Murder, She Wrote

A closer look at the story

Jessica Fletcher is a modest, down-to-earth author of mystery novels. As skilled as she is at unravelling the murders she invents on the page, she proves just as good at finding the truth behind the killings she encounters in real life. The sharp instincts and careful powers of observation she has gained from years of writing whodunits unexpectedly turn her into an amateur detective. Drawing on the perspective her profession gives her, Jessica helps with genuine homicide cases. In each one, she pieces the clues together, spots the inconsistencies in what suspects tell her and exposes the identity of the killer. Created by Richard Levinson, William Link and Peter S. Fischer and broadcast on CBS from 1984 across 12 seasons and 264 episodes, this classic mystery series stars Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher.