‘Queens of Mystery’ Recap: ‘Death by Vinyl, First Chapter’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When one thinks of the cozy murder mystery, specific expectations come to mind. In that, said mystery should be whimsical and fun and never take itself too seriously and of course, it should be filled with plucky characters and devoid of deeper meaning. Because the cozy murder mystery is supposed to be a different kind of storytelling experience, one that should entertain over taxing the mind and well… those expectations are so universal that that is the formula that most stories in this vein follow to a tee, and there’s been little complaint… because that type of tale really does entertain and bring joy to the masses.

But there are those out there, who have wondered as to whether or not this genre can be more and can challenge its audience while still entertaining through joy and one such writer that pondered upon this was Julian Unthank. And he was so intrigued by the possibilities that could come forth from such a twist/tweak that he set out to see if it was possible and came to discover… that it is. For his creation, Queens of Mystery (on Acorn TV) is a cozy murder mystery that not only entertains in a fun and whimsical and creative manner, but it also dives deep into unique corners of the human condition and for proof… well then look no further than its next episode.

For ‘Death by Vinyl, First Chapter’ is a story that is filled with whimsical and fun moments, the kind that come forth by way of a grand reunion of a band that Cat used to play in called Volcanic Youth. Since the cattiness and ego present from a bad breakup years ago, leads to all kinds of quirky and awkward moments and fights and everything in between before the case gets underway. But beneath all that fighting and reminiscing about the old days… and old fights, is a powerful parable. One that speaks to the power of the past and how sometimes we refuse to get beyond it or face it and how that can be quite toxic for us and that was incredible to find buried beneath the fluffy stuff and the deeper stuff didn’t end there. Because this episode also features some thoughts on what it means to be humble and how we remain humble… as evidenced by Matilda’s mission to discover who harmed a sweet wiener dog named Roscoe. 

But while it was amazing to see that kind of depth present in a cozy mystery, we’d be foolish to not discuss the mystery at hand, because this chapter sets the stage for a doozy. Because when singer Electra Bliss is removed from this earth in a unique manner, the case quickly stonewalls. For there are no clues to be found. Just the possibility that someone wants to settle a score from ages ago, but the bitterness present here means that anyone could have snapped and done her in and that alone sets the stage for a stunning part two. One that will undoubtedly dive deeper into the human condition since revenge and echoes from the past, always make for a compelling analysis on our faults and how we can correct them.

However, while we wait to dig into that, we can still celebrate the wonder of this intelligent and whimsical tale. Because when it brought about the laughs, it delivered impressively and when it gave us something to chew upon, it most certainly gave us pause and what’s wild… is that the man that challenged this genre to be more, didn’t even write this script. Those duties fell to Matthew Thomas this go round and his masterful handling of Julian’s vision, speaks volumes to its purity and excites us to no end to continue the journey. So, we can continue to watch this beautiful hybrid evolve and it will be fascinating to see what kind of commentary and fun and facts await us, in ‘Death by Vinyl, Final Chapter’. Until next time.

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