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

The novel introduces I. M. Fletcher, a journalist and former Marine camping undercover on a beach watching the drug culture for a story.

Stanwyck 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.

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 by staging a car crash.

[6] The series was finally rebooted in 2022 with Confess, Fletch, an adaptation of the novel of the same name, starring Jon Hamm and directed by Greg Mottola, which was released in September 2022.