Candace Cameron Bure is back as Aurora Teagarden, this time trying to solve the murder of a real estate agent. She eventually figures out the murder ties into some stolen art and then it's just a matter of her (and us) figuring out which of the suspects is guilty. As with the previous Aurora Teagarden movies, I will remind anyone reading this review that I have not read the books this series is based on. So I don't have any preconceived ideas of how Aurora or any of the supporting characters should look or act. I enjoyed the previous two TV movies in this series, largely because of Candace Cameron Bure's irrepressible charm and likability. This third movie, however, I like a little less than the others.
For starters, while this is still a somewhat lighthearted murder mystery with a little bit of humor, this one seems to take itself more seriously than the last two. Some viewers will probably like this one more than the others for that very reason. But I wanted the quirky fun more than another humdrum murder mystery that anyone who's seen a couple of episodes of Murder, She Wrote could figure out relatively quickly. Another negative is the potential love interest in this one. It's the third male lead for Candace in as many movies and this one is a big step down from Robin Dunne's enjoyable character in the last film. This new guy, played by Yannick Bisson, is a middle-aged metrosexual with a One Direction haircut and way too much spray tan. His chemistry with Candace is tepid, to be charitable. Honestly the guy seems like he should be hosting a game show or an infomercial about dog grooming supplies.
On the plus side, Candace is Candace and while she doesn't have as many cute lines or moments in this one, her screen presence carries the movie. The adorable Lexa Doig returns as Aurora's friend but sadly gets little to do. The few scenes she does have are great, though. One note I would give Hallmark is that perhaps in future movies focus on these two solving crimes together rather than inserting another love interest who's just going to disappear anyway. Marilu Henner, Bruce Dawson, and Miranda Frigon all return from the previous movies and are all fun to watch. Also making an appearance is the clichéd gruff police captain I complained about in my Real Murders review. He shows up just to tell Aurora to stop meddling. Keep trying, Hallmark, but it's not going to get funny anytime soon. Finally, the town they filmed in is really beautiful. So big points for the scenery. Look, if you like Candace and like the other Aurora movies, you'll like this I think. If you didn't like the other ones, maybe this one will be more your cup of tea since it is a little different than the previous two.
