MatchMaker Mysteries: A Fatal Romance

6/10 - okay mystery set at a book festival's best moment is its tap back to Knives Out

Angie Dove (Danica McKellar) has been invited to moderate a panel at a romance convention being held in town. No, she hasn't started writing books of any kind, but she is so well known locally for her matchmaking TV show, she is a natural fit. This does put her back into contact with Ethan, her ex-boyfriend who has taken over a publishing company from his late mother. Among his authors are Beatrice Penn (Anne Marie DeLuise), a best-selling author with a huge fan base.

She later dies from poisoning and there's a few suspects, one of them being Angie's ex-flame ...

Motives and suspects are well-woven with the puzzle fitting place at the finale, not after much investigating from Angie. The actress who plays her is quite lively and charming, her chemistry with the detective isn't too strong. Plus he looks a little too lethargic, or maybe he's meant to be that way. This is otherwise a fairly lively mystery with a dollop of a light touch.

This one is eons better than the first one on numerous levels. Ms. Mckeller toned it way back which helped and the plot was more believable than the first mystery; however, I'm still not getting any chemistry between Ms. Mckeller and Mr. Webster, in fact there was more chemistry between Angie and her old flame Ethan than her and the detective. Overall Mr. Webster seems to be completely uninterested in the whole thing and it's coming through in his acting. He kind of comes off annoyed to be there. I'm glad I gave it another shot but probably won't be continuing with this series. In layman's terms, it's boring.

Matchmaker Angie Dove (Danica McKellar) is on a panel at a romance convention. A romance writer on the panel is apparently poisoned. Angie starts investigating the murder with or without help from police detective Kyle Cooper (Victor Webster).

This is the second Matchmaker Mysteries on the Hallmark Channel. Danica McKellar is adorable and a great lead for this type of light murder mystery series. I would want someone for her partner in crime solving. Quite frankly, they should use more Bruce Boxleitner. He may be past his prime but he still has his leading man looks. He's better than the detective and it would make sense for her father to be protective. It's fine for her to investigate alone but it could be better father-daughter fun. Like she says, she needs a Watson and Boxleitner is right there. Hallmark needs to get off the romance formula and look at what they have with clearer eyes.

Danica and Victor are awesome.

The set designer or whomever, for Hallmark, seems to make a HOBBY LOBBY run for flowers before the filming.

The fake flowers are so fake.

They are just randomly placed.

It seems they are just placed in the ground, anywhere, all colors mixed together. Not realistic at all .

Hallmark can do better than this. And this is in many of their movies.