Message post mortem

This one wasn't spectacular, but wasn't awful. It was just okay. I would have liked more antique talk. The conclusion was a bit of a surprise, which was nice, as usually I guess it early on.

A Case of Murder is from the Hallmark mystery "Garage Sale" series starring lovely Lori Laughlin as Jenn, the co-owner of an antique store and amateur sleuth.

After buying an old reel-to-reel recorder at a garage sale, Jenn discovers a tape on which a man is pleading for his life.

Actually this was a tad confusing. The pleading man is a psychiatrist who has just retired. Jenn picks up the recorder at a garage sale where the psychiatrist's wife - apparently at this point he's not dead - has taken off for a few days so she's selling his stuff. When Jenn tries to track down the source of the recording, she finds the doctor's body.

When she goes back to talk to the wife about her antiques (allegedly) she mentions the man's death and the wife gets all huffy and says it hasn't been published that he's dead and basically throws her out of the house. Yeah, it's a little out there.

Slow, with the subplot of Jenn's partner (Sarah Strange) trying to figure out what to do with her life. An ex-beau of hers returns to town as she's doing her imaging board.

This woman is 42 - they dress and make her up like she's fifty so that the old high school beau looked about ten years younger. Not sure if that was the case, but Hallmark does seem to dress the women in these mystery series very middle-of-the-road and somewhat unstylishly.

These films were all made to appeal to a certain demographic, a demographic where people all have long hair and don't seem to know how to dress. I think they need to spiff things up because a lot of people in urban areas are loving Hallmark now - it's light, it's happy, it has familiar faces, no graphic sex, and no bad language. It's a nice alternative to news channels and dark shows.

It's one of those old reel to reel tapes that captures the attention of Lori Loughlin when the wife of a college professor is looking to get rid of it in a garage sale. If there's a market for it Loughlin will find it. I remember back in the day those things were mighty expensive.

What she gets however as well is a reel where a murder is caught on tape. I'm guessing either the murderer didn't know what that was or since he was mostly silent during the deed he didn't care. Anyway with her curiosity aroused Loughlin searches for a body and finds that of Malcolm Stewart university psychology professor and who has group therapy sessions.

The possibilities are pretty full here. A jealous wife, one of the women in the group, a jealous boyfriend of one of the women in the group. It all works out in the end.

In the meantime the comic relief is supplied by Louglin's husband Steve Bacic and son Connor Stanhope trying to put together a 'man cave' in their basement. In the end that gets a woman's touch.

This film is the latest in the Garage Sale Mystery series. But their are plans for more. I kind of like the series myself, hope there are many more.

Jennifer and her business partner Dani head out for a garage sale and buy several things including a vintage tape recorder and a collection of tapes. Back at the shop Jennifer listens to one of the tapes and is convinced what she hears is the murder of who ever used it last. With her inquisitive nature stoked Jennifer returns to the property and discovers a dead body who, having called in Detective Lynwood, is Dr. Vedders' who had been running a therapy group up until he had recently retired to write his memoirs. With that inquisitive side going in to overdrive Jennifer can't but help start snooping.

Not the most compelling mystery but it's sufficient enough in keeping one in the dark, bumping up some suspense. The non-mystery bits ( family etc ) is routine. The conclusion is satisfactory.

"I'll take a two hour drive in the country over twenty minutes in traffic in the city any day."-Dani "I'm with you."-Jen

This entry has Dani working on a vision board...to visualize what she wants to be in ten years...and she is lead to speed dating.

Jason and their son Logan are working on a man cave...with some input from their daughter Hannah...drapes? An accent wall?

Jen and Dani pick up a reel to reel player with a tape that has a voice that sounds scared saying "someone is trying to kill me". Jen takes the reel to reel audio recorder in to be repaired at a repair shop called Reely Good. There the repairman recognizes the device but helps Jen with the previous owner, a Dr. Vedders, who she finds dead and drug into his bathroom.

The suspects seem to be a jealous wife or members from his support group.

This episode is light on antiques, but the "who dunnit" was decent and Jen did a lot of solo investigating, even putting herself more in danger than usual.

I loved the home theater! Perfect for a family night.

"It's not always story book."-Jen.

I wish Hallmark was doing new mysteries for their movies and mysteries channel, but until then these are a good way to pass the time.