The Cases of Mystery Lane

I saw this advertised and I knew right away this was going to be good. I dont want to give away too much, but Alden is an accountant, but unsatisfied with his career, but is afraid to step out and become a P. I. Birdie is an excellent lawyer. Alden and Birdie are somewhat drifting apart, but I do love how they rekindle a love for each other, save their marriage and they crack the case. This movie does have a lot of twists and turns and you will be entertained. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you dont see it coming. Normally, some Hallmark movies can be a little boring because you're able to see everything coming a mile away, but this is not one of those times. You will not be disappointed.

I'm a licensed Med Tech and my absolute favorite part of the Lucifer series was Aimee Garcia and her crime lab...so when I saw she would be starring in a new Mystery series on Hallmark with Paul Campbell I was VERY excited...maybe too excited.

There was good humor in the series and Paul and Aimee played off each other well as husband and wife Birdie and Alden Case. My biggest complaint is around the sad theme of divorce that was introduced and woven throughout the movie. I thought it was wholly unnecessary to the story...especially as it really played as a comedy except for that. My other complaint is around Birdie's mom and her terrible behavior towards her daughter at work. Birdie should quit that job immediately! My final complaint is around a potentially unhealthy relationship that they seem to be trying to normalize and that is of a wealthy heiress and her gay husband who is having homosexual relationships outside of their marriage with her knowledge...including going on cruises etc. I am by no means saying that is wrong, to each his own, especially if everyone knows and no one is getting hurt. But my complaint is in the normalizing having sex outside of one's marriage...straight, gay, whatever. I am not sure that builds a healthy bond or marriage and distracted from the story.

I love both Aimee Garcia and Paul Campbell and will definitely watch an additional film if they make more, but I am hesitant to strongly recommend this film and am afraid it is not breaking in to my top three hallmark mysteries (Hannah Swensen, Aurora Teagarden and Mystery 101) any time soon.

Birdie Case (Aimee Garcia) is a hard working lawyer. Her mother is her demanding boss. Her flighty husband Alden (Paul Campbell) quitted his accounting school and switched to private investigator classes. Before he gets up the courage to tell her, his class work investigation about her firm leads to the apparent suicide of one of the firm's partner.

This is a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. The first act is a little confused until the exposition at its end. As for the mystery, it's a confused start, but the couple mystery team does grow on me. A couple mystery team is a long running cinematic tradition. I do like the two actors and their chemistry. This is not the best mystery movie, but it has the potential to be a good Hallmark series.

7.1 stars.

I was excited for this show after seeing the previews, however there is something amiss with the bond, or lack of bond shared between the leads. They are both very capable actors, but they don't mesh, and it's not for lack of effort, however I feel an absence of chemistry between Campbell and Garcia.

The title of this film is about the most clever I've seen in a very long time. Good one.

The plot is good enough, the killer was actually very predictable, as if you suspect this person as the killer early on and figure it would be too easy, and you would be correct, but you'd also be right in going with your hunch. I love Campbell's antics as a nerdy guy named Alden who has finally found his passion: to be a private detective. Unfortunately his quirks go unrewarded by Garcia's character Birdie - his unsatisfied wife. Or do they? It's hard to discern what she's thinking and we never really find out. All we know is that she likes to play online poker. There is a disconnect between Birdie's true feelings and what she is conveying in the presentation. Frankly, it's confusing and I'm not satisfied with her performance.

I think the writer would have been justified in making her the sleuth and him the lawyer, it would have been more convincing. My guess is that he was so hilarious with the bumbling geek schtick that they decided to switch the roles. Total conjecture on my part.

I fully expect a sequel sooner than later. Maybe I'll add to this review after the second installment.

I am a big fan of Paul Campbell. When I see him listed in the cast, I watch the movie, probably more than once. I like Aimee Garcia. I think that she's a good actress. I enjoyed the first Cases of Mystery Lane. It was a decent mystery and Alden was smart, quirky, amusing and kind of endearing. Once the wife figured out what Alden was getting involved in, the couple worked well together.

However, in Death is Listening, the quirkiness is over-the-top. Alden is less amusing and endearing, more bumbling and annoying. The acting is great, but I find the character of Alden this time is kind of off putting.

I really hope that if there's a third Cases Mystery movie, they dial back on Alden's quirkiness, but I really like the premise of the series & the actors.