Nelly Knows Mysteries: All Manners Murder (2026)

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Two years ago, Nelly Knows Mysteries: A Fatal Engagement, the first in what seemed like it was going to become a series, premiered. I was not a huge fan of it.

This year, a second Nelly Knows Mysteries premiered. As I watch all of the new mysteries, I knew this would be no exception. It took two years for us to get a second one, but it was worth the wait. One change was made for the better and I enjoyed All Manners of Murder much more than the first one.

Nelly (Pascale Hutton) is an advice columnist. In All Manners of Murder, she receives a phone call from someone she replied to in the advice column. An invitation to a dinner party is extended to Nelly so she could be there when bad news is delivered to the estranged family. Nelly accepts the invitation, but asks Detective Mike Hogan (Kavan Smith) to be her plus one. Of course, this is not a date. It's work-related. Or is it? They attend the dinner party, which turns deadly when one of the guests is murdered. How could this have happened and who is responsible for such a heinous crime?

The mystery in this one was strong. I do wish it stayed a "locked room" through most of the movie, but at least the crime took place during the dinner party, which narrowed down the suspects. An incident took place in the opening scene in the movie, and when the characters were introduced after that, I immediately knew who the masked person was. That wasn't the solution to the whole mystery, though. I did identify a second culprit correctly, but it was still fun to watch everything unfold and to see if I would be right.

One major issue I had with the first installment in this series was the character of Nelly. She was too over-the-top perky for my taste. Her character seemed fake. Well, apparently, I wasn't the only one who felt that way because she was toned down quite a bit in this second one. She was fun-loving, not over-the-top. I liked the change and I hope she stays that way if the series continues.

This is Hallmark, so not surprisingly, we did get a touch of romance between Nelly and Detective Mike. I'm enjoying the slow progression of their relationship and I'm excited to see what the next steps are for them. The romance aspect of the movie was just right. It did not interfere with the mystery aspect at all. And I love how Nelly's help on the case is most appreciated.

Longtime Hallmark fans will notice some familiar faces in the form of supporting characters in this movie. I was not expecting any of them, so I was pleasantly surprised. Their appearances didn't feel forced. They all fit right in and they felt like natural additions to the cast. I am curious about where the series is going with one of them, though, as he is one of the characters in another mystery series as well. It seems like he could become a regular character in the Nelly Knows Mysteries.

If you enjoy Hallmark's cozy mysteries, I think you'll be happy with this one. Although I got confused with some of the many clues and it felt convoluted close to the end, it had all the right ingredients to make an overall great mystery. I'll be on the lookout for more in this series.