As soon as the new mystery, The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker, starring Candace Cameron Bure, was available to stream on Great American Pure Flix, I jumped at the opportunity to watch.
Aurora Teagarden (which previously starred Bure) has always been one of my favorite mysteries, so I was excited to see Candace take on this new sleuthing role for Great American Media.
If you don't have Great American Pure Flix, then you'll have an opportunity to watch this new mystery when The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker premieres October 5th on Great American Family.
In the meantime, be sure to check out my review of this new movie below. There are NO SPOILERS on the mystery- I promise!
My REVIEW of
"The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries:
A Case for the Winemaker"
A Case for the Winemaker"
*NO SPOILERS*
Candace Cameron Bure is back to crime-solving as Ainsley McGregor, a former criminologist from Chicago who recently moved to Sweet River, Texas, to be near her brother, Ryan (the town’s sheriff, played by Robin Dunne), and her friends to live a simpler life away from crime and violence.
However, this isn’t the case when Ainsley and her best friend, Shannon, discover a dead body at the local winery. Much to her brother’s disapproval, Ainsley reluctantly gets roped into solving this mystery with help from her friends in the community and the handsome local fire chief, Jake (played by Aaron Ashmore).
Just a few minutes into the movie, I was already deeply engrossed in this mystery, the interesting, diverse townspeople of Sweet River, and Ainsley’s dearest friends.
Throughout the film, I felt little hints, here and there, of the Aurora Teagarden Mystery and the early years of Murder, She Baked. Much like Aurora, Ainsley has her own group of crime-solving friends, who have made their own club, and like Murder, She Baked, this new Ainsley McGregor Mystery has a warm, tight-knit community feel to it. Instead of having a cat, however, like Hannah Swensen, Ainsley’s most loyal companion is George, her adorable dog, who everyone loves.
As for the mystery, my family and I had a strong suspicion about who the culprit was, which ended up being correct, but that didn’t take away from our enjoyment of the movie at all.
One of the many aspects I thoroughly enjoyed was the wonderful community in Sweet River, which mostly centered on Ainsley’s business – Bless Your Arts, a marketplace for local artisans, including: artists, woodworkers, winemakers, jewelry designers, weavers, and all sorts of locally handcrafted work.
Aaron Ashmore was charming and endearing as Jake Trenton, the Sweet River Fire Chief and Ainsley’s friend and potential love interest, while Robin Dunne was the perfect choice to play Ainsley’s brother, Ryan. It’s obvious Robin and Candace have a wonderful rapport in real life, which translates well on the screen as the two portray siblings who often tease but love each other immensely.
Candace was fantastic as the film’s lead, Ainsley McGregor, who… try as she might, can’t resist crime-solving, even if it means danger for herself. In her debut as this new character, Candace hits every mark with perfection—on the personal, professional, and sleuthing side—as we learn more about who Ainsley is and why she has returned home.
This introduction movie to Ainsley McGregor was such a delightful watch; I look forward to re-watching it and the subsequent mysteries to come. (By the way, a second movie was recently filmed, The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Yarn Maker.)
The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker is a fun, cozy mystery, and I’m looking forward to more sleuthing with Ainsley and the town of Sweet River!
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If you've had the opportunity to see the new Ainsley McGregor Mystery, I would love to hear your thoughts, too! Please share (without spoilers of the mystery portion) in comments below.
For those of you who haven't seen this yet, I hope you'll have the chance to watch when The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker premieres on Great American Family on October 5, 2024.
Happy Sleuthing!
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