Movie: Murder She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery
Previously Known As: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
Network: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Original Air Date: May 2, 2015
*This series is based on the Hannah Swensen Mystery books by Joanna Fluke
.*This movie is part of the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Mystery Wheel.
Alison Sweeney ... Hannah Swensen
Cameron Mathison ... Detective Mike Kingston
Barbara Niven ... Delores
Gabriel Hogan ...
Lisa Durupt ...
Toby Levins ...
Juliana Wimbles ...
Linda Darlow ...
PLOT:
via Hallmark Movies & Mysteries: Hannah Swensen is the shop owner of the Cookie Jar, where much of the town's gossip percolates along with the strong coffee. But when a mysterious murder occurs, Hannah turns into a culinary detective and finds herself trying to solve the crime while getting caught in an unexpected romantic mystery of her own.
More:
Based on the New York Times bestselling book, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke, the film will take viewers on a mouthwatering mystery that centers on Hannah Swensen, shop owner of the Cookie Jar where much of the town's gossip percolates along with the strong coffee. But when a mysterious murder occurs, Hannah turns into a culinary detective and finds herself trying to solve the crime while getting caught in an unexpected romantic mystery of her own.
This freshly baked new murder mystery introduces Hannah Swensen (Sweeney), a creative and bubbly baker extraordinaire in a sleepy town in Minnesota, where everyone knows each other and secrets don’t stay hidden for long. Hannah’s bakeshop, the Cookie Jar, is where much of the town's gossip percolates along with the strong coffee. But after she finds her good friend and delivery driver shot dead in the alley behind her shop, Hannah’s idyllic world is turned upside down. Her brother-in-law and county deputy sheriff recruits Hannah to help him chase down the culprit, but newly appointed Detective Mike Kingston (Mathison) has other ideas on how to investigate. As Hannah gets close to the handsome detective, she also meets the town’s new resident dentist at the prodding of her matchmaking mother Delores (Niven), and is suddenly caught in an unexpected romantic mystery of her own. Then, as a surprising number of suspects emerge, and motives ranging from blackmail to extortion abound, Hannah is strategically placed in the investigation to hear all as she jumps in as detective. Packed with plot twists and red herrings, romantic entanglements and family shenanigans, this lighthearted Hannah Swensen crime solver will please the palate of any mystery fan.
Movie Review:
Coming...
See or Skip:
Coming...
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I read some of the author's facebook and there were a lot of readers that didn't like the casting choice. We shall see!
ReplyDeleteMisty
I still can't see Allison Sweeney in the role of Hannah Swensen at all. I think I'll be disappointed. Hannah is such a beloved character in 18 books and I completely envisioned her differently than Allison Sweeney. And I'm not wild about Cameron Mathison, either. Does anyone else feel disappointed, too?
ReplyDeleteYes, as a reader of all the "Hannah" books I agree - Alison Sweeney doesn't look the the Hannah described in the books Either is Cameron Mathison as Mike.
DeleteNegative! I liked Cameron in his last comedy/mystery movie and cutie Allison was great in Second Chances. Let's give 'um a chance????
ReplyDeletePart of the reason is she doesn't look anything like Hannah. Hannah has curly red hair - she's blonde. Hannah doesn't wear makeup - she does. Hannah wears polyester pansuits - she doesn't. My thoughts are the producers thought no one would watch if Hannah were as dowdy as she is in the books.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you JoAnne, the book character sounds like she needed a bit of a makeover, but I totally understand when book readers have an image in their mind and expectations that are not met when books hit the small screen. On it's own, since I had not read the story... I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
DeleteThank you for your comment, JoAnne! :)
The storyline took away all of Hannah's loveable quirks from the stories. Her hatred of technology (in the movie she owns an I phone) her few extra pounds, her hatred for excercise (in the opening seen she is seen jogging) and most importantly get red hair. All these little changes seem pointless, I mean they even changed Andrea's job. I wish they had been more true to the books.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I wish they would have been more true to the books. Hannah's loveable quirks is what made her unique the books fun to read.
DeleteSounds like there are some substantial changes from the book to movie. Guess it's difficult to fully translate a book to TV. I cannot imagine, however, Alison Sweeney, since she was the host of The Biggest Loser, and an advocate for healthy living and fitness... portraying a character who hates exercise! I'm sure they decided early on that wouldn't work for her overall image.
DeleteWould love to know, what was Andrea's job in the book?
Had been anticipating this movie. I have read all of the Hannah Swenson murder mysteries. I found the movie somewhat disappointing. Did not stay true to characters in the book. No red curly hair, make up free Hannah, red cookie truck, living in a condo, Andrea's job....,Hannah's dislike for exercising.Where is Norman's mother? The role of Dolores was disappointing as well. As a Joanna Fluke fan was hoping that the movie would be true to the book. Character association is somewhat lost now.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the plot. However, the inconsistent makeup on Hannah was a real distraction for me. sometimes the makeup was fairly normal and other times it was way overly done - even when the scenes were supposed to be for the same time in the day. I also don't like having the 2 leading men look so similar. I did like both of them. I do hope there are more in the series, and I do hope the makeup is corrected.
ReplyDeleteWhere is Hannah's red hair?
ReplyDeleteAs a "Hannah" fan and reader of the Joanna Fluke books I wish they would have let Hannah be Hannah and not make her so Hollywood. Big disappointed as a Joanna Fluke Cookie Jar mysteryt reader.
ReplyDeleteI think they thought of Alison's hair as being strawberry blonde, which is close to red.
DeleteI'm sorry to hear many of the book readers are disappointed on the changes they made, but unfortunately, they do it all the time with books and scripts. The Love Comes Softly movie series is a prime example of that.
For me, not having read Joanna Fluke's books, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and Alison & Cameron in their roles... but, I am also very understanding to the readers feelings, as well.
Some fun trivia...Susan Hogan who played Judith Woodley and Gabriel Hogan, who played Norman Rhodes, are in, real life, mother and son.
ReplyDeleteYes, Susan and Gabriel Hogan are Mother and Son!!! If you look close in the background during one of the party scenes in Murder She Baked, you will see them walking by and talking together! I thought that was cute!
DeleteAlso, when Gabriel Hogan's character Peter (on the TV show Heartland) needed parents, both of his real parents, who are actors, played the roles!
Thank you Jill for sharing this fun trivia... I'm sure those who didn't know, will love knowing it!
I know the movie has had some criticism, but I thought this was a fun 1st movie catapult to this new series!!! Especially can't wait to see the Christmas movie!!!
Seems I missed the first movie, somehow, and just caught the second one. I'm sorry, by as pretty as Allison Sweeney is, she just isn't Hannah. No fault of hers, the writers chose to ignore the quirky Hannah of the books that all of the readers love. I have read ALL of the books in the series, twice. So I am really disappointed in the movie and and the casting. I appreciate the effort, but for some reason Hollywood thinks it is a great idea to re-write already extremely well-written,popular and bestselling books.
ReplyDeleteJust an FYI for Canadian viewers, MSB: A Chocolate Chip Mystery will be airing on CTV on January 2nd at 8 pm.
ReplyDelete