User reviews

I liked it as I like the hallmark mysteries and this reminded me of one of those - a romance battling with a murder to be the top story. The sets even reminded me of hallmark movies - very folksy. No, it's not going to be a critic darling show, one that gets the attention of the critics, but I like murder mysteries of all kinds so if you do too, you might like this. It has the vibes of a small town, if the small town was Cabot Cove. I find pilots to not always be the best and I do think there are things that can be improved but will let the first few episodes cook to give them a chance to develop.

I don't give any real consideration to the notion that "sleepy" when it comes to TV and movies means "boring". Yes there's a small town slow moving vibe to the pilot but what's wrong with that? American TV and films are often frenetic and loud. That also doesn't mean "exciting" or even good. I never pass up a slow moving film, it's gotta brew so the nuances rise to the top. I'm certainly happy to give this one some time. A nice blend of Canadian actors and a somewhat typical plot but I'm intrigued. The Sutherland progeny, well he has the perfect demeanor for this. I knew he was related just from the voice. If you like sleepy at its finest, check out the Jesse Stone films with Selleck. Those are the gold standard.

I heard it was renewed for at least a second season, but I think I'll stop after one!

I really hate reviewing without watching everything, but it just didn't have much going for me. That in itself is a bit weird... I absolutely LOVE the whole "small town Sherriff" mystery thing.

I also think Sutherland is actually nailing his part... unfortunately the stories are pretty poorly written.

This isn't even approaching Agatha Christie territory! There are some major "derf" moments all over the place. And, I'm not a fan of the love interest or the actress playing her (Kreuk) for some reason. I loved her in Smallville... but not here! I think it's just her character... I just don't like the "love interest" inclusion.

I can live with "suspension of disbelief" but not poor writing. I think I'm One season and done.

Review: Murder in a Small Town - A Missed Opportunity

I wanted Murder in a Small Town to be a great series. The premise had so much potential-a gripping murder mystery set in a quiet town where nothing ever happens, until it does. But after watching it, I couldn't help but feel that the writers missed a crucial opportunity to make this show truly engaging.

The biggest flaw? The pacing and believability of the murders. Instead of crafting a season-long, intricate mystery that keeps viewers hooked, the show opts for a new murder every other week. The result? A small town with an absurdly high crime rate that completely undermines the show's realism. How can we be invested in a "small-town murder mystery" when bodies are dropping at an unnatural rate? It starts feeling more like Murder, She Wrote on steroids rather than a compelling, believable drama.

What Murder in a Small Town should have done is build a single, well-developed murder case over the entire season. This would have allowed for deeper character development, better suspense, and a more immersive storytelling experience. Imagine the tension of slowly uncovering layers of a mystery, the red herrings, the twists, and the final shocking reveal-all building to something truly satisfying. Instead, we get a new case wrapped up every other episode, which makes it hard to care about any of them.

The show has potential, and it could be so much better. The writers need to step back and rethink their approach. A great mystery isn't just about the number of dead bodies-it's about making the audience care about solving the crime. Hopefully, they course-correct in the future, because there's a great show hidden somewhere in here.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Molly's Reach from the old Canadian TV show The Beachcombers. Although I haven't seen any other through-lines beside the town itself yet like with the characters from the old show, it brought me right back! Although i kind of wish they acknowledged this in some way. It does appear that they are trying to make it seem like an American town vs. Canadian. It's a little weird there is no nod to the prior inception of the town of Gibson but whatever.

Now that is out of the way, the show itself has a wonderful cast and am hooked after the first episode. It is a bit of a darker hallmarkesque show as others have stated. However, i dont find it as sacchrine as those shows/movies and I can't wait to watch the rest!

After just watching the pilot episode Murder in a Small Town, I was quite impressed with the simple plot of a murder that the small towns' new Police Chief was thrust into solving having recently joined the Gibsons Police force.

The new police chief. Karl Alberg (Rossif Sutherland) is an impressive murder investigator bringing his vast knowledge from a major city police force to the small quaint town of Gibsons.

Within the first episode we also get to know some of the characteristics of the other officers of the Gibsons police force, both rookies and seasoned police officers. All who look up to their new police chief, Karl Alberg.

One other key character in this new TV series is the town's librarian, Cassandra Lee (Kristin Kreuk) who meets Police Chief Karl Alberg through a dating web site service they both decided to subscribe to.

If the story line appears vaguely familiar to you (as it did to me) you may recall the previous former TV movie series Jessie Stone which delivered nine (9) TV films between 2005 and 2015 starring the aging but still appealing Tom Selleck. Sound familiar now?

Regardless whether or not Murder in a Small Town is trying to recapture some of the magic in the bottle of the Jesse Stone TV films, I really enjoyed this pilot episode and I am looking forward to the new story lines and the characters in the town of Gibsons.

