Murder at the Belmar

There's malice in Mazatlán, where film star Kay Francis is enjoying a much-deserved vacation, staying at the glamorous Belmar Hotel. Her sabbatical is rudely interrupted when she discovers a dead body in her hotel suite. The deceased lady is mystery writing diva Mavis Wembley, who was visiting Mazatlán to attend an annual reunion of mystery writers, most of whom wish her no good. Cinephile chief of police Capt. Seguro reluctantly accepts Miss Francis's offer of support in ferreting out the many clues and solving the maddeningly complex case. Miss Francis proves to be more than a capable sleuth, but events progress and there is a desperate race against time to prevent further tragedies from occurring. The number of colorful writerly suspects seems to grow by the minute, and interspersed within the story are cameos by Errol Flynn, Somerset Maugham and Frida Kahlo, among others, all set amidst the picturesque, Pacific coast backdrop of the city of Mazatlán.