Three Bedrooms, One Corpse: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery

6.7/10 · 2,281 ratings20161h 25mWeirdness 2/10Bingo card

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The premise

When Aurora shows a house for her realtor mom, the handsome client finds the body of a rival realtor in the backyard. Suspicion falls on all realtors. Aurora starts investigating with help from her friends.

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: Candace Cameron Bure and Yannick Bisson have made 5 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 killer is caught specifically because of his 'obsessive' napkin-folding technique.
  • The police refer to the protagonist as an 'annoying pilot fish' that follows whales.
  • The love interest is a former CIA operative who uses 'interrogation techniques' on suspects.
  • The final scene features a fake-out marriage proposal used just to ask for a first date.

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 16 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

Candace Cameron Bure is Aurora Teagarden, the librarian-sleuth at the heart of one of Hallmark's most-loved mystery franchises, and this is a strong entry at 6.7. When she shows a house for her realtor mom, a handsome client finds a rival agent's body in the backyard, and suddenly every realtor in town is a suspect. Yannick Bisson plays the mysterious newcomer Martin. The tone is exactly the franchise's charm: cozy stakes, a clever amateur detective, and a culprit's small obsessive habit that becomes their undoing. No spoilers on whodunit, naturally. A great pick if you want a brain-tickler with zero gore and a likable lead.

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 Aurora 'Roe' Teagarden and her mother Aida preparing for a family wedding, though their focus quickly shifts when Aida asks Aurora to show a house to a new client, Martin Bartell. During the showing, Aurora and Martin discover the body of realtor Tonia Lee Greenhouse in the backyard; she has been strangled. Aurora, a member of the Real Murders Club, immediately begins investigating and notices that a valuable Joseph Kleitsch painting has been stolen from the home and replaced with a cheap imitation. The police, led by Detective Lynn Smith, focus on the real estate community because the house key was mysteriously returned to Aida’s office. Suspects include the ambitious new hire Eileen Crandall, who has a history of theft allegations, and Franklin Farrell, a realtor with a background in art. Meanwhile, Aurora develops a romantic connection with Martin, despite learning he is a former CIA operative with a secretive past. The stakes rise when a second realtor, Idella Yates, is found strangled in another listing. Aurora eventually realizes that Franklin Farrell’s alibi—security footage of him buying concert tickets—was actually his lookalike cousin, Henry. She connects Franklin to the crimes when she observes his obsessive-compulsive habit of folding napkins in the exact same distinct manner as the scarf found at the first crime scene. Aurora confronts Franklin at his home, where he confesses to the murders, explaining that he stole the art to maintain his lifestyle after his mother left her fortune to a museum. After a tense confrontation where Franklin attempts to silence Aurora, Martin arrives to help apprehend him. The movie concludes with Martin playfully tricking Aurora into a 'proposal' that turns out to be a simple invitation to a movie date.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Aurora meets Martin Bartell at a house showing and they discover the strangled body of realtor Tonia Lee Greenhouse.

  2. Midpoint

    Aurora identifies that a valuable painting was stolen from the crime scene, suggesting art theft as the motive.

  3. Midpoint

    A second realtor, Idella Yates, is found murdered, and the police discover Martin Bartell's fingerprints at the first crime scene.

  4. Climax

    Aurora realizes Franklin Farrell's alibi is fake and connects his napkin-folding habit to the murder weapon's placement.

  5. Climax

    Aurora is cornered by Franklin at his home; he confesses to the murders before being apprehended by Aurora and Martin.

  6. Resolution

    Martin stages a fake marriage proposal to ask Aurora on their first official movie date.

Peak comfort viewing

It scores just 2/10 on our weirdness scale — about as by-the-book cozy as Hallmark gets.

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 · 6.7567

Higher-rated than 75% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Three Bedrooms, One Corpse: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Lines worth quoting

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

  • “A librarian and a good Samaritan.”
    — Martin BartellMartin describing Aurora after she finds a missing scarf.
  • “I'm a librarian. I have a Master's Degree in finding information.”
    — Aurora TeagardenAurora explaining how she uncovered Martin's CIA background.
  • “An innocent man can afford to be entertained by their bumbling.”
    — Martin BartellMartin discussing the police investigation into him.

Meet the characters

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

  • Aurora 'Roe' Teagarden

    Lead

    Librarian

    observantpersistentintelligent
  • Martin Bartell

    Love interest

    Executive / Former CIA

    New romantic interest

    mysteriousprotectivecharming
  • Franklin Farrell

    Antagonist

    Real Estate Agent

    Professional acquaintance

    neat-freakdeceptivedesperate
  • Aida Teagarden

    Supporting

    Real Estate Agent

    Mother

    protectiveprofessionalskeptical

Questions people ask about Three Bedrooms, One Corpse: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery

Where can I watch Three Bedrooms, One Corpse: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery?

Three Bedrooms, One Corpse: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Three Bedrooms, One Corpse: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery?

Three Bedrooms, One Corpse: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery runs about 1 hour and 25 minutes, and was released in 2016.

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Data and sources

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Sources:IMDbTMDB