Murder, She Wrote: The Celtic Riddle (2003)

One of my all time favorites.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

The plot has Jessica being summoned to Ireland for an old friends funeral and reading of his will. She inherits a house and property while trying to get to know the rest of his family and solve a riddle that leads to a treasure. Along the way people get murdered and she is warned by the housekeeper that someone is watching her. As she slowly gathers the clues and discovers the truth behind the murders ,it leads her to a cave in the hills for the final act and confrontation with the murderer.A good story on paper but unfortunately an average script and some wooden acting ,mainly bad Irish accents drag it down to where it isn't even as good as a regular episode of the TV show it's based on. I do love Angela Lansbury but there is only so much she can do with the lousy writing and script. 5/10

I love the show and I have really liked all the TV movies. The Celtic Riddle is my least favourite of the TV movies, but it is very enjoyable still. So what were its problems? Some scenes felt a little too padded out and I do have to agree some of the accents are rather shaky. Plus there is some uneven pacing. However, the story is a good one, it intrigues and the ending is suspenseful enough. What delighted me most though was the beautiful scenery and the photography is nice and lush. I also liked the music, it was melodious, beautiful and haunting and the end credits song was a lovely touch. The script is decent, the direction is good and the acting is pretty good- Angela Lansbury is wonderful as always while Fionnula Flannagan is beautiful and fiery. Nobody else stands out really, but they certainly aren't bad. Overall, enjoyable and definitely worth seeing for the scenery and Lansbury. 7/10 Bethany Cox

After MURDER SHE WROTE - The Series, Finished in 1996 after 12 Years and nearly 300 Episodes, Angela Lansbury returned in 4 Murder She Wrote TVMs, with THE CELTIC RIDDLE being the last.This time around Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is solving another mystery - this time in the picturesque surroundings of Ireland, Where she has been invited to attend an old acquaintance's recorded last Will & Testament, Where each family member (who are really unlikeable and don't get on at all) along with Jessica are given clues, which supposedly are used to uncover a secret treasure, and as this is Murder She Wrote, a dead body falls at JB's feet within a matter of minutes so Jessica as always investigates.Not bad, But I can't help but feel that this is a 60 Minute TV episode stretched out to feature length with a lot of padding along with some very shaky Irish accents but nevertheless it's enjoyable enough with another great performance from Lansbury.*** out of *****

With strong performances by all players, this was one of the best episodes of "Murder She Wrote". It was refreshing to watch a "Who done it" that wasn't easily solved in the first 10 minutes of the movie.Fionnula Flanagan's character, Margaret, kept Jessica's eyes rolling with her finger-snapping and explosive temper. The setting was beautiful giving one a sense of Ireland and it's people. Let's have more episodes, please.