A Bone to Pick: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery

I am not a fan of chick flicks. My wife is not a fan of the more gruesome, bloody crime and mystery flicks. So, we have enjoyed finding different movies and shows that are something in-between, especially those that are a series like Aurora Teagarden Mystery. We've seen every Columbo, Matlock and a few others, and were looking for something along those lines.

We found it.

I do not write this as a "fan" of Candace Cameron Bure's other works. As a matter of fact, I had very low expectations. Not because she is not a good actress. But because I just haven't enjoyed the sitcoms she's been in and haven't enjoyed the other movies I've seen her in. Now, I'm a FAN. I just hope she keeps doing these type of films.

And what a nice surprise to see Marilu Henner, again. I was a big fan of her work on Taxi. And the supporting actors are a pretty solid crew.

What I don't understand is why some reviewers claim that this show is "predictable". I believe we could gather them all up in a room and at 15 minute intervals, take their predictions! What a good time that would be, because... I believe they would get a lot of their predictions WRONG and disprove their own claims.

And I can only speak for my wife and I at this point, but we enjoyed this first installment (that I understand is based on the second book) and do NOT find it predictable.

But you ARE watching a Hallmark movie. If you come expecting Aurora to be Laura Croft or Wonder Woman (or have that kind of budget), you are in for a disappointment.

On the other hand, if you turn on, "A Bone To Pick," without a bone to pick and expect something along the lines of Murder She Wrote or Diagnosis Murder? You're gonna enjoy this.

Librarian Aurora Teagarden is known around her small town as a master sleuth. When her friend Jane unexpectedly dies and leaves Aurora everything in her will, she also leaves a troubling murder mystery. It is up to Aurora to piece together the clues and solve the murder before she becomes the next victim.

The Aurora Teagarden films I've seen so far are all pleasant viewing: humorous, fast-moving, intriguing, and this first entry featuring the highly inquisitive and energetic librarian is quite good, though the other episodes I have seen are better, characters more rounded, the story sharper. The actress who plays Aurora's reporter friend was good, her character being quite entertaining. I lost count how many times she tries to dissuade Aurora from conducting her investigation.

Another year, another November, it's time to pick a new film series and I have chosen Aurora Teagarden. This is a fictional character based on the series of a crime novel published in the last three decades. The book series is not over yet. There are ten books total for now, but only six films were made so far. All of them a television production, made for Hallmark channel.

They have chosen a second book to open the account for a new film franchise. I haven't read the original source, but I did not find any difficulties in the introduction of the characters. Once I watch the next film, which was actually based on the first book, I'll know the reason why. It all started off nice and slowly. Aurora is divorced young woman, works in a library. Decent life with one best friend, rent paying mother and people likes her. She's enthusiastic in unsolved crimes. A member in one of those kind of clubs where people gather and talk about stuffs.

So it all begins when an old woman died and leaving behind all the wealth and property to her. They were never known well each other, but soon she finds there something behind it. Then she discovers a potential evident. And using that, she tries to find what actually happened and who did. The attempt fails, though she never gives up. Finally decides to go on an alternate way where the truth must come out. Does it all go accordingly! And how the rest of the story progresses were told with a twist.

❝Reading it won't help you solve every mystery, but it might help with one or two.❞

There's a difference between cops solving crimes and ordinary people doing the same. Aurora is not one of those ordinary women. She just misplaced with her profession. Even her ex husband was a cop. That tells why they had married in the first place, even though they never truly loved one another. Despite her passion to solve the crimes, seems nobody around her encouraging enough. That's including her best friend and her own mother. Then there is no give-up attitude, that makes her to take wild decisions, not worrying about the consequences.

Being a crime-mystery, they have included some nice moments. Overall decently written. Nothing like that you haven't seen them before. But interests enough to hook up for an 80 minute. Especially for a television quality, it passes. But, there's no clear picture what was the objective. Was it a murder-mystery or any other crime. Yes, the opening few seconds had given a big clue, but the real crime scene was never revealed in pictures like how it all happened. I was very curious to see it rather hear about it. That's why I watch films instead of reading books.

It was just a first film, fairly familiarised the universe. Going to the second, surely I would find more comfortable. Especially anticipating other characters to contribute in the main story stream. Not everything's about the crime, I hope the romance part would be progressed well in the following films. As usual the television world is ruled by women, this is also a woman oriented tale. But for all ages. Just don't expect big, like Hollywood level. This little Canadian film definitely worth a watch.

7/10

Being English, the title of this movie threw me at first... "The Aurora Teagarden" sounds like a place you would go for a nice cuppa cha while sitting in beautiful floral surroundings... But no "Aurora Teagarden" is the name of the leading character - poor girl.

That aside, this is a good way to pass an hour and a half. Aurora "Roe" Teagarden, played nicely by Candace Cameron Bure. is a member of a mystery group dedicated to "Real Murders". One of the members, Jane Eagles (Barbara Wallace), invites Roe round to her house so she can borrow a book on female killers, as this had been her "Real Murder" discussion subject. A few days later she learns of Jane's death and is surprised to find herself in the will as the beneficiary of her house. It's when she finds the hidden human skull that a mystery starts to reveal itself to her... and her friends...

It's hard to say why I enjoyed this film because some things annoyed me, such as Lexa Doig's character, Sally Allison, who is grating on the nerve and at times I wondered why the two were friends, let alone besties. This isn't Doig's fault though as she did a more than an admirable portrayal of a strong, independent, and intelligent woman on Andromeda. But here, she's not such a likable character. Though that may be the strong point of this series as it's not relying on characterisations as much as others do in this genre; they're a little more like everyday people, rather than "feel-good" representations.

Another thing which was annoying was how simple the mystery was, I had pretty much had it solved at the skull, as I would think most would since previous scenes are so heavy handed at giving you the clues. I couldn't really believe that it took Roe so long to figure it out. This is more like a Columbo movie as it's not really about the mystery it's more about the trip to get to the reveal. At least there's still some mystery here, unlike Columbo.

All of the cast give a solid and equal performance and portray their characters well; none outshines any of the others. Director Martin Wood does a nice job of keeping the pace steady throughout, which works well with this type and style of story.

If you like your characters to be more "normal" in your mystery movies then you will like this; if you don't mind about the easy solve mystery because you prefer the drama more then this will really be your cuppa cha'. At least worth one viewing... on a wet and miserable day - English Summertime - when you can't make it out into the Teagarden.

An Aurora Teagarden Mystery: A Bone to Pick from 2015 is my first foray into these mysteries after seeing some of the Garage Sale Mysteries.

The Garage Sale Mysteries have antiques and collectibles going for them, as well as the familiar face of Lori Loughlin.

I admit not being familiar with Candace Cameron Bure as an adult actress. She's a little too cutesy for me and makes faces, but she's pretty and has lots of energy. Marilu Henner plays her mother, and the rest are Canadian actors, some of whom are pretty good.

The plot concerns an elderly friend of Aurora who dies and leaves the librarian and amateur sleuth her house.

The house is broken into, so Aurora attempts to find out what someone was looking for, and finds a skull with a hole probably made by a blunt instrument.

Being a member of a mystery club, Aurora starts her own investigation, not telling the police about the skull. When the body is found, the police become involved. Unfortunately, the detective is the pregnant wife of Aurora's old boyfriend.

The woman who wrote the Aurora Teagarden books, Charlaine Harris, also wrote True Blood. She has quite a range! This is lighter than air, unoffensive entertainment at least in the TV movie adaptation.

Realize that you're getting into a Hallmark movie, not Citizen Kane, and you won't be disappointed.