector Gamache investigates in Three Pines.
Best for: readers who like small towns.
7. Death on Demand by Carolyn Hart
A bookstore owner solves a murder.
Best for: readers who like bookstore sleuths.
8. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun
A reporter and his cat solve crimes.
Best for: readers who like cats.
9. Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton
A woman inherits a cottage and a ghostly friend.
Best for: readers who like gentle mysteries.
10. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
A bakery owner solves a murder.
Best for: readers who like baking mysteries.
11. Mrs. Pollifax: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman
A widow becomes a CIA agent.
Best for: readers who like older heroines.
12. Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton
A retired PR woman solves village crimes.
Best for: readers who like comic heroines.
13. The Maid by Nita Prose
A hotel maid becomes a suspect.
Best for: readers who like quirky sleuths.
14. Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
A body is found in a library.
Best for: readers who want classic Marple.
15. Miss Seeton Draws the Line by Heron Carvic
A retired art teacher's sketches solve crimes.
Best for: readers who like gentle older sleuths.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Jessica Fletcher: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Jessica Fletcher. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
For the closest feel, read Christie's Miss Marple books, especially The Murder at the Vicarage and A Murder Is Announced. For modern cozy mysteries, The Thursday Murder Club and Agatha Raisin are popular. If you like warm small towns, Still Life and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency are excellent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jessica Fletcher?
The mystery-writing sleuth from the TV series Murder, She Wrote.
Who writes the Jessica Fletcher books?
They are credited to Jessica Fletcher and were written by Donald Bain, then Jon Land and Terrie Farley Moran.
Where is Cabot Cove?
A fictional seaside town in Maine.
How many Murder, She Wrote novels are there?
More than fifty.
Are the books cozy mysteries?
Yes. They avoid graphic violence.
Who played Jessica Fletcher?
Angela Lansbury, from 1984 to 1996.
Do I need to watch the show first?
No. The books stand alone.