Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Movie Review: Reap What You Sew - An Aurora Teagarden Mystery

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Good mystery with characters we love
Cons: One character gone, usual Hallmark cheese
The Bottom Line:
Old friend is murdered
Starts confusing mystery
Light, satisfying

Poppy Comes to Die

I suspected that change was in the air for the Aurora Teagarden movies after the last one aired back in January, but it was confirmed with Reap What You Sew, the latest entry in the movie franchise.

This movie finds Aurora (Candace Cameron Bure) thrilled that her childhood friend Poppy has moved back to town.  Her mother Aida (Marilu Henner) and Poppy’s mother were good friends, although Poppy and her father moved away after Poppy’s mother died.  Poppy is beginning to make a name for herself with her YouTube channel devoted to needlework, and she has a book coming soon.

All that changes when Poppy fails to show up for a dinner, and Aurora and her friend Sally (Lexa Doig) go to investigate.  The friends find Poppy’s body on the floor of the condo she was renting.  What happened to her?

Wondering about the changes I mentioned in my opening paragraph?  Warning: Minor spoilers not related to this mystery ahead.  The opening few minutes of the movie confirm that Martin, Aurora’s boyfriend for the last few movies, has been written out of the franchise.  This does and doesn’t surprise me.  I haven’t read the books, but I knew that Martin was gone by this point in the book series, but when they kept him around longer than he lasted in the books, I wasn’t expecting them to write him out.  End minor spoilers.

Setting that aside, this is another fun movie in the franchise.  Because Aurora was friends with the victim, we do feel the loss here more than in some of the other movies.  We are provided with several viable suspects, and I had a hard time figuring out who the killer might be until the very end.  Yet everything made sense when we got there.

The emphasis is on the mystery over characters, which is nothing new for the franchise.  Having said that, there are little moments among the regulars that allow us to get to know them a little better.

My usual warning about the writing and acting applies here – this is a Hallmark movie.  However, I find that, as long as I remember this going into the movie, I’m fine with the Hallmark cheese factor.

Those who have been enjoying the Aurora Teagarden movies will enjoy watching Reap What You Sew since it’s a great next step for the characters.  Anyone looking for a light mystery will enjoy it as well.

This movie is part of the Aurora Teagarden DVD Collection Two.

12 comments:

  1. I haven't seen this but I know I'd like it. I've never seen a Hallmark movie that I didn't like.

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  2. It has never been shown again. Does anyone know why the two times it was supposed to be aired again, it was pulled? I never got to see it.

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  3. I'm a few movies behind on this series but I've really enjoyed them though they only loosely connect with the books. I'm really looking forward to this one. I do love a good Hallmark movie mystery even with the cheese!

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  4. Dreary show and a dreary CCB. Trite has found a home!

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  5. Replies
    1. I agree! I was upset shortly have this one started and he was gone!

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  6. Didn't like it. I like candace Cameron Bure but without martin she just seems like a know it all busybody. Very disappointed.

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  7. I think this is by far the worst movie of this series. And seeing how Aurora's personality develops over them I applaud Martin for getting the heck out of town. Its easy to see why she is still single. Says it all.

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  8. I didn't like this one as well as the others. There needs to be a love interest for Aurora, and I thought Martin was a perfect fit.

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  9. In the book series she marries Martin and then he dies of an heart attack. It is a difficult time for Aurora and I can see why they didn't go that way for the movies. There are only two more books with significant changes in her life.

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  10. Great review!! Glad to hear what came of Martin, as he seemed to be absent in this installment.

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