Hemsley Post (Kenneth Mars) is a combative writer who has suffered from writer's block for some years. Now he has a new manuscript about the Vietnam war. His estranged wife Alexis Post (Diana Muldaur) a fashion designer visits Hemsley to demand $264,000 from his advance. For all the years she bankrolled him.
Jessica Fletcher arrives at a New York awards ceremony with poet Horace Lynchfield (Paul Sand) who likes to drink a lot. He is just few of the writers that Hemsley gets into an argument with that evening. The other is the celebrated writer Adrian Winslow (Robert Reed) who Hemsley basically described for being camp.
When Hemsley is found dead, the New York ADA Mel Comstock smells television cameras and a fast track to the mayor's office. When Horace is arrested for murder, Jessica needs to find the real murderer.
She horns in on Frank Lapinski (Vincent Baggetta) a warehouse worker who sent threatening letters to Helmsley. Jessica thinks that this ex soldier was the actual writer of the Vietnam war manuscript.
A bit too much comedy here, especially as there was a dark reason that led to murder. As Lapinski tells Jessica when describing her books, light but enjoyable.
Hemsley Post would be loosely based on Norman Mailer while Adrian Winslow on Gore Vidal. In real life both writers had an abrasive relationship. When Vidal was punched by Mailer at a party. Vidal responded 'Norman, once again words have failed you.'
Jessica Fletcher arrives at a New York awards ceremony with poet Horace Lynchfield (Paul Sand) who likes to drink a lot. He is just few of the writers that Hemsley gets into an argument with that evening. The other is the celebrated writer Adrian Winslow (Robert Reed) who Hemsley basically described for being camp.
When Hemsley is found dead, the New York ADA Mel Comstock smells television cameras and a fast track to the mayor's office. When Horace is arrested for murder, Jessica needs to find the real murderer.
She horns in on Frank Lapinski (Vincent Baggetta) a warehouse worker who sent threatening letters to Helmsley. Jessica thinks that this ex soldier was the actual writer of the Vietnam war manuscript.
A bit too much comedy here, especially as there was a dark reason that led to murder. As Lapinski tells Jessica when describing her books, light but enjoyable.
Hemsley Post would be loosely based on Norman Mailer while Adrian Winslow on Gore Vidal. In real life both writers had an abrasive relationship. When Vidal was punched by Mailer at a party. Vidal responded 'Norman, once again words have failed you.'