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    3. Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating Is Murder

    Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating Is Murder

    6.7/10 · 791 ratings·2017·1h 28m·Weirdness 4/10
    Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating Is Murder poster

    At a glance

    4/10

    Mostly standard issue

    Season
    Multiple
    Setting
    Big City
    Time period
    Contemporary
    Leads start as
    Old Friends
    Runtime
    1h 28m
    IMDbLetterboxdTMDBRotten TomatoesOfficial siteJustWatch

    Where to watch

    🇺🇸United States6 ways

    Stream

    • fuboTV
    • YouTube TV
    • Philo
    • Hallmark+ Amazon Channel
    • Hallmark+ Apple TV Channel
    • Hallmark TV Amazon Channel

    Via JustWatch · can change anytime.

    The premise

    A dating app can kill you. When Hailey starts tracking down the murderer, she suspects that it was over a bad review. But later, realizes that someone is doing the job for another reason.

    Themes:The dangers of online anonymityJealousy and obsessionGrief and moving forwardFemale friendship and protection

    How unusual is it?

    A fairly classic Hallmark setup with a quirk or two.

    A rare specific

    Tap to find the other Hallmark movies that share it.

    • Therapist as the lead1 of only 4

    Who’s in it

    Kellie Martin headshot

    Our Girl

    Kellie Martin

    as Hailey Dean

    Matthew MacCaull headshot

    Our Guy

    Matthew MacCaull

    as Jonas

    You’ve seen this pairing before: Kellie Martin and Matthew MacCaull have made 9 Hallmark movies together.

    Alongside them

    • Giacomo Baessato headshot
      Giacomo BaessatoDanny Morgan
    • Viv Leacock headshot
      Viv LeacockFincher Garland
    • Emily Holmes headshot
      Emily HolmesSabrina Butler
    • Lucia Walters headshot
      Lucia WaltersMonty
    Show all 10 castShow fewer
    • Ben Sullivan headshot
      Ben SullivanRoger 'Melvin706' Seeger
    • Kieran Sequoia headshot
      Kieran SequoiaJessica Marsand
    • Toby Levins headshot
      Toby LevinsWade Braden
    • Jennifer Cheon Garcia headshot
      Jennifer Cheon GarciaLisa Thompson

    Behind the camera

    ShowHide

    Directed by

    • Michael Robison headshot
      Michael Robison

    Written by

    • Nancy Grace headshot
      Nancy Grace
    • Michelle Ricci headshot
      Michelle Ricci

    Wait, what?

    The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

    • The dating app is specifically themed around penguins because they 'mate for life'.
    • The killer's motive is specifically targeting women who are better at 'extreme sports' than she is.
    • A teenage hacker from MIT provides the 'ghost account' digital forensics breakthrough.
    • The protagonist goes on three back-to-back dates in one night at the same Mexican restaurant to screen suspects.

    Every trope, all in one place

    Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 21 to find more movies that do the same thing.

    Setting2

    🌆Big City💼Office

    Time & season2

    🔀Multiple🗓️Contemporary

    Characters9

    ⚖️Lead: Lawyer🩺Love interest: Doctor/Nurse👥Social Media Influencer🐕Dog⏰Workaholic lead💘Matchmaking relative🐕Pet👥Celebrity🖤Widow / widower

