Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe

6.8/10 · 1,760 ratings20161h 26mWeirdness 2/10Bingo card

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The premise

Bakery owner Hannah and her sister find the sheriff's body. Hannah promises cop detective wannabe boyfriend not to get involved, but her sister's husband is running at the sheriff election making him prime suspect and suspended.

How unusual is it?

Honestly? Not very — and that's the charm. It plays the hits, which is exactly the point for a cozy night in.

Who’s in it

You’ve seen this pairing before: Alison Sweeney and Cameron Mathison have made 8 Hallmark movies together.

Behind the camera

Show

Wait, what?

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

  • The victim is found dead while holding and eating a cupcake provided by the protagonist
  • The protagonist refers to her love triangle as a 'pyramid shape'
  • A major subplot involves a 'mystery ingredient' in a cupcake recipe being treated with the same gravity as the murder
  • The killer keeps a literal drawer of undelivered love letters to her boss

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 22 to find more movies that do the same thing.

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 a string of sophisticated car thefts in Eden Lake, putting Sheriff Jim Grant under political pressure as he faces a re-election challenge from Deputy Bill Todd, Hannah Swensen's brother-in-law. Hannah is preoccupied with managing 'The Cookie Jar' and leading a committee for the Eden Lake charity cookbook, while also navigating a 'love pyramid' between Detective Mike Kingston and dentist Norman Rhodes. During a late-night recipe testing session at the community center, Hannah and her pregnant sister Andrea discover Sheriff Grant’s body in the parking lot; he has been struck in the head with a construction brick while holding one of Hannah's cupcakes. Mike is forced to suspend Bill after surveillance footage places him at the scene, though Bill reveals he was only there to secretly follow and protect Andrea due to her pregnancy complications. Hannah begins her own investigation, looking into a car theft ring and the Sheriff's strained relationship with Paige Miller, whose daughter Lucy is revealed to be the Sheriff's secret granddaughter from his late son, Peter. Hannah also discovers that the Sheriff's wife, Nettie, was planning a divorce. The investigation intensifies when Hannah's house is burglarized by a member of the car theft ring looking for a bracelet she found at a crime scene. After a confrontation at a salvage yard leads to the arrest of the car thieves, Hannah realizes they are not the murderers. By discovering a stash of undelivered love letters in the sheriff's station, Hannah realizes that Janet, the office admin, was obsessively in love with the Sheriff. On the night of the murder, Janet confessed her feelings, and when the Sheriff rejected her and threatened to fire her, she killed him in a fit of rage. Hannah confronts Janet, who confesses before being taken into custody. The film concludes with Andrea giving birth to a daughter named Tracy Hannah Todd, and Hannah continuing her flirtatious relationships with both Mike and Norman.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    A sophisticated car theft ring plagues Eden Lake, creating tension between Sheriff Grant and his political rival, Bill Todd.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Hannah and Andrea discover Sheriff Grant murdered in the community center parking lot, hit with a brick while eating a cupcake.

  3. Midpoint

    Bill Todd is suspended and becomes the primary suspect after surveillance footage places him at the crime scene.

  4. Development

    Hannah uncovers the Sheriff's tragic past, including his role in his son's death and his secret granddaughter, Lucy.

  5. Climax

    Hannah finds undelivered love letters in Janet's desk, leading to a confrontation where Janet confesses to the murder.

  6. Resolution

    Andrea gives birth to baby Tracy, and Bill is cleared of all charges as the car theft ring is also dismantled.

22 tropes in one movie

We counted 22 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 6.8 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.8567

Higher-rated than 81% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Murder, She Baked/Hannah Swensen MysteriesPart of the 14-film Murder, She Baked/Hannah Swensen Mysteries series.

Lines worth quoting

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

  • “Bill would win over his dead body.”
    — Janet (quoting Sheriff Grant)Discussing the election before the murder.
  • “I'm being mysterious. That is very different. Heard you like a good mystery.”
    — Mike KingstonFlirting with Hannah at the bakery.
  • “Love and true happiness are always homemade.”
    — Hannah SwensenClosing narration of the film.

Meet the characters

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

  • Hannah Swensen

    Lead

    Baker and Amateur Sleuth

    InquisitiveStubbornObservant
  • Mike Kingston

    Love interest

    Detective

    Romantic interest and lead investigator

    ProfessionalProtectiveCompetitive
  • Norman Rhodes

    Love interest

    Dentist

    Romantic interest and 'wingman'

    SupportiveKindPatient
  • Janet

    Antagonist

    Sheriff's Office Admin

    Acquaintance and killer

    ObsessiveDelusionalQuiet
  • Andrea Todd

    Supporting

    Real Estate Agent

    Sister

    EmotionalPregnantDramatic

Questions people ask about Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe

Where can I watch Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe?

Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe is available via fuboTV, Philo, and YouTube TV. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe?

Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe runs about 1 hour and 26 minutes, and was released in 2016.

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Data and sources

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Sources:IMDbTMDB