I give the pilot a solid 8 out of 10 IMDb rating.

Murder in a Small Town piqued my interest due to Kristin Kreuk, and lo and behold, she is paired with another Sutherland lad. I love small-town settings, and a murder mystery makes for a great combination. The first episode started out nicely: there's a murder, and the next-door elderly neighbor seems to be the culprit, but how and why? I liked that they elaborated on the characters and gave them a good backstory. I also liked that the show doesn't feel like the usual flashy, slick murder-mystery theme. But what intrigued me the most is the chemistry of the two leads: two 40-somethings with past experiences and baggage, trying love for the second time. Kreuk's Cassandra is feisty and bubbly, while Sutherland's Karl is this two-shirt type of detective. Together, they turn this small-town mystery into a slow-burn romance that's worth every twist.

Big city detective moves across the country and becomes chief of police in a small Oceanside town with a small number of interesting subordinates under his command. . Doesn't this make anyone else think of Jesse Stone amd Paradise. I loved all of those Selleck movies, and hope this effort pans out as successful. It seems to have all the makings and so far I am enjoying this show very much. If the writers can come up with the necessary intriguing stories, I expect this series will be successful. Makes me wonder if those writers, as well as all the actors, are watching all those Jesse Stone movies.

I can think of worse things they might do.

Kristin Kreuk not only has a wishy washy character but she makes it worse with her feeble acting and overuse of her eyes widening or batting her eyelashes. Her character needs a rewrite and recast. Please keep Rossif Sutherland. He is an accomplished and skilled actor but give his character a bit more of a backbone when it comes to his love interest. Lastly, more Canadian, less American, PLEASE.

Both leads are either badly miscast or the writing and direction are terrible or both. It's like a bad, formulaic Hallmark rip off. What police chief is so awkward and unsure of himself. And Kristin Kreuk, one of the most beautiful actresses around is so badly directed. Don't waste your time, there's nothing good about this series.

At first, I thought this was a tad too gentle with a PBS kind of flavor or a better produced Hallmark flair. But after completing the first episode I was hooked and began to appreciate the characters. It is a procedural crime drama but not overbearing, or tasteless. I find the stories hold my interest and the relationship pieces are developing. I really was unfamiliar with the work of Rossif Sutherland ( Karl) or Kristen Kreuk (Cassandra) but they have good chemistry. This is a Canadian production so I am getting introduced to some good Canadian actors. In my opinion this show is definitely a win for Fox.

The first episode was alright, but they kept harping on about the main character's relationship as if they didn't work going on or anywhere else to be besides together. Throughout the first episode it seemed like the main characters always had to be around each other. They also made the main character too perfect, chief of police/detective, perfect dad, perfect painter, perfect etc. If they had more detective work and less romance it could work better or if you're going to always the main two characters in the same scenes why not make her a detective or atleast work at the same police station.

Had been looking forward to this after seeing the trailer. Turned out to be, like a previous reviewer stated, way too much like a bad Hallmark movie with a murder in the background. I've enjoyed the actors in other series, but here they really fell flat, but I think the script had more to do with it than anything. Rossif Sutherland was great in Three Pines, but it seemed like he was pretending to act in this. Kristen Kreuk's melodramatic character was absolutely unlikeable. The cinematography, plot, acting was all subpar. The episode felt like an attempt at a good show that just failed. I don't plan to watch another episode.

I found this show going down the rabbit hole on hulu because of sonething I watched. I absolutely loved the oddity of first episode which had a great storyline. I'm loving the non traditional sorta handsome, awkward sad sac in turmoil main character. Crazy thing is that all I'm seeing is his dad Donald. He looks like him, sounds like him, walks, talks, entire demeanor is his dad...t's kinda freaky! I'm in episode 3, and its getting a little boring but I'm committed.im not sure how I feel about the love interest, seems awkward but may grow on ne. Time will definately tell since I'm only 3 episodes in.

Agree that each episode feels like a romanticized, hallmark version of a murder mystery, which is funny b/c Hallmark does an excellent job with film adaptations of Charlaine Harris' Aurora Teagarden novels. Part of the problem may be trying to condense a full-length novel into a one-hour television show. Another is characterization; the Teagarden movies tend to stick more closely to the way characters were portrayed in Harris' novels. And weak chemistry between Alberg and Cassandra doesn't help.

I feel like this show has a lot of potential! It already feels pretty solid at the start. I love the characters (& actors), the setting, and the premise. It's got charm, and plenty of heart.

I've read a lot of people saying that this show reminds them of a hallmark movie. I'm not someone who watches hallmark movies - too cheesy, not my thing. This show doesn't feel hallmark-y to me. It feels optimistic, but also honest. It sprinkles in some lovely humorous moments throughout the episodes as well.

