Mystery by the Book, originally titled Key to Love, is a 2023 movie starring Corey Sevier and Alicia Dea Josipovic. While not an original Great American Family production, the movie premiered on the network on September 28.
As fans await Great American Christmas 2024, GAF has been answering the demand for new movies by airing a variety of Saturday movies, such as films that previously aired on Great American Pure Flix along with other acquired selections.
Mystery by the Book feels like "filler" and misses the mark for the GAF gold standard, but fans still appreciate the addition to the lineup.
What Is Mystery by the Book About?
Joshua McGraw is both an architect from the big city as well as a book cover model. When his grandfather dies, Joshua returns to settle the estate and learns he is a wealthy man who now owns considerable real estate in the small town. His attorneys, Lauren and Larry Lawrence, encourage him not to sell but to allow a property management company to handle the investments.
Samantha Hill owns the town bookstore she inherited from her parents. She and Joshua have a rocky first encounter when she is tasked with unloading his grandfather's book collection. When Sam discovers an antique key in a false book, the two must work together to solve the mystery, all while Sam's rival, Lauren, competes for Joshua's attention.
Mystery by the Book Boasts a Unique Premise
Romcoms are stereotypically cookie cutter, so when a plot or a detail breaks the mold, it's always refreshing. Mystery by the Book is the first one I've seen that features a book cover model and a bookstore that liquidates estate libraries.
The search for the object that the antique key unlocks adds another layer of mystique to the story and keeps the viewer engaged with the anticipation of the discovery.
Another twist is that there are actually villains! In romcoms, the "bad guy" is usually redeemed, but not this time!
This welcome deviation from the standard plot line is still not enough to save the movie.
What's Not So Great About Mystery by the Book
Corey Sevier is a strong lead, but his co-star, Alicia Dea Josipovic, is definitely not. She is seven years younger than him and acts far too immature to be a match. They have zero chemistry.
Several movie scenes are so outlandish that I actually feel second-hand embarrassment for the cast. Joshua and Samantha first meet in the mansion, and both think the other is an intruder. A normal person would run out of the house scared, but Sam playfully jousts with a fireplace poker like she's Kung Fu Panda while she waits for the local deputy to arrive and investigate--who ends up being a bumbling doofus.
Joshua convinces Sam to meet him for dinner at an Italian restaurant. When Sam shares that she dreams of visiting Italy, Joshua pretends to be her Italian waiter, and his antics are just absurd. If you're on a first date and the guy goes through theatrics like that, the date would be over.
When the two of them search the mansion and find period costumes, they put them on and start dancing. Real people do not do these things. The scene is cheesy and weird.
If you are willing something important to your grandchild, wouldn't you leave it in plain sight to make sure he received it? Joshua's grandfather hid the mystery key in a book that Joshua might never have found, and the object it unlocked, which contained valuable articles, was hidden in an obscure place. Who does that?
Another plot hole is that Joshua's grandfather proposed to someone when he was young. She married someone else instead, but he apparently carried the torch for her until the end of his life. Yet, the man was Joshua's GRANDFATHER, which means he must have married someone. What about that poor woman?
Joshua records admissions from his slimy attorneys on his cell phone and threatens to use it in court. Is that even legal? Wouldn't they have to be informed that they were being recorded for that to be admissible?
The supporting cast is a motley crew of terrible actors, and as handsome as Corey Sevier is, he looks totally ridiculous at the end in the Viking costume.
Mystery by the Book is a Dud
Corey Sevier fans may enjoy the movie because they appreciate him. Others will tune in to support Great American Family--a network that offers an oasis in the secular entertainment industry of movies that are pro faith, family, and country.
Mystery by the Book starts with an interesting plot, but the execution is terrible. Movies that are written and produced by GAF are far superior. Let's hope as the network continues to grow, it will rely less on acquired, subpar movies to fill time slots.
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