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Chase Bridges, YouTube sensation, joins us to review the UPtv Christmas mystery A Christmas Murder Mystery — a holiday whodunit filled with secrets, suspense, and snow.

The editor of the Metropolitan Ledger's puzzle section, who also works part-time as a consultant for the local sheriff, is invited to spend the holidays with a family harboring secrets. Soon, she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation — all during the most festive time of the year.

December 7 2025 | UPtv

• Vivica A. Fox as Cynthia Marshall
• Morgan Bradley as Vera Vexley
• Rob Mayes as Troy Sterling

Vera Vexley is the puzzle editor for a newspaper and a part-time consulting detective for the sheriff’s department. So imagine her surprise when, while staying with some family friends on Christmas Eve — the rich and powerful Sterling family — she is swept into a murder mystery. The father of the Sterling family, Harold Sterling, has been killed!

Vera is on the case. It has to be someone in the house, but who? Was it Harold’s wife? One of his two sons, Troy or Michael? His daughter, Katherine? His daughter-in-law Jan? Or the family lawyer, Darren, who was invited for Christmas?

Everyone has a motive. Michael had his father invest in his nightclub but then involved the mafia, which upset Harold. Harold gave him until Christmas to buy him out, or he would go public with the mess.

Katherine hated her father’s business, even telling him, “someone needed to protect the public from people like him.”

And Darren, the lawyer, was the last person to see Harold and had argued with him that night over business.

As Vera digs deeper, she uncovers all sorts of family secrets: Michael and Jan are getting divorced; Troy was adopted because his mother had an affair with an employee, meaning Troy isn’t actually Harold’s son; and Darren was secretly having an affair with Michael’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Jan.

Things get even more dangerous. Someone pushes Jan down the stairs in an apparent attempt on her life. Not long after, someone tries to kill Michael by bashing him over the head!

Vera carefully pieces it all together while developing feelings for Troy. In a classic big reveal, she gathers everyone and announces that Darren, the lawyer, did it. He was furious about being left out of Harold’s will and, feeling betrayed, killed Harold. He then tried to kill Michael, blaming him for the will fiasco, and pushed Jan because of jealousy.

But just when everyone thinks the case is closed… it isn’t! After Jan believes Darren has been arrested, she sneaks into Harold’s office to destroy evidence — proving she’s actually the killer. Vera, of course, is waiting. Jan tries to attack her with a letter opener, but fails.

Vera explains the truth: Jan killed Harold because she feared that, after divorcing Michael, she would be cut out of the will. She staged her fall down the stairs to avoid suspicion and then tried to kill Michael so she could inherit his estate — still legally hers since they’re technically married.

Vera saves the day, kisses Troy, submits her new puzzle to her editor just in time for the deadline, and the Sterlings… live happily ever after.

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