If the audience keeps in mind that this film was made especially for television and is not a Hollywood blockbuster with an unlimited budget, I can candidly say that "Framed For Murder: A Fixer Upper Mystery" is well worth the price of admission compared to so many big Hollywood flops.

Lead actress/singer Jewel Kilcher plays a building contractor (yeah guys she renovates homes, and changes flat tires for men) named Shannon Hughes who discovers the dead body of her close friend Jesse Hennessey, (Ken Tremblett) in his home. Jesse was a deep sea treasure hunter and it becomes evident quickly that there is someone who wants one of Jesse's found treasures enough to kill for it. The police initially say Jesse's death was an accident and not a homicide. Case closed. Or is it?

So Shannon (Jewel) who is distraught over the sudden death of her close friend Jesse decides to solve this murder mystery with or without the local police's assistance. Shannon has a new tenant living in her studio apartment, a writer named Mac Sullivan (Colin Ferguson) who Shannon has just signed a contract with to renovate Mac's historical mansion. These two romantics Shannon and Mac, have very good on screen chemistry and they team up to try and solve the mystery. But eh, Shannon (Jewel) is easy on the eyes so who wouldn't have good on screen chemistry with her? She also sings professionally with a voice of an angel. (Her hit songs included "Hands", "Who Will Save Your Soul", and "Foolish Games" to name but a few.)

The movie moves along at a good and easy pace with a number of suspects that will keep you guessing. I enjoyed it a lot more than many of the big budget Hollywood releases and I hope Jewel keeps making more of these family themed entertaining films.

I give it a solid 8 out of 10 rating

Shannon Hughes (Jewel) restores old homes in her hometown, Lighthouse Cove. Her best friend Jennifer Hennessey (Erin Karpluk) is opening a bed & breakfast. Jennifer's uncle Jesse Hennessey dies and Shannon suspects foul play. Investigative writer Mac Sullivan (Colin Ferguson) is the hunky newcomer in town with a house to restore.

Jewel gets to sing a song and gets to act. It's a good vehicle for her. It's a functional whodunnit mystery. The actors are fairly good. I don't like the final final ending. It's a little silly and convenient. I can see that kind of Home Alone trap on the page but the staging needs to be better. This is fine for a TV movie.

Started out with some really cheap/bad CGI. The dialogue was rote memorization of triteness for actors having difficulty memorizing lines longer than seven words; doesn't matter since they were too cheap to add subtitles. The first thing I noticed was how everyone (and I mean everyone) looked as if they were modeling clothing for middle class America while still in the store - bland, sterile, and always sparkling clean with no wrinkles what-so-ever. You would think they never sat down or did anything involving movement. Even the settings such as furniture looked like they came out of a showroom (obviously rented for the movie & told not to touch anything); essentially perfectly contrived and unnatural. The makeup was so heavy (males & females) it was a challenge for them to smile. Acting was daytime TV level. Script - forgettable. Anyway, not a good way to waste one's life.