Curious Caterer: Grilling Season (TV Movie 2023) Poster

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7/10
This was a great entry in the Goldie Berry Curious Caterer Mystery series
cgvsluis9 February 2023
I have been desperate for some new mysteries on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, I am really missing my favorites Hannah Swensen's Murder She Baked, Aurora Teagarden, and Mystery 101. So far this might be my favorite of the new mystery offering.

I understand these are based on a series of books by Diane Mott Davidson which I haven't read. Apparently, there are some significant changes like Goldie's ex-husband was an abuser, which makes more sense than what is being depicted in the series...where they are such good friends that I keep questioning why they are divorced?!?!? And that is another change from the books they have a son in the books vs a daughter in this series.

All of that aside, I think Nikki Deloach and Andrew W. Walker have great chemistry which is what really makes this series a much watch.

In this film, Goldie's friend is murdered after she caters her birthday party. Goldie looses catering jobs over suspicion until her ex-husband is arrested for the crime. It appears that he is being framed and it's up to Goldie and her friend Detective Tom Schultz to find the real killer.

This was a good mystery and so far I am enjoying the series, not quite as much as my three favorites...but I am not going to complain because I would like to see more mysteries produced.
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8/10
Fun to watch
Mysterylover-6019814 February 2023
I enjoyed this latest movie in the Curious Caterer Mysteries series. Nikki Deloach is one of my favorite actresses on Hallmark. Deloach is good in both the Hallmark romantic movies and now the mysteries. She and Andrew Walker are good together. The writing was better than the last movie in this series. Several of the reviewers were critical that the movies had some differences from the book. That always happens when a book is made into a movie. I would suggest that viewers just sit back and enjoy the movie. Hopefully, Hallmark will make more of this series along with my other favorites - Murder 101, Murder She Baked, and The Chronicle Mysteries.
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8/10
Good movie but the characters are changed from Books
cthyqc7 February 2023
This is a well done Hallmark mystery. The two leads are solid and writing is good. But the characters are changed too much from the books these stories are taken from. Goldy's ex-husband was an abuser. They did not have a friendly relationship in the books. It changes the reason Goldy gets involved in the mysteries. Also she had a son not a daughter. Changes feel of the story

It's bad enough that Goldy doesn't have blonde curly hair like Goldy Locks from the fairy tale but the actress is to tall and thin. Hallmark should have kept all the main characters similar for all the fans of the books.
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7/10
A little slower than the 1st movie
xbatgirl-3002928 December 2023
Overall I enjoyed this movie however I did find it a little slower moving than the first one. I kept getting distracted by my phone. Probably because I kept looking away, I had trouble keeping straight some of the characters and their jobs and relationships. It was super obvious right in the beginning who did it and how, although I was caught up in the back story of some red herrings along the way.

I have not read the books and I can see why some might be put off with so many major changes. A movie is never going to be just like a book. I get why they need to do things like combine characters. And of course Hallmark is not where I look for some gritty drama about a former abused wife with an angsty, troubled teen or realistic police work. I can see, with a limited cast and future movies possibly planned, how it helps to have Goldy have a good relationship with Richard as opposed to him being awful. I'm fine that Marla and Richard never dated/were married as it seems they did in the books. Kind of yuck for Goldy to have married her best friend's ex or whatever timeline the book had them all together. Very glad they made that change.

Do I love that most actors on Hallmark, male and female, look like they haven't even seen a carb this century? No. Nor do I love the overuse of face injectibles, dated beachy waves, false lashes, men's facial scruff, etc etc. No, but that's Hallmark. Take it or leave it it seems. Funny enough, I'm working my way through the Whitstable Pearl books after watching the tv show. They did the opposite where the book characters look like models and the actors look like real people - I actually prefer the tv characters, but many reviews complained about that change. You just can't please everyone.

