Deadly Deed: A Fixer Upper Mystery (2018) User Reviews (11)

Good but of lesser intrigue than the two previous franchise releases

[Ed-Shullivan · 6/10 · 30 July 2018]

I like the interaction between Shannon Hughes (Jewel Kilcher) and her temporary boarder/boyfriend Mac Sullivan (Colin Ferguson) who has partnered with Shannon in solving the mystery murder of the grumpy old banker. I thought the number of potential suspects who murdered the banker were meant to confuse the audience and the writers certainly accomplished this task if this was their intent.

As far as mysteries go, this episode was much weaker than the two prior franchise films. The attempt at trying to maintain suspense with the background music was simply irritating and I found the music was the audience's warning to ignore what happens next because as the music continued nothing ever happened.

Jewel and actor Colin Ferguson did their best working with a very weak script. My message to the writers....if you want us the audience to keep watching we deserve less putrid background suspense music and more of an in depth mystery plot. Don't be so lazy the next time you writers.

I give the film a 6 out of 10 for the good on screen chemistry between Jewel and Colin Ferguson. The writing needs to improve a lot!

Not great

[Jackbv123 · 6/10 · 22 May 2018]

I've given up on a lot of the Hallmark Mystery movie series especially Aurora Teagarden because all of the amateur detectives do ridiculous things and practically ask to get killed. In the few Fixer Upper Mysteries, at least Shannon has exercised some common sense despite her father's worry. Jewel just appeals to me and it's not for inappropriate reasons.

The plot isn't great, but there is a bit of mystery. I guessed the killer early but only because that person looked guilty. There were some decent misdirects.

The enjoyable part of this series is Colin Ferguson and Jewel. For me they connect and I'm rooting for them.

But overall the acting isn't great. Seems like Lilah Fitzgerald has enough experience to look a little more casual and not overdo her facial expressions. Several others are a little subpar also.

Great end to the series

[jml1988 · 8/10 · 4 February 2020]

I've really enjoyed these movies. I like the background of restoring homes, and even more so done by a strong, knowledgeable female contractor. Girl power! I love the chemistry between the two main characters as well.

A corrupt bank president meets his end in a charity house renovation.

[cgvsluis · 7/10 · 6 April 2022]

This is the best of the three Fixer Upper Mysteries to date. (I am still hopeful that they make more as I really like Jewel and Colin Ferguson together.)

Shannon Hughes is taking a break from renovating Mac's house to do a little charity work converting a mansion into a series of dwellings for those less fortunate. On the first night of work the bank President who was trying to stop the project winds up dead on the property. Not being a popular guy...there are lots of suspects. Don't worry, even with Mac's niece in town, Mac and Shannon will not rest until they find the culprit!

This may not be in league with my three favorite Hallmark mystery series (Hannah Swensen's Murder she Baked, Aurora Teagarden and Mystery 101), but it is still one of the better mysteries on Hallmark and I would really love to see more...Shannon and Mac were just getting started!

This is definitely worth the watch.

Deadly Deed: A Fixer Upper Mystery

[JoBloTheMovieCritic · 7/10 · 20 July 2019]

7/10 - not as good as the others, but still worth watching again

Deadly Deed

[coltras35 · 6/10 · 3 July 2023]

Shannon Hughes(Jewel) has taken on a charity project renovating a grand old Victorian mansion. When a unpopular local banker is found murdered inside, Shannon promises her dad not to get involved in the investigation, but she breaks off her promise and must dust off the clues and cement the truth before her renovation becomes a demolition. And that with the help of Mac Sullivan ( Collin Ferguson), an investigative reporter. His visiting niece and Shannon friend, Jennifer ( Erin Karpluk) get involved, too.

Not as good as the first fixer upper episode, but this last episode is better than the previous one, and it manages to maintain an interest with its blend of drama and mystery. Again Mac and Shannon work well together with a hint of romance in the air. It really is a pity there weren't more episodes as it's strong series with the characters being memorable.

A pleasant murder mystery in the Hallmark vein

[ajkbiotech · 9/10 · 14 May 2021]

No matter how you cut it, Hallmark & Lifetime are onto something.

