Mystery on Mistletoe Lane

This is basically a treasure hunt at Christmas story. It started out looking like a haunted house story, but that vanished once the kids started following the clues. The mystery develops nicely into the treasure hunt. There are some added complexities later in the hunt, but clues to them were in it from early on.

I think that kids of one of the leads are just right in a Christmas story and these kids become a big part of the story without overwhelming the romance. I would say that the romance and the treasure hunt are almost equal themes in the plot.

The acting is good and the dialogue is good including a few "bad" jokes. Victor Webster and Erica Cerra have nice chemistry. I had no idea just from watching this that Cerra was Deputy Jo on Eureka despite watching that series at least twice. She makes a good lead in this kind of movie. I liked that Heidi was always upbeat.

I love Victor Webster and I have yet to see him put a foot wrong. Mystery on Mistletoe Lane is no exception as he plays David, the former historical society director and restoration specialist. He meets the newly hired director, Heidi Wicks (Erica Cerra) and her two children Annie and Garrett. New to town Heidi moved her kids into a historic property provided by her new job and it is of course a historic building. Doing some research she discovers it used to be known as the Mistletoe Inn. Her kids do a bit of looking around and discover a hidden Christmas scavenger hunt that was left by a previous owner, with rhyming clues and small handmade reindeer at each location.

There were a few plot holes...like how Wallace didn't come to inherit from his father and why his son didn't know the story of his biological father, but I am not going to nitpick. I enjoyed the story overall and I was thrilled with the scavenger hunt, the puns, and the interactions between Christmas crazy Heidi and the self proclaimed minamilist-no Christmas tree David.

This was wonderful and family friendly. I highly recommend for some holiday magic. Special note about Heidi's coworker Linda, played by Mary-Beth Manning, she was lovely and a great addition to the film. This is a delightful recommendation from me.

So glad to see a family mystery Christmas movie. The plot is simple with a new family moving into an old house with a treasure hunt to keep the house older and weirder. The new new folks in town are the new boss of the historical society and her two kids. Erica Cerra is such a great addition to the Hallmark family and her chemistry with Victor Webster is perfect. The kids are great and the mystery is fun for all. Taking it a step at a time with history of the town as a backdrop the feeling is of a true Christmas tale without the usual "take a shot" items which normally make up the Hallmark Christmas movies. All in all it is just fun.

Mystery on Mistletoe Lane is an enjoyable, 100% family-friendly movie.

It stars a newcomer to Hallmark Christmas movies Erica Cerra, and familiar face Victor Webster. Cerra is perhaps a bit older than the standard Hallmark lead, but she's the right age for this role: an attractive single mother of preteens who has uprooted her family from Carolina and shipped up to Boston (sorry).

Her new job is manager of a house with historical significance, and she is determined to dust things off and bring some attention to the forgotten old house. In the process, she meets Victor Webster who assists in fixing up the place, but it's what they find in the process that sparks the mystery. Even her snotty daughter wants to join in the sleuthing.

Old familiar face Fred Henderson shows up as Webster's dad, and he has some secrets of his own.

All in all a fun watch, and a good one to watch with family.

Kind of a cozy, Christmasy Hallmark.

Victor Webster and Erica Cerra star in Mystery on Mistletoe Lane from 2023. Cerra is Heidi Wicks, a divorced mother of two, who moves from North Carolina to a small town in Massachusetts to take a job as head of the Historical Society.

She meets the old director, David, who helps her get settled in the large house the society has given her to live in.

Heidi soon learns the house was a center of the community at Christmas, which one year stopped suddenly. David's father (Fred Henderson) is reluctant to talk about the house. Meanwhile, Heidi's children find clues in the house and embark on a treasure hunt for wooden reindeer from Santa's sleigh.

Typical Hallmark, with a relaxed atmosphere, likable characters, and a warm story. I would put this a cut above most of the cookie cutter Hallmark films.