"Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery" - SPOILER ALERT

Click here to read my review of "Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery".

Click here to read my review of "Murder, She Baked: A Peach Cobbler Mystery".

Click here to read my review of "Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe".

Click here to read my review of "Murder, She Baked: Just Desserts".

Today I watched the second movie in the "Murder She Baked" series. "A Plum Pudding Mystery" takes place during the Christmas season, hence the name (which is a popular Christmastime dessert in some countries). In the movie, we learn (well, at least I learn) that Plum Pudding does NOT usually contain plums. Interesting fun fact!

Like it's predecessor, I watched "A Plum Pudding Mystery" twice. The first time I got the basic gist and the second time everything clicked. This movie follows the same basic formula as "A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery", as I presume all of them will. Hannah is a baker turned unofficial detective who is smart, observant, inquisitive, and determined. Mike, the "official" detective, does not give her the credit she deserves. This bothers me beyond words, but I still love their chemistry and ability to solve mysteries together, even if they are not actually working together and Michael would rather do it alone. 

As in the first movie, we are teased with some of the suspects thinking it could be them who committed the murder, but close to the end of the movie, we find out it's someone else with a motive that was not revealed sooner. Of course, in the end, the mystery is solved and the people of the town live happily ever after (until the next movie when I'm sure we'll do it all over again).

I am enjoying the movies, even with the repetitive formula. I love the cozy feel of them in such a small town where many people know each other (and apparently where there happens to be a ton of crime). Some of the scenery is breathtaking and the viewer still gets the feeling that it's a charming little town. They are constantly munching on cookies. This helps with the cozy vibe.

One criticism I have of both movies I've watched so far is that neither of them actually revolve around cookies or pudding. The desserts are weaved into the movie a bit, but I was hoping and expecting the mysteries themselves would center around the desserts. So far, the titles have had nothing to do with the plots, except for the word "murder".

So often in Christmas movies we see a happy ending with a snowy scene. It's classic and it's magical to me each and every time. We did have a little of that in this movie, but we also had a snowy scene that was not so warm and fuzzy. It was the scene when the murderer realizes she's been caught and things go south for a bit. I absolutely loved this contrast. It was the highlight of the movie for me. There was also a touch (and I do mean a small touch) of horror throughout the movie. This bizarre elf (that is more like a puppet) pops out of nowhere and startles people. It was more comical than it was scary, though if I encountered something like that in real life, my friends across the world would probably hear me screaming.

The love story continues in this movie, but not too much. Given that the detective and the baker kiss (under the falling snow), it would seem that a romance is budding between them and not between the baker and the dentist. Time will tell.

The movie ends on a happy note in anticipation of the future - Hannah's sister announces at dinner that she is pregnant. I could not be happier for her and her husband and I cannot wait to see what comes next for them and for the rest of the small town with big mysteries to solve.