When cable and streaming TV led to a proliferation of channels, old school boomer TV execs assumed tv viewers would want to see things like explicit sex or lots of action.

Au contraire.

In truth, just as women do most of the reading, women do most of the TV watching, and they like murder mysteries, romantic storylines and Christmas storylines.

Murder mysteries with romantic storylines such as this third installment of the Fixer Upper series is precisely what female watchers like. The Hallmark Channel knows their demographic and they cater to it.

As for the production, it's pretty good. Jewel is an experienced actress, while Colin Ferguson is a very reliable actor best known for his many years as the sheriff in the show "Eureka" on SyFy. The rest of the cast is fine, the script is plot driven, and it's a good film.

All three films in the series are good. Thumbs up.

"The richest and the meanest man in town"

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 12 March 2018]

In the latest in the Fixer Upper Murder series Jewel Pilcher is given over what turns out to be a Deadly Deed. She's imitating Jimmy Carter and has a bank turn over a piece of property they repossessed for a quick turnaround and repair. It's a charitable contribution, but the head of the bank takes his banking practices from Lionel Barrymore in It's A Wonderful Life. His name is also Potter.

Imagine if Barrymore had been found knifed to death in some property he owned in Bedford Falls? No shortage of suspects there and none here for Jewel Pilcher and her boyfriend mystery novelist Colin Ferguson. I will say you hope the perpetrator gets a good lawyer when all is revealed.

A nice gallery of suspects, none of whom you hope is proven guilty. I think fans will enjoy this.

Good drama, so-so mystery

[wjspears · 8/10 · 14 August 2021]

I guess this was the last of this Fixer Upper series, since I am watching this in 2021, and this was released in 2018. I think that is a shame. Jewel Kilcher and Colin Ferguson have real chemistry together, and Jewel's character--Shannon Hughes--is an intriguing character, in her own right.

The mystery of "who killed Charles Potter, the crooked banker?" was not a terribly engaging mystery. Potter is such a dislikable fellow, I half-expected to learn that it was a "town effort"!

But the drama and much of the dialog behind the mystery was quite moving.

Two scenes in particular were memorable for me.

The first was Shannon's talk with her dad, at her mother's grave. Jewel Kilcher and Ron Lea played the scene very believably and touching.

The second scene was where Mac prevents a character from jumping off a rooftop by hurling himself and tackling her. The shot of Mac holding the woman afterward, as she shakes and weeps was another beautifully acted and filmed scene.

Looking at IMDB, this appears to have been Jewel's most recent attempt at acting. But hopefully it won't be her last. Jewel Kilcher has genuine star power. She has a sort of quiet, calm presence that makes a viewer keep watching.

Ouch!

[cathed · 2/10 · 23 July 2018]

This should be a good-enough movie for yet another sleepless early morning. I've seen enough Hallmark movies to know what to expect, so I tuned in. When I open a can of Pringles, I know I'm getting some good chips; they're easy eating if there's nothing better around but nothing special. I feel the same about Hallmark movies: ok viewing if here's nothing better to watch. I have seen most of the suspense series and expected the same.

But this movie isn't even close to the run-of-the-mill Hallmark. Watching Jewel, I realized she didn't get this part by auditioning and, sure enough, she's an exec producer. Everyone else does a good job, but Jewel is a singer and too successful there to bother with acting till she's had enough lessons to be able to do a good job. Very disappointing, as I have enjoyed her music.

I'll skip further installments in this franchise.

needs more

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 6 February 2022]

It's the small town of Lighthouse Cove. A mansion is being renovated by community volunteers led by Shannon Hughes (Jewel). The apartments are to be occupied by struggling families with donations saving it from demolition by the bank. When the banker is founded murdered inside, Shannon and reporter Mac Sullivan (Colin Ferguson) have to solve it before the demolition begins.

It's a Hallmark mystery. Even considering that, this needs more. The lead pairing needs some more chemistry. The mystery needs to be more compelling. There needs to be some sense of danger. This strikes me as falling a little flat. It's a borderline case but I have to leave this marginally under the line.