Arabesque: La peur aux trousses

Headed to a lecture by train, Jessica is sent on a mysterious journey after she has a brief encounter in the dining car with a woman -who witnessed the murder of a man trying to expose a serious flaw in a top-secret government satellite code - who later vanishes.

This feature length MSW is a well-plotted and enjoyable mystery with Jessica doing what she does best - putting her nose where it doesn't belong and solving a case of murder, witnesses and codes. Loved the train setting, though halfway in the setting changes to Arizona and rugged landscapes and long winding roads. The plot can be over convoluted and it's not always clear how Jessica comes to her conclusion, but it's still fun with its twist and turns.

This was the first TV-movie that continued the mysteries of crime novelist and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher, a role that Angela Lansbury made loved around the world in the popular TV series, Murder She Wrote.

On the outside it may seem like just a feature length episode of that show, but if you look at it closely you'll see that it has some wonderful moments that make it a superior TV-movie. I suppose having said that you really do need to have an interest in this sort of TV mystery formula and if you have a love for the show then you will adore this.

There are some wonderful moments of mystery and intrigue built up and towards the end you are gagging to find out the truth as you always are in these mysteries. Also,as usual with a good mystery, there are some wonderful twists and turns which I'm obviously not going to talk about. I would recommend this to die hard fans of the series and anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

I do agree that this is a must see for fans of the show like I am. I don't think any of the TV movies achieve the level of greatness the show does but they come close. This could be the best of them, and the one that is most like the show in terms of tone. The plot is filled with intriguing twists and turns though nothing too complicated, and the script has some great moments as well. The direction is solid, the pacing is good in general if a tad draggy in the middle half and the scenery and photography are striking. I liked the beautiful and haunting music too, and the acting is fine, especially from Angela Lansbury(obviously), while Mel Harris and Keith David also give good turns. Overall, a true delight for fans of the series. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Without a doubt the best! of the 4 spin-off TV movies from the 'Murder, She Wrote' TV series.

Superb styling. A great story that pans out well, with a couple of surprising plot twists at the end. More worthy of Lansbury's dramatic scope than, sadly, the rest of the TV spin-offs, this is one film that is well worth setting the set-top box to record.

With wonderful subtle references to other 'train crime' movies: the film noir 'Double Indemnity'; 'The 39 Steps' (the rural train station at which Jessica Fletcher disembarks is amusingly named 'Hannay' after that film's lead character Richard Hannay); and of course another famous Hitchcock train movie: 'North by Northwest'. Plus there are elements of 'The Lady Vanishes' when one of the lead characters disappears; all the more poignant, of course, as Angela Lansbury herself starred as 'the lady' in the 1978 film version of the 'TLV'!

Indubitably a fun film for die-hard fans of the TV series. And the most watchable of the spin-offs. Maybe this is because it was the first (made in 1997) of the 4 movies. But in any case the other 3 spin-offs in this TV franchise are little more than self-indulgent, rambling & soporific TV 'dross'. This initial TV movie, however, is a more 3-dimensional film.

A well-scripted story in which the plot gives Lansbury the chance to really act. Enjoy. It offers a fun couple of hours' viewing.

Anyone who has viewed more than two or three of Jessica's 40-minute TV episodes can set their watch by the little scene where she stops and says "Now let me see if I've got this right" - her chance to help all the dumbos to keep up with the plot.

Well 80 minutes is very different from 40 minutes, and I personally would have welcomed at least one of these idiot-board updates in the course of this bigger and busier version of 'Murder, She Wrote'. No fewer than 37 characters are listed, and their names flung about like confetti, so we only dimly understand who's who in the zoo. But don't let that put you off; the masterly ending will make the same impact anyhow.

The story takes us by rail into the baking sands of Arizona, about as far as you can get from Cabot Cove, both geographically and spiritually. Trains are always good for murder mysteries, with plenty of enigmatic strangers and chance meetings. And with Jessica on board, it's a safe bet that one or two passengers won't quite make it to their destination.

By about the midpoint, we've learned to mistrust every snarling male, but not, of course, certain gracious females who are so keen to confide in Jessica. (This view takes a bit of a knock in the closing stages.)

We can't reveal much more without giving away some key twists that are vastly superior to anything seen in the standard episodes. As for the murder-motive, this relates to a hi-tech agenda that manages to look just as fresh and topical now as it would have done in 1997 - a singular achievement. There are some pleasing touches, like a wacky hotel receptionist (Susan Blommaert) who turns out to be one of Jessica's most devoted fans. And only the inaudible dialogue at a key moment in the dining-car scene lets down the production values.

At the end, Jessica is pointing out the murderer's careless mistakes in her best schoolmarm style. (But regular viewers may like to know that we're spared the usual spluttering "But that's ridiculous..." protest from the other party this time round!)