Jessica finds herself in a tough spot when one of the auctioneers of a diary is murdered, and she has to rely on Harry McGraw to help her out.

Season 2, Episode 17: One Good Bid Deserves a Murder (February 23, 1986)

At the request of Richard Bennett, a friend and a popular actor, Jessica Fletcher goes to an auction to bid for the diary of a dead woman whose journal was stolen on the night of her death.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Dr. Sylvia Dunn is Karen Black, which makes this my favorite episode of the show.

Lt. Casey is played by Ray Girardin.

Sheila Saxon is Nancy Lee Grahn, who has been on General Hospital and Santa Barbara.

Albert Cromwell is played by Robert Gray.

Hurd Hatfield, who was Dorian Gray in the 1945 movie, is William Readford.

Edward Mulhare from Knight Rider! He’s Richard Bennett.

Harry McGraw is back and he’s always Jerry Orbach.

Robert Rhine plays Cotter Smith.

Sal Domino is played by Vic Tayback! Yes!

Background roles are played by Alan Craig, Lyle Howry, Paul King, George Sasaki, Nico Stevens, Leland Sun, Manny Weltman, Marvin Newman, Jean Vander Pul (the voice of Wilma Flintstone!), Howard Murohy, Allysia Sneed, Sterling Swanson, David Ankrum and Rebecca Street.

What happens?

Sorry to all the Edward Mulhare fans, but he’s soon killed because of the diary of Evangeline, the Marilyn Monroe of JB Fletcher’s universe. Who else wanted the diary? Everyone. Producer Sheila Saxon and director Saul Domino, who want to make a sleazy movie I would totally watch. Doctor Sylvia Dunn, Evangeline’s psychiatrist, must have some secrets. Or is it Robert Rhine, a lawyer trying to keep the diary quiet for his client?

Harry McGraw keeps Jessica out of jail, seeing as how her client just fell dead out of a wardrobe. Harry also has a black eye from allergies. She takes him back to her hotel to put the medicine on for him, which we all know is just a story, so that I have a section to fill out about Harry McGraw Dogging Jessica later. But no, someone has broken in and torn the room up more than Harry wants to rip up that Cabot Cove Caboose, but luckily, she has hidden the diary in a chess set she bought for dick in glass Seth back home.

When Jessica goes back to the auction house, the owner is dead, and she gets caught standing over the body. She asks the cops why they think she would want to kill the man, and he answers as any law enforcement should: “Beats me, Mrs Fletcher, but every time I find a dead body, you seem to be in the neighborhood.”

Anyways, between Harry dating the producer, him sneaking out with the diary and multiple suspects, this episode is filled with many a twist, many a turn.

Who did it?

Albert Cromwell, who was Evangeline’s first boyfriend.

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Seymour Robbie and written by J. Miyoko Hensley and Steven Hensley, who wrote Can You Feel Me Dancing? together.

Does Jessica get some?

No. I’d like to think that she and Harry have some September/September coupling, followed by a dinner at a diner, then maybe a furtive handjob in his parked car while she thinks about her dead husband. I’m a romantic.

Was it any good?

It has a scene where Karen Black goes nuts. It’s great.

Any trivia?

Angela Lansbury and Hurd Hatfield were co-stars in The Picture of Dorian Gray and became lifelong friends. She introduced him to Ireland and Hatfield lived in County Cork from the early 1970s.

Jessica spent $300 on that chess set, which is like $900 today. She must want Seth more than we know.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Harry McGraw: I must be nuts.

Jessica Fletcher: Harry, I know that was very difficult for you. But now that you’ve put that diary to rest, honestly, don’t you feel better?

Harry McGraw: Honestly? Jessica, you must be nuts.

What’s next?

Cabot Cove residents gather for a funeral and discover the coffin contains the wrong body.