Talkie Tuesday: Pie to Die For

 

"Sometimes you just have to improvise."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to another Hannah Swensen movie.

 

Hallmark releases these every once in a while, and they're on movie ... eight right now? Ten? I've lost count.

 

But they're definitely moving into double digits!

 

The thing about these movies is that they feature a generally likeable cast, a plot that's usually fairly easy to follow along, and nothing too complicated so that you don't have to spend hours scratching your head about what's happened.

 

It's also why I like to sit down and watch them when they release - they're pretty good for resting my brain a bit!

 

Sure I'm wondering about the case, but it's not life or death.

 

Well, at least not for me - it's a bit different for the unfortunate victim, I suppose. Without further ado - Pie to Die For.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Reality Bites

 

"Inevitably, there are always surprises."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back to the delightfully delicious reviews that center all around Hannah Swensen and her moonlighting gig as a detective.

 

Honestly, the whole premise is cute, even if slightly unbelievable, but hey, we've seen way worse on this blog site.

 

The latest installment in the series FINALLY seems to establish a bit more ground in the romantic department, and here's to hoping the writing follows up on what's already been TWO invitations to a date, or else we riot.

 

I mean, Hannah's already basically said yes twice.

 

So without further ado and more jabbering from me, let's get right down to the nitty-gritty, and figure out why this one didn't land as well as the others before it.

 

The resident baker-sleuth is back in Reality Bites!

 

Talkie Tuesday: A Sprinkle of Deceit

 

"Not again."

 

Hello everyone!

 

I seem to be in a rather mysterious mood at the moment. Or, at the very least, in a mood to solve a whole lot of mysteries, judging by the book blog from last week and this week's choice of movie review.

 

Yes, yes, I know, the inauguration was yesterday, blablabla.

 

Not really in the mood. I'd prefer something a lot more drama-friendly!

 

So here we are, returning to one of my usual favourite sleuthers that I kind of tucked away by the wayside to return to at some point or other. The movie I watched this weekend actually aired, er, well, in autumn of last year. They're releasing the newest installment this February so I thought to myself, you know what? Maybe I should catch up!

 

So I did.

 

And honestly, I keep forgetting how much I enjoy this light-hearted kind of thing where you don't have to use so much brain energy and just have fun.

 

Hallmark Movies and Mysteries serves a lot of that in A Sprinkle of Deceit.

 

Talkie Tuesday: One Bad Apple

 

"Never underestimate a baker."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back.

 

After taking a bit of a break last week, I decided to sink my teeth into a deliciously yummy murder mystery for you all for this week's blog post.

 

What can I say - I'm an amateur sleuth at heart. It all goes back to watching Hercule Poirot on TV with my parents when I was younger.

 

Tonight's choice might not be QUITE as sophisticated as Agatha Christie's little mustachioed detective, but, that aside, it has an amiable cast and a fairly easy plot to follow, so I'd say that's a pretty good choice for anyone to watch.

 

They also managed to make the switch in male stars rather seamless. Ish. So hopefully that bodes well for the future!

 

For now, put on your aprons and get those apple peelers. One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, is up next.

 

Talkie Tuesday: A Zest for Death

 

"The plot thickens."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome back to Lake Eden, where the baking is fantastic and the murder is ripe.

 

Quite literally, actually.

 

Joanne Fluke was on to something when she invented Hannah Swensen, her baker-slash-detective, at amateur levels of course, because generally speaking we as amateurs enjoy having someone else's eyes to look through when some sort of crime happens.

 

The movie series for her book adaptations has been running at Hallmark for a few years now, even after the rebrand from Murder She Baked to Hannah Swensen Mysteries, and that's probably proof enough that people really enjoy it.

 

Besides, what's not to like about some eye candy like Cameron Mathison, right?

 

Right.

 

So put on your thinking caps and grab your kitchen utensils: tonight's choice is A Zest for Death.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Carrot Cake Murder

 

"If you respect the process, you could end up with perfection."

 

Hello everyone!

 

This week, we take a look right back into the world of sleuthing.

 

That's right, if you know me, then you know that detective stories are among some of my favourites - and that Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot take the cake, with Sherlock Holmes either right there with them or close behind, depending on my mood.

 

Tess Gerritsen is also an author that I truly enjoy, so can you see a trend forming here?

 

A while back - this is now probably a few years back, actually - I very accidentally ran into a series that Hallmark Movies & Mysteries did called Murder, She Baked.

 

I was originally enticed into watching because of its male lead, but stayed for the adorable stories.

 

They rebranded into Hannah Swensen Mysteries and have just released its second installment out into the world in this new series.

 

Which means that we got to put our thinking caps on, everyone! Because it's time to solve a murder, and not just any kind, but a Carrot Cake Murder.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Sweet Revenge

 

"It could be nothing ... but it could be something."

 

Hello everyone!

 

See what's happened?

 

Yep, I'm back on that Hallmark channel grind, as I always seem to be as the fall months start coming in and whatnot, though I will admit I might have chosen some other movie to wrap up the summer blogs with.

 

However, I'd been waiting to watch this particular one for some time so I figured, why the heck not?

 

I enjoyed the original series and am looking forward to see what this new rebrand looks like; originally, it was called Murder, She Baked, which was a cute play on Murder, She Wrote, but for some reason the channel execs have decided to go for Hannah Swensen Mysteries from now on.

 

To be clear, as long as we GET some new mysteries, I'm down for it being called whatever.

 

I feel like this used to be a staple in programming, and I'm really happy it's back.

 

Sweet Revenge: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, is up next!