I was a little thrown off as to why Goldy wears long winter coats in almost every scene, including indoors. I thought the actress might have been pregnant but Wikipedia doesn't list any new kids. Was it that cold on the set? Anyway, looking forward to the next installment.
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6/10
So far from the book
howellsusan23 February 2024
The Hallmark Series is so different from the books I loved. Richard was an abuser and Goldie hated him. Their child was a boy not a girl. Her best friend Marla, had also been married to Richard. They bonded over their mutual dislike of Richard.. She is chubby, very rich and loud. Tom is a huge, tall, heavy man. That's the worst casting. I so wanted Tom to be a big bear of a man but Hallmark must not have such an actor under contract!

I have to forget the TV show is based on the books to enjoy them. These shows are fun and well done but don't expect the books in any way. Watch them without expectation and you'll enjoy them.
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9/10
Good Movies
pattersonjamie-120798 February 2023
I'll say up front that I have read all the Diane Mott Davidson books. I actually used to work with her husband.

The stories are good and I love Nikki Deloach and Andrew W. Walker. They are so good together.

In the books, Goldy's husband, Richard, is a spousal abuser. Marla is Richard's ex-wife and Goldy's friend. Goldy's has a son, not a daughter. Eventually Goldy marries Tom Schultz (Andrew Walker) and Richard is murdered.

It's Hallmark, so they won't show the dark side of the characters, but I'll keep watching because I love the actors and love another mystery series.

Overall a must watch.
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4/10
Blah
d-robold12 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I miss the Hailey Dean series. While I like the actors in this new series, so far they just fail to make this new mystery stand out. There is no connection to the audience and the pacing is so deliberate, and slow, that it's borderline boring. Also annoying. Too many stupid plot holes and mistakes. When the detective is told by the caterer that her ex "wouldn't do that, you have to listen to me", it's just dumb. She is not a trained investigator, keeps inserting herself into the investigation, and actually removes what might be important evidence by herself, without informing anyone (much less the police), and sits in her car to look over the papers! The Murder Board the two women concoct faces the windows and glass door where everyone enters her home? The murderer, easily identified in the first 20 minutes, injects the heroine not once but twice in a short time, twice and she's wide awake when the detective arrives to save her? The bumbling sidekick to the detective who allows potential evidence to be carried into the police station by civilians, and didn't even escort them? Come on! Tighten up the plots, give the characters more personality, and put some life and believability into this series.
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10/10
Goldy Berry (Nikki Deloach)
aab87415 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Favorite scene with

Goldy Berry (Nikki Deloach) - Finding Fran's Hidden File in Posh, Reading it in her Car, and being Drugged. People Really Need to Check their Back Seat before getting into their Car! Nikki Deloach and Goldy Berry Rocked!!! They Both Freakin' Kicked Butt!!!

BTW, I Loved this Movie! I Loved the Characters, the Actors, the Settings, and the Mystery! BTW #2, I Loved, Loved, Loved Andrew W. Walker and Detective Tom Shultz!!! Andrew and Tom were So Dang Charming and So Dang Hot!!! I Loved how Tom Tried to act So Gruff! BTW #3, Please make a 3rd Movie!!! BTW #4, This Movie made me Hungry!

Set in Colorado.
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3/10
Why?
mirnajope9 July 2023
Why base it on a novel if all you do is keep a few names (but not even the heroine's!) and professions? Having read the series, it's disappointing to see it so poorly translated into Hallmarkese- bland and boring and body-conscious. Angsty son is now a confident daughter. Ex is now an okay guy, not an abuser. Love interest is a skinny dude, not a gorgeous Dan Hagerty bear of a guy. Best friend no longer a loving and lovely diva who has the same ex as heroine. All the realism and feistiness of the series has been sucked out. Actually, the best thing about the series is adding "The Curious Caterer" title to it. Best use of series is to have TV on while you do something useful, like meal prep.
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3/10
Love the actors; hate the plot
maestromeg11 February 2023
I love Nikki and Andrew. Their chemistry is great. We were so looking forward to a well-presented mystery. The back and forth between the two of them was charming and fun and drew us in. The initial introduction of many possible suspects was good and set up the potential for an engrossing murder investigation. However, the final development of the plot revealing the murderer and motive was so completely implausible that it destroyed enjoyment of the movie. The methodology employed by the murderer was laughable, especially when given what would have been his level of knowledge and access.

