Pros: Good mystery and introduction of characters
Cons: Usual Hallmark cheese, supporting cast needs more
development
The Bottom Line:
New movie franchise
Gets off to a fun start with
This strong mystery
It May Look Like a Suicide, but Hailey Dean is Suspicious
I’m enjoying the Hallmark mystery movies so much right now
that I had to give their newest franchise, the Hailey Dean Mysteries a
chance. Based on the character created by former prosecutor Nancy Grace,
the movies started out with Murder, with
Love, which I really enjoyed.
Hailey Dean (Kellie Martin) is a retired prosecutor in
Atlanta turned therapist. She specializes in helping people who have been
the victims of crime, but she works with anyone who needs her help. But
she still has ties to the police force, most noticeably her almost brother-in-law,
new detective Danny Morgan (Giacomo Baessato).
Danny has just landed his first official case. A young
woman, Amanda Stone (Cindy Busby), returned home to find her mother dead in the
bathtub upstairs after taking a sleeping pill. It looks like an accidental
drowning. Amanda is a former patient of Hailey’s, and the instant Hailey
hears about it, she rushes to help Amanda with her grief.
However, Amanda doesn’t think her mother would commit
suicide, although she was upset about something. The police are also
suspicious of the suicide, but they are focusing on Amanda. When another
death rocks the family, Hailey begins to investigate to find out what really
happened. But can she uncover the truth?
Being the first movie in the franchise, it has some work to
do introducing us to the characters and telling a good story. It does a
good job with both. I could have used a bit more background and
information on the supporting cast and their relationships with Hailey, but I
did feel I got to know them pretty well by the time the movie was over.
I’m sure as the movie franchise continues, I’ll get to know them better; I
certainly enjoyed what I saw here.
The movie starts out with finding the body, and it isn’t
long before Hailey is getting involved because of her patient. I saw a
couple of the twists coming early, but I was still very surprised by the climax
and enjoyed seeing how Hailey put everything together.
Of course, this does come with my usual Hallmark cheese
warning, which is a combination of the writing and acting. It’s not
enough to make the movie unwatchable, but keep it in mind when you do sit down
to watch. And keep your eyes open for a cameo by Nancy Grace.
This new franchise is off to a fine start with Murder, with Love. Mystery fans
will enjoy it and start watching for Hailey’s next case.
This movie is part of the Hailey Dean Mysteries Collection One DVD set.
This movie is part of the Hailey Dean Mysteries Collection One DVD set.
I always appreciate the 'cheese' warning, and I completely know what you mean! It's great that they have been continuing to try new series and stars--perfect for winter viewing!
ReplyDeleteFirst really poor mystery movie I've seen on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. Dreadful directing and script. A surprise, because Mystery Woman series and Hello, It's Me movie were strong.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I enjoy the other mysteries. If you are familiar with Nancy Grace, you will know that years ago her fiance was murdered. She has never recovered and, thus, the story has become her book.
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