Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Acknowledgments ix
4. Prologue HUMBLE ORIGINS AND DOGGED RETURNS xv
5. Introduction MURDER BY THE BOOK 1
6. 1 Mapping the Detective: Falk’s Early Drives 24
7. 2 Best-Selling Mystery Team COLUMBO AND TELEVISUAL COLLABORATION 38
8. 3 “I’m Fascinated by Money” RANK, FILE, AND GUMSHOE DETECTION 72
9. 4 Special Guest Stars: Hollywood Icons and Repeat Offender 95
10. 5 Between Columbo and Cassavetes: A Familial Pack 119
11. 6 An “Obsessive Preoccupation with Gadgetry”: Columbo’s Investigation of Media Technologies 144
12. 7 Columbo’s Reign: Of Life and Death and Detection 172
13. Epilogue: Loving and Leaving Columbo 197
14. Notes 201
15. Bibliography 219
16. Index 225