Fletch (novel)

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For other uses, see Fletch (disambiguation).
Fletch
Fletch.JPG
First edition cover
AuthorGregory Mcdonald
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SeriesFletch
GenreMystery, Comedy Novel
PublisherBobbs-Merrill
Publication date
1974
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
ISBN0-672-52020-6 (first edition, paperback)
OCLC1196587
813/.5/4
LC ClassPZ4.M13473 Fl PS3563.A278
Followed by 

Fletch is a 1974 mystery novel by Gregory Mcdonald, the first in a series featuring the character Irwin Maurice Fletcher.

Synopsis[]

The novel introduces I. M. Fletcher, a journalist and ex-Marine camping on a beach watching the drug culture for a story, waiting to find the dealer's source before publishing an exposé.[1]

A millionaire businessman named Alan Stanwyck approaches Fletch to hire Fletch to murder him; the man tells Fletch that he is dying of bone cancer and wants to avoid a slow, painful death and his life insurance is invalid if he kills himself. Fletch accepts $1000 in cash to listen to the man's proposition. Stanwyck 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 sincere, and Fletch begins investigating the man's story.

Additional pressure comes from hiding from the two attorneys chasing Fletch for alimony for each of his ex-wives.

By interviewing Stanwyck's friend and family under a variety of pretexts, a baffled Fletch discovers Stanwyck seems to be in good health and happily married with no plausible reason to fake his death. However, Further investigation uncovers Stanwyck's affair with a high school sweetheart and plan to murder Fletch and steal his identity before flying to South America with millions in cash. Given their similar physical builds, Stanwyck intends on passing off Fletch's burned corpse as his own.

Meanwhile Fletch deduces the police are trafficking drugs on the beach. When the drug supply runs low, police appear and rough up a few vagrants, covertly passing drugs to their dealer amid the commotion.

The police chief shoots and kills Stanwyck, who he has mistaken for Fletch. Fletch uses the ticket Stanwyck bought in his name and flies to South America with Stanwyck's money.

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 (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.[2]

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 novels: Flynn (1977), The Buck Passes Flynn (1981), Flynn's In (1984), and Flynn's World (2003).

Awards and nominations[]

Fletch won a 1975 Edgar Allan Poe Award, for Best First Novel, from the Mystery Writers of America. 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."[2]

Adaptations[]

The novel was loosely adapted into a comedy film, Fletch (1985), starring Chevy Chase.

Another film, Fletch Lives (1989), used an original story instead of adapting one of McDonald's novels. There were several attempts to do a Fletch 3/Fletch Won, including a 1998 deal with Kevin Smith as well as names like Jason Lee and Ben Affleck as the new Irwin M. Fletcher. After delays and the release of his movie Dogma, Smith withdrew from the project.[3] In 2011, Fletch Won, was in development again. By 2014,[4] Jason Sudeikis was set to start in the film which was planned as a series of films.[5] but the reboot went no further as of 2019.[6]

As of July 2020, a reboot of the film series is planned, with a film based on Confess, Fletch starring Jon Hamm and directed by Greg Mottola.[7] Confess, Fletch began filming in June 2021.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ "I M FLETCHER". Nederlandstalige-Fletch-Novels-Uitgaven-Pagina. Retrieved 2006-06-26.
  2. ^ a b "The Fletch Novels". The Official Gregory Mcdonald Website. Retrieved 2006-06-26.
  3. ^ Laker, Jim. "Laker Jim's History of Fletch 3 (Fletch Won) www.fletchwon.net". www.fletchwon.net. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  4. ^ http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=40405[dead link]
  5. ^ "Jason Sudeikis in Talks to Star as Fletch in 'Fletch Won' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 10 March 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Jason Sudeikis Sees 'Fletch' as a Modern and Much-Needed Superhero". /Film. Slash Film. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  7. ^ "'Fletch' Reboot With Jon Hamm in the Works". Variety. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Jon Hamm is filming a reboot of 'Fletch' around Boston". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
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