Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Very Foul Play

Aurora (Candace Cameron Bure) attends the annual "True Crimes & Mysteries Conference" and is asked to be a speaker. When an actual murder occurs during the performance of a stage play, clues and suspects abound. The conference is cancelled, but Aurora and her true crime cohorts investigate alongside the authorities.

Though this mystery is set away from Lawrenceton, the usual crew is all there for the fun.

Fun light show to watch but the wig they have on Candace Cameron Bure is distracting. All the others on the show look natural.

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries - A Very Foul Play (Series 1 - Episode 12) is a standard format Aurora Teagarden Mystery (AT), but this time not based in scenic Lawrenceton. The action is set in and around an out of town local theatre and an annual true crime & mystery conference.

I enjoyed it and I must note that the last 3 AT movies have been above the normal Hallmark family film quality threshold - with the action, dialogue and characterisations across the board being better and more believable in context. Though of course, Ro fighting back by jumping up to grab a hanging chain and swinging then kicking out at the assailant? Unrealistic fight action scene for a Hallmark film, let alone an AT movie - too dramatic and staged. First thing I did when the credit rolled was look for the stunt women. Yep.There they were. Real life situation, maybe yes, Hallmark no. Aurora acting almost like some kind of trained crime fighter or a seasoned private detective.

Outside of the Hallmark films walled garden, this movie would not rate highly at all, but in context, a much better level of presentation than normal. I could easily take or leave an Aurora Teagarden Mystery, but recently I have began to look forward to the next movie. Entertaining family movie fare with a little extra bite.

This was a very enjoyable episode of Aurora Teagarden.

I have to say that it is more than a little disappointing that almost half the reviews here write only about about Candace Cameron Bure's hair. Seriously?!!

What I look for in reviews is discussions on plot and character development, not hair styles. This episode took things out of Lawrencetown, and to a beautiful mountain location.

The plot has an urgency to it because Aurora's cousin Phillip, (Dylan Sloane) is initially accused of the murder.

The element of the story that I enjoyed the most was the "changing-up" of Lynn Liggett-Smith's (Miranda Frigon) relationship with Aurora, and the Real Murder Club's membership.

Lynn joins with them to investigate the murder, partly because she sees that local political influence is guiding the police investigation, but also because of Lynn's respect and regard for Aida Teagarden, whose nephew it is who is being accused to the murder.

This creates a temporary bond between Lynn and Aurora that the writers do a nice job of navigating. All the actors, I thought, did a good job making the episode emotional without making it maudlin.

The initial murder struck me as a bit implausible, but the "who-done-it" was sufficiently complicated to override any skepticism I might have had initially.

For those who have been following the Aurora Teagarden series, and liking them, I think you will enjoy this episode.

7/10 - an interesting setting with a solid mystery to complement it makes for a fitting conclusion to the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries Month