While visiting an old friend's ranch in Colorado, bestselling mystery author Jessica Fletcher is caught in a fiendish plot of revenge when one of the guests is found stabbed to death. Soon after, the victim's wife is also discovered murdered in a gruesome fashion. With the police at a loss, and the rest of the ranch guests on edge, Jessica decides to do some research into the past of some of the less than cordial guests. What she discovers may help her crack the case...if it doesn't get her killed first!

While visiting an old friend's ranch in Colorado, bestselling mystery author Jessica Fletcher is caught in a fiendish plot of revenge when one of the guests is found stabbed to death. Soon after, the victim's wife is also discovered murdered in a gruesome fashion. With the police at a loss, and the rest of the ranch guests on edge, Jessica decides to do some research into the past of some of the less than cordial guests. What she discovers may help her crack the case...if it doesn't get her killed first!

When a friend’s husband dies while Jessica Fletcher is in town visiting, Jessica’s vacation turns into a murder investigation in this latest entry in the long-running USA Today bestselling series. After traveling to Bethesda for a mystery writers’ conference, Jessica Fletcher decides she’s earned a vacation and takes a train to Columbia, South Carolina, to visit her old college friend Dolores, who has recently married her third husband, Willis Nickens, a wealthy and cutthroat businessman. They’ve moved into an opulent historic home with plenty of space for guests, and Jessica is ready for a week of shopping, gossiping, and relaxing at the grand estate. But the morning after she arrives, Jessica discovers Willis facedown in the koi pond, and despite what the police think, she’s sure foul play is involved. She hadn’t known Willis long, but it’s clear to her that he didn’t concern himself with making friends. The question isn’t if her friend’s husband was murdered but by whom.

"Based on the Universal television series created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson & William Link"--Title page.