Curious Caterer: Grilling Season

I miss the Hailey Dean series. While I like the actors in this new series, so far they just fail to make this new mystery stand out. There is no connection to the audience and the pacing is so deliberate, and slow, that it's borderline boring. Also annoying. Too many stupid plot holes and mistakes. When the detective is told by the caterer that her ex "wouldn't do that, you have to listen to me", it's just dumb. She is not a trained investigator, keeps inserting herself into the investigation, and actually removes what might be important evidence by herself, without informing anyone (much less the police), and sits in her car to look over the papers! The Murder Board the two women concoct faces the windows and glass door where everyone enters her home? The murderer, easily identified in the first 20 minutes, injects the heroine not once but twice in a short time, twice and she's wide awake when the detective arrives to save her? The bumbling sidekick to the detective who allows potential evidence to be carried into the police station by civilians, and didn't even escort them? Come on! Tighten up the plots, give the characters more personality, and put some life and believability into this series.

I enjoyed this latest movie in the Curious Caterer Mysteries series. Nikki Deloach is one of my favorite actresses on Hallmark. Deloach is good in both the Hallmark romantic movies and now the mysteries. She and Andrew Walker are good together. The writing was better than the last movie in this series. Several of the reviewers were critical that the movies had some differences from the book. That always happens when a book is made into a movie. I would suggest that viewers just sit back and enjoy the movie. Hopefully, Hallmark will make more of this series along with my other favorites - Murder 101, Murder She Baked, and The Chronicle Mysteries.

I have been desperate for some new mysteries on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, I am really missing my favorites Hannah Swensen's Murder She Baked, Aurora Teagarden, and Mystery 101. So far this might be my favorite of the new mystery offering. I understand these are based on a series of books by Diane Mott Davidson which I haven't read. Apparently, there are some significant changes like Goldie's ex-husband was an abuser, which makes more sense than what is being depicted in the series...where they are such good friends that I keep questioning why they are divorced?!?!? And that is another change from the books they have a son in the books vs a daughter in this series. All of that aside, I think Nikki Deloach and Andrew W. Walker have great chemistry which is what really makes this series a much watch. In this film, Goldie's friend is murdered after she caters her birthday party. Goldie looses catering jobs over suspicion until her ex-husband is arrested for the crime. It appears that he is being framed and it's up to Goldie and her friend Detective Tom Schultz to find the real killer. This was a good mystery and so far I am enjoying the series, not quite as much as my three favorites...but I am not going to complain because I would like to see more mysteries produced.

Let me begin stating that I am a fan of Nikki Deloach and Andrew Walker, two of my favorite TV actors, that I have enjoyed watching in many productions, some together. Reason more to regret they have been cast in this thriller with many flaws that defies one's logic and render it not plausible. The obvious intent to render the culprit unnoticeable does, actually, have the effect to make the character stand out since the initial sequences. The final explanation of the murderer's motive is somewhat convoluted and obscure, almost gratuitous. Yet, the real problem are the details. A victim does not fall asleep immediately after being injected a narcotic in the muscles. It should be administered intravenously, for that effect to occur. Conversely, Goldy, after getting an injection of a, presumably, powerful narcotic, could not be widely awake a little time later, when Tom comes to the rescue. Also, an I. V. narcotic in a drink, as the culprit prepares at the end, is not likely to work by that route, besides the likely horrible taste it would give the drink. Then, at the end, why should Goldy be so stupid to the distract Tom and allow the criminal to hit him and flee? Even more, how credible is it that Fran, a very experienced ex police woman, would meet a murderer she is blackmailing in a lonesome place, with no precautions, and let him easily strangle her? The show leaves you wondering who are the bumbling amateurs. The actors? The characters? The writers? The directors? I guess we may have our picks.

This is a well done Hallmark mystery. The two leads are solid and writing is good. But the characters are changed too much from the books these stories are taken from. Goldy's ex-husband was an abuser. They did not have a friendly relationship in the books. It changes the reason Goldy gets involved in the mysteries. Also she had a son not a daughter. Changes feel of the story It's bad enough that Goldy doesn't have blonde curly hair like Goldy Locks from the fairy tale but the actress is to tall and thin. Hallmark should have kept all the main characters similar for all the fans of the books.

I'll say up front that I have read all the Diane Mott Davidson books. I actually used to work with her husband. The stories are good and I love Nikki Deloach and Andrew W. Walker. They are so good together. In the books, Goldy's husband, Richard, is a spousal abuser. Marla is Richard's ex-wife and Goldy's friend. Goldy's has a son, not a daughter. Eventually Goldy marries Tom Schultz (Andrew Walker) and Richard is murdered. It's Hallmark, so they won't show the dark side of the characters, but I'll keep watching because I love the actors and love another mystery series. Overall a must watch.

Favorite scene with Goldy Berry (Nikki Deloach) - Finding Fran's Hidden File in Posh, Reading it in her Car, and being Drugged. People Really Need to Check their Back Seat before getting into their Car! Nikki Deloach and Goldy Berry Rocked!!! They Both Freakin' Kicked Butt!!! BTW, I Loved this Movie! I Loved the Characters, the Actors, the Settings, and the Mystery! BTW #2, I Loved, Loved, Loved Andrew W. Walker and Detective Tom Shultz!!! Andrew and Tom were So Dang Charming and So Dang Hot!!! I Loved how Tom Tried to act So Gruff! BTW #3, Please make a 3rd Movie!!! BTW #4, This Movie made me Hungry! Set in Colorado.