I have a confession to make: I am a Murder, She Wrote junkie. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I am a huge fan of the series, so when I saw Peter S. Fischer’s “unauthorized” autobiography available on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read and review it. In Me and Murder, She Wrote: My Adventures in Television with Angela Lansbury, Peter Falk and Jerry Orbach…Among Others, the Murder, She Wrote creator, television producer, and writer tells the story of his career, its highs and its lows, with tremendous candidness.

Throughout the book, Mr. Fischer shares remembrances of the many people that he worked with throughout his career along with insight into the workings of the television industry (at least at the time when he was writing and producing for TV). He recalls meeting Angela Lansbury and realizing that she was Jessica Fletcher (he also recalls her response when he told her this). His experiences and feelings towards such stars as Peter Falk, Hal Linden, Jerry Orbach, and Harry Morgan and so many others are also shared among this book’s pages, as are so many stories about things that happened on and off the set during the production of the many TV movies and series that he was involved with.

In case you haven’t figured it out, I loved this book. Peter S. Fischer’s writing style is fun and so is the insight into people and TV shows that I grew up watching and still enjoy (along with many I was unfamiliar with).

If you are a fan of Murder, She Wrote, Columbo, Peter S. Fischer, Angela Lansbury, Peter Falk, or probably even television of the 1970s through 1990s in general, you will enjoy this book. I sure did.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing these things in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. ( )

(115) Travel through television history as Peter S. Fischer, best known for producing MURDER, SHE WROTE, shares his personal history from insurance employee to award-winning producer to self-publishing author. Jessica Fletcher herself, being a former English teacher, might cringe at the memoir's grammatically-incorrect title, but this is a pleasant remembrance of stars like Angela Lansbury, Robert Urich, Robert Blake, Lorne Greene, and Peter Falk. Recommended for fans of 1970s - 1990s made for TV movies and dramas. ( )

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Grove Point Press in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation.

Thinking back on all the things that remind me of my mom, MURDER, SHE WROTE is definitely one of them. I remember how we would get snacks and beverages ready and plop down onto the couch to watch the latest episodes. During the commercials we would try to hash out the clues that have been presented to see if we could figure out who did it. Angela Lansbury was one of my mom's favorite actresses. Every time I am able to catch a MURDER, SHE WROTE rerun, I sit back and think of those wonderful times with my mom.

So of course, I wanted to read this book. I love the books that give glimpses at the creative processes behind the shows and also at the people who work their magic to allow us to escape into the various places that the shows bring us.

Me and MURDER, SHE WROTE takes us into the working life of Peter S. Fischer from his beginnings as a struggling writer up to his mystery novels. I loved reading about the time he spent writing for Columbo. As he was talking about certain things and episodes, I would try to remember each episode as best as I could. The same goes for most of the shows he was talking about. I think I have watched most of them.

And of course, the show that I know the best would be MURDER, SHE WROTE. I have watched each episode so many times that I can tell you within seconds of it starting which episode it is, the outline of the plot, and who did it. So hearing all the ins and outs of writing and shooting the scripts was great. Peter is a truly creative man who I admire greatly. Because no matter how great the actors are, if the script isn't good, the show won't be good. And Peter has definitely honed his craft to the point of being able to write credible scenes and create characters that could just walk out of your TV screen into your living room. ( )