Murder Call

1997 - 2000

Ashes to Ashes

11th August 1997

Episode 1

A man out for an early morning surf gets more than he bargained for when surf blows a corpse out of the water and into his face. It appears to be a routine investigation, natural causes being indicated... but complications arise when Tessa and Steve find they cannot identify the victim, and no-one steps forward to claim him. Surely someone should be missing a well-groomed man in his fifties?

The Burial

18th August 1997

Episode 2

Late night. A voice recites limericks on a moonlit beach. Suddenly, all goes quiet. A grey dawn, and a dog and its owner, the stern Major Richter, make a gruesome discovery - a human head attached to the very dead body of Adrian McCafferty who is buried up to his neck under the sand. Adrian drowned when the tide came in and covered him. Tessa and Steve learn that there was a beach party last night. Adrian was buried as part of a joke. Is his death simply a stupid party prank gone wrong, or is there something more sinister to discover?

Cat and Mouse

25th August 1997

Episode 3

Wheelchair bound Spinner congratulates himself on finishing a piece of artwork by pouring a cold beer and logging on to his favourite internet games forum. His pleasure is short lived, however, as a shadow falls across him and a lead pipe takes him out of the game... permanently. Tessa and Steve arrive on the scene to find the killer has taken the time to send the message ""Spinner Resigns"" over the internet to the victim's games partner. The murder takes on new importance when Dee reveals she knows the victim. While Dee tries to come to terms with her friend's murder, Steve and Tessa struggle to put together the pieces of the puzzle.

Dead Clean

1st September 1997

Episode 4

While investigating a series of bizarre murders, Steve and Tessa are drawn to the local community centre, a drop in for former mental patients. With a handful of suspects, but no real clues, Steve and Tessa must race against the clock to find the killer before he strikes again.

Who Killed Cock Robin?

8th September 1997

Episode 5

To the outside world former football star Robin Cochrane was a picture of charm, but when he is found poisoned by a chemical solvent, Tessa and Steve are forced to put together a picture of the not so pleasant private life of Robin Cochrane.

Hot Shot

15th September 1997

Episode 6

When Maddie Herman, a paparazzi photographer who made her living out of the gossip and innuendo of the lives of others is found murdered, Steve and Tessa have no shortage of suspects. But when the case takes a sudden twist, Steve and Tessa realise that someone is leading them on a merry chase, until the trail leads the team back to a very surprising suspect.

Black Friday

22nd September 1997

Episode 7

Steve and Tessa are called in to solve the murder of Trevor Parkin, his body was found one Friday afternoon in a zoo - he was wearing a gorilla costum. The more they discover about the deceased, the deeper the mystery, and although all the witnesses are helpful, there is no suspect, and no clear motive..or is there?

Last Stop

29th September 1997

Episode 8

Abel Jago sits dead in an armchair before his valuable toy railway, on which the train of cars make their rounds. The railway engineer left a short farewell letter to his wife Ellie before committing suicide. Tessa however soon has doubts about Jagos suicide and when the autopsy results come in, it is revealed he was poisoned with cyanide.

Something Wicked

6th October 1997

Episode 9

Tessa and Steve are confronted with a conspiracy of silence while investigating the death of a man with a history of abuse.

Drop Dead Gorgeous

13th October 1997

Episode 10

Steve and Tessa are baffled when former football star Wayne Pascall is found stabbed to death in a lift, with a missing woman's handbag next to his body.

Dead and Gone

20th October 1997

Episode 11

When Krystyan Balzan is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in his house, Steve and Tessa believe he came home unexpectedly and disturbed a robbery in progress.

Wages of Sin

27th October 1997

Episode 12

Steve and Tessa investigate the death of a woman found in an area notorious for prostitutes. When they learn the woman was a pregnant nun and not a prostitute, their investigation takes a new turn.

An Eye for an Eye

3rd November 1997

Episode 13

When a mummified body is found in an empty house, it is identified as that of Karen Diskin, the daughter of police inspector Snowy Muldoon, who went missing two years earlier.

Blood Heat

10th November 1997

Episode 14

The brutal murder of a video store owner initially appears to be linked to a protest demonstration until other suspects emerge.

Fall From Grace

17th November 1997

Episode 15

Tessa suspects an apparent suicide is really an elaborate scam designed to cover a woman's disappearance.

Heartstopper

24th November 1997

Episode 16

When the general manager of a department store is found dead during the store's opening, the owner and employees become the main suspects in the investigation. Steve is haunted by a face from his past, and Tessa pursues the case alone.

Top Cast

Glenda Linscott•Peter Mochrie•Geoff Morrell

Murder Call was an Australian television series, created by Hal McElroy for the Southern Star Entertainment and seen on the Nine Network between 1997 and 2000. The idea to the series was born by the books of Tessa Vance by Jennifer Rowe: Suspect/Deadline and Something Wicked. Both books were integrated as episodes in the TV series. The series dealt with the cases confronted by an unconventional team of homicide detectives, Tessa Vance and Steve Hayden.

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Glenda Linscott Image

Glenda Linscott

Dr. Imogene 'Tootsie' Soamses

Peter Mochrie Image

Peter Mochrie

Det. Steve Hayden

Geoff Morrell Image

Geoff Morrell

Det. Sen. Serg. Lance Fisk

Gary Day Image

Gary Day

Det. Insp. Malcolm Thorne

Lucy Bell Image

Lucy Bell

Det. Tessa Vance

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