.
In this book, Fletch spends some time avoiding receiving his Bronze Star that he was awarded in Vietnam for bravery in action. This becomes something of a running gag as it pops up in several of the other novels.

• The character of Clara Snow is also removed from the film. She is Fletch’s lower level boss who is sleeping with Frank to advance her career and is also Fletch’s office nemesis
• Stanwyk is not involved in the drug trafficking. The Chief kills him from a distance because of his "similar build" to Fletch.
• The "Moon River," "Gordon Liddy,"and "Car Chase" sequences are not in the book.
• The disguises and aliases used in the film (Gordon Liddy, Dr. Rosenpenis, Don Corleone) are not used in the book.

Fletch (1974) by Gregory McDonald

Synopsis

Most of the plot from this, the first Fletch novel, is the same as the movie. There are some character changes and changed premises (most of which are listed below).

Our hero, I.M. "Fletch" Fletcher is posing as a drug addicted drifter in order to crack a story on the supply of drugs to the beach. Fletch is approached and hired by a man named Alan Stanwyk to kill him. Mr. Stanwyk says he is dying of cancer and says he does not wish to go through the pain. Fletch finds this curious and bites to find a story. One by one Fletch interviews Stanwyk’s wife, parents, doctor, insurance agent, in laws, and friends. He does this by giving false names and using information gathered by previous questioning (Fletch does not use disguises as in the movie). At the same time he continues his investigation of the beach. The two mysteries wrap up in the closing chapters and Fletch ends up with $3,000,000 which sets him up for future installments of the Fletch series.

Review

The first Fletch novel is probably the best of the Fletch novels in my opinion. It’s fast, funny and like most of the Fletch novels there are hardly any descriptive passages. Almost the entire book is dialogue. While not as purely comedic as the movie, the book features quite a few laugh-out-loud passages and is more worthy of any Fletch fans time.

Gail Boyd Stanwyk's name is Joan Collins Stanwyk in the book. Similarly there is no Boyd Aviation just Collins Aviation.

FLETCH'S LADIES

Fletch sleeps with two women in the first book of the series.

STANWYK'S MILLIONS

Although Fletch becomes involved with Mrs. Stanwyk, she is not involved at the end of the novel. Nor is she informed of Fletch’ s true motives. After Alan Stanwyk is shot Fletch takes the $3,000,000 and flies to Rio de Janeiro while Sally Ann Cavanaugh and son wait for Stanwyk (who is not going to be showing up). The money will set up Fletch for future installments of the books

The character of Bobbi, a 15-year-old female prostitute drug addict, whom Fletch is involved with, is not in the film. (Who’s the ped now Fletch)