Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: The Disappearing Game

So much down voting on reviews that are being completely honest. The FACT of the matter is that Aurora is out of line often. She is a border line criminal. I know these shows are meant to be fun but the writing is just so bad. The plots are just too far fetched and they make Aurora into a complete idiot. The only reason she "solves" anything is because she outright accuses everyone until she gets it right, impedes on people's rights (like barging into their homes without concent), blabbing her mouth about everything to everyone, and breaks the law when she interferes into every investigation. If a father gets a ransom demand and they say no cops. It's HIS choice whether or not to go to the police NOT hers and yet she feels she is the only one who gets to make decisions. The police have said a billion times to stop interfering and it's in one ear and out the other. She does what she wants when she wants and nothing, not even the law, will stop her. The last one I watched she left her shot lover and another boy bleeding out, defenseless, and a baby upstairs, in an unlocked house as she ran across the street to peep in on the other house. I thought she was going for her phone to call an ambulance but nooooope, she went to go spy on the neighbors as Martin was bleeding out on the floor. She is ridiculous and I can not deal with it anymore. I have switched to the new Fixer upper with Jewel and I love those. I wish they would make more. At least she has common sense.

Because I've read all the Aurora Teagarden books, by Charlaine Harris, watching the movies is a bit of a let down. The original book series was well written, with realistic characters, and strong story plots. The characters from the books have been changed quite a lot. Of course, trimming down a book to fit a 90 movie time is one thing, but white washing the characters to fit into Hallmark's moral ideals hurts the stories immensely.

Hallmark changed the order of the first two movies, causing us to have trouble understanding the characters and story lines. The reason Roe doesn't have to work is explained quite well in the second book "A Bone to Pick" and the introduction of many of the characters is covered well in the first book "Real Murders". This is lost in the movies due to the change in their order.

Aurora's character in the books, has more depth and intelligence, She is clever, resourceful and very funny. You watch her character grow from book to book, which doesn't happen in the movies. Her friends and family are also stronger in the books than the characters in the movies. Many of the scenes from the books have been changed so much you have trouble recognizing them.

Roe's character has been changed into a nosy, amateur; impeding justice every step of the way. She commits crimes during her "sleuthing" and gets in the way of the police investigation. I'm surprised she hasn't been arrested by the "real" cops. The character of Martin changed from a strong, forceful, business man with a mysterious past to a "fluff" character. Their relationship in the book is a bit steamy, and a real romance, but the relationship in the movies is more high school dating.

If you really want to enjoy this series, please buy the books and enjoy the adventure.

6/10 - you know just what to expect going into this one: lighthearted fun and a great mystery

When the movies started, Aurora clues where usually ignored by the police which led to "believable" desire to follow them up in her mystery solving, but now she knows both the chief of police and the Mayor who both take her seriously. Yet the scripts still have her doing stupid things, interfering in investigations and putting hers and other people's lives at risk.

Come on Scriptwriters. Yes its Hallmark movies but at least TRY to use your intelligence and put together a movie that actually makes me want to believe in the main character instead of hoping she's arrested.

Candace Cameron Bure is back as our sluething librarian Aurora Teagarden in The Disappearing Game. A lot of the series regulars are also back as Marilu Henner as her mother, Lexa Doig as her helpful reporter friend and Peter Benson as the patient detective who really still doesn't know what to do with Auora. In some ways her sleuthing won't be containe as this involves a visiting cousin from Arizona now enrolled in school in her town.

On one night the cousin and a friend just disappear and a girl they knew was killed in a hit and run. Shortly after that another male student peer also disappears and now the police and the university have one dead and three missing students on their hands.

The solution is a little farfetched and all I'll say is that a bit of insanity runs in a certain family and not in the family originally thought to have it.

Fans of the series should like it.