Mystery 101: Killer Timing

Romance story 10 stars Murder mystery #1 6 stars Murder mystery #2 0 stars Unrelated Cliffhanger - really???

I love the story about Jill Wagner and Kristoffer Polaha. Great chemistry from veteran Hallmark actors. Throw in Travis' ex played by Erin Cahill and it's even better. (Cahill should get her own Signature Mystery, even if there are already too many of them. Maybe she'll be the third wheel in future episodes here.)

The crime drama is very messy. They throw so many pieces into that part, that you need luck figuring it out.

The first murder mystery itself has two parts which is fairly clear from early on. I thought the person who turns out to be guilty was suspicious looking, but I had no idea how that package would work out.

There was a foreshadowing of the second mystery also, and I did think something there was suspicious. But the motive????? Is this the most stupid murder motive ever? It's up there. Because it is so ridiculous, I can't imagine anyone guessing it before it was revealed, but if you did, good for you. The final attempt by this person was almost as stupid as the motive. In short, the climax of this movie was absolutely horrible.

For me, the mystery part of these series is just gravy, it's the relationships I watch for, so my overall score is not nearly as bad as it should be. But take out the double stupidity and this movie could easily have had an extra one or two stars from me.

Pros: Great characters, high production quality for this type of movie, enjoyable relationship storylines.

Cons: Everything about the crimes, especially the ridiculous finale.

Overall: It's perfectly watchable, but I still want the writers to tighten up the mystery plot for the next one in this series. They could make a dozen of these, but we'll all enjoy them more if the crimes make a little more sense.

This is the best of the series by far! Kudos to the writers! The twist and turn of events keep you guessing! Amy (aka Sherlock) somehow sees and solve the mystery that surprises everyone. No doubt that Mystery 101 is the best mystery series that HMM has ever created! In addition, the chemistry between Jill and Kris is s unbelievably awesome! Hallmark, please keep the series coming!

The characters really work here. I really enjoy what looks like real chemistry between the two leads. By far the best but I still believe they are holding back. It's ok for the two leads to get joined. The events in the movie were a little soft, almost like the writers wanted to much in the necessary timeframe. Note to Hallmark, make a4 hour show but display it two hours at a time. Could have made way more out of the wolfman. Also could have spent more time on ex wife.

That being said I know what I'm watching ang this series I really like.

Professor Amy Winslow (Jill Wagner) is meeting FBI agent Travis Burke (Kristoffer Polaha) for a restaurant dinner when a bomb hits. 33 hours earlier, Burke is in the Chicago FBI office getting ready to testify in a big case. The killer escapes and possibly out to get Burke. In the process, Amy meets his ex-wife and fellow agent Kate Coulson (Erin Cahill).

I actually really like this one. I like the ex. The pairing actually improves with the addition of the ex. I like the twists and turns of the case. I wouldn't mind if Cahill continues on with the franchise. I'm fully admitting that I'm grading on a curve here with Hallmark Mysteries. My expectation is low and this exceeds it.