Un Bel Posto dove Morire: I Misteri di Martha's Vineyard

Hallmark in launching a new mystery series decided to have a male protagonist for a change. Jesse Metcalfe who took a bullet that is lodged close to his spine is a former Boston homicide cop who took disability retirement and went to live at Martha's Vineyard where he spent some time as a kid.

Of course a murder is committed of a young man trying to buttonhole some of the Vineyard's leading citizens and it's Metcalfe who finds the body. After that his cop instincts just take over and the Martha's Vineyard police chief Eric Keenleyside welcomes his help.

As does the chief's daughter Sarah Lind. The trio of course get the case solved with a murderer you might not have thought had a connection.

This was a good mystery, let's see if Hallmark continues the series.

You never know how TV movies are going to pan out, this is one of the better ones. You need good leads to make a film Jesse Metcalfe and Sarah Lind do this in good style in characters and looks. The chemistry between the two sets the standard to make this an enjoyable murder mystery set in a beautiful setting. The storyline without giving too much away revolves around inheritance and charity dealings. The supporting characters make this into very decent watch, better than some rubbish mainstream films I could mention.

This first part of a new Hallmark series is basically a police procedural. A big-city cop returns to the tranquility of Martha's Vineyard only to become involved in a murder case.

Jesse Metcalfe plays the reluctant detective, Jeff Jackson, who may suffer from PTSD and wants to avoid police work or unnecessary stress. But his natural tendency to be observant leads him to a corpse in the water just off the pier. When he gets pulled into the case, he works with Zee Madeiras (Sarah Lind), the acting ME with whom he has a personal history.

There is not much romance in this first installment, which is fine. The story revolves around uncovering real suspects among a confusing group of possibles, and reconstructing the events of the night when the murder occurred.

7/10 - such a refreshingly different Hallmark movie and a genuinely intriguing mystery

Obvious , it is not an impressive crime film. But, no doubts, it is nice. The temptation, for me and, maybe, for others, was Jesse Mrtcalfe, giving a decent job in this case. The second - Eric Keenleyside and Christine Willis. The paternity problem and dark side of a rich man life works just not so bad. The result - nice and pure Hallmark-esque.