It’s time to dip our toes into something a little more family friendly. HBO Max has given us A Christmas Mystery. But what could be so mysterious about Christmas?

In the town of Pleasant Grove, OR, a boy found a string of sleigh bells on the night of Christmas Eve. The magical sleigh bells helped the town prosper and grow over the next 100 years. Three days before the 100th anniversary of the Ringing Of The Bells, the sleigh bells were stolen from their display at the local museum. The police believe that George Bottoms (Drew Powell) is the culprit. But Violet (Violet McGraw), the sheriff’s daughter, thinks it was someone else. Now Violet has to search for proof that someone else stole the bells.

This was an adorable mystery movie. It had the same vibe as a Nancy Drew book except Violet was helped by her best friend, Kenny Bottoms (Santino Barnard); his brother, Harrison (Leonardo Cecchi); and her sister, Maddie (Lauren Lindsey Donzis). I liked that Violet didn’t guess the villain correctly the first time. Especially since the clues led her to the incorrect choice to begin with. The true villain did need a little legwork to get to the end result but that is OK. It’s better when it’s not super easy to guess the bad guy.

I don’t know how interesting this movie would be for most adults. It is definitely geared toward tweens or young teens. But if you grew up reading Nancy Drew or Encyclopedia Brown, you might find a bit of fun nostalgia here. Either way, it is a cute way to spend an evening.