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Jane Jeffry #5
A Knife to Remember
Popular detective Jane Jeffry's quiet domesticity is shattered when Hollywood comes to suburbia. The tension starts when a film crew becomes intent on using Jane's backyard as a primary location. When the set manager is stabbed to death, Jane must solve the crime fast--before the killer strikes again.
216 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1994
About the author
Jill Churchill
43 books199 followersA pseudonym used by Janice Young Brooks.
Jill Churchill, winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards, and nominated for an Anthony for her best-selling Jane Jeffry series, lives as Jane does, in a midwestern suburb. On purpose! She says writing this series and the Grace and Favor series is the best treat she can have without a knife and fork.
Under her real name, Janice Young Brooks, and various pseudonyms, she's written historical novels, a gothic novel, and a history textbook as well as many articles for newspapers and magazines. When she's not writing, she's avidly doing genealogy which she says is a lot like mysteries with all the red herrings, clues, speculations, and surprises.
She gardens enthusiastically, needlepoints superbly, and plays a mean game of gin against the computer. She has a son and daughter and two granddaughters, Rose Louise and Emma. Janice is currently in a battle of supremacy with her cat Max.
Jill Churchill, winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards, and nominated for an Anthony for her best-selling Jane Jeffry series, lives as Jane does, in a midwestern suburb. On purpose! She says writing this series and the Grace and Favor series is the best treat she can have without a knife and fork.
Under her real name, Janice Young Brooks, and various pseudonyms, she's written historical novels, a gothic novel, and a history textbook as well as many articles for newspapers and magazines. When she's not writing, she's avidly doing genealogy which she says is a lot like mysteries with all the red herrings, clues, speculations, and surprises.
She gardens enthusiastically, needlepoints superbly, and plays a mean game of gin against the computer. She has a son and daughter and two granddaughters, Rose Louise and Emma. Janice is currently in a battle of supremacy with her cat Max.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 4, 2009
The 5th book in the Jane Jeffry mystery series.
In this book Jane and Shelley are "blessed" with having a movie filmed in the field behind their houses. They are intrigued and enjoy the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at film making (not to mention stars!) but then (dun dun duuuuuuuuu) MURDER! Jane and Shelley dig into the investigation along with Jane's boyfriend Detective Mel VanDyne - only to have a second murder happen! Holy Hollywood Batman!
Another fun read - although truthfully this one was less compelling than the previous 4.
In this book Jane and Shelley are "blessed" with having a movie filmed in the field behind their houses. They are intrigued and enjoy the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at film making (not to mention stars!) but then (dun dun duuuuuuuuu) MURDER! Jane and Shelley dig into the investigation along with Jane's boyfriend Detective Mel VanDyne - only to have a second murder happen! Holy Hollywood Batman!
Another fun read - although truthfully this one was less compelling than the previous 4.
July 28, 2008
Easy, relaxing, and fun to read with another of her clever titles. Don't expect a philosophically deep investigation of anything. It's just a good read.
May 29, 2022
It’s the most excitement the Jeffry family has experienced in a long time. A movie company is filming in a field near Jane’s back yard. Even her oldest son, Mike, gets a job behind the camera briefly.
There’s nothing more ridiculous than the ego of an actor, and the movie set is awash in narcissism. Lynette Harwell wants to use this movie as her comeback vehicle after years of bad judgment calls, bad drugs, and worse scripts. While eating lunch with Jane’s son, Mike, Farwell dreamily recalls an affair she had in Chicago years earlier. She points out that young Mike Jeffry looks so much like the man with whom she had the affair. To her horror, Jane can’t stop the actress from blurting out the name of Mike’s dad as the guy who wined her, dined her, and took her to bed. This emotional upheaval comes just as Jane and her detective love-interest, Mel, are about to slip away for a weekend.
That romantic weekend is on hold when someone murders the prop manager with a knife from Jane’s kitchen. Before Jane and her next-door neighbor and friend can solve the mystery, Lynette Harwell dies at the hand of a killer.
I enjoy this series a great deal. Jane is a practical no-nonsense single mom who must budget for even small things but retains her sense of optimism and humor even though she’s raising three teenagers.
There’s nothing more ridiculous than the ego of an actor, and the movie set is awash in narcissism. Lynette Harwell wants to use this movie as her comeback vehicle after years of bad judgment calls, bad drugs, and worse scripts. While eating lunch with Jane’s son, Mike, Farwell dreamily recalls an affair she had in Chicago years earlier. She points out that young Mike Jeffry looks so much like the man with whom she had the affair. To her horror, Jane can’t stop the actress from blurting out the name of Mike’s dad as the guy who wined her, dined her, and took her to bed. This emotional upheaval comes just as Jane and her detective love-interest, Mel, are about to slip away for a weekend.
That romantic weekend is on hold when someone murders the prop manager with a knife from Jane’s kitchen. Before Jane and her next-door neighbor and friend can solve the mystery, Lynette Harwell dies at the hand of a killer.
I enjoy this series a great deal. Jane is a practical no-nonsense single mom who must budget for even small things but retains her sense of optimism and humor even though she’s raising three teenagers.
April 10, 2026
Fantastic! I rarely give five stars, but I loved everything about this book. The characters, the plot, the descriptions and even the kids (most of the time). I figured out whodunnit, but I couldn’t figure out why. I did figure out one thing before the heroine and sometimes felt her sidekick neighbor should have been the lead character. But everything came together brilliantly. All the clues were there, but I just couldn’t put them together which makes me very happy. This is the first book I’ve read by this author. Looking forward to reading more.
