Crossword Mysteries: Riddle Me Dead

Tess Harper is invited by her ex-boyfriend Hunter, a producer for the game show 'Riddle Me This,' to film a special segment featuring math riddles. During the production, tensions run high as the show's host, Aiden Brooks, behaves erratically and a mysterious break-in occurs in his dressing room, leaving the head of security unconscious. After a successful taping where champion Matthew Nasr continues his record-breaking streak, Aiden is found dead on the studio stage, strangled with a red scarf. Detective Logan O'Connor takes the case, and Tess begins her own investigation, much to Logan's chagrin. Suspects initially include Tom Sprows, a disgruntled former contestant who believes the show is rigged, and Sally, a production assistant with a secret connection to Tom. However, Tess's keen eye for patterns leads her to discover that Aiden was using subtle hand signals and card-tapping codes to feed answers to Matthew Nasr. She confronts Hunter, who admits to the cheating scheme but denies the murder. The stakes escalate when a heavy lighting rig is intentionally dropped on Tess while she is on the empty stage. The investigation eventually shifts to Graham Miller, the show's editor, and his wife Dana, the lead producer. It is revealed that Aiden was blackmailing Dana, threatening to ruin her career if she left for a better job in Los Angeles. Graham, having discovered both the blackmail and the cheating scandal, killed Aiden to protect Dana's future. In a final confrontation at the studio, Graham attempts to silence Tess, but Logan arrives just in time to apprehend him. The film concludes with the show's cancellation, Hunter's professional disgrace, and Tess and Logan finally sharing a long-awaited dinner date, acknowledging their deepening romantic connection.