Last year, I claimed in my year-end list The Abigail Mysteries was one of the top three worst movies I saw. For me, this was a shame because, at the time, I had never talked about or reviewed a Great American Family movie. To make up for that, I chose to write about the network’s newest mystery production, Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker. When Candace Cameron Bure starred in Hallmark’s films, I really enjoyed the Aurora Teagarden series. In fact, that series was one of the strongest series from Hallmark Mystery! So, after discovering Candace would be starring in a new mystery movie, I was intrigued about the project. However, this optimism was cautious due to how weak The Abigail Mysteries was. Did Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker learn from the mistakes of the 2023 film? The only way to solve this mystery is to read my review!

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: In a mystery film, the strength of the cast can add to the story’s intrigue. The facial expressions of the suspects can make the audience wonder if a particular suspect has something to hide, while the reactions of the protagonists will leave the audience wondering how they will save the day. Even though Candace was portraying a different character, her portrayal of Ainsley McGregor never missed a beat! Ainsley’s interactions with residents of Sweet River, Texas, came across as natural. Candace’s experience starring in the Aurora Teagarden series worked in her favor, as Aurora crossed paths with a variety of characters. It may be tempting to compare Ainsley to Aurora because of Candace’s performances. How Candace differentiated Ainsley from Aurora was adopting a more conservative approach to solving the mystery. In the Aurora Teagarden series, Aurora was eager to get involved with a case, even going so far as to bend a few rules. Because Ainsley is a former criminologist (which would give her a legitimate reason to work on any case), she tries to stay out of the police’s way and leaves some of the mystery solving to them.

As I just mentioned, the facial expressions of the suspects can make the audience wonder if a particular suspect has something to hide. The performances of the actors and actresses portraying suspects in Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker proves this point. One of these performances that was a stand-out was Leanne Lapp’s portrayal of Rachel Dean! Rachel is the wife of the murder victim, giving her a reason to be seen as suspicious. During her questioning, Rachel is distraught over the accusations against her. Her eyes look both sad and confused, even overflowing with tears. This sadness can also be heard in her voice, as her tone reflects what’s in her heart. With Leanne’s strong performance, I wish Rachel appeared more in this movie.

The on-screen chemistry: When I discussed the acting performances in Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker, I talked about how I liked Candace’s portrayal of the titular character. Another reason why I liked this portrayal is how Candace and Aaron Ashmore displayed good on-screen chemistry! I remember when Aaron starred on Warehouse 13 as Steve Jinks. Since Steve didn’t have a love interest on that show, I didn’t know what to expect from Aaron’s portrayal of Jake, a character who develops a relationship with Ainsley. However, I ended up liking his performance in this film! What helped Candace and Aaron was how their characters already knew each other prior to the story’s events. This avoided that awkward introductory stage most protagonists experience at the start of a mystery series. Throughout the story, Ainsley and Jake consistently interact with one another. Their warm, friendly demeanors felt naturally genuine, successfully selling the idea these two characters could fall in love. The chemistry between Jake and Ainsley made Sweet River, Texas, a little bit brighter!

Ainsley’s dog, George: The protagonist of a mystery series will typically have at least one friend. This friend may serve as the story’s comic relief and sometimes receive their own subplot. But in Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker, Ainsley’s friend brought something different to the table. At various moments in the story, Ainsley talks to her dog named George. These moments are more light-hearted, giving viewers a break from the heaviness of the murder mystery. George sometimes joins Ainsley at Bless Your Arts, the marketplace Ainsley created. His presence brings joy and smiles to those who work alongside Ainsley. A mystery series’ protagonist having a pet is not a new concept. But in Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker, George plays a larger role in the story, giving this film a more unique identity! It also helps that George is adorable!

What I didn’t like about the film:

A slow, drawn-out story: A made for TV mystery movie will usually feature at least one subplot along with the story’s main plot. This subplot adds intrigue to the overall script while sometimes giving viewers a break from the mystery. The main plot in Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker was the story’s only plot. It also doesn’t help how Ainsley wasn’t consistently involved in solving the case. These creative decisions led to a movie that felt slower and was drawn-out.

Constant reminders of story’s Texas setting: One story-telling technique that is sometimes incorporated into film-making is “show, don’t tell”. This technique can work in a movie’s favor because film is a visual medium. However, relying on showing can cause repetition. This is what happened in Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker. I mentioned earlier in this review how the movie takes place in Sweet River, Texas. Even though I knew this fact after reading the film’s synopsis, I was constantly reminded of this fact as I watched the movie. Several scenes featured at least one Texas flag in the background. A cactus was placed on the counter at Sweet River’s police department. Jake and Ainsley even go on a date to a Tex Mex restaurant. It’s important to establish the story’s setting. But this can be done in one or two scenes toward the beginning of the movie, not throughout the program.

Ainsley’s limited involvement in the story’s case: While discussing Candace’s portrayal of Ainsley McGregor, I brought up how Ainsley adopts a more conservative approach to solving mysteries due to being a former criminologist. This creative decision allowed Candace to differentiate Ainsley from Aurora Teagarden. It also takes away the fun of watching the protagonist solve the mystery and save the day. In the first half of the movie, Ainsley was hesitant to get involved in the case. Her choice was about allowing Sweet River’s police to do their jobs. It isn’t until approximately the story’s half-way point that Ainsley is finally encouraged (by members of her book club) to investigate the mystery. Ainsley’s hesitation is another reason why Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker had a slower, drawn-out story.

My overall impression:

When talking about The Abigail Mysteries in my list of the worst films I saw in 2023, I said Great American Family’s efforts needed to be better than The Abigail Mysteries if they were serious about creating more mystery projects. After watching Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker, it looks like the network took my advice! Though the movie has its flaws, the 2024 production improved upon what didn’t work for the 2023 film. One of these improvements was the on-screen chemistry between Candace Cameron Bure and Aaron Ashmore. Another good decision was prioritizing the mystery and keeping that as the main plot. It would be easy to claim Ainsley McGregor Mysteries is trying to become the next Aurora Teagarden series. This claim could be made because Ainsley’s book club turns into an investigation club and the story takes place in a small town. Personally, I believe Great American Family’s movie and Hallmark’s series just happen to share similar ideas. Unlike a lot of Hallmark’s newer mystery movies, Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker will receive a sequel! During this movie’s broadcast, a commercial announced Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Yarnmaker is coming in 2025. Based on that commercial, it looks like this series has the potential to tell many more stories!

Overall score: 6.1-6.2 out of 10

Have you seen Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker? Are you excited for the upcoming sequel? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen