Really Surprised!

good back-story, and good acting

Best movie ever!

A Masterpiece!

Hannah Swensen again becomes involved in a mystery in "Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery." Hannah (Alison Sweeney) is at it again, running her bakery and cafe in Eden Lake, Minnesota, with her mother trying to set her up with men and encouraging her to glamour up. This time mom interviews her to a new dentist in town, Norman Rhodes, a charming man. But having seen subsequent episodes, I know how it winds up.When her childhood friend Ron, who delivers dairy to the shop, is found dead, Hannah is determined to find out the identity of the culprit. Because Eden Lake isn't used to murders, it brings in Detective Mike Kingston (Cameron Mathison) from Minneapolis.Hannah doesn't appreciate Mike's arrogance, since she feels that she knows the people in town and can help him. However, she pushes ahead. Then there is another murder, this time of a wealthy man who is suspected of being a loan shark.Pleasant enough, and I'm assuming this is the first episode. I like Alison Sweeney and Cameron Mathison, both soap stars of long standing who have strong fan bases. Also it was nice to see Susan Hogan from "Night Heat" after thirty years. Hallmark deliberately keeps these movies on the bland and homey side because of the demographic they want to attract. I'll watch anything that's a mystery but I'd be lying if I said there was anything particularly special about any of these mysteries. Hallmark is like Lifetime - you take the movies for what they are and don't expect anything else.

I like the series very much. Each episode reminds me a little of Jane Austen's novels in terms of the some of the characters and plots. For example, Hannah's mother conjures up Emma and her over-the-top neurotic Romanticism. There is a Pride and Prejudice sexual tension thing going on between Mike and Hannah. Mike is also haunted somewhat by a previous relationship, just as is Edward Ferrer in Sense and Sensibility. And Hannah's mother reminds me of the ditzy Mrs. Bennett in P&P and her inability to completely accept her daughter as-is. I also like the way Hannah and Andrea are close, as are Elizabeth and Jane in P&P. It's a kind of survival mechanism against their mother's pushiness. And Hannah's involvement in murder and mystery tracks with the morbid curiosity of Catherine, the heroine in Northanger Abbey. Just some thoughts for any JA fans out there...!

Well I guess Hallmark has committed to at least one more "movie" in the Fluke series. I enjoy the books as they are an easy read but the main character, Hannah Swensen, is not Alison Sweeney. Not by a long shot. Hannah is tad dumpy and somewhat acerbic; in this version she is sweet beyond saccharine. I guess some authors like seeing their work in another media and are willing to allow some latitude in altering their creation. As for this film, it's OK. I don't believe I liked it enough to watch a follow up. It wasn't that difficult to figure out who did it and why; but the stupidity of the Hannah character was too much to take. Barbara Niven was typical as the mom, Delores Swensen, concerned that her daughter is still single and is desperate to see her married off. But overall, the story felt rushed. The back story regarding the murder victim is too brief and the other characters are just stereotypes off the cozy rack. Just not enough here to make me a fan or even curious to see where they might be going. If you want a series then spend some time in film one to identify all the players, the setting, and create a character you want to know better. Not done in this presentation.

The Hallmark Channel seems to be churning out a series of movies based on "Cozy Mystery" books. These are not Agatha Christie mysteries. They all seem to have a theme: a librarian, a baker, a garage-sale buyer, and I've heard there's also a gourmet chef cum detective.This movie was shown with a few others including the librarian, so I didn't expect much. The movie, like the others. was lightweight, but one thing I really liked about this one.....the Heroine, a baker, has human feelings. She actually CRIES when she finds a body! Some others have friends and neighbors who get bumped off but don't shed a tear (unrealistic and cold). There are the usual cozy-type settings and cute things going on...mild romance, offering cookies to everyone, etc.One thing had me wince.....Hannah has a bakery where the locals get coffee and pastries. One woman brings in her DOG and it sits at the table. Hannah walks up to it and feeds it a snack with her bare hands! I paid a lot of attention to see when she washed her hands. It didn't happen. Let's just say I found it a turn-off. The writers need to pay attention to details like this. Everyone in businesses where they handle food knows to wash their hands to avoid contamination and I wouldn't eat anywhere they had dogs inside the restaurant.I did enjoy this mystery, though. It involved murder, no blood, was interesting and won't give you nightmares.