Murder by the Book

Murder by the Book

NR 1987 · 100 min · ★ 6.2 · Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller, TV Movie

Mild-mannered mystery writer D. H. Mercer has become so immersed in his material that his creation, hard-boiled private eye Biff Deegan, constantly appears to him as a hallucination. Intent on getting rid of Biff, and replacing him with a more civilized detective, Mercer soon finds himself in a genuine mystery involving art fraud, murder, and a beautiful lady in peril.

Directed by Mel Damski · Written by Michael Norell

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

fuboTVMGM+ Amazon ChannelPhiloMGM Plus Roku Premium ChannelMGM Plus

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 19m together

Murder by the Book

Reservoir Dogs

A close match in mood and era.

More from Mel DamskiSee all →

ScorpionScorpion · 2014
Scorpion
8.22014
SeriesAction & AdventureDrama
Eccentric genius Walter O’Brien and his team of brilliant misfits comprise the last line of defense against complex, high-tech threats of the modern age. As Homeland Security’s new think tank, O’Brien’s “Scorpion” team includes Toby Curtis, an expert behaviorist who can read anyone; Happy Quinn, a mechanical prodigy; and Sylvester Dodd, a statistics guru.
CharmedCharmed · 1998
Charmed
8.21998
SeriesComedyDrama
Three sisters (Prue, Piper and Phoebe) reunite and unlock their powers to become the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good witches of all time, whose prophesied destiny is to protect innocent lives from evil beings such as demons and warlocks. Each sister possesses unique magical powers that grow and evolve, while they attempt to maintain normal lives in modern day San Francisco.
M*A*S*HM*A*S*H · 1972
M*A*S*H
7.91972
SeriesWar & PoliticsDrama
The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.
Boston LegalBoston Legal · 2004
Boston Legal
7.92004
SeriesComedyDrama
Alan Shore and Denny Crane lead a brigade of high-priced civil litigators in an upscale Boston law firm in a series focusing on the professional and personal lives of brilliant but often emotionally challenged attorneys. A spin-off of long-running series The Practice.
PsychPsych · 2006
Psych
7.92006
SeriesDramaComedy
Thanks to his police officer father's efforts, Shawn Spencer spent his childhood developing a keen eye for detail (and a lasting dislike of his dad). Years later, Shawn's frequent tips to the police lead to him being falsely accused of a crime he solved. Now, Shawn has no choice but to use his abilities to perpetuate his cover story: psychic crime-solving powers, all the while dragging his best friend, his dad, and the police along for the ride.
Nowhere ManNowhere Man · 1995
Nowhere Man
7.81995
SeriesMysteryDrama
Thomas Veil is a documentary photographer who, in the course of one evening, seemingly has his whole existence erased...
Boston PublicBoston Public · 2000
Boston Public
7.72000
SeriesDrama
Principal Steven Harper runs Winslow High School as best as he can while dealing with the demands of the faculty, the students and their parents.
EdEd · 2000
Ed
7.62000
SeriesDramaComedy
After his wife leaves him and he's fired from his job at a high-profile New York city law firm, Ed Stevens moves back to his small hometown of Stuckeyville where he buys the local bowling alley and attempts to win the heart of his high school crush.
The PracticeThe Practice · 1997
The Practice
7.61997
SeriesDrama
A provocative legal drama focused on young associates at a bare-bones Boston firm and their scrappy boss, Bobby Donnell. The show's forte is its storylines about “people who walk a moral tightrope.”
EverwoodEverwood · 2002
Everwood
7.62002
SeriesDramaFamily
After the death of his wife, world-class neurosurgeon Dr. Andrew Brown leaves Manhattan and moves his family to the small town of Everwood, Colorado. There he becomes a small-town doctor and learns parenting on the fly as he raises his talented but resentful 15-year-old son Ephram and his 9-year-old daughter Delia.
Jack & JillJack & Jill · 1999
Jack & Jill
7.61999
SeriesDramaComedy
A lighthearted romantic comedy about post-collegiate life, love and career in New York City.
Word of HonorWord of Honor · 1981
Word of Honor
7.51981
MovieDramaTV Movie
A reporter refuses to reveal his source in the case of the murder of a young girl. As a result, he and his family are shunned by the residents of the small town in which they live. Virtually no one comes to his daughter's wedding, and at his office, the police search his desk, and his boss threatens to fire him.
Judging AmyJudging Amy · 1999
Judging Amy
7.51999
SeriesDrama
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character is a judge who serves in a family court, and in addition to the family-related cases that she adjudicates, many episodes of the show focus on her own experiences as a divorced mother, and on the experiences of her mother, a social worker who works in the field of child welfare. This series was based on the life experiences of Brenneman's mother.
Switched at BirthSwitched at Birth · 2011
Switched at Birth
7.52011
SeriesDramaFamily
The story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother, while Daphne Vasquez, who lost her hearing at an early age due to a case of meningitis, grew up with a single mother in a working-class neighborhood. Things come to a dramatic head when both families meet and struggle to learn how to live together for the sake of the girls.
Lou GrantLou Grant · 1977
Lou Grant
7.41977
SeriesComedyDrama
The trials of a former television station manager turned newspaper city editor, and his journalist staff.
Early EditionEarly Edition · 1996
Early Edition
7.41996
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyDrama
Gary Hobson thinks he may even be losing his mind when tomorrow's newspaper mysteriously arrives today giving him a disconcerting look into the future. What will he do with tomorrow's news?

