A Sprinkle of Deceit: A Hannah Swensen Mystery

A really refreshing HS movie. The mystery storyline was really well paced and unfolded really well with the developing chemistry between Hannah and Chad. Hannah continues to delight with her good-natured determination to solve the mystery, which in this movie gets more personal as it involves her little sister. The extra screen time given to Hannah's mom and sisters really made it for me. They add just the right touch of sweet humour to the show without taking away from the plot. I think having UK writers on this was a cool move and I hope they stay on board. I can't wait for another sweet piece of the Hannah Swenson pie!

This is the latest in the Hannah Swensen Murder She Baked series. I am not going to say that I don't miss Mike and Norman, because that wouldn't be true, but I am warming to Chad and the slow build of their romance. I confess, I was starting to get annoyed by Chad not trying any of Hannah's baked goods, I can't imagine how she feels about it.

In this entry Hannah caters a reunion party at a Bed and breakfast for her sister Michelle's detective boyfriend Lonnie's high school reunion. One of the attendees ends up dead in her own home after the party. For the first time Hannah is willing to stay out of it, until Lonnie becomes the police's primary suspect. Then in true Hannah Swensen fashion, she is all in diving in dumpsters and everything.

Hannah has a new venture, she has opened a new bakery and is getting into the coffee business, which seems smart for a businesswoman. The small town of Lake Eden is becoming more of a metropolis...loosing a lot of the small town charm that I loved and that made the show special. That is a little sad for me. I, like a lot of other viewers, was confused a bit by the radical change in Hannah's mother, who was always very squeamish and against Hannah's involvement in murder and it's detection...and who is now a private investigator herself? I don't hate it and Barbara Eden is great. Her role is and always has been hilarious. So, while it seems strange (the metamorphosis her character has taken), I love her so much I am willing to let it pass.

I know that Hallmark lost the actor who played Mike to another network, which is a shame because he and Alison Sweeney had great chemistry, but I love Victor Webster. I thought he and Alison Sweeney had great chemistry in the Wedding Veil series and I am looking forward to them smoking up the screen in Hannah Swensen's Murder She Baked.

I was really glad Hannah's sister Andrea is back on the show....but where is the rest of her family. I think it's odd we aren't seeing her with her husband and child.

All of that sounds like a lot of criticism, but I am being very critical because I am a huge fan of the Hannah Swensen series. In fact my three favorite mysteries on Hallmark have always been Hannah Swensen's Murder She Baked, Aurora Teagarden (the original, not the reboot), and Mystery 101. After I said all of that, I do have to say I liked this one better than the last and am hopeful that it is only going to get better and better. I do recommend it to Hallmark mystery fans, I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Hannah Swenson Mysteries were my favorite so it's extremely disappointing how poor the new series has been so far. I understand Mike having moved to Great TV but not aware of Norman deserting the Network. If he hasn't, I can't imagine why he's no longer in the scripts. Was he removed from the novels? Did the novels change so dramatically? I'm not familiar with them but I doubt they drastically changed her mother's role for example. The screen writers should be fired for ruining the dynamic.

Having the three sisters together is quite a nice move but not developed properly. Where's Bill? The sherif was suddenly recommending Hannah be involved. A complete (and unlikely) change of heart. Chad is a dreadful choice as a possible love interest I think. There's no chemistry there and he's got "Norman" stand-offish politeness without any of the warmth. Plus ...why is he at every crime scene? He's the prosecutor not a detective.

The worst change is her mother's character. I love Barbara Niven in all her Hallmark roles and she was great in the previous series. But she was squeamish and always trying to stop Hannah getting involved in the investigations so why she's now an overbearing PI I can't imagine. This episode was worse with her embarrassing role as an "actress". It was so OTT and cringe-worthy. Ruined it for me.

The Murder itself was like an afterthought and I got so bored as the investigation plodded along with no enthusiasm. No twists. No turns. I barely remembered they were investigating a murder.

