I really enjoy this series. This is a another good one! Lots of plot twists and misdirection. Jeff and Zee's relationship continues to grow and the mystery of Jeff's injury takes another turn.
10 Reviews
Lots of twists
digran1319 January 2021
Ships in the night
coltras3524 July 2023
Jeff and Zee confront the deaths of two community members on the eve of a fundraising regatta. Eli (Fred Keating), a doctor and Zee's mentor, gets chucked out the window by someone who appears to want a portable dialysis machine that he's been tinkering with. Across town, Bernie (Kehli O'Byrne), manager of the Winchester Art Gallery, is clubbed with a sailboat sculpture. It's unclear if and how the incidents are connected. In any case, two deaths might be one too many because no one picks up on poor Eli's demise until deep into the second act.
There's something relaxing about this mystery, perhaps it's the beach and the chilled atmosphere, but it's quite nice. The acting is adequate, Sarah Lind is very pretty, the investigation is standard but diverting. It's an adequately made TV mystery.
There's something relaxing about this mystery, perhaps it's the beach and the chilled atmosphere, but it's quite nice. The acting is adequate, Sarah Lind is very pretty, the investigation is standard but diverting. It's an adequately made TV mystery.
Writing style
bl-6397418 January 2021
Phony on All Levels
drednm28 January 2021
Decent story is ruined by 1. Terrible screenplay dialog, 2. Lousy acting, and 3. Fake locations pretending to be Martha's Vineyard.
Filmed in the Vancouver area and featuring mostly Canadian actors, this series of films totally fails to capture the Vineyard vibe or the local color and accents. The leading lady (Sarah Lind) is especially annoying since she's supposed to be a hospital doctor but all she does is traipse about with Jack (Jesse Metcalfe) the ex-Boston cop.
They live on an island but they don't seem to know anybody and never heard of them. Art galley? Rich people with ocean-front homes? Nope. Never heard of them. Lind's daddy is the local police chief (Eric Keenleyside), but he's also totally unaware of local residents and companies.
Also annoying is that they seem to be on an island off the coast of Boston. There's never a mention of Cape Cod even though the major ferry services come out of Falmouth, Hyannis, Woods Hole, etc. ... not Boston.
While there are fly-over shots of Boston and the Vineyard (the same one in each movie). there is no local film shooting.
Metcalfe is not bad, but Lind is terrible. Keenleyside and the other regulars are amateurish and serve little purpose. There's a coffee guy , a reporter, and a woman who either owns or manages an inn. They are just background.
The women swan about in high-fashion clothing and high heels, and all the clothing looks like it's freshly new, giving the whole series that soap opera look.
The lack of depth is hilarious. My favorite scene has Metcalfe and Lind discovering the dead gallery owner lying in a bucket's worth of blood around her smashed-in head. Lind the doctor kneels down and feels for a pulse. "She's dead!" she says, staring up at him. DUH.
The realism extends to the constant mentioning of lobsters and clams and sometimes crabs, since of course that's all island people eat. DUH.
Filmed in the Vancouver area and featuring mostly Canadian actors, this series of films totally fails to capture the Vineyard vibe or the local color and accents. The leading lady (Sarah Lind) is especially annoying since she's supposed to be a hospital doctor but all she does is traipse about with Jack (Jesse Metcalfe) the ex-Boston cop.
They live on an island but they don't seem to know anybody and never heard of them. Art galley? Rich people with ocean-front homes? Nope. Never heard of them. Lind's daddy is the local police chief (Eric Keenleyside), but he's also totally unaware of local residents and companies.
Also annoying is that they seem to be on an island off the coast of Boston. There's never a mention of Cape Cod even though the major ferry services come out of Falmouth, Hyannis, Woods Hole, etc. ... not Boston.
While there are fly-over shots of Boston and the Vineyard (the same one in each movie). there is no local film shooting.
Metcalfe is not bad, but Lind is terrible. Keenleyside and the other regulars are amateurish and serve little purpose. There's a coffee guy , a reporter, and a woman who either owns or manages an inn. They are just background.
The women swan about in high-fashion clothing and high heels, and all the clothing looks like it's freshly new, giving the whole series that soap opera look.
The lack of depth is hilarious. My favorite scene has Metcalfe and Lind discovering the dead gallery owner lying in a bucket's worth of blood around her smashed-in head. Lind the doctor kneels down and feels for a pulse. "She's dead!" she says, staring up at him. DUH.
The realism extends to the constant mentioning of lobsters and clams and sometimes crabs, since of course that's all island people eat. DUH.
Ships in the Night: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery
JoBloTheMovieCritic11 February 2021
Jesse Metcalfe is a good actor BUT
taylornan19 January 2021
I like the story line and Jesse is a good actor in this role. BUT there is ZERO chemistry between him and Sarah Lind. I find her to be an annoying, know it all who turns up every minute in this movie. I think they could have found many other actresses that would have done a better job.