More Like This

ManhattanManhattan · 1979
Manhattan
7.71979
MovieComedyDrama
Manhattan explores how the life of a middle-aged television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress.
Reservoir DogsReservoir Dogs · 1992
Reservoir Dogs
8.11992
MovieCrimeThriller
A botched robbery indicates a police informant, and the pressure mounts in the aftermath at a warehouse. Crime begets violence as the survivors -- veteran Mr. White, newcomer Mr. Orange, psychopathic parolee Mr. Blonde, bickering weasel Mr. Pink and Nice Guy Eddie -- unravel.
PsychoPsycho · 1960
Psycho
8.41960
MovieHorrorThriller
When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates cares for his housebound mother.
Fight ClubFight Club · 1999
Fight Club
8.41999
MovieDramaThriller
A ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a slippery soap salesman channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until an eccentric gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion.
CachéCaché · 2005
Caché
7.02005
MovieMysteryDrama
As the host of a literary TV show, Georges begins receiving anonymously filmed videos of his family alongside cryptic, disturbing drawings, but as the tapes become increasingly intimate, they reveal a stalker who has known him for a very long time.
Best SellerBest Seller · 1987
Best Seller
5.91987
MovieActionCrime
Hit man Cleve approaches writer/cop Dennis about a story for his next book: How Cleve made a living, working for one of the most powerful politicians in the country. To get the story right, they travel around the country to gather statements and evidence, while strong forces use any means they can to keep the story untold.
Hannah and Her SistersHannah and Her Sisters · 1986
Hannah and Her Sisters
7.51986
MovieComedyDrama
Between two Thanksgivings, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.
Fermat's RoomFermat's Room · 2007
Fermat's Room
6.62007
MovieMysteryThriller
Four mathematicians are imprisoned in a shrinking room; with the walls closing in, they must try anything to escape this fatal puzzle.
Boogie NightsBoogie Nights · 1997
Boogie Nights
7.61997
MovieDramaComedy
In 1977, an idealistic porn producer and his promising protege try to catch up with the end of an era before their never-ending party collides with cold, hard reality.
Scooby Goes HollywoodScooby Goes Hollywood · 1979
Scooby Goes Hollywood
7.51979
MovieAnimationComedy
Shaggy and Scooby-Doo quit their Saturday morning TV series in pursuit of Hollywood stardom.
GargoylesGargoyles · 1972
Gargoyles
5.81972
MovieFantasyHorror
After receiving word about a mysterious carcass/skeleton unearthed in the Arizona desert, a father and his daughter decide to remove it from the burial grounds for further study. Once they do so, they, as well as the town, are besieged by a colony of gargoyles living in some nearby caverns.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter