
Mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher - a down-to-earth, middle-aged widow - ferrets out the criminals in idyllic Cabot Cove, Maine, which apparently is the murder capital of the United States for the show's 12-season run. Though while traveling, she uncovers a fair number of killers as well.
When the feud of two drama critics ends in murder, Jessica has a full cast of suspects, including the surviving critic.
Jessica is caught in a game of deadly politics when a close friend's campaign is threatened by scandal.
When Jessica is arrested for murder, secret agent Michael Hagarty and her nephew Grady conspire to keep her safely in jail while they seek the real killer.
Sheriff Metzger (Ron Masak) defies political pressure and arrests an ambassador's son for murder, then is accused of the crime.