Framed for Murder: A Fixer Upper Mystery

In the small resort town of Lighthouse Cove, everyone knows that the best man for the job is a woman. And that woman is Shannon Hughes, owner of a construction company and an expert in Victorian home restoration and renovation. Through her renovations she will find clues to uncover the house's secret past and in turn become an unlikely sleuth to help crack these unsolved mysteries.

In this debut episode, her friend's uncle -a treasure Hunter- is found dead in his house. The police calls it an accident. But Shannon thinks otherwise and investigates with the help of her client Mac, who happens to be an investigative reporter.

And the mystery and secrets are unveiled steadily in this good mystery that is well-acted and focused enough. Jewel and Ferguson as the protagonists share a good rapport, working together. There's a few strange acting suspects like the victim's estranged friend. Who's that guy in the blue vehicle? Is he behind the break-ins?

I kept picturing Colin Ferguson as a washing machine, which threw me off for a while, but he's actually a good actor (one of the few in this cast). I didn't know it was Jewel was playing the lead until I read the credits (I'm not that familiar with her); at least that explains the reason for the sappy song she sang at the funeral. Jewel seems nice and sweet, but the hair and clothing don't fit her being a contractor, and her facial expressions are way over-exaggerated. Some of the scenes and dialog were pretty poorly written too. I really wanted to like it because it was an interesting story, but acting by most of the cast was pretty mediocre, which made it hard to watch.

This is the latest in the cosy mystery movies that Hallmark specialises in. As usual, it is set in a beautiful, picturesque American small town, although filmed in Canada. Jewel is the winsome lead who has a property restoration and renovation company. When one of her neighbours is found dead, she suspects foul play. There is a reason that she is averse to seeking hep from the police which is revealed later in the story. Luckily, a famed true crime writer, Colin Ferguson, has just arrived and is her latest client, and is willing to assist in her snooping. Their relationship is warm and fun, with hints it could develop into romance in the future. The mystery itself is reasonably involving even if the culprit is guessable long before the denouement, and the details are well laid out. A nice touch is that Jewel uses her skills and observations learned in the fixing-up business to uncover a hidden treasure and then to trap the killer. This is a promising beginning and should be a welcome addition to the ongoing amateur lady sleuth series.

I was pleasantly surprised by the acting abilities of Jewel. I thought she held her own with the professionals. This is another of those cozy pleasant little mysteries with amateur sleuths that have come out in the last year or so. I have enjoyed every single one and eagerly look for new titles. The Fixer-Upper series should be every bit as entertaining as the other series have been,

In the town of Lighthouse Cove purportedly in New England and probably several inlets away from Murder She Wrote's Cabot Cove we've got a contractor played by singer Jewel Pilcher who is another of Hallmark's professional women with a taste for sleuthing

This is a murder that hits home for her. An old family friend Ken Tremblatt who was liked or even loved by just about every resident of Lighthouse Cove dies in what the local police called an accident, they say it was a fall in the home. Her contracting experience leads Pilcher to doubt the official verdict.

She's joined in her doubts by Colin Ferguson who is a crime reporter and author and who just hired her to fix up and make livable an old mansion he purchased. Pilcher makes a believer of Ferguson though he wishes she would bring her findings to the police a bit more.

Tremblatt was an old salvage diver and delighted many of the town folk with his tales. They took what he said with a grain of salt but in one instance a tale about finding a really expensive necklace belonging to a runaway Portuguese princess turns out to be true. It is also the Hitchcockian McGuffin of the story and the reason for a few more murders. We have one ruthless murderer here.

I have to say these Hallmark mysteries are entertaining and this one is no exception.