Top 10 Non-murderous Hallmark Mysteries
We love all sorts of cozy mysteries, but sometimes you want to watch one that is especially cozy and doesn’t involve finding a dead body!
These mysteries range from finding the proper recipient of a lost letter, tracking down missing antiques, or following a genealogy quest, but all have a sweet feel-good story, the possibility of romance, and clues that must be deciphered.
These are our top picks for Hallmark Movies that have a non-murderous mystery:
10. A Lifelong Love
In A Lifelong Love, poet Annika (played by Andrea Brooks) tries to reunite her grandfather with his lost first love. As her potential publisher’s request, she teams up with her former college sweetheart, a photographer named Ryan (played by Patch May) to document the journey and stories of love along the way.
Combining a romantic mystery where we root for the grandfather (played by Tom Young) to find a second happiness with the potential for another couple’s second chance, this is a cute journey of re-connection.
9. The Good Witch’s Garden
While most of the mysterious elements in The Good Witch franchise focus on whether Cassandra Nightengale (played by Catherine Bell) might truly have magical powers, a few movies have something to be solved by collecting clues.
In The Good Witch’s Garden, a stranger arrives in Middleton and claims that Grey House belongs to him. It’s up to Cassie, her new policeman beau (played by Chris Potter), and his adventurous kids to discover his motives and the truth.
Magically charming, this sweet cozy mystery is perfect when you want a touch of paranormal.
8. 14 Love Letters
This especially cozy mystery follows hobby-farmer Kallie (played by Vanessa Sears) as she attempts to uncover the identity of a secret admirer. When copies of historic love letters begin appearing in Kallie’s mailbox, she decides to find out who is sending them. Along the way, she begins to open herself up to the possibility to romance and consider her feelings about the sender suspects.
This romantic and sweet story is a fun mystery and tale of love.
7. A Nashville Legacy
In A Nashville Legacy, graduate student Naima (played by Andrea Lewis) researches an undiscovered music group from the 60s for a paper and encounters a mystery that intertwines with her family’s past.
With help from fellow museum volunteer Damien (played by Pooch Hall), Naima investigates a musical mystery. The songs add another layer of delight to the investigation.
6. For Love and Honey
In For Love and Honey, an American archaeologist and professor (played by Andrew W. Walker) visits Malta while researching a project and an encounter with a local beekeeper (played by Margaret Clunie) leads to the discovery of an ancient fresco. With this as a starting point, they follow the historic clues to try and uncover an ancient golden treasure.
With excellent chemistry between the pair and Indiana Jones jokes to spare, this mystery is a fun puzzle to watch unravel along the beautiful Maltese countryside.
5. Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas
We didn’t want to bombard this Non-Murderous Mysteries list with Christmas movies, so we just chose a favorite in the holiday category. Intertwining the past and present, in a satisfying and heartwarming way, Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas is our top pick.
If you’d like to check out other Christmas Mysteries, check out our 2022 List of Best Hallmark Christmas Mysteries.
Four days before Christmas, Elizabeth (played by Holland Roden) mistakenly receives a voicemail from a stranger making one final plea for love. Not wanting him to miss his last chance, she teams up with her friend from college, Josh (played by Tyler Hynes) to interpret the clues and pass on the message. It will be a Christmas miracle if they can solve the mystery in time.
4. Darrow & Darrow
While later movies in the franchise involve murder investigations, the first Darrow & Darrow has lawyer Claire Darrow (played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley) representing her baker friend who supplies her law firm with lucky donuts when he is accused of stealing jewelry.
Idealistic and more interested in justice and money, Claire is at odds with her estranged corporate lawyer mother Joanna (played by Wendie Malick) who pops back into her and her daughter’s life. Funny and heartwarming, the family dynamics are as entertaining as the mystery.
The movie also has a charming flirtation between Clarie and Assistant District Attorney Miles Strasberg (played by Tom Cavanagh).
Combining these elements and the POV of a defense attorney makes for a fun and engaging film.
3. Family History Mysteries: Buried Past
A mystery that doesn’t involve murder, but is still a matter of life or death is Family History Mysteries: Buried Past. Genealogist Sophie McClaren (played by Janel Parrish) uses her skills to find and reunite families, but when her best friend Jonathan (played by Morgan David Jones) needs a life-saving bone marrow transplant, finding his long-lost father becomes personal.
Her personal life is also complicated when her old flame and brother of her BFF Jackson (played by Niall Matter) reenters her life. Can Sophie navigate the complicated personal drama to crack the case and save her best friend?
2. Legend of the Lost Locket
This sweet mystery, Legend of the Lost Locket, follows antiques expert Amelia Scott (played by Natasha Burnett) as she strives to reunite two halves of a priceless locket that symbolizes a story of true love. Because of its special significance to her recently deceased mother, when Amelia uncovers a lead, she is willing to leave her London shop and fly across the world to the small American town of Wilmatown. As she follows the clues, she befriends or annoys the locals, including someone who might give credence to the legend that the one who holds the love locket will be blessed with a true love of their own (played by Viv Leacock.)
Charming and well-crafted, this mystery is both a treasure hunt and story about love and chasing one’s dreams.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered - The Movie
While any of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered movies could have topped our list, we chose the one that started them all. The TV movie Signed, Sealed, Delivered introduced audiences to a talented and dedicated team of civil servants known as the Postables as they work in the U.S. Postal System's Dead Letter Office. They transform into a group of elite lost-mail detectives, determined to deliver seemingly undeliverable letters and packages, and prove that miracles can happen.
In this movie, the Dead Letter Office receives a shake-up when tech-savvy Shane McInerney (played by Kristin Booth) is mistakenly transferred to the department. Challenging the unconventionally old-fashioned yet charming leader Oliver O'Toole (played by Eric Mabius) and surprising his experts, the free-spirited Rita (played by Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe) and oddly-intuitive Norman (played by Geoff Gustafson), Shane inspires the team to work in unorthodox ways and deliver a dead letter that could help clear a wrongfully accused man and reunite him with his true love.
Spawning a TV series and multiple movies, the optimism, faith, friendship, and love amid the investigations make this movie stand out and stand the test of time.
List of Movies
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters (premiering July 12th, 2024)
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back (premiering in 2025)