Changing her bakery and having her branch out to roasting coffee beans made logistical sense to me because she obviously doesn't have to bake so much anymore. But it lacked the warmth and character of her old ones. It was harder to imagine her running it, creating and baking new cookies there. There was always a lot of banter at the counter and the seating arrangement was much friendlier for the main cast and customers to sit down and chat. It just looked like a sterile patisserie counter to me and I think the seating is around the corner at the side of the counter from the one quick glance we got of it.

I'm almost rating this in the region of the Curious Catering series which is so dreadful I've stopped watching. I love both the leads but they have no chemistry in that series because of the dreadful scripts and Andrew has lost his sparkle and seems to just dial in his performance. He doesn't look well, too skinny, and does not suit the scruff on his face.

With Mystery 101 disappearing, I wonder if Kristoffer Polaha and Jill Wagner are still with Hallmark. They have brilliant chemistry together in everything they do... but her character was a little stupid and overbearing in it. Not her fault just the scripts. But inspite of that, it was still a favorite to the old HS series along with The Chronicle Mysteries. Let's hope they don't mess with that one.

The writers should be sacked for the whole ridiculous farce of her mother becoming an "actress". It was embarrassing and way below the level we've come to expect of their characters and acting on the show. It became all about her and was even worse than making her a OTT PI.

The mysteries used to be interesting, clever and really enjoyable and it was always a little tricky to guess who the murderer was. Hannah always got herself in some sort of danger. I was tempted to change channels half way through but stuck with it. Cringing when her mother was on the screen.

If the next on is as bad as this I'm sadly giving up on them.

Same formula but that's why I watch Hallmark. I love Allison Sweeney. But her mom definitely needs to be put into the background. She had too much time in this movie. Wayyy too much time. I enjoy Barbara Niven . She would be fine in a more supporting role. Her being a private detective is just not believable. I like having the three sisters together and the new interesting man in her life. I do miss Norman and Mike but Chad fits in really well. And who knows, maybe Norman and Mike will be back someday.

I also like the new shop that Hannah moved into. Roasting coffee is a smart move and makes sense.

I was reluctant to watch this movie given the previous Hannah Swenson movie sans Mike. I think I gave this movie rating one more star than that movie only because Hannah got a little more flirty with Chad than in the last movie and I liked the developing love story between her sister Michelle and Lonnie. However, the flirting between Hannah and Chad seems awkward and a bit forced. It just doesn't have the same rhythm that Hannah and Mike had, or Hannah and Norman, even. And Hannah's mother is so over the top obnoxious in this movie. I adore Barbara Nivens. Have seen just about everything she's been in and have followed her career for years, but am not liking Delores's new line of work as a PI in the latest installments. She was always the squeamish one that didn't want to have anything to do with murder investigations, nor did she want Hannah to do any investigating. And now she's practically encouraging and almost challenging Hannah to do so by telling Hannah that she, Delores, is after all a professional. Who is this "new" person? Not the same Swenson mother we all know and adore. Yes, she's still meddling in Hannah's love life like before - she never liked Mike, so I guess she's glad now that he's gone. But some of us still miss him! I also miss Norman. It's just not the same bouncing ideas off of Chad as it is with Norman. He was the best wing man.

What is up with Andrea? I don't get why she's back in town. Where's Bill and their daughter? And why were Andrea and Hannah dressed up but not Michelle? It would seem like Delores would want all her girls dressed up for her opening.

Also, what's with the sheriff suggesting to use Hannah to help with the investigation? This seems out of character for him. I feel like Hallmark is missing it with the latest string of Hannah Swenson movies, like since they ran out of the original Murder She Baked stories it has not been the same. It's a shame, these used to be my favorite series to watch, this and the Mystery 101 series, which is also gone now. Come on, Hallmark, bring back something familiar, like Norman, don't force this stuff that you've been trying to do on us!