Curious Caterer: Dying for Chocolate (2022 Hallmark Movie)

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Curious Caterer: Dying for Chocolate is a mystery movie, starring Nikki Deloach and Andrew Walker, that first aired in 2022. It is based on a book that is part of a series, which I have not yet read. I watched it when it first aired, but since the second movie in this series will air soon, I decided to watch the first one again. I enjoyed it the first time I watched it, but I liked it even more the second time!

Goldy Berry (Nikki Deloach) is a caterer who becomes an amateur sleuth as she finds herself in the midst of an investigation. Was it an accident or is there a killer on the loose? She is on a mission to find out.

This is a strong start to what I hope becomes an entire series of movies. Goldy Berry is a woman on a mission, but she also has a softer side. Nikki Deloach plays this role flawlessly. I love the relationship she has with Detective Tom Schultz (Andrew Walker). It's not quite romance, but it might be heading in that direction. He clearly wants her to stay out of the investigation, but he also doesn't seem to discourage it too much. It's clear that they both respect each other and there is quite a bit of light-hearted banter between the two of them. They make a great team in every way possible.

Can we also talk about Deputy Mason Kildea (Riley Davis)? Hallmark, please sign him up for more movies! This is a supporting character, but his role is so important. Detective Schultz is like a mentor to him. I love their rapport, but more than that, Deputy Kildea brings the necessary comic relief to this movie. No one wants to make light of a murder, of course, but in a cozy mystery such as this movie it's so important to have that light-heartedness in times of darkness. I don't think I would love this character as much if it was played by anyone else. Davis nails this role. He was in Dating the Delaneys, which is another Hallmark movie from 2022 that I enjoyed, and he was great in that one too, but this role of Deputy Kildea was made for him. It really showcases his talent. The entire cast is outstanding, but Davis is a standout to me.

As for the mystery, I did not figure out the solution until close to the end. There are lots of viable suspects with motives and opportunity, as well as red herrings and also the possibility that this could have actually been an accident. I'm glad I watched it again because I picked up on little things that turned out to be big things, which is one reason why I enjoyed it more the second time. This could have been a full length movie (as in two hours without commercials), but Hallmark has the tough task of fitting it all into no more than 90 minutes. I think they did a great job given the time that they had. The end did seem a little rushed and filled with information, but the movie is so good that can be forgiven.

I really like that this movie, while being light-hearted overall (it is a Hallmark movie, after all), touches on some heavy topics such as alcoholism, grief, and mental health. It does so in a respectable way. Often times, alcoholism is made light of in movies and television, but not in this movie. All of these topics are taken seriously. The movie is a nice balance of heavy topics and light-heartedness.

Have you seen Curious Caterer: Dying for Chocolate? Are you planning to watch the next installment, Grilling Season, which airs on February 5th? 

I know I am!