I really hope we get more of this show because I am already invested in seeing where these characters take us. It's a show that makes me feel good while watching - makes me smile. And in the end, I think that's probably what a lot of us need in a show right now. I know I do.

I didn't know there was another Sutherland and now I know why....! I started watching it because I really like Kristin Kreuk and I know she has great chemistry with her co stars . Ok I didn't expect to find ever again the extraordinary chemistry she had with Jay Ryan on CW's Beauty and the Beast or even the really good one she had with Tom Welling in Smallvile, but with this Sutherland...ZERO chemistry. The whole TV series is like a hallmark crime mystery with a romantic subplot with zero chemistry. And I know it's not Kristin's fault. The lead (Karl) is not convicing at all. The actor mumbles and hunches all the time and looks like he has no confidence at all but you want me to believe that he is the Chief of police? Hilarious. I believe that if they had paired Kristin with another actor who would play this character more convincigly, it would be so watchable only for the romantic subplot....but this Beta male chief of police?? It's a no for me! 6 is only for the scenery and the adorable Kristin.

Murder in a Small Town is my new favorite show and Rossif Sutherland has become my new favorite actor. I love the juxtaposition of a tough guy police Chief who is unsure of himself as a dad and navigating a new mid-life relationship. Love the mystery each week, but love the chemistry between Karl and Cassandra even more. Their banter is so well written and acted. The entire cast is great and the dialogue is so natural and real. I also love the relationship between Sid and Karl. The "buddy cops" angle adds a nice dimension to the show.

They've also had some stellar guest stars in season one. I'm really hoping it's renewed for a second season! I want to see more of Rossif and Kristin and the whole cast.

Yes, this show seems like a slightly less jolly murder-mystery series from the Hallmark Channel. Yes, it's quite vanilla. But the one thing that bothers me the most is that one of the main characters, Kyle - who's the Chief of Police - behaves in an extremely insecure, awkward, and shy way, and that's rarely the profile of a Chief of Police. Someone with such a wimpy, languid, and lethargic personality doesn't climb the roles to become a chief of anything, let alone the police. His 6'6 height doesn't help if that's what the casting director thought the actor could bring to the part, as he's often slouching, which adds to the insecure look. It makes the story super hard to believe. He's even hard to understand at times because he speaks as if he didn't feel comfortable getting words out. I'd like to think this is how the character is written (thus, forcing the actor to play him that way) and not poor acting (he's a Sutherland, there's acting in his blood), but I haven't read the books that this series is based on to know if that's the case.

I'm still giving it a 6-star rating for two reasons: (1) I dig small town stories, and (2) Kristin Kreuk. I still don't know why she hasn't been featured in more movies and TV shows. She's got range, speaks eloquently without sounding pedantic (but can also be colloquial), and is subtle but precise with her facial expressions. She's not Meryl Streep, but is quite good, even better than a lot of today's popular actresses.

This show is a good watch if you are looking for something to play on the background while doing house chores or working on your laptop.

This show feels like a cross between Murder She Wrote and those Hallmark Mystery Movies, which suits me just fine. The classic police procedural is surrounded by stories of people living in a small town and does its best to flesh out these characters so they're not just filling out the suspect pool.

The series might feel a bit stunted at the start but as it goes on it's able to find it's footing and create its own formula that allows it to stand out from other whodunnit's. The romance between Kreuk and Sutherland's character's is a welcome background to the murder mystery vibe. It's definitely the kind of show you can cozy up on the couch each week and enjoy.

This review is based on a viewing of the first episode and about five minutes of the second episode. I doubt that I will be able to force myself to watch anymore.

As other reviewers have said, this murder-mystery series suffers from a bit of the Hallmark treatment. While the setting of a small coastal town is perfect, some actors are overacting and the script centers on romance-series drivel, there is a ridiculous rate of one murder per episode, the role of Cassandra is painfully written, and Kristin Kreuk's overacting makes it much worse.

This series could have been shaped into a much more sophisticated product with a season- or series-long single primary mystery, but it seems like the creators are appealing to a certain audience base that likes pat little mysteries, and that base does not include me.

I agree that Murder in a Small Town has all the Hallmark Mystery vibes, but it's actually less stupid, less cheesy, more believable. Yet it leaves you with a warm feeling.

Rossif Sutherland is great as chief of police who is doing his best while finding murderers with the help of his driven colleagues. He's smart, but not weird or quirky.

Local librarian is no Aurora Teagarden: she's not messing with the investigation, but she helps when she can.

It's a good old murder mystery in a nice cozy setting. But the writers are not lazy (probably because it's based on books), they don't think the viewers have one brain cell left.

The writing is strong, the setting is brilliant, very strong leads, so this show is just great if you take it for what it is: good old murder mystery with no gory details or too much drama.