Mistletoe Murders on Hallmark: Every Episode Reviewed + Exclusive Cast Interviews
If there’s one Hallmark series that has genuinely surprised people (and we’re talking mystery fans, romance fans, and casual holiday viewers alike) it’s Mistletoe Murders.
Set in the perpetually festive town of Fletcher’s Grove, the show has built something rare for network holiday television: a serialized mystery with real stakes, a protagonist with genuine depth, and a slow-burn romance that earns every moment. We’ve been with it from the beginning. We’ve reviewed every episode of both seasons, and we’ve sat down with stars Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney to go deeper on the characters, the cliffhangers, and what’s coming in Season 3.
This is your one-stop hub for everything Mistletoe Murders designed whether you’re catch up, rewatching, or counting down to the new season.
What Is Mistletoe Murders?
Mistletoe Murders is Hallmark’s serialized holiday mystery series following Emily Lane (Sarah Drew), the outwardly warm and cheerful owner of a year-round Christmas-themed shop in the charming tourist town of Fletcher’s Grove. Emily isn’t just a shopkeeper with a knack for puzzles. She’s a woman with a secret past she’s been running from, and despite her best efforts to disappear into small-town life, she keeps finding herself pulled into local murder investigations.
Working alongside her is Detective Sam Wilner (Peter Mooney.) He’s sharp, perceptive, and increasingly aware that the biggest mystery in Fletcher’s Grove isn’t any of the cases they’re solving together. It’s Emily herself.
The series is adapted from the Mistletoe Murders Audible Original audio drama created by showrunner Ken Cuperus, though the Hallmark adaptation stands on its own. The series builds a rich world that unfolds across episodes and seasons rather than wrapping things up neatly every week. It premiered exclusively on Hallmark+ in fall 2024 before moving to Hallmark Channel for Season 2 in fall 2025, where it quickly built a devoted fanbase.
Season 3 has been officially confirmed for Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas 2026.
The Cast of Mistletoe Murders
Sarah Drew as Emily Lane — Best known for 204 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy as April Kepner, Drew brings enormous emotional intelligence to Emily, a character who is simultaneously guarded and magnetic. She also serves as executive producer on the series, shaping everything from casting to the romantic arc. Hallmark fans will also know her from Guiding Emily, One Summer, and Branching Out.
Peter Mooney as Detective Sam Wilner — A familiar face to fans of Rookie Blue and Burden of Truth, Mooney brings real warmth and quiet humor to Sam. He’s a good cop who is (mostly) endlessly patient with Emily’s tendency to insert herself into his investigations, probably because he’s starting to realize he doesn’t actually want her to stop.
Sierra Marilyn Riley as Violet Wilner — Sam’s teenage daughter, who serves as both comic relief and a genuine emotional anchor for the series. Mistletoe Murders was Riley’s first acting project.
Jean Yoon as Sue — The diner owner who functions as Fletcher’s Grove’s unofficial town hub. Yoon fans will recognize her from her voice work on the original Audible series as well.
Kylee Evans as Brooke Carmichael — The town busybody, played with perfect comic timing by Evans, who Hallmark fans will know as Stephanie from Good Witch.
Lara Amersey as June Hubble — Emily’s best friend in Fletcher’s Grove, who ends up as a murder suspect in Season 1 and remains a warm, grounding presence throughout.
David Hewlett as Ray — The furniture salesperson with a suspiciously shady side hustle. Hewlett is a scene-stealer across both seasons, with a lengthy resume that includes 99 episodes of Stargate: Atlantis.
Season 1 Episode Guide
Season 1 of Mistletoe Murders premiered on Hallmark+ in fall 2024. Each two-episode arc covers a self-contained mystery set in Fletcher’s Grove while advancing the overarching story of Emily’s secret past and the growing pull between her and Sam. We reviewed every arc on the podcast. All episodes are linked below.
Episodes 1 & 2: Poison in a Pear Tree
In Emily Lane’s first mystery, a poisoned cookie at a murder scene links directly back to her. Suddenly her new friend June is in police custody and Emily is knee-deep in a case she absolutely should not be investigating. Detective Sam Wilner would very much like her to stay out of it. She has other plans.
Listen to our review of Mistletoe Murders Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2 →
Episodes 3 & 4: Peril of the Belles
When a series of suspicious “accidents” start targeting the local choir, Emily goes undercover to get to the bottom of it. Because in Fletcher’s Grove, even holiday harmonies can turn deadly. The former choir leader disappeared under mysterious circumstances, the new lead is dodging danger at every turn, and Emily follows her instincts despite Sam’s ever-present side-eye.
Listen to our review of Mistletoe Murders Season 1, Episodes 3 & 4 →
Episodes 5 & 6: Death of a Humbug
The Season 1 finale, and just when we thought Emily was finally settling into Fletcher’s Grove – BAM. A scavenger hunt orchestrated by the murder victim, a mystery that forces Emily to confront her past head-on, and a cliffhanger ending that had us staring at the screen in disbelief. Tom Cavanagh shows up as a guest star for approximately five minutes and makes every second count.
