Love's Deadly Desire

Mysterious flashing flood lights flicker across Cabot Cove Harbor one dreary overcast evening, as observed by Doctor Seth Hazlitt (William Windom), who chauffeurs Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to Cabot Cove Library for a literary reading sponsored by the local Ladies' Auxiliary.

Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak) informs Deputy Andy Broom (Louis Herthum) and others that he suspects the blinking lights are designed to signal codes from ship to shore in conjunction with a smuggling operation.

Across the craggy path this foggy night, Jessica arrives to attend a presentation of macabre poetry delivered by its writer, Sibella Stone (Carroll Baker), with several others of various ages in attendance, including Sue (Robin Gordon), Peggy Reed (Jennifer Parsons), Valerie Hartman (Andrea Roth), Marian King (Yvonne Suhor), and Chairwoman (B.J. Ward), who organizes this event to welcome the disconnecting Sibella back to Cabot Cove.

Derek Hartman (William Katt) remains Sibella's loyal younger husband, while she runs around behind his back with the even younger Monroe Shepard (David Gail), who delivers meals from one of Cabot Cove's many diners, this also employing Peggy Reed and Marian King, in an establishment which Mr. Turner (Erwin Fuller) frequents.

Phil Coile (Christopher Murray) owns a cottage near seaside, as he has dealings with Colin Burnham (John David Bland), who shares a connection with other Cabot Cove youths, as well as Smuggler (Ian Ruskin) on one level.

The headstrong Sibella doesn't head the advice of others who warn her not to hike along the path leading to the isolated cottage, as she neither proceeds with caution after a note appears in her study inviting her to a secret rendezvous at her boat house during a reception which she and Derek host.

Before Sibella lunges through broken floorboards to submerge beneath the cold blue sea, catching her heel between rocks in the process, someone borrowing her grey cloak is discovered along the remote path, a victim of murder.

Sheriff Mort Metzger deduces that Sibella must have been the intended victim in this crime connecting to the smugglers' operation and begins to make his arrests, resulting in a threatening confrontation, while Jessica suspects that others bearing secrets of their own may have stronger motives, such as spitefulness by someone's cheating on another cheater.

When Jessica visits the diner, she observes a striking similarity between the printing upon a menu board and that upon the note uncovered in Sibella's study, leading her to conclude that additional murders have been plotted if only she, Sheriff Metzger and Deputy Andy could arrive back at the boat shed in time to prevent their tentative occurrence, revolving around "Love's Deadly Desire."

Extra points for the appearances of William Katt, David Gail and John David Bland, for adding credible performances to rise above a somewhat implausible premise.

Jessica is not the only famous novelist in Cabot Cove, indeed fellow writer Sibella Stone has taken up residence in a dilapidated old house, after an accident in the house, a figure wearing an elaborate cloak is killed.

As end of series episodes go, I'd put Love's Deadly desire up there with the best of them, there is a food deal doing on here, deceit, adultery, snuggling and of course murder.

It's one of those episodes where you think you may know who's going to get killed, but are perhaps a little surprised by the victim. You then need to figure if it was a case of mistaken identity or not.

Carroll Baker is the standout for me, very charismatics, so glamorous, she had a real presence here.

My one gripe, once again, The English guy, Colin, why once again is there an English bad guy with that insanely posh accent, even in the 80's and 90's the vast majority of Brits did not sound like this.

Very good, 8/10.

In this installment of "Murder, She Wrote", another world famous writer (Carrol Baker) has come for an extended stay in Cabot Cove. There also are MANY folks who apparently want to do her ill...such as an unfaithful husband and a nasty daughter. However, soon bad things start happening....with what looks like an apparent attempted murder disguised as an accident and ultimately an actual murder. What is going on here and who is behind all this? Well, naturally, Jessica's going to get to the heart of all this!

This is a very good episode. Perfect? No...but very good...which is great since much of season 9 is rather disappointing. Well written, interesting and exactly what the fans of the series want.

A romance writer's holiday stay is ruined by threats and infidelities after her assistant is murdered on the beach. A rather juicy entry with some fine acting, clever twists and turns, especially with the ending, and effective sea and boat house settings. The latter adds to the suspense. Carroll Baker acts well as Sibella, the writer of Gothic romance, as does William Katt as her publisher husband, who, em, is having a good time with his wife's assistant. Needless to say, his wife is clueless about their midnight rendezvous, though Baker's step-daughter's shady boyfriend ( British; villains in US dramas tend to have plummy accents) knows, and threatens to let the cat out of the bag.

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

Some may disagree, but, although not a show high-point, "Love's Deadly Desire" is one a very inconsistent Season 9's better episodes. Don't expect the story to make complete sense, some of it really doesn't and that the premise is pretty implausible works against it. Those are reasons enough for people to not care much about the episode. Still, there is something about "Love's Deadly Desire" that to me makes it difficult to hate. Despite the lack of sense, the mystery is always compelling, nothing dull about the episode at all, has a good amount of atmosphere, and it is always entertaining.

Although suspected earlier on and the truth of the boathouse accident was not hard to figure out, the ending was very clever and succeeds in cleaning up the implausibilities which was nice for a season with its fair share of disappointing ones.

"Love's Deadly Desire" has a great cast going for it. Angela Lansbury can do no wrong and she is matched by Ron Masak, whose Mort is very easy to like and is much more than your bumbling, idiotic or push-over sheriff cliché (which has never been the case with Mort), and William Windom as everybody's favourite curmudgeon doctor and one of the show's best recurring characters.

William Katt and David Gail also give a lot of credibility and Carroll Baker's performance is worth watching the episode for alone, she's terrific.

Production values are slick and stylish. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune. A lot of thought-provoking moments and it takes itself seriously while still maintaining the show's customary cosy light-heartedness.

Summing up, very entertaining and absorbing episode once one looks past the implausibility of the premise and the lack of sense. 8/10 Bethany Cox