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.

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!)

Okay . . . . the four "Murder She Wrote" movies are currently on Amazon Prime. It can be confusing how to find them, however. You must do a search for "Murder She Wrote" (New). It will show 4 seasons. Seasons 2, 3 & 4 are all showing the description of Season 2, even though they are actually the remaining two movies. Hopefully, Amazon will correct this eventually.

I never watched many of the TV episodes until the last few years, when I saw them all on Peacock. You do get really attached to Jessica, and are sad when all the episodes are watched. Seeing these movies instantly brings back that attachment. Jessica is the same, at least in this first movie.

It's an interersting story, although I guessed who the killers were before the ending, even though I wasn't trying to do so. Jessica ends up in Arizona after a train ride that ended up with one passenger missing and one murdered. Both the FBI and higher government powers are involved, which I found dull; but Jessica herself is never dull, and it was great to see the late, great Angela Lansbury in action again.

"Murder, She Wrote: South By Southwest," is a title that's an obvious homage to Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 classic suspenser, "North By Northwest," This is because while a great portion of the Hitchcock classic takes place aboard a train, so does this thriller - and a thriller, it is! I loved Angela's "Murder, She Wrote, series - but this is so much more competent; so much more professional - it's production so much more stylish; so much more like a motion picture.

I'm watching this for the first time right now as I type this because I was drawn to record a wonderfully positive review. On my on screen TV guide, some igno gave it one star...one lousy star! I'm sorry, but this is a full three-star mystery! This is one of the finest, if not the finest, Jessica Flether "murder, She Wrote" mysteries of them all!

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