Ep 16. Murder in the Electric Cathedral

Jessica Fletcher, the renowned mystery writer, is back in Cabot Cove for another mystery to solve in Murder, She Wrote season 2 episode 16. In this episode, titled Murder in the Electric Cathedral, Cabot Cove is holding its annual music festival in the grand Cathedral, and Jessica is in attendance. The Cathedral's majestic pipe organ is playing beautifully when suddenly a man collapses. At first, everyone thinks it's a heart attack, but when the medical examiner arrives, he confirms that the man was electrocuted.

Jessica decides to investigate the case as she is already aware of an unyielding tension between the Cathedral's staff and a group of church fanatics led by Reverend Jonathan Martin, who are protesting the use of the electric organ. As she questions the people around the Cathedral, she finds out various accounts of the victim's character, some labels him as a thief, while others call him a good man. The victim was also a business associate and friend of the Cathedral's organist, Fred Tate.

The story progresses as Jessica discovers that Fred has a considerable debt, which he owes to the victim. She also finds out that Fred has sold his musical compositions to an unscrupulous publisher, Richard Bennett, who makes unfair deals with his clients. Through their conversations, Jessica learns of an old deal between Richard and the victim, which would have resulted in significant gains for him, but as the victim dies, his company would go to someone else.

As the investigation deepens, Jessica discovers something that puts Fred in a rather unfortunate position. She learns that he is actually not the Cathedral's organist, but a fraud. The victim had apparently caught a glimpse of Fred's deception, and that is why Fred owed him so much money. Furthermore, there was also something going on between Richard and Fred, which could be related to the murder.

Jessica with her sleuthing skills is able to put the pieces together. She is convinced that the murderer used the electric organ to electrocute the victim, and cunningly made it look like a heart attack. Now, she needs to investigate the different suspects she has identified. The list includes Richard, Reverend Jonathan Martin, and a woman who was overheard threatening the victim.

As the story comes to a close, Jessica is able to solve the mystery and pin the culprit. The murderer's identity and motive come to light. While the episode revolves around solving the murder crime, it also shows the different characters involved in the story and brings to light the motives and intent behind the crime. The episode has the perfect balance of tension, mystery, and surprises that make it a captivating to watch. Murder in the Electric Cathedral turns out to be another superb episode in the Murder, She Wrote series, leaving its viewers on the edge of their seats up until the very end.