Crossword Mysteries “Proposing Murder” #1.2 (2019) (TV)

Doesn’t play fair,  7 August 2021

In this Hallmark mystery movie, crossword editor Tess Harper (Lacey Chabert) is once again set on helping Detective Logan (Brennan Elliot) with a murder investigation.  Tess feels she must get involved as the victim was a friend.  The clues lead to a valuable ring, a code cipher, an elusive children’s book, and at least one attempt on Tess’ life.    

For the first time since I began watching these Hallmark movies, I found one that failed to entertain.  I can and have overlooked a lot of shortcomings with these films as long as I enjoy the experience.  But with clues that go nowhere, police that act like idiots, and the forced chemistry between the two main leads, Proposing Murder just didn’t work for me.  But my main complaint comes in the film’s last act.  One of the things that bothers me most about a mystery is one that doesn’t play fair with the viewer.  You know, the ones that present vital clues in the final scene that lead to unmasking the killer.  The kind of clues that the viewer would have no way of knowing anything about.  Well, Proposing Murder commits this sin.  While most of these Hallmark mysteries are guilty of this to some degree, this one is the worst I’ve run across so far.  

  

4/10