Trivia Quiz: The MSW Books of Donald Bain





1) What kind of license does Jessica earn in the novels that she never had in the series?

a) A driver’s license
b) A private investigator’s license
c) A pilot’s license
d) License to kill



2) In the MSW books, the character Charlene Sassi has what role in Cabot Cove?

a) Butcher
b) Baker
c) Candlestick maker
d) None of the above - Charlene Sassi is a series character, not a book character



3) Two of Mr. Bain’s MSW books are set around Christmas time. Name them.



4) To date (meaning up to the publication of Close-up on Murder), which Cabot Cove regular from the series has not made an appearance in the books?

a) Loretta Spiegel
b) Eve Simpson
c) Amos Tupper
d) Andy Broome



5) Expanding on that theme, which non-Cabot Cove regular from the series has not yet made an appearance in the books?

a) Artie Gelber
b) Grady Fletcher
c) Michael Haggerty
d) Dennis Stanton



6) According to Three Strikes and You’re Dead, which baseball team does Jessica claim to be a fan of?

a) New York Yankees
b) Boston Red Sox
c) New York Mets
d) Chicago Cubs



7) George Sutherland does not make an appearance in which of the following?

a) A Vote for Murder
b) Murder on the QEII
c) Murder in Moscow
d) A Little Yuletide Murder



8) In the book Panning for Murder, Kathy Copeland’s sister Wilhelmina disappeared in Alaska while searching for what natural resource?

a) Oil
b) Gold
c) Copper
d) Crab



9) Which famous ocean liner is featured in the novel The Queen’s Jewels?

a) The Queen Mary II
b) The Queen Elizabeth II
c) The Andrea Doria
d) The Norwegian Princess



10) Destination Murder takes place in which Canadian province?

a) Manitoba
b) British Columbia
c) Nova Scotia
d) Ontario



11) The name of Jessica’s British publisher is ...

a) Preston Giles
b) Vaughn Buckley
c) Ted Hartley
d) Archibald Semple



12) Before heading up to Wick, Scotland in The Highland Fling Murders, Jessica & Co. stay in which landmark London hotel?

a) The Savoy
b) The Dorchester
c) The Athenaeum
d) Brown’s



13) What natural disaster disrupts life at Schoolman College towards the beginning of Majoring in Murder?

a) A hurricane
b) A blizzard
c) An earthquake
d) A tornado



14) In Gin and Daggers, which real-life author is mentioned as being a friend of Jessica’s?

a) P. G. Wodehouse
b) P. D. James
c) E. L. Doctorow
d) D. H. Lawrence



15) In Dying to Retire, we find out that Seth has a nickname! What is it?

a) Doc
b) Old Ironsides
c) Boomer
d) Gipper



16) A Question of Murder takes place in which mountain region?

a) The Poconos
b) The Adirondacks
c) The Berkshires
d) The Catskills



17) What unusual meteorological condition has everyone in Cabot Cove suffering for much of Murder on Parade?

a) It’s unseasonably cold
b) It’s unseasonably hot
c) It’s unseasonably dry
d) It’s unseasonably rainy



18) Which London-area airport does Silver Air fly into in Coffee, Tea, or Murder?

a) Heathrow
b) Gatwick
c) Stansted
d) Luton



19) In A Slaying in Savannah, Tillie Mortelaine’s will stipulates that a literacy foundation she and Jessica were involved with will inherit a million dollars if Jessica can solve a cold murder case by what deadline?

a) St. Patrick’s Day
b) April 15th
c) One month from the day Tillie died
d) One month from the day Jessica arrives in Savannah



20) Who wrote a country music song to accompany the book Nashville Noir?

a) David A. Stewart
b) Lady Antebellum
c) Toby Keith
d) Keith Urban



21) In The Maine Mutiny, what is the name of the lobster boat Jessica is stranded aboard?

a) Antares
b) Larkspur
c) Done For
d) Laura Anne



22) Name the only book written by Mr. Bain to share its name with an episode from the series.



23) Which poison is used as a murder weapon in A Palette for Murder?

a) Cyanide
b) Arsenic
c) Strychnine
d) Ricin



24) How old is Grady’s son Frank in Madison Avenue Shoot?

a) 8
b) 9
c) 10
d) 11



25) The name of the Napa Valley winery that takes center stage in Blood on the Vine is ...

a) Laddington Creek
b) Framingham Brook
c) Mystic River
d) Bartles and James



26) Name the book that starts each chapter with a mystery-related trivia question.



27) In Skating on Thin Ice, one character’s appearance is compared to that of which George?

a) George Hamilton
b) George Sutherland
c) George Clooney
d) George Burns



28) In Margaritas and Murder, what item does Jessica have stolen from her, but later recovers?

a) a purse
b) a ring
c) a publisher
d) a pen



29) In the days of the series, the Cabot Cove regulars used to regularly convene at Hannah’s coffee shop. In Donald Bain’s books, where do they hang out now?

a) Charlene Sassi’s Bakery
b) The Ebb Tide Restaurant
c) Jim Shevlin’s office
d) Mara’s Luncheonette



30) This book frequently mentions another book written by Mr. Bain with a similar title - name them both.



31) The Fine Art of Murder takes place primarily in which two cities?

a) Chicago and Rome
b) New York and London
c) Los Angeles and Prague
d) Montreal and Paris



32) A subplot in Trouble at High Tide harkens back to which historical unsolved mystery?

a) The disappearance of Amelia Earhart
b) The Jack the Ripper killings
c) The Bermuda Triangle phenomenon
d) The Black Dahlia murder



33) In Provence - to Die For, Jessica takes what sort of classes while on vacation in France?

a) Art history classes
b) French language classes
c) Computer literacy classes
d) Cooking classes



34) Prescription for Murder is centered around the search for a cure for which disease?

a) Parkinson’s Disease
b) Huntington’s Disease
c) Lou Gehrig’s Disease
d) Alzheimer’s Disease



35) Which holiday has not yet served as a backdrop for a MSW book (as of the end of 2013)?

a) Halloween
b) Thanksgiving
c) Valentine’s Day
d) St. Patrick’s Day



36) We see Jessica at the controls of an airplane for the first time in which book?



37) What is Jessica’s role in the courtroom-based book A Deadly Judgment?

a) Expert witness
b) Jury foreman
c) Jury consultant
d) Witness for the prosecution



38) Which book does not use the courtroom as a major setting for the action?

a) You Bet Your Life
b) A Vote for Murder
c) A Deadly Judgment (that’s a gimme)
d) Domestic Malice



39) Which book was not set in Cabot Cove?

a) Murder on Parade
b) Trick or Treachery
c) Brandy and Bullets
d) A Question of Murder



40) In Martinis and Mayhem, Jessica says she would be pleased if which of the following actresses were to portray her in a film version of her book?

a) Joan Fontaine
b) Vivien Leigh
c) Angela Lansbury
d) All of the above





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