This could have been the greatest MSW story ever told, bar none: Its setting is magical Cabot Cove, beloved by viewers as the epitome of small-town Americana. The premise is believable and highly mysterious, drawn up in richly dark hues that border on horror. The casting is excellent, introducing a handful of attractive yet subtly evil characters. Unfortunately, the script - written by Angela Lansbury's brother (I checked) - won't let us get truly absorbed in all this TV greatness. It reeks of paper, often giving the actors too big a mouthful to grapple with, and it shows. It also resorts to clichés, and recycles character quirks from older MSW installments. After a while, it all starts to feel as if one were watching a secret, bonus effort put together by the show's amateur fan club. Overall, a good mystery which stops short of enthralling.