Mystery 101: Words Can Kill

This was one really good film, but right from the get-go, my curiosity got the best of me and I started placing my bets. Sure as hell, I was right about one person in the end. It was definitely worth watching from start to finish to see it unfold, but it was really funny how the innocent look so damn guilty.

Who can it be knocking at my door?... I am really enjoying the on-screen chemistry that they have slowly built over time between Amy and Travis. There is mutual admiration and respect that is evident between these two, not to mention trust and a burgeoning relationship. In this installment someone breaks in to Amy's College Campus Office the night before Amy and her College department host a book event that brings in Authors and publishers a like. Amy's father, Graham, is one of the featured authors and thus we delve into some blasts from his past. We get to meet, Amy's mother's former beau as well as her Dad's first publisher and the thief of his first novel...which is how we learn the origin story for his now wildly popular series about Atticus Keller. Over time, Travis has started to read more mystery novels...a little of Amy rubbing off on him, and in a humorous moment wants to know how he walks out of a book event having purchased more books than she did. As the cosy mystery genre demands there is a murder(...and in this case two!) for which Graham falls under suspicion and is arrested. This seems to cause a strain on Amy and Travis' burgeoning friendship...but thankfully resolved when together they put away the rightful killer. I really enjoy the concept of Amy's college course, wish one like that was available when I went to school at the University of Washington! I also really enjoy the mystery novel tidbits that are shared...in this one the concept of the unreliable narrator is discussed along with Agatha Christie's Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which I have subsequently added to my "to read list". (Thank you!) The mystery 101 series is fun, the mysteries are enjoyable and this is good clean entertainment

It starts with a masked intruder knocking College professor Amy Winslow (Jill Wagner) as he runs past her. She calls her police detective friend Travis Burke (Kristoffer Polaha) but nothing seems to be stolen. She is then sidetracked by college book festival where her father is a key speaker. He isn't too happy that a rival is also attending. Then a guest at the college book festival is killed, Amy and Travis clash after he arrests an unlikely person for murder. Amy must fight to prove he's got the wrong person behind bars.

The beautiful Jill Wagner and Kristofer - the leads - have a great chemistry, which what makes this Hallmark mystery so watchable, and the mystery itself is quite good, there's plenty of hooks in the plot, all designed to keep you watching. With Hallmark/Lifetime films, you either love 'me or hate 'em, but I'm with the former. Of course, there's varying qualities to good, average and not so good. Words can kill is one of the good ones.

Amy and Travis are back in our screens! I love this duo. They work good together, they are fun, and their flirty banter is the best! I wish their relationship keeps growing ad getting stronger.

I think this movie was a little more complex than the previous two. It was difficult to guess who the guilty person was. Every guest character is guilty at some time and it throws you off.

One detail bothered me: Amy walking through the crime scene in her high heels? IN THE GRASS? She didn't even put on those bags on her feet, or at least a pair of trainers... and then in the next scene Travis literally says: "We need to do it by the books" I just found that funny.

Let's agree that the real hero of this movie was the front desk lady at the hotel.

So far this is my favorite Mystery 101. I have seen 3 now. I kind of picked out the who dunnit early but then you question things more and things definitely were not as they seemed. There was nothing obvious about all the goings ons that really happened. When they wrap it up and show what happened... you have that ahhhhhh moment. My only complaint was wardrobe put Jill in sage green outfits too many times. The final navy/magenta plum combo was refreshing and lovely.