It's become pretty clear that Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel creations sit somewhere between made-for-tv movies and Murder, She Wrote series episodes. But I count them as more the former than the latter in no small part because each is a standalone story longer than an hour, and the network never commits to making more than one or two at a time. They may not be as artistically pure as Knives Out or Sleuth, but so what.

67. (1926.) Poisoned in Paradise: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (2021)
Something about the romantic leads in this series bothers me, but that may just be bad acting. I like these mysteries, though. Perhaps its the commitment to their location or the grizzled lead, but they always put me in mind of 1980s Magnum P.I. episodes.

69. (1928.) Morning Show Mysteries: Murder Ever After (2021)
This series got retooled following the pandemic, much to its detriment. Everything feels a little rushed, like they had to start filming before all the pieces were set. Or perhaps, they were trying to make old formulas work with incompatible pieces. Either way, a lesser entry (with a nonsense murder mystery) in a series I was otherwise enjoying.

76. (1935.) Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Til Death Do Us Part (2021)
Good golly, I enjoy me some of this series' supporting cast but very much not the lead. The mystery in this entry was too transparent, though I'm willing to blame that on the need to make room for the main character to get married — and for a romance to be rekindled between her divorced parents. Hallmark knows who their biggest market is.

More to come.

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