Murder in D Minor

I liked the first few of this series. The plots and mysteries were interesting and not blatant copies of older stories. I'm always a sucker for decoding secret messages.

However, some issues are turning up more and more with the more recent ones. It's getting a bit too pleasantville, for one. Everyone looks perfect all the time. More importantly, Jennifer outsmarts everyone else, including detectives, yet several life-and-death denouements in, she is still too dim to avoid or protect herself from danger.

The shannon kids and mr. Shannon are always so perfect they make my teeth hurt. Nobody's family is that perfect. The writer needs more time observing people "IRL", has so far not succeeded in molding real, believable characters who don't always say or do the right things. For instance, why woud jennifer keep giving away thousands in possible sales when she and her partner say they're barely keeping the lights on at the store.

Also, the whole cast should not look like they just came from the salon. The makeup sometimes looks too thick.

I hope they work on those points cos there are almost no mystery shows anymore lately. These movies are watchable.... hoping theyre a lot less cookie-cutter from now on. Garage Sale would double viewership easily.

Lori Loughlin and her quest for antique treasure takes her to an estate auction of a 92 year old former diplomat who dies and at that age who would seriously question his passing. He was from Austria and in his time in America was a noted philanthropist and patron of the arts.

A very different picture of the deceased emerges as we learn he used his dipomatic position to steal and smuggle a lot of artistic treasure the Nazis lifted from countries they occupied. But where is all that loot now?

It would be quite a haul for our intrepid antique dealer/detective. But even Loughlin realizes this over her head. She also has a detective from Europe on the case as well as a granddaughter seeing her inheritance stolen.

It all comes down to a lot of interest in a player piano that was part of the estate that Loughlin acquired. Lots of interest in that particular antique.

An interesting conclusion and you'll kick yourself when you realize the perpetrator is the only one who could have had the knowledge to make a murder seem like a natural death.

6/10 - my least favorite of Garage Sale Mystery Month, but not bad

Jenn puts the winning bid on a vintage Welte-Mignon player piano at the estate auction of a wealthy philanthropist, but soon discovers that the late owner may have led a less-than-charitable life before being murdered. He had a difficult relationship with his daughter and granddaughter, Carolyn (Alison Wandzura), and who left behind a more troubled legacy.

An ambitious episode than usual, straying from the murderous tales of jealous lovers and wronged business associates, and taking complicating narrative turns with various unsavory figures on all sides. Unfortunately it can be a bit dull, not very grabbing and just stumbles on at times. Still watchable, but not on the same fine level at the others.

There is a nice historic element here that combines classical music, art restitution and WW2. A German man who dies turns out to have left some questionable items including a piano and paintings that may hold some secrets. The villain is obvious but it's still an okay watch. Hopefully they can resurrect the series without Lori Loughlin.