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A SPRINKLE OF DECEIT: A HANNAH SWENSEN MYSTERY

"Sweet Justice for a Friend"

What You Need To Know:

A SPRINKLE OF DECEIT: A HANNAH SWENSON MYSTERY follows Hannah Swenson as she returns to the world of private investigation to clear the name of her friend, who is the primary suspect after a murder occurs in her small town. Through sneaky investigation and clever insights, Swenson uncovers the murderer, though not without finding herself in a spot of trouble.

Though A SPRINKLE OF DECEIT features generally good acting, the movie is marred by Hannah’s mom, played by Barbara Niven, who is highly over-the-top, taking away from the plot. Furthermore, the movie breaks one of the main rules of mystery by revealing relevant information about the killer just before they confess, leaving the audience unable to deduce who the criminal is. The movie, however, promotes strong biblical lessons of justice and being a good friend. Furthermore, A SPRINKLE OF DECEIT features no foul language, sex or nudity. There are multiple sexual innuendos, however. Thus, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children.

Content:

(BB, L, V, S, A, MM):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:
Strong biblical worldview as Hannah Swensen works to solve a murder case and clear the name of a police officer she knows is innocent. Characters are reprimanded for breaking the law and for lying or withholding information. Ultimately everything is brought to light, the murderer is caught and characters apologize for their moral failings;

Foul Language:
No foul language, though there are multiple sexual innuendos, such as a character asking a mechanic to check under her hood and later telling him her engine is running hot;

Violence:
Mild violence including a wine glass breaking during a fight, a character held at gunpoint when confronting the murderer, and a woman is smothered to death by a pillow, though there is no struggle;

Sex:
References to sex outside of marriage including multiple affairs;

Nudity:
None;

Alcohol Use:
Light alcohol use with one character getting drunk at a party and multiple characters drinking champagne to celebrate at the end of the movie;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:
None; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:
Moderate immorality throughout the movie as the characters often break the law to gather information about the case including breaking and entering, trespassing, lying, and bribery

More Detail:

A SPRINKLE OF DECEIT: A HANNAH SWENSEN murder sees Hannah Swensen back on the case after Lonnie – her friend and the man her sister is dating – is the top suspect for a murder. Even though Lonnie is a police officer, he is the primary person of interest because he was the last person seen with Darcy before her murder.

The night of her murder, Darcy was at a high school reunion party with her boyfriend, Adam. After having too much to drink, she and Adam fought, and Lonnie gave her a ride home to ensure she made it to bed safely. The following day, Hannah and her sister, Michelle, check on her, only to find her dead.

Wanting to clear Lonnie’s name, Hannah takes on the case to find Darcy’s murderer. After conversations with witnesses and other investigations, Hannah determines three other suspects had a clear motive to kill: Darcy’s boyfriend, upset after the fight; Darcy’s old boss, whom she was suing for abuse; and a commercial director who was angry at Darcy for injuring his starring actress, forcing him to find a replacement. Hannah also has a significant lead as a witness saw an orange convertible near the house the night of the murder.

As Hannah investigates the suspects, she realizes none of the three men are likely to have killed Darcy. She, however, finds definitive proof that Darcy was having an affair – another major piece of evidence along with the orange convertible. Unfortunately, both pieces of evidence seem like dead ends until Hannah realizes that the orange convertible could be a white car that appeared orange under a streetlight; her witness confirms this was the case, and the hunt is back on.

With her mother’s help, Hannah tracks down the white convertible, but it pulls away just before Hannah can see who is inside. Not wanting to let her primary suspect escape, Hannah follows the car in her van to an unfamiliar house. Creeping onto the property, she finds the owner, Bryan, a man who was at the reunion with Darcy.

Thinking she has her killer, Hannah turns to leave, only to find herself held at gunpoint by Bryan. Clue after clue unfolds as Hannah plots her escape, eventually uncovering the truth of what happened to Darcy the night of the murder.

Though A SPRINKLE OF DECEIT has the potential to be a strong, lighthearted mystery, it ultimately falls short, mainly due to a slow start and little tension until the final scenes. While the acting is solid, Barbara Nevin, who plays Hannah, is extremely over-the-top and adds little to the plot. Additionally, the mystery aspect isn’t well executed as audiences can’t deduce the murderer until specific evidence reveals the killer.

The movie, however, strongly promotes justice, being a good friend and is absent of foul language – though it includes multiple sexual innuendos. Thus, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children.