Customer Reviews

Mystery Woman: Mystery Weekend

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Samantha Kinsey owns the Mystery Woman Book Store, and occasionally runs into murder mysteries of her own. During Mystery weekend, a chance for fans to gather and meet their favorite writers, writer diva Clare Beckman puts in the first appearance in almost fifteen years. No one knows why she's avoided the limelight. Arriving fashionably late, Clare immediately seizes everyone's attention, makes the announcement that her latest book is her last, and is promptly nearly murdered. Samantha ends up on the suspect list, alongside her most treasured patron. In short order, things go from bad to worse as the mysterious killer succeeds in killing Clare Beckman. With the police certain they've got the killer in custody, it's up to Samantha, her partner Philby -- who used to be a spy, and her assistant district attorney friend Cassandra to track down the real murderer.

This is the second entry in Hallmark Entertainment's MYSTERY WOMAN movie series. Kellie Martin stars as Samantha Kinsey, bringing a lot of experience as an actress as well as directing some of the series' entries. Created by Michael Sloan -- who's created or written for HARRY-O, COLUMBO, THE HARDY BOYS/NANCY DREW MYSTERIES, McCLOUD, THE EQUALIZER, and LA FEMME NIKITA, the series is off to a promising start.

Samantha Kinsey is an enjoyable sleuth. She's an everyday woman, with just a touch of something extra. Her curiosity about mysteries is a deeply rooted passion, and in her movies she's given a good chance to exercise it. Although there's no real drama involved in this movie, there is a good storyline that will keep avid mystery fans guessing up until the final moments. The story plays fair with the clues and the background to solve the murder. Doubtless, the writer, Joyce Burditt, wound the plot largely around British mystery maven Anne Perry's real life, which only came to public light in the last few years. The dialogue is quick and fast-paced, and the subplot involving Samantha and Cassandra's interest in the new lawyer in town is great fun.

The only real drawback to the DVD version is the lack of extras. These days all DVDs come with a little more than the movie, and interviews with the cast would have been a nice addition.

MYSTERY WOMAN: MYSTERY WEEKEND is highly recommended for the armchair sleuthing couples who want to while away a lazy hour and a half over the weekend playing guessing games with each other. This series doesn't have the intensity of something like FOYLE'S WAR, but it is an engaging effort well worth the visit.

This series of films from Hallmark Entertainment is delicious fun for mystery lovers and Kellie Martin fans. Martin is Samantha Kinsey, the owner of the Mystery Woman Book Store who finds herself involved in her own favorite pastime. There is a warmth and sense of fun to the story in this one and a fine atmosphere just right for light entertainment.

Samantha is making plans for a "Mystery Weekend" for her avid customers sure to please them. At her weekly "Thursday Night Mayhem" event, however, the very reclusive and prolific mystery writer, Clare Beckman, just misses being shot. Samantha's close friend and Assistant D.A., Cassie (Nina Siemaszko), is shot in the arm instead, and the mystery begins.

One of Samantha's elderly customers is the obvious suspect, at least to Chief Connors (Casey Sander), but Samantha has other ideas. There are two other female mystery writers present at the shooting whose jealousy is hardly masked. And when bee venom is used by someone to finish the job, Clare's trophy boyfriend might have motives also.

There is a real sense of fun as Samantha starts questioning people to get to the bottom of things. Clarence Williams III of "Mod Squad" fame is simply terrific as Samantha's pal, Philby, with a past so mysterious he has access to the Prime Minister! Pretty Nina Siemaszko is endearing as Samantha's best friend, helping her best bud and getting into hot water while fending off a hunky lawyer trying to romance she and Samantha at the same time.

It's all tied to a 30 year old murder. And as Samantha knows, everybody loves a murder. Mystery lovers won't be able to get enough of Samantha and her buds sluething around. Martin looks fantastic and it's great to see her find a fun project like this one. It's a great premise executed with just the right sense of mischief. A great find.

This movie is a little bit too Nancy Drew. The characters are stock suspects, and the action is rather contrived. "Mystery Woman" is anything but edgy. Whatever edge the plot may have had was neatly gone over with pinking shears. So we end up with good, clean family entertainment that some might relegate to the pile of "chick flicks."

Nevertheless, it was a relief to get out of the rawness and irresolution of daily life and to spend some time in this polished hardwood mystery-fans bookstore. And it was good to see Clarence Williams III on the screen again.

The bookstore is the kind of business we all dream about having; and Clarence Williams is the kind of business partner we all wish we could have. He's smart, mysteriously well-connected, and supportive. After each draining homicidal attack, Mr. Williams is ready to go brew a tea for himself and his partner. For many of us, that is the ultimate wish fulfillment.