    Conflict3

    💔Life/Death💔Life/Death stakes💔An ex returns

    Romance3

    💕Start as old friends💕First kiss: never/implied🔥Slow burn

    Tone & quirks2

    🎬Serious/Dramatic👨‍🍳Cooking scenes

    How it all plays out

    Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

    Full story (spoilers)
    The film begins with therapist Hailey Dean hiking with her assistant Sabrina, discussing the complexities of modern dating and a new app called PenguinMatch. Soon after, Hailey is approached by Georgina Radley, whose daughter Miranda, a fitness influencer, has gone missing. Hailey teams up with her friend Fincher and her boyfriend Jonas, a medical examiner, to investigate. They find Miranda's car at Copper Rose Trail, and shortly after, discover her body buried nearby. Jonas's autopsy reveals she was stabbed with a kitchen knife, and he connects the MO to a cold case involving another hiker, Tara Wistin. Hailey discovers that both victims, along with a missing barista named Anna, were athletic women using PenguinMatch. Hailey visits the PenguinMatch offices, meeting the tech-genius founder Wade Braden and his business partner, Jessica Marsand. When Wade refuses to share client data due to privacy policies, Hailey decides to go undercover on the app. She creates a profile highlighting extreme sports interests to attract the killer. She goes on a series of dates with 'Norm107' (a fake surfer), 'William88' (a grieving divorcee), and 'Melvin706' (Roger Seeger). Roger Seeger becomes a primary suspect when he attempts to lure Hailey into an alley, but he is revealed to be a steroid dealer using the app to find athletic clients, not a murderer. Meanwhile, Sabrina begins dating a man she met on the app, whom she believes is Wade Braden. When Sabrina goes missing, Hailey enlists the help of a young hacker named Ethan. Ethan discovers that Wade's account has a 'ghost' or mirror account—someone has been piggybacking on his profile to message women without his knowledge. Hailey realizes the killer is Jessica Marsand, who has been using the ghost account to monitor Wade's dates and eliminate them because she is secretly in love with him. Hailey tracks Jessica to Diamond Horn Trail, where Jessica is holding Sabrina at gunpoint. Jessica confesses to the murders of Tara, Anna, and Miranda, claiming they were 'liars' who didn't deserve Wade. Hailey manages to distract Jessica until the police arrive. The film concludes with a memorial for Miranda and Hailey finally making it to a normal dinner date with Jonas.

    Beat by beat

    1. 1

      Opening

      Hailey is asked by a family friend to find her missing daughter, Miranda Radley, a fitness influencer.

    2. 2

      Midpoint

      Hailey finds Miranda's body on a hiking trail and links the murder to a dating app called PenguinMatch and a previous cold case.

    3. 3

      Investigation

      Hailey goes undercover on PenguinMatch, going on several dates to identify the 'common denominator' among the victims.

    4. 4

      Escalation

      Hailey's assistant Sabrina goes missing after going on a 'third date' with a man she met on the app.

    5. 5

      Climax

      Hailey discovers a 'ghost account' on the app and confronts Jessica Marsand, who is attempting to kill Sabrina at a trail.

    6. 6

      Resolution

      Jessica is arrested after confessing to three murders, and Hailey attends a memorial for Miranda.

    21 tropes in one movie

    We counted 21 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

    How it stacks up

    Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

    Rating 6.7 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.745678

    Higher-rated than 70% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

    Where this one fits

    The corners of the catalog Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating Is Murder belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

    Hailey Dean MysteriesPart of the 9-film Hailey Dean Mysteries series.
    • 🐶Hallmark Dog & Pet MoviesA four-legged matchmaker.
    • 🧁Hallmark Baking & Cooking MoviesPlenty of time in the kitchen.
    • 🔍Hallmark Mystery MoviesA whodunit at heart.
    • 👨‍👧Hallmark Single Parent MoviesA single parent finds love again.
    • 🏙️Hallmark Big City MoviesA big-city backdrop.

    Lines worth quoting

    The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

    • “Doesn't anyone meet in line getting coffee anymore? No, not since the last millennium.”
      — Hailey and SabrinaDiscussing the difficulty of modern dating.
    • “I'm a therapist. Listen, if you ever want to talk about your brother, please call me. I mean it.”
      — Hailey DeanHailey giving her business card to a suspect she just cleared.
    • “I've let you talk me around in circles. I should have just killed you.”
      — Jessica MarsandJessica realizing Hailey is stalling for time during the climax.

    Meet the characters

    Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

    • Hailey Dean

      Lead

      Therapist and former D.A.

      IntuitivePersistentProtective
    • Jonas McClellan

      Love interest

      Medical Examiner

      Boyfriend

      PatientSupportiveAnalytical
    • Jessica Marsand

      Antagonist

      President of PenguinMatch

      Business contact/Killer

      JealousObsessiveDeceptive
    • Fincher Garland

      Supporting

      D.A. Investigator

      Close friend and former colleague

      LoyalCaffeinatedReliable
    • Sabrina Butler

      Supporting

      Therapy Assistant

      Employee and friend

      OptimisticAdventurousVulnerable

    Questions people ask about Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating Is Murder

    Where can I watch Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating Is Murder?

    Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating Is Murder is available via fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Philo. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

    How long is Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating Is Murder?

    Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating Is Murder runs about 1 hour and 28 minutes, and was released in 2017.

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    Data and sources

    Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.·Last updated June 17, 2026.

    Sources:IMDb·TMDB·JustWatch

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