Allison Brevard

Allison Brevard is a lady of wealth and maturity. A relatively rarity for MSW, Allison is a completely innocent victim. She is killed by a masked intruder in S1 E6: “Lovers and Other Killers.”

Hello, and welcome to one of my favorite episodes of Murder, She Wrote. We’ll dive into all the details and identify the killers, although we won’t solve every mystery this episode presents. I recommend watching the entire episode first, preferably after sating your appetite with some fin e food and drink.

There are four parts to this episode guide:

This is Part 1, an introduction that includes the setting, characters, and context within the MSW universe
Part 2 is a detailed timeline of the episode’s events
Part 3 is my analysis of the episode
Part 4 is a collection of fun extras that I like to call Bonus Features

Seminar: Murder for Profit

Bestselling author J.B. Fletcher, at the request of an old friend, Edmund Gerard, makes her first appearance as a guest lecturer at a major university. Flattered by the invitation, she nevertheless must balance her enthusiasm for teaching with the demands of her publishing schedule. As always, things quickly turn a bit murder-y.

Marty Strindberg

Strindberg is a contract attorney and partner with Carr, Strindberg and Roth in S1 E4: “Hooray for Homicide”.

Norman Lester

Norman is a junior contract attorney with Carr, Strindberg and Roth in S1 E4: “Hooray for Homicide”.

A Timeline

This is a timeline of all the events we’ve learned about so far on our Murder, She Wrote journey. It includes “present” events as portrayed in the episodes (1984 – 1996), as well as past events depicted or described in the series. Estimated publication dates for J.B. Fletcher’s books can be found in her Oeuvre.

November 1984

An afternoon at the ballet turns deadly in “Death Takes a Curtain Call.” (S1 E9)
Late October 1984

Jessica’s first movie deal is scuttled in “Hooray for Homicide.” (S1 E4)
October 6-13, 1984

Jessica visits her cousin in Virginia and saves the reputation of a very wealthy beagle in “It’s a Dog’s Life.” (S1 E5)
September 1984

Jessica visits her niece in San Francisco and clears her future nephew-in-law of murder charges in “Birds of a Feather.” (S1 E3)
July 21-26, 1984

Jessica visits her niece in Chicago and solves a spooky locked room mystery in “We’re Off to Kill the Wizard.” (S1 E8)
June – July 1984

A hurricane blows through Cabot Cove, and Jessica identifies a “Deadly Lady.” (S1 E2)
May – July 1984

At home in Cabot Cove, Jessica helps a friend steer clear of murder charges in “Hit, Run and Homicide.” (S1 E7)
May – June 1984

Jessica teaches a seminar in Seattle, and becomes entangled with “Lovers and Other Killers.” (S1 E6)
April 1984

Jessica travels to New York to promote her first book, and solves her first case, “The Murder of Sherlock Holmes.” (S1 E1)
1983

Jessica travels to Spain. She takes photographs. One of the rolls of film makes a cameo in “We’re Off to Kill the Wizard.” (S1 E8)
Mid 1940’s – Early 1950’s

Jessica, Frank, and their mutual friend, Edmund Gerard (S1 E6: “Lovers and Other Killers”) spend their Saturday nights at Kappa Gamma Chi. The only active chapter of the sorority during this timeframe appears to be at Emerson College in Boston, MA.