The final takedown was totally unbelievable, leaving us in both laughter and disappointment. Sad that the vehicle was so much less than what Nikki and Andrew deserve.
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3/10
Too many Inconsistencies for a sound mystery.
gfrasmd6 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Let me begin stating that I am a fan of Nikki Deloach and Andrew Walker, two of my favorite TV actors, that I have enjoyed watching in many productions, some together. Reason more to regret they have been cast in this thriller with many flaws that defies one's logic and render it not plausible. The obvious intent to render the culprit unnoticeable does, actually, have the effect to make the character stand out since the initial sequences. The final explanation of the murderer's motive is somewhat convoluted and obscure, almost gratuitous. Yet, the real problem are the details. A victim does not fall asleep immediately after being injected a narcotic in the muscles. It should be administered intravenously, for that effect to occur. Conversely, Goldy, after getting an injection of a, presumably, powerful narcotic, could not be widely awake a little time later, when Tom comes to the rescue. Also, an I. V. narcotic in a drink, as the culprit prepares at the end, is not likely to work by that route, besides the likely horrible taste it would give the drink. Then, at the end, why should Goldy be so stupid to the distract Tom and allow the criminal to hit him and flee? Even more, how credible is it that Fran, a very experienced ex police woman, would meet a murderer she is blackmailing in a lonesome place, with no precautions, and let him easily strangle her? The show leaves you wondering who are the bumbling amateurs. The actors? The characters? The writers? The directors? I guess we may have our picks.
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3/10
Why the deviation from the books
nancyadornato15 April 2023
I don't know why you adapt an author's book and then make so many changes? Can writers not come up with their own stories? The actress playing Goldy doesn't resemble the character in the book at all- I don't believe Tom had an ex wife (though I may be wrong on that), Marla and Goldy were both married to Richard who is no longer the abuser he was in the novels. Also as many have pointed out, Goldy had a son not a daughter- no need to change that- and where is Julian?! He not Marla assisted Goldy on her catering gigs. I watched until the discovery of the murder and then I was out. I won't be tuning in to any others in this series. Too many deviations from the books with none being improvements. Ugh.
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3/10
Not in anyway true to the book
brennan-0352013 July 2023
Typical Hallmark movie. I have read all the books in this séries. The only thing that this close to the book are the names. She has a son , Maëlys is much more colorful in the book as well as Goldy and Tom. The ex husband Richard is totally opposite from the book's character.

Goody is pudgy with Blonde curly hair she's financially barely making ends meet Tom is a bear like man Marlys is rich, over weight and her clothing is over the top with bling, she's very rich and does not help Goldy cater.

The book takes place at a hockey game.

Totally disappointed!!!! Just another run of the mill Hallmark movie.
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5/10
One more star than the first one ...
ronalamont-9147220 April 2024
I gave this new series another shot after being very disappointed with the first one. I felt Andrew Walker was a bit more comfortable in his role in this one but the script was perhaps even worse. His ex-wife is so OTT and one cannot imagine them ever having been a couple. Even more so than Goldy and Richard.

This series seems even more unrealistic than most because there is no chemistry between any of the characters imo. If you enjoy them, you enter the worlds of the Mysteries and you accept them as written. You begin to recognize the town, the characters and their relationship to each other and it becomes a familiar place with familiar faces. The method of crime solving is predictable but fun and enjoyable.

This one still misses the mark and I have no idea who these people are and how and where they live. It doesn't seem to be the fault of the author as so many have raved about her books and are dismayed how far the series has strayed from her characters.

Something still hasn't clicked yet and they are immediately easy to forget.
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