Review

"Ruby Herring Mysteries: Her Last Breath – A Whodunit So Cozy, It’s Practically Wearing a Cable-Knit Sweater"

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Nancy Drew and a Hallmark holiday movie had a baby, Ruby Herring Mysteries: Her Last Breath is here to answer that question. And by “answer,” I mean it throws a cozy mystery at you with all the subtlety of a snow globe to the face. Released in 2019, this film is the first in the Ruby Herring Mysteries series, and it’s exactly what you’d expect from a Hallmark movie: charming, predictable, and filled with enough hot cocoa vibes to make you forget you’re watching a murder mystery.

The plot follows Ruby Herring (played by Taylor Cole), a plucky TV reporter who stumbles into amateur sleuthing when she investigates the suspicious death of a young woman. Ruby is the kind of character who can solve crimes while still looking like she just stepped out of a J.Crew catalog. Her sidekick, Detective Jake Killian (Stephen Huszar), is the requisite brooding yet handsome cop who somehow has time to solve murders and flirt with Ruby between crime scenes. Together, they form a dynamic duo that’s less Batman and Robin and more “let’s solve this case before the next Hallmark holiday movie marathon starts.”

The mystery itself is about as twisty as a straight line, but hey, that’s part of the charm. You’re not here for Inception-level plot complexity; you’re here for the warm fuzzies and the occasional gasp-worthy reveal. And Her Last Breath delivers on that front. It’s got all the hallmarks (pun intended) of a Hallmark movie: small-town charm, a dash of romance, and a mystery that’s solved just in time for everyone to gather around a fireplace and sip tea.

What really sets this movie apart, though, is its commitment to the Hallmark aesthetic. The lighting is so soft it looks like the entire town is bathed in a perpetual golden hour. The dialogue is peppered with wholesome quips and life lessons, like a self-help book disguised as a murder mystery. And don’t even get me started on the wardrobe. Ruby’s scarves alone deserve their own spin-off series.

In conclusion, Ruby Herring Mysteries: Her Last Breath is the perfect movie for anyone who loves Hallmark movies but wishes they came with a side of intrigue. It’s not going to win any Oscars, but it will win your heart—or at least your attention for 90 minutes. So grab a blanket, pour yourself some cocoa, and settle in for a mystery that’s as comforting as a Hallmark holiday movie, but with slightly fewer Christmas trees and slightly more dead bodies.