Un crime en héritage

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 and amateur sleuth Aurora Teagarden's elderly friend dies and leaves Aurora her house. After a break-in, Aurora starts poking around the old house and discovers the skull of a murder victim. She begins investigating the crime but this puts her at odds with the police, including the detective assigned to the case -- who just happens to be the pregnant wife of Aurora's ex-boyfriend.

This is based on a book from a series written by Charlaine Harris, the author of the books True Blood is based off of. Don't worry (or get your hopes up?), this is nothing like True Blood. Haven't read the books so I can't compare but this is a light, upbeat mystery with some humor and even a hint of (completely sexless) romance with a minister. It's Candace Cameron Bure and Hallmark. You didn't expect Hannibal Lecter to show up, did you? A cop pointing a gun at someone says "get your dang hands in the air." So yeah, I think it's safe to call this 'family friendly.'

Candace is likable and pretty as usual. The rest of the cast is good. Fairly typical for TV movies -- mostly little-known Canadian actors with a couple of recognizable standouts (TV vet Marilu Henner and the lovely Lexa Doig). Henner is enjoyable as the mom meddling in her daughter's love life and Doig is fun as the sidekick who gets most of the good lines. The scenes between Candace and Lexa are the movie's highlights. Altogether it's a fun movie. Nothing challenging but entertaining. I imagine fans of the books will be more critical than those like me who aren't familiar with the source material. If you're a fan of the kinds of movies Candace makes, you'll most likely enjoy this.

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Bone to Pick is the start of a beautiful series of mysteries and one of my three favorite in the Hallmark vault. (My three favorites being Hannah Swensen's Murder she Baked, Aurora Teagarden Mysteries, and Mystery 101...a series that just gets better and better.)

Aurora Teagarden is a grossly underpaid librarian for the town of Lawrenceton, which exists somewhere within an hour drive of Seattle, Washington. Aurora's mom, played beautifully by Marilou Henner, is a real estate agent and her best friend, Sally, works as an investigative reporter for the local newspaper. Aurora, nicknamed "Ro", is a member of her town's Real Murders Club where town members sit and discuss unsolved mysteries to the chagrin of both Ro's mother and her co-worker at the library. In addition to her best friend, the Real Murders club has a cast of interesting characters, like Ro's ex-boyfriend turned local police officer Arthur, and at times the town mayor...a former convict, a trust fund baby, and some other helpful characters that at times become both co-conspirators and suspects!

In A Bone To Pick, Aurora connects with a lovely elderly member of The Real Murders Club and former town librarian, Jane Engles, who sees herself in Aurora and loans her a book on a historic murder that Aurora presented to the club. Jane passes away the very next day and unexpectedly leaves Ro her house. When Ro goes to check out the house, it has been broken into and the perpetrator is still there but escapes without being caught. Ro calls Arthur, Ro's ex, who is now married to and pregnant with fellow police officer and detective, Lynne, and coincidentally moving right across the street from Ro's new house... creating all kinds of awkwardness. Arthur tells Ro about the breakins that had been happening in the neighborhood. Aurora starts searching the house to figure out what the thief was looking for. What she finds is a human skull and an ancient mystery...thankfully Jane also leaves a note with a clue to the murder mystery she is passing on. Cue the murder board...

Candace Cameron Burré is beautiful and does a wonderful job as our main character Ro. She plays friend, daughter, librarian, fiancé and an endlessly curious mind wonderfully. She is smart, sassy...and has the right amount of clout with family and friends to get them to help out throughout her adventures.

The town is so picturesque that I had to look up where it was filmed, knowing the beautiful falls that can be seen from right in the heart of downtown does not exist anywhere inside of my native Northwest (unfortunately). The series is shot in Vancouver, B. C. predominately...but the gorgeous falls in the city is in the town of Montour Falls, New York in Schuyler County. Check it out it is truly worth googling...and maybe a road trip.

The start of a wonderful series and for me a great cosy friend based loosely on the cosy mystery series written by True Blood author, Charlaine Harris. For me this is a must see and tv that I can count on each and every episode.

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

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.