Gregory McDonald

Gregory Mcdonald was an American author best known for his mystery novels, particularly the Fletch series. The series features the irreverent investigative reporter Irwin Fletcher, who appears in ten books, with the first one, Fletch, published in 1974. The Fletch series was a success, winning Edgar Awards and being adapted into two films starring Chevy Chase.

McDonald was born in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, in 1937 and attended Harvard University. To pay for his school fees, he operated yachts during his college years. After graduation, he worked as a teacher and journalist for the Boston Globe before becoming a full-time novelist. In 1985, the first book in the Fletch series was optioned into a film, introducing Chevy Chase as the witty and unconventional Fletch.

In the second book of the series, Confess, Fletch, McDonald introduced Inspector Francis Xavier Flynn, a brilliant but eccentric Boston homicide detective who served as a foil for Fletcher. Flynn appeared in four of McDonald's spin-off books, which were also well-received. In addition to the Fletch and Flynn series, McDonald wrote other books, including the Skylar series and several non-series and non-mystery books. Sadly, McDonald passed away in 2008 due to prostate cancer.