Murder at the Embassy

It seems like there is a lot of crime in movies these days. Luckily for all of us, there are also plenty of detectives around to solve them. Of course, I’m talking about the wave of whodunit films that has taken over theaters and streaming platforms. If you’re like me, that’s a good thing — I love figuring out who killed who, with what, and why, guided by a smart and observant detective. The detective at the center of this case is Miranda Green, who, fresh off solving a crime in Invitation to a Murder, finds herself facing a new mystery involving spies and Nazis.

The year is 1934, and Ms. Green (Mischa Barton) is in Cairo, having dinner with the British Ambassador to Egypt, Robert (Richard Dillane), along with a collection of colorful characters. Ms. Green heads back to her hotel afterward, but the others return to the Embassy, where, in the middle of the night, a murder occurs. The victim is the Ambassador’s trusted associate, Maggie Hand (Kathryn McGarr). The Ambassador discovers her body and immediately summons Mrs. Green to help solve the crime. Once she arrives, Ms. Green gathers the suspects: Walter (Kojo Attah) of The Daily Post; Betty (Antonia Bernath), the movie star; Megan (Nell Barlow), the Ambassador’s daughter; and Leila (Raha Rahbari), the Ambassador’s translator. Everyone is a suspect, leaving Ms. Green with plenty of work, but her eye for detail never fails her. What follows is a little game of cat and mouse and a whole lot of clue-hunting as Ms. Green tries to wrap up another case.

Written by Mark Brennan, Murder at the Embassy is a cozy mystery that doesn’t quite offer any fizz. I enjoy simple mysteries, and this one has a nicely contained number of suspects (five total) and a short runtime of just eighty-four minutes. The limited number of locations also works in the movie’s favor, making the hunt for the killer more exciting since you know it has to be one of the people in the room — just as Ms. Green does. For all that the film does well, though, something feels missing, and it lands the movie squarely in the middle tier.

Murder at the Embassy isn’t a bad movie, but it isn’t a particularly good one either — it’s simply… there. The issue isn’t the mystery itself (I’m always up for a crime involving Nazis); it’s that everything feels rushed. An extra twenty minutes might have helped immensely. As for the cast, which for me is as important as the mystery, there’s no real standout aside from Barton, who, as Green, serves as the film’s steady hand. The period details and locations add some charm, and overall, the movie is watchable — especially if, like me, you enjoy a cozy detective story.

I wish it had aimed a bit higher, but where it lands is fine. I wouldn’t seek the film out, but if it were on, I’d watch it. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a pleasant little mystery now and then?