A Beautiful Place to Die: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery

7/10 - such a refreshingly different Hallmark movie and a genuinely intriguing mystery

Obvious , it is not an impressive crime film. But, no doubts, it is nice. The temptation, for me and, maybe, for others, was Jesse Mrtcalfe, giving a decent job in this case. The second - Eric Keenleyside and Christine Willis. The paternity problem and dark side of a rich man life works just not so bad. The result - nice and pure Hallmark-esque.

You never know how TV movies are going to pan out, this is one of the better ones. You need good leads to make a film Jesse Metcalfe and Sarah Lind do this in good style in characters and looks. The chemistry between the two sets the standard to make this an enjoyable murder mystery set in a beautiful setting. The storyline without giving too much away revolves around inheritance and charity dealings. The supporting characters make this into very decent watch, better than some rubbish mainstream films I could mention.

Lame story and bad acting sink this from the get-go. And why on earth would anyone do a series that's set on Martha's Vineyard and film it in Vancouver?

Jesse Metcalfe isn't bad as the Boston cop retired for an injury. He returns to the Vineyard to clean up his dead father's affairs and gets involved with a sappy doctor (Sarah Lind) and a local murder. The murder plot is lame and not terribly interesting. The acting is atrocious.

The setting looks nothing like the real Martha's Vineyard no matter how many times they mention Boston. By the way, the Vineyard is not off the coast of Boston, it's off the coast of Cape Cod. The sweeping vistas of the island (with skyscrapers in the distance) are insulting to anyone who's been to the Vineyard.

Aside from Metcalfe's Jeff Jackson, the characters are all dumber than dirt. The local police chief (the doctor's daddy) is a total dope. The doctor herself never seems to work and becomes Jeff's sidekick, traipsing around the island in high-heeled sandals and "little outfits." Indeed, all the women overdress, which is a key as to who the audience is for this tripe.

The other annoying thing is that the characters walk around with their coffees though it's obvious the cups are all empty. Also, the characters trample every crime scene and don't even wear gloves while they poke around. Bleh!

Hallmark in launching a new mystery series decided to have a male protagonist for a change. Jesse Metcalfe who took a bullet that is lodged close to his spine is a former Boston homicide cop who took disability retirement and went to live at Martha's Vineyard where he spent some time as a kid.

Of course a murder is committed of a young man trying to buttonhole some of the Vineyard's leading citizens and it's Metcalfe who finds the body. After that his cop instincts just take over and the Martha's Vineyard police chief Eric Keenleyside welcomes his help.

As does the chief's daughter Sarah Lind. The trio of course get the case solved with a murderer you might not have thought had a connection.

This was a good mystery, let's see if Hallmark continues the series.