Murder, She Wrote Co-Author to Speak at Sinister Spring

Several area mystery authors will also participate in the April 11th event,
co-hosted by the Clifton Park Halfmoon Public Library and the Upper Hudson Chapter of Sisters in Crime

If Ben Franklin were alive today, he might say the only certainties in life are death, taxes, and Murder, She Wrote. Fans of the TV series that first aired in 1984 were disappointed when the show was cancelled after twelve seasons, but Jessica Fletcher’s character has lived on in more than sixty cozy books (and counting) co-authored by the fictional character and four real authors.

The first novel in the series, Murder, She Wrote: Gin and Daggers, was published in 1989, co-authored by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain. Jon Land became co-author after Bain died, and in 2020, after Land moved on to other projects, Terrie Farley Moran became Jessica’s co-author. Terrie’s first contribution to the series is titled Murder, She Wrote: Killing in a Koi Pond.

“As someone who was addicted to Murder, She Wrote from the first television episode aired in September 1984, and who quickly discovered and devoured the books when Don Bain started writing them, I am one of Jessica’s most loyal fans,” Terrie said. “I knew there was a large fan base of people counting on me to portray Jessica as the curious, independent and honest woman we all love. I strive never to disappoint.”

Terrie has co-authored nine Murder, She Wrote mysteries; the most recent is The Body in the Trees, published in December 2025. Now instead of having one author co-writing the series, Barbara Early has joined Terrie. Barbara’s second contribution to the series, Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial, will be published in May 2026. The two met at a conference and discovered they had the same agent. Terrie said working with Barbara is easy since they are old friends who communicate regularly about the series.

“Barbara joined the Murder, She Wrote team as someone who loves Jessica as much as I do, and she brought fresh ideas and a few new characters to the series as well. Certainly, we share information while we develop story lines. It would never do to have one of us kill off a character while the other one was planning to make that character a hero in the very next book.”

Terrie has also authored the Read ’Em and Eat series. Her next addition to Murder, She Wrote is Murder, She Wrote: A Killing in Real Estate, scheduled to be published December 8, 2026.

Sinister Spring was created by the Upper Hudson Sisters in Crime chapter of the national organization. Sisters in Crime was organized some forty years ago for women mystery writers and readers and is now an “international, inclusive community for all who write and love crime fiction, mystery, thrillers, and suspense.”

“We wanted to bring together area Sisters in Crime authors in a community event at a local library, and Clifton Park Halfmoon Public Library graciously agreed to host it with us,” said Amy Patricia Meade, President of Upper Hudson Sisters in Crime. “Having Terrie as our Guest of Honor is the icing on the cake!”

Sinister Spring will be held from Noon to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at the Clifton Park Halfmoon Public Library, 475 Moe Rd., Clifton Park, NY. For more information, visit the library’s website, cphlibrary.org, or the Upper Hudson Sisters in Crime website, upperhudsonsinc.com. The event is free and open to the public.