Prior to the broadcast of "Murder by the Book", NBC aired two pilots of the show, both with Falk as Columbo and writing by Richard Levinson & William Link.
They stop at a general store, where, as Franklin makes a phone call to Ferris's wife (Rosemary Forsyth) to establish an alibi, the owner Lilly La Sanka (Barbara Colby)—obviously smitten with Franklin—peers outside to see whom Franklin brought with him and sees Ferris in the passenger seat of the car.
The two have an intimate dinner in the back of her store, then he bludgeons her and puts her body in a boat, which he capsizes to make her death appear accidental.
Final clue/twist: After hearing that Ferris habitually wrote down ideas for his mystery novels on whatever paper was handy, Columbo searches his office and house and finds a note with the fake phone call/alibi scheme.
[1][2] Carl Brimmer (Robert Culp), the very tough, hard-nosed head of a private detective agency, with unfortunate and fateful anger issues, is hired by Arthur Kennicut (Ray Milland), a powerful publishing magnate who suspects his wife, Lenore (Pat Crowley), of infidelity.
Although Brimmer indeed finds evidence of her being unfaithful, instead of reporting this fact to his client, he attempts to blackmail Lenore into obtaining business and political secrets from her husband.
She refuses and tells him she will expose his plot to her husband, at which point Brimmer accidentally kills her in a fit of rage.
Major General Martin Hollister (Eddie Albert), a retired Marine Corps war hero, learns he is being investigated for embezzling military funds, then shoots his skittish accomplice, Col. Dutton (John Kerr).
Noted Canadian actress Kate Reid plays Helen's disbelieving mother, who is favorably impressed by the distinguished Hollister.
He mails a letter threatening to terminate Peter's employment if he doesn't break things off with Beth, causing her to reach the tipping point and act to gain control of her own life and, it turns out, the family business (as there are no other siblings).
Roger Stanford (Roddy McDowall) is a chemist whose uncle, David (James Gregory), has taken over a business that his parents built and his aunt (Ida Lupino) controls.
David plans to sell the business to a conglomerate, and threatens to reveal Roger's scandalous doings at the office to his aunt if he does not quit.
Elliot Markham (Patrick O'Neal) is an architect with a vision for a city of the future, and a penchant for classical music.
His latest project is being bankrolled by the young wife of Beau Williamson (Forrest Tucker), a wealthy industrialist who has been away on a lengthy overseas business trip.
Markham comes up with a clever plan to conceal the body and make it appear as if Beau has gone on another long foreign trip.