Listen to our review of Mistletoe Murders Season 1, Episodes 5 & 6 →
Season 2 Episode Guide
Season 2 premiered on Hallmark Channel on November 7, 2025, with streaming available the next day on Hallmark+. After the explosive Season 1 finale, the new season wastes no time pulling us back into Chimera’s chilling web. We find Emily and Sam navigating a year of avoidance, new mysteries, and walls that are slowly, finally starting to come down.
Episodes 1 & 2: Cold War
After a year of deliberately not talking about the Season 1 cliffhanger, Emily and Sam are reunited by the disappearance of a high school chess coach. This is a case that immediately starts triggering echoes of Emily’s past. Meanwhile, Violet is hoping to attend the winter dance with her crush, which gives Sam an entirely different kind of detective problem to manage.
Listen to our review of Mistletoe Murders Season 2, Episodes 1 & 2 →
Episodes 3 & 4: The Ides of December
The mystery deepens in the middle of Season 2, with more of Emily’s backstory coming into focus through flashbacks that Sarah Drew has described as one of the most challenging and rewarding acting experiences of the series. Playing a younger version of Emily (Grace) required a physical transformation that Drew says changed the way she moved and spoke. The results are stunning.
Listen to our review of Mistletoe Murders Season 2, Episodes 3 & 4 →
Episodes 5 & 6: ‘Twas the Fight Before Christmas (Season Finale)
Fletcher’s Grove reaches a boiling point. Emily shelters a suspect while investigating the murder of a high-profile restaurant owner — the most dangerous case she’s faced yet. Sam is rattled by his ex-wife’s unexpected arrival in town. And through all of it, the walls between Emily and Sam finally, finally start to come down.
Emily opens up. Sam listens. And then the season ends on a cliffhanger that has had the Girls Gone Hallmark community in an uproar ever since. Before the finale aired, Sarah Drew told us to “start from the beginning for the full satisfaction.” She was absolutely right.
Listen to our review of Mistletoe Murders Season 2, Episodes 5 & 6 →
Our Exclusive Interview: Sarah Drew & Peter Mooney
We joined a group of Hallmark podcasters for a press junket interview with Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney ahead of Season 2, and what they shared gave us a whole new appreciation for what makes this show work.
On the flashbacks: Drew described stepping into the hair, makeup, and wardrobe for younger Emily (Grace) as a full physical transformation — she found herself moving differently, talking differently. “She is a different person,” Drew told us.
On the romance: Drew revealed that a key Season 1 moment was originally scripted to end in a kiss and she pushed back. Her instinct was that Sam should respond not by asking for anything in return, but simply by holding Emily in the emotion. That long hug became one of the most-discussed moments across both seasons. “They said, ‘We’re keeping the whole hug in. I don’t care how long it is.'” It’s now one of her favorite moments of the entire series.
On what makes the show tick: Mooney put it simply: “It’s familiar and comforting… then there are twists that keep it exciting and unexpected.” And on their chemistry: “There was an energy on set and we captured it.”
On the cats: They do not cooperate. “Cats don’t want to act. They don’t want to be there.” — Mooney. We believe him.
On Drew’s behind-the-scenes role: As executive producer, Drew’s fingerprints are all over the show from casting decisions to script notes to the emotional architecture of the romance. Mooney praised her leadership directly: “Having Sarah in both roles is so special.”
Season 3: What We Know
Mistletoe Murders has been officially renewed for Season 3, with Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney both confirmed to return. Production is set to begin later in 2026, with a premiere planned for Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas 2026.
Showrunner Ken Cuperus, executive producers Michelle Melanson and Jocelyn Hamilton, and the rest of the creative team are all returning. Cuperus, who created the series and has shepherded it from the original Audible podcast through two seasons of television, has described getting to continue Emily’s story as “one of the great joys of my life.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch Mistletoe Murders? Both seasons are currently streaming on Hallmark+. The series also airs on Hallmark Channel during the Countdown to Christmas programming event each fall.
How many episodes are there? Each season has six episodes, structured as three two-part mysteries. Season 3 is confirmed but episode count hasn’t been announced yet.
Is Mistletoe Murders based on a book? It’s adapted from the Mistletoe Murders Audible Original audio drama, created by Ken Cuperus and starring Cobie Smulders. Four seasons of the audio series are currently available on Audible.
Do I need to watch Season 1 before Season 2? Yes. Absolutely yes. Mistletoe Murders is genuinely serialized. Emily’s backstory unfolds across both seasons in ways that won’t make sense if you jump in mid-stream. As Sarah Drew herself told us: start from the beginning.
When does Season 3 premiere? Season 3 will premiere during Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas in fall 2026. An exact date hasn’t been announced yet. We’ll update this page when it is.
