Curious Caterer: Dying for Chocolate

The first movie in a mystery series is all about getting to know the characters and their interaction with each other, and this did that well. To be honest I would have been surprised if it didn't work considering a good cast led by two of my favourite Hallmark actors. Good family entertainment, and hope to see plenty more.

Nikki Deloach is one of my favorite Hallmark actors. The movie was enjoyable to watch although the writing could have been better. Hopefully, this will turn into a series.

I remember when I started reading about Goldy. I went with my mom to a thrift store. Immediately, I went to find the books.

I rifled through some. Then I picked up "Cereal Murders".

I love mysteries and I love cooking and was a caterer. So this book was right up my alley.

I purchased all her books. I've been reading them for years. And, I've often talked to the author on Facebook when I was on the site.

We've talked about how exciting it would be to turn these books into movies.

Well, fast forward to the 2010's.

I saw adverts on HM&M for "Murder She Baked". It was from author J. F. I've never read her books but the movies were all great. Maybe that's why I loved the shows. I didn't have her books to compare them to.

Fast forward to April 2022.

I was watching the HM&M channel when an ad popped up. "Curious Caterer: Dying for Chocolate". My heartbeat picked up. I just knew it had to be from my favorite author: Diane Mott Davidson. I had read the book.

I set a reminder on my phone and set it to record on my FRNDLY app.

Sunday night. All tucked it with snacks.

Pressed play.

My 1st eye furrowing moment? "Marla". The actress was very skinny.

I know "Marla" from the books. She is chubby. She loves Goldy's desserts and is always happy to taste test. She had lighter color hair. She was flirty, funny, sarcastic and sassy.

Was HM&M afraid to have an actress even 5 lbs. Overweight?

Next. "Olive"? The daughter?

No. Goldy has a son named Arch.

She also has an assistant. Vegetarian Julian.

Next was the catering. I wanted to see more cooking. Goldy, in the book, cooked when she needed to work out the mysterious details in her mind.

Andrew and Nikki were good. I only wish her hair had some curl and did more Goldy type things. Like wake up and do her yoga stretches 1st thing. Desperately reaching for that single or double shot espresso and sweet treat for breakfast.

My biggest disappointment?

The JRK wasn't the jerk. At all.

In the movie, Dr. John Richard Korman(love that his initials look like 'jerk') is warm, kind, caring, sympathetic and a great father.

He was so awesome, one wonders why he and Goldy divorced in the 1st place.

In the book, he was an abusive super jerk who cheated constantly. Goldy's thumb was proof. Among other body parts when he knocked her around.

And, he would sometimes use Arch to try and get to Goldy.

I get that this aired on the HM&M channel. And, they only air movies from PG-PG13.

To see a more accurate presentation of Diane's books, it would have to be on LMN or another channel that shows a bit more riskier TV.

Will I watch every episode in this series? Of course.

Maybe they'll be more comfortable in their roles.

I just wish they didn't stray so very far away from the books.

6/10.

The movie is fine on its own. Maybe i'm biased because i like andrew walker. Normally, i like nikki deloach as well but not so much here. Not that she was bad, she just didn't feel like she was owning the role. It's a typical hallmark mystery with a few more suspects than usual so not an obvious solution. My main complaint is why'd they bother tying it into the book series? Granted, the series was/is popular but the book of the same name was written in the 80s; surely there are more recent properties you could use to get a ready-made audience? Or were they hoping no one who saw the movie had read the book? The similarities were minimal. Yes, movie and book goldys are both divorced caterers with children but thats as far as the similarities go. Book goldy has an established business at the time of this story, her ex-husband was (and still is) abusive, their divorce is contentious to say the least, her child is a son, and that's just some of the character differences. As far as plot goes, the victim dies in a car accident and the common ground ends there. So my question remains - why bother with the tie-in?

Goldy, a caterer and a civilian, helps local detective Tom solve a suspicious accident, afterwards ruled a murder of a close friend of hers.

I'm not one who watches Hallmarks mysteries, the only one I watch is Mystery 101 and this pales in comparison to that one. The only thing I can rescue from this is the chemistry between Andrew and Nikki. I love their movies together, and one or two are among my favorites. So, imagine my disappointment after I finished this.

While watching I was entertained but when the culprit and their motive was revealed it was so anticlimactic?

Another outcome would have made so much more sense. Anyway, if they do more movies, I will be turning in but solemnly to watch the leads.