Fletch is a 1974 mystery novel by Gregory Mcdonald

Gregory Mcdonald

Gregory Mcdonald was an American mystery writer best known for his character Irwin Maurice Fletcher, an investigative reporter otherwise known as "Fletch." Fletch was later played by Chevy Chase in the movie of the same name...

, the first in a series featuring the character Irwin Maurice Fletcher.

Plot introduction

In the first novel, Fletch is working as a reporter. Over the course of the series, however, he acquires a moderate fortune and becomes a globetrotter perpetually working on a biography of fictional artist Edgar Arthur Tharp, Jr. He tends to stumble upon mysteries, often to be suspected of crimes by the police, and to win through depending heavily on his wits.

The first Fletch novel (1974) introduces I. M. Fletcher, a journalist staying on a beach watching the drug culture for a story, waiting to find the dealer's source before publishing an exposé.

A millionaire businessman named Alan Stanwyk approaches Fletch to hire Fletch to murder him; the man tells Fletch that he is dying of bone cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 and wants to avoid a slow, painful death. Fletch accepts $1000 in cash to listen to the man's proposition; the man offers him $20,000 for the murder, and Fletch talks him up to $50,000 in an effort to see if the man is serious. He appears to be serious, and Fletch begins investigating the man's story in between investigating the drug story on the beach and avoiding the two attorneys after him for alimony

Alimony

Alimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...

 for each of his ex-wives.

Sequels

Because of the popularity of Fletch, many sequels (and prequels) were written involving the character. The following books were written in the Fletch series by Gregory McDonald (in the stories' chronological order):

• Fletch Won
  Fletch Won
  Fletch Won is the eighth book in the Fletch series of mystery/comedy novels written by Gregory Mcdonald, and was published in 1985. The story is set before the first seven books in the series, and follows the early days of the title character's journalism career. Fletch scores his first big...
  
  (1985)
• Fletch, Too (1986)
• Fletch and the Widow Bradley (1981)
• Fletch (1974)
• Carioca Fletch (1984)
• Confess, Fletch (1976)
• Fletch's Fortune (1978)
• Fletch's Moxie (1982)
• Fletch and the Man Who (1983)
• Son of Fletch (1993)
• Fletch Reflected (1994)

McDonald wanted the final two books (featuring Fletch's son Jack) to be spin-offs called Jack's Story and Jack and the Perfect Mirror, respectively.

In Confess, Fletch, McDonald introduced another popular character, Inspector Francis Xavier Flynn, a brilliant but eccentric police detective who serves as a foil for Fletch. Flynn would go on to star in four of his own spin-off

Spin-off (media)

In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...

 novels: Flynn, The Buck Passes Flynn, Flynn's In and Flynn's World.

Awards and nominations

Fletch won a 1975 Edgar Allan Poe Award

Edgar Award

The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...

, for Best First Novel, from the Mystery Writers of America

Mystery Writers of America

Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....

. The sequel, Confess, Fletch, also won an Edgar Award, for Best Paperback Original, in 1977. As Mcdonald's official website notes: "The only time a novel and its sequel won back-to-back Edgars."

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

The novel was loosely adapted into a comedy film

Comedy film

Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...

 starring Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase

Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...

 as the main character, Fletch

Fletch (film)

Fletch is a 1985 comedy film about a wisecracking investigative newspaper reporter, Irwin M. Fletcher , who writes under the name of Jane Doe...

(1985

1985 in film

-Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie...

), with considerable changes along the way.

Another film, Fletch Lives

Fletch Lives

Fletch Lives is a 1989 comedy film starring Chevy Chase. It was directed by Michael Ritchie with a screenplay by Leon Capetanos based on the character created by Gregory Mcdonald. Fletch Lives was released by Universal Pictures. It is a sequel to the 1985 film Fletch.- Plot :Chevy Chase once again...

(1989

1989 in film

-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...

), used an original story instead of adapting one of McDonald's novels. A new movie, Fletch Won, is still in pre-production as of 2010.