Strike 3!
jlbsword15 April 2021
In this third instalment of this mystery series I was really hoping it would improve. But sadly, it did not, and the acting was even more stilted and unrealistic. Jesse, as Jeff, is easy on the eyes but just does not do justice to the Jeff character of the wonderful Phillip Craig series. Sarah, as Zee, is just too superficial to lend any credence to the story. She is a doctor but did not spend one minute in a hospital. The chemistry (which sizzles in the books) is just not there at all between Jeff and Zee. And the great character of Joe Begay is not part of the movies. He would be a good addition and provide some diversity. The best part of the movie was the scenery, much of which I have seen in person. If you have not read the books you might enjoy this movie. For those of us that have, it is an insult to the characters and stories portrayed.
losing interest
SnoopyStyle11 April 2021
There's a murder. Jeff and Zee are back to solving the case. Jeff is rethinking the incident which put the bullet in his back. It's the third movie in this Hallmark mystery series.
Sarah Lind loosens up a little. That's a good thing but the relationship still needs work. They didn't start the series with a meet-cute and their banter is not that good. I guess they're not going to accept my suggestion to insert a love triangle. I'm still hoping for flashbacks to their childhood. In fact, they should do a mystery which centers around their younger selves. The mysteries are not doing it for me. Jeff's bullet in his back is the more interesting case. I'm losing interest in this franchise.
Sarah Lind loosens up a little. That's a good thing but the relationship still needs work. They didn't start the series with a meet-cute and their banter is not that good. I guess they're not going to accept my suggestion to insert a love triangle. I'm still hoping for flashbacks to their childhood. In fact, they should do a mystery which centers around their younger selves. The mysteries are not doing it for me. Jeff's bullet in his back is the more interesting case. I'm losing interest in this franchise.
Art used to kill, finally a real date and the bullet is still in his back.
cgvsluis23 February 2022
I don't know why, but this Hallmark mystery series has never drawn me in like some of the others and is so far from my three favorites (Hannah Swensen's Murder She Baked, Aurora Teagarden and Mystery 101), that it is almost not worth reviewing.
There is so much going on in this episode that it feels scattered instead of like a comprehensive and completely story. The returning characters seem to be a barista who is our main character's friend...but they have no chemistry and barely exchange a few lines an episode...let alone nothing in common, a doctor potential love interest who moonlights as the M. E. And her father the chief of police who is always trying to talk out main character into going back to work for the local police.
Our main character is a male and a former Boston police detective who was forced into early retirement do to a shooting which killed his partner and left him with a bullet in his back. This gets brought up every episode...I wish they would just solve that mystery and move on! Also, all through the episode we get to see him working out...running, boxing, etc.
In this episode someone is killed at a local art gallery...then the former doctor ends up dead in his home...while he was trying to build a medical device that could have helped many.
Meanwhile our two love interests keep having to cancel their dinner plans.
Best part of this episode was the romantic exchange in the last 5-10 seconds of the whole show.
This is starting to be a hard pass for me and I can't really recommend it.
There is so much going on in this episode that it feels scattered instead of like a comprehensive and completely story. The returning characters seem to be a barista who is our main character's friend...but they have no chemistry and barely exchange a few lines an episode...let alone nothing in common, a doctor potential love interest who moonlights as the M. E. And her father the chief of police who is always trying to talk out main character into going back to work for the local police.
Our main character is a male and a former Boston police detective who was forced into early retirement do to a shooting which killed his partner and left him with a bullet in his back. This gets brought up every episode...I wish they would just solve that mystery and move on! Also, all through the episode we get to see him working out...running, boxing, etc.
In this episode someone is killed at a local art gallery...then the former doctor ends up dead in his home...while he was trying to build a medical device that could have helped many.
Meanwhile our two love interests keep having to cancel their dinner plans.
Best part of this episode was the romantic exchange in the last 5-10 seconds of the whole show.
This is starting to be a hard pass for me and I can't really recommend it.
Why isn't Jeff paralyzed?
Cilica9 April 2021
From the running and moving Jeff' role has him doing - why is he not paralyzed from the bullet lodged close to his spine? Why is there no vineyard in the series, only seaside village? Why is Jeff buff when he doesn't exercise?
Also why is Dr Zee wearing high heels on hospital duty, on the beach, everywhere? Why is she not practicing being a dr. Instead of an investigator?
Dialogue is better than most of the Hallmark series movies. A little corny but too funny about the inconsistencies in script.
Also why is Dr Zee wearing high heels on hospital duty, on the beach, everywhere? Why is she not practicing being a dr. Instead of an investigator?
Dialogue is better than most of the Hallmark series movies. A little corny but too funny about the inconsistencies in script.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