May 16, 2019
The large open area behind Jane Jeffry's neighborhood has been rented as a film set, so Jane and best friend Shelly are on hand when a talented but tactless propmaster is found murdered. Jane has reason to interfere this time--her boyfriend, detective Mel, can't go away on a quiet (i.e., childfree) weekend with her when he has a crime to investigate. A second death sends suspicions in a new direction, one that includes Jane. Now she has to come up with a solution!
August 3, 2019
Enjoyable fun read
June 27, 2020
I am enjoying this series a lot; light, quick reads. Good storyline that's sometimes quite funny.
December 21, 2020
I love this series so far.
October 18, 2021
For this particular genre the book was a fun and easy-going mystery.
September 7, 2022
Another fun story. These books are easy reads, but still keep you guessing. I am enjoying them. Lots going on in Jane's life - she surely does keep busy. I
April 12, 2023
Oh, the excitement a movie being made in your backyard. The tension with the crew and the undercurrents. Then we have a murder, who had the means as everyone is not what they seem.
April 23, 2023
I love this series. I really liked the mystery in this one. Fun and breezy.
January 7, 2013
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.
"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.
July 8, 2025
This is a 1990s written mystery series and I'm really enjoying discovering some of these series that were written before I was old enough to be reading them!
In this there's a crew filming in the field behind Jane's house and is using her backyard as part of the behind the scenes. The visitors seem to be riven with rivalries and then the set designer is found murdered and it goes from there. I really like this series, they are very easy reads and shorter than the average cozy these days which always leaves me wanting more. Unlike the Goldy Schulz series, these don't seem to have been picked up for Kindle, so I'm having to resort to the second hand sellers to try and get some more at reasonable prices.
In this there's a crew filming in the field behind Jane's house and is using her backyard as part of the behind the scenes. The visitors seem to be riven with rivalries and then the set designer is found murdered and it goes from there. I really like this series, they are very easy reads and shorter than the average cozy these days which always leaves me wanting more. Unlike the Goldy Schulz series, these don't seem to have been picked up for Kindle, so I'm having to resort to the second hand sellers to try and get some more at reasonable prices.
November 9, 2016
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
January 22, 2011
A Knife to Remember was a really fun addition to the Jane Jeffry mystery series. The focus of this novel was Hollywood and the invasion of the movie people into Jane's backyard. I loved the insider look I got at the not-as-glamorous as believed inner-workings of movie production. The mystery had lots of twists and turns and the killer was a complete surprise to me. Definitely one of the top Jane Jeffry mysteries.
February 8, 2015
Maybe if I were a suburban housewife with kids, this would have appealed to me more, but I also think if Churchill were a better writer, it would have. There are quite a few passages dealing with the kids and Jane's lovelife (or lack thereof), and I just checked out during all of them. I didn't really buy the mystery-solving portions either, though, so I didn't find much to recommend this. Probably just not my thing.
February 10, 2012
Book #23 read in 2006
Once again, this series did not disappoint. In this book, a movie is being made in Jane's backyard and a crew and cast member are murdered. The Hollywood stereotypes are hilarious. This is a fun, quick cozy mystery. The next in the series is already on my shelf waiting to be read!
Once again, this series did not disappoint. In this book, a movie is being made in Jane's backyard and a crew and cast member are murdered. The Hollywood stereotypes are hilarious. This is a fun, quick cozy mystery. The next in the series is already on my shelf waiting to be read!
August 4, 2008
A KNIFE TO REMEMBER - G
Churchill, Jill - 5th in Jane Jeffry series
Single mom Jane Jeffry allows a film crew to use her backyard as a location, and soon finds herself on the track of the killer of a blackmailing prop man.
Good but the books are getting redundant.
Churchill, Jill - 5th in Jane Jeffry series
Single mom Jane Jeffry allows a film crew to use her backyard as a location, and soon finds herself on the track of the killer of a blackmailing prop man.
Good but the books are getting redundant.
January 8, 2011
This one hits close to home for Jane when a movie company uses the field behind her house, as well as parts of her yard and her neighbor's yards for filming. Jane finally learns what really happened the night her husband died.
February 11, 2016
I have read several of the Jane Jeffry series, but so far I like this one best. Jane is just so likable and level headed. This series of mysteries are light and humorous, so perfect to read when you want to unwind.
February 1, 2021
Reread August 2016.
Rereading February 2021.
Rereading February 2021.
April 17, 2008
Another Jane Jeffry. I like 'em.
March 14, 2010
fun and relaxing read. This one is my favorite so far from this series.
August 25, 2008
A very slow read for a light mystery. It was simply not as compelling as the previous books in the series.
November 24, 2008
A good read, fast and easy to finish. I'm actually starting to guess who the killers are and get it right!!!
November 13, 2008
Jane Jeffrey is a desperate housewife wannabe. Just plain mindless and fun.
May 14, 2015
This is a quick read; mystery brain candy that is perfect for a bus ride. I enjoyed the mystery and would like to read more from this author.
Read
October 9, 2009"A Knife to Remember (Jane Jeffry Mysteries, No. 5) by Jill Churchill (1999)"
February 17, 2011
Such a brilliantly suspenseful... ;)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews