La griffe du crime

Overall this is a pretty good Columbo, in my opinion, though it does have some glaring weaknesses.

Barry Corbin is very good as the loud husband who gets framed by Shera Danese. Danese turns in her usual performance; she's lovely and interesting but seems to play essentially the same character in every episode.

The criminologist "bad guy" does a pretty sloppy job for a supposed expert -- that may be the biggest plot weakness; it's hard to believe he was that dumb. A long way from CSI.

The other weakness is the ending - the twist is good enough, I suppose, but the scene in which he reveals it is contrived and overplayed.

All in all, a good story. If they'd redone the ending and let the villain be a little more clever it would have been a great one. As it is, it's just good.

-B-

A TRACE OF MURDER is one of the last of the Columbo series, and its odd to see the detective as a much older, weather-beaten character. He still seems to be in good shape though, and Peter Falk is certainly on very good form in what turns out to be a distinctly average mystery.

The guest star this time around is Shera Danese, Falk's real-life wife. She conspires with her lover to frame her domineering husband for murder, to get him sent to prison so she can get her hands on his fortune. To complicate matters further, her lover is a forensic expert who ends up working as Columbo's assistant on the case. How long before the wily detective sees through the charade?

A TRACE OF MURDER seems to have been hastily written as the mystery isn't up too much. The bit at the end where Columbo grabs a random couple of restaurant workers to explain the intricacies of the plot is an example of writing at its most threadbare. Even so, this is still a charming story and there's plenty of humour which works really well. I love the scene where Falk is flabbergasted after a sudden realisation, and the "three eyes are better than one" gag is top notch. This is still a Columbo well worth watching if only for the character. Barry Corbin is also great fun as the short-tempered husband.

By all means A Trace of Murder is not quite one of the best of the later episodes, but it is a more than watchable and worthy one. I wasn't too crazy about the ending though, I liked the twist, but the reveal itself too too dragged-out and contrived for my liking. Still, it is like all the Columbos a well made episode, with a score that fits well with the atmosphere and tension. The writing also convinces, especially in the pleasingly subtle comedy, and the story is diverting with a good mix of tense, charming and humorous scenes. Peter Falk is still excellent as Columbo, was there anything this man could not do, and while Shera Danese is solid in her most interesting role of the series I found Barry Corbin as the volatile framed husband even better. All in all, very watchable, and while not one of the best A Trace of Murder is a worthy episode still. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This is a particularly enjoyable series entry because it is extremely well-written. David Rasche's character is particularly well-written and well-acted. He is never over the top, clumsy, or obvious. The clues that got Columbo on his trail were perfect -- subtle (i did not catch them, I must confess) but available and fair.

Shera Danese (Falk's real-life wife) is also extremely true to her character and is a joy to watch. She's been in about six or seven Columbo movies now, and she keeps delivering more on-target performances. And, some clever twists make Barry Corbin's character one of the best on a Columbo episode ever. I hope he shows up on a future Columbo.

I've read lots of comments about this movie, both good and bad, and I must say that I think it is one of the best of the newer Columbo movies. This was actually the first time I'd seen him stumped for the majority of the movie, and it wasn't until shortly before the end that he actually figured it out. Although I love Columbo, the main reason I decided to watch this one was because I loved David Rasche in Sledge Hammer (please make more of those). However, the plot for this one kept me riveted to the couch and not wanting to move. Possibly not as good as many of the classics from the 70s, but definitely better than most of the newer episodes I've seen. Watch it if you get a chance.