The Hallmark Channel has produced an extensive and growing line of television mystery movies, many involving various series with recurring main characters and actors. With multiple film series and varying levels of danger and intrigue, thereās a Hallmark mystery for everybody. Here are the best Hallmark mystery movies.
Best Hallmark Mystery Movies
Hailey Dean Mystery: Deadly Estate
Actor Kellie Martin has been a staple on the Hallmark Channel and one of her most prolific roles has been starring as former criminal prosecutor Hailey Dean in the Hailey Dean Mysteries movie series. The seriesā second installment, Hailey Dean Mystery: Deadly Estate released in 2017, is arguably the best of the bunch. The movie has Hailey work with her colleagues to investigate the sudden disappearance of her friend Pam, who vanished while selling her late parentsā lucrative estate.
Flower Shop Mystery: Dearly Depotted
So much of the appeal for a Hallmark mystery is linked to how good the murderous pun in the title is and the Flower Shop Mysteries trilogy, starring Brooke Shields, certainly lives up to this distinction. The third installment in the series, 2016ās Flower Shop Mystery: Dearly Depotted, has lawyer-turned-florist Abby Knight (Shields) investigate the murder of a wedding crasher at a wedding she provided the flowers for. Bringing back fan-favorite co-stars Brennan Elliott and Beau Bridges, the Flower Shop Mysteries ends on a strong note with this installment.
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
While CBS had produced the first eight Jesse Stone movies, based on the detective novels by author Robert B. Parker, Hallmark produced the 2015 installment, Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise. Longtime star Tom Selleck reprises his role as Jesse Stone, as well as co-writing the screenplay, with the movie pitting Stone against a serial killer preying on a small Massachusetts town. A bit more intense than your typical Hallmark mystery, Lost in Paradise is a worthy entry in the series and a great showcase for Selleckās calculating crime-solver.
Wedding Planner Mystery
So many Hallmark romantic comedies feature a wedding planner who falls in love on the job as a protagonist, with 2014ās Wedding Planner Mystery turning this formula on its head. The movie stars Erica Durance as Carnegie Kincaid, a wedding planner who finds herself suspected of murder and kidnapping, leading her to clear her name. A ridiculous premise that canāt even come up with a more original movie title, Wedding Planner Mystery is effectively powered entirely on the strength of its lead actors.
Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding Mystery
Courtney Thorne-Smith stars as archaeologist and impromptu crime-solver Emma Fielding in a trilogy of movies, starting with 2017ās Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding Mystery. While examining a coastal site near a small town in Maine, a murder victim is discovered, with Emma using her expertise to identify the culprit. Taking full advantage of its coastal setting, Site Unseen is far better than the subsequent installments of the Emma Fielding trilogy.
Framed for Murder: A Fixer Upper Mystery
Actor and country singer Jewel has found resurgent career success on the Hallmark channel, particularly with a trilogy of Fixer Upper movies, with Jewel playing home renovator Shannon Hughes. The first movie of the set, 2017ās Framed for Murder: A Fixer Upper Mystery, is the best of the bunch, with Shannon finding the uncle of a friend murdered in the coastal town of Lighthouse Cove. As Shannon sets out to find out who was responsible, she teams up with local investigative reporter Mac (Colin Ferguson), with the pair falling in love along the way.
Mystery Woman: Vision of a Murder
Long before she was Hailey Dean, actor Kellie Martin played a different amateur detective, Samantha Kinsey, in the prolific Mystery Woman Hallmark series. Samantha is a bookstore owner and mystery novel aficionado, which helps her solve the numerous murders she inexplicably finds herself linked to over the movie series. 2005ās Mystery Woman: Vision of a Murder has Samanthaās interactions with a psychic lead her to the scene of another murder, putting her literary and deduction skills to the test.
Flower Shop Mystery: Mumās the Word
The Flower Shop Mysteries movie series began with the 2016 installment Flower Shop Mystery: Mumās the Word, adapting the novel series by author Kate Collins. The movie introduces legal expert and budding florist Abby Knight, along with her irascible father Jeffrey (Beau Bridges) and love interest Marco Salvare (Brennan Elliott). Shortly after Abby relocates to her hometown and opens her floral business, an old high school friend is suspected of murder, with Abby out to find the true culprit.
Death al Dente: A Gourmet Detective Mystery
While consulting detectives are a mystery trope as old as Sherlock Holmes, Hallmark brings this sensibility to the kitchen with its Gourmet Detective movie series, based on novels by Peter King. The movies have professional chef Henry Ross (Dylan Neal) assist police detective Maggie Price (Brooke Burns) with his culinary and observational expertise to solve various murders. 2016ās Death al Dente: A Gourmet Detective Mystery has Henry and Maggie deal with their growing feelings for each other as they investigate the murder of Henryās friend, the owner of a popular local Italian restaurant in San Francisco.
Garage Sale Mystery: A Case of Murder
Suzi Weinertās literary hero Jennifer Shannon comes to life on-screen with the Garage Sale Mystery series, with DC area-based crime-solver played by Lori Loughlin. 2017ās Garage Sale Mystery: A Case of Murder has Jennifer learn about a murder from a tape recorder she acquires to sell at her antiques store. This leads to an investigation before Jennifer can become the killerās next target in the best entry in this long-running movie series.
Published: Nov 17, 2024 10:17 pm