Former English teacher Jessica Fletcher travels to New York to celebrate the success of her debut novel. But when an unwanted guest is murdered by gunfire at a costume party, she wishes she'd stayed home.

A mysterious man who briefly stops by Jessica's house turns up dead -- supposedly swept overboard during a hurricane before Jessica even met him.

Jessica's niece Victoria Brandon is horrified when her fiancé Howard Griffin is arrested following the gunshot murder of nasty San Francisco drag club owner Al Drake.

Jessica protests when her book is turned into a tacky B-grade horror movie, and winds up as the prime suspect when producer Jerry Lydecker is murdered with a blunt instrument.

There's in-fighting and backstabbing galore when wealthy Denton Langley snubs his family and leaves most of his estate to a dog, which is discovered after his fatal fall from a drugged horse.

While in Seattle for a series of lectures, Jessica is drawn into a dangerous case involving young secretary David Tolliver accused of killing his wealthy older lady friend Allison Brevard.

Jessica and the police are baffled by a seemingly driver-less car that suddenly appears in Cabot Cove and runs down a visitor who had fired local inventor Dan O'Brien.

Jessica gets mixed up with a nasty scheme involving a theme park creator whilst visiting relatives.

Two Soviet ballet dancers on tour in the States are wanted following the murder of a man backstage during their debut performance.

A popular nightclub hypnotist is discovered murdered during a private press-call.

When a congressman suddenly dies from a heart attack, Jessica is asked to temporarily replace him in Washington.

Former Hollywood star Rita Bristol and her daughter Patti are about to open in a big new Broadway musical. Then Patti is shot and seriously injured in a bizarre robbery attempt.

A trip to New Orleans gets off to an eventful start when the leader of a popular jazz band is poisoned during a performance.

When Jessica's recently widowed niece takes a cruise to get away from it all, a would-be murderer follows her.

The birthday celebration for a renowned Mediterranean artist is cut short when the guest of honor winds up dead.

A private detective, hired by Jessica to research an old case, is suddenly murdered.

Jessica uncovers the ugly side of sportsmanship when she inherits part-ownership of a football team.

In New York City for a book award event, Jessica sets out to clear the name of her disheveled, dissolute, and down-on-his-luck poet friend who is the prime suspect in an author's murder.

Jessica and a slew of passengers are forced to take refuge from a storm at a remote diner when one of the passengers is found stabbed in his seat on a bus to Boston.

Jessica's deep in the heart of Texas to testify in a plagiarism case. While in a posh private hospital recovering from a twisted ankle, Jessica investigates the murder of a doctor.

An unpopular show-business personality discovers that elaborate security systems are no guarantee of safety.

Jessica has to unravel the secrets and threats at the funeral of a friend in Wyoming.