What more could you ask out of a "cozy?" A bookstore, a dead body, and a cup of tea...

I happened to see this DVD at the library today and thought it looked interesting and I was right! What a great mystery! I am now looking to purchase the entire set. It's a good, clean, fun show. Loved it!

This is one of the better episodes of the Mystery Woman series. I look forward to seeing the entire series on DVD. Good viewing for the eintire family.

I enjoyed the setting and the acting in this mystery. I'd like to know, though, why the man who is the bookstore owner's assistant works in a bookstore when he is so highly qualified that he can call up the Canadian PM for information. It would have been good to have backstory, unless one of the other Mystery Women movies offers this. I've watched the Snapshot mystery, which I enjoyed, and there was no backstory there either.

I have three of the Mystery Woman series which appear to be all that were made (as judged by Amazon's listing). To most of we mystery buffs, the setting, a mystery bookstore owned by a woman, will immediately bring to mind the long running 'Death on Demand" series of books authored by Carolyn Hart (all of which I have read), but this seems to be an entirely independent effort.
Clarence Williams III is employed by the shop's Mistress; he brings to the job of clerk(?) a mysterious past (and present?) which gives him access to people in Intelligence the world round. No explanation is provided, but he is a welcome permanent member of the team. So, too, are two other regulars, the owner's best friend, a very young-seeming Assistant District Attorney and a stereotypical bull-headed Chief of Police.
In this outing, a mystery week-end of activities at the store, with three top writers in attendance, is highlighted by a shot which just misses one of them and wounds friend, Assistant DA. Needless to say, our heroine is immediately stimulated to detectival investigations. Nevertheless, that is not the worst occurrence of the week-end.
The plot is essentially a variation on the theme with some interesting sub-plots. It is well played by a generally appealing cast in the always congenial atmosphere of a bookstore. It is worth the 87 minutes of time for most mystery viewers.

Gotta say....In the end, the biggest mystery remains: WHERE THE HECK WAS THE LOCATION? No one seems to know, or at least tell, where on Earth this series was shot! Looks like WA State, but could be Northern Cal, Oregon, or a zillion other places. Anyone know??
Thanx!

I was drawn to this DVD because of two things - the premise of a bookstore owner solving mysteries, and said bookstore owner played by actress Kellie Martin (I've been a fan ever since she played the role of schoolteacher Christy in Christy - The Complete Series). The price was also a factor since I actually purchased this for less than five dollars at a local store.

Although I enjoyed the story, I only gave it three stars because the writing and acting is not as good as some other mystery series such as the stellar Murder, She Wrote - The Complete First Season, and of course the Marple: The Classic Mysteries Collection (Caribbean Mystery / 4:50 from Paddington / Moving Finger / Nemesis / At Bertram's Hotel / Murder at Vicarage / Sleeping Murder / They Do It with Mirrors / Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side), and Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries - Strong Poison (The Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane Collection). The writing/dialogue in Mystery Weekend is stilted at times, and the acting is quite choppy. Kellie Martin is wonderful as mystery bookshop owner and part-time investigator Samantha Kinsey, but her best friend, Assistant DA Cassie (Nina Siemaszko) is not very credible in her role, with annoying affectations. Clarence Williams is also wasted as Sam's friend and assistant Philby, whose frequent glares can be a tad unnerving (apparently this is to signal that he has some secrets that he is hiding regarding his past, which I assume will be explored in the other stories in the series).

This particular story deals with a Mystery Weekend being held at Sam's Mystery Woman Bookshop. Sam needs the revenue badly, and is hosting three well-known mystery authors, i.e. Maura Hobbs, Angela Cooke, and Clare Beckman. During the event, there is an attempt on Clare Beckman's life. As Sam gets into investigator-mode and tries to uncover the motives behind this attempted murder, she finds a faithful customer, Dorothy (Julianna McCarthy) being investigated as a possible suspect. Soon after, another similar event is held at Sam's bookstore, and this time Clare Beckman dies in a shocking manner, apparently the victim of a homicide. Sam then digs deeper to unravel the mystery, and makes some startling discoveries which go back several decades earlier, involving the bludgeoning death of a woman by two teens.

I enjoyed watching Sam's amateurish attempts at solving the murder. Since this is the first in a series, I'm hoping Sam's investigative methods will be refined over time, and the writing will get better. I like Kellie Martin enough to give this series a chance, and of course, the idea of a mystery bookstore owner going around solving mysteries (though how she stays solvent is a mystery on its own) is intriguing and charming enough to get me to view the other stories in the series!

I got it, and I get it.....it arrived on schedule, in good condition....but it was a little "dry" I guess I wasn't as happy with the "mystery" woman as I thought I might be. It was okay....