I agree that this is one of the worst endings in all of Columbo, but surprisingly, not for the reasons you suggest. Given all the circumstantial evidence Columbo had amassed that Montoya killed Hector, and having it come on the heels of Curro’s wounding, I don’t think it was such a stretch for Columbo to reach the conclusion he reached, once he learned about the whole “matter of honor” with bullfighters. I also don’t think it is a stretch to think it would happen again, because I believe they mention in the episode that he froze because of his leg injury and the realization that he no longer was qualified to fight and escape a bull’s wrath. Who the audience was mattered little, as this was a physical reality-based fear, not a psychological one.

Don't be disrespectful of the dead," said his mother, the same look of fear returning to her face. "I begged your father to destroy that envelope," she added, in a voice that was barely a whisper. While taking a gentle stroll around the stunning Montoya estate, Columbo is given an almighty fright by a breakaway bull. Moving like a man possessed, Columbo saves his own skin by hurdling a low wall – only then to fully appreciate how adorably teeny and unthreatening the baby bull is, as he is jeered by walking stereotype Miguel. On the other side of the world, the Russians are after an icon, said to be the famous Tsar's icon, which contains an important document. If found within the specified time, it would change the course of history. And Alex Romanov has been assigned to the task of retrieving it. LeVar Burton ( Geordi La Forge) and Marina Sirtis ( Deanna Troi) do not appear in this episode. This is the first episode of the series in which Burton does not appear.The story starts with Adam Scott and his family sitting for the will reading in their attorneys office where Adam gets the letter as a part of his will. Adam opens it and then begins the actual story. What is beautiful about Archers writing is his scenes are very vivid and descriptions are detailed. This book also doesn’t fail to make sure that the reader visualises what author wants them to see. Be it surroundings, clothes of characters, action taken by them etc. No," said the General Secretary drily, his bushy eyebrows rising every time he had completed a statement. "It wasn't the Tsar's silver crown that had been removed, but the painting itself." approach to everyone he came across. But most of all the same high standards of morality that had brought them to their present sad state. "And in any case I've always got Margaret to take care of me," she - ided. Adam looked across at his sister and wondered how she would now cope with Saint Susan of Appleshaw. The Pagh leaves and Picard heads for the observation lounge. Mendon catches him and tries to tell him about his ideas and suggestions on procedural changes, but Picard brushes him off, telling him that on the Enterprise, the crew follows the chain of command. Thus, he should report this to Worf. Do you think Montoya might actually have slipped into insanity? Perhaps because of the injury? Or because he was “old”?

Another big problem is that the main character is made more and more inhuman as the plot develops, removing all affiliation you feel towards him at the start of the book. He develops from your average ex-military storybook guy into a torture-proof, super IQ, fully espionage trained character in the pass of a few weeks, meaning that all relation to the character is removed by around three quarters of the way through the book.

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I’m intrigued by your observation about the feel of the writing. Brad Radnitz joins the list of Columbo writers with one script to his credit. That’s always a warning sign (although there are some notable exceptions). Was a Mexican bullfighting story Brad’s idea? Did he have a special affinity for this subject matter? Or was this something that, as the saying goes, “seemed like a good idea at the time”? I’d be more forgiving if the episode’s creator was writing about a world he knew well. The book started off with great promise, and by the quarter-way point I was getting into it, convinced that some big plot points were on their way. Set in 1966 A Matter of Honour is quite the spy romp, whilst the main character himself isn't a spy per se, he nonetheless is thrust into the world of international men of mystery when his father bequests to him an envelope within which is a letter from Hermann Goring (the German Reichsmarschall) containing instructions enabling him to collect a Russian artifact which was seized by the Nazis. Although Adam had anticipated the amount would be pitiful, he nevertheless remained bolt upright in his chair as the solicitor glanced over his half-moon spectacles.