Review: Brilliant, suspenseful mystery is lighthearted too
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 7, 2012
This brilliant serio-comedy has all the elements for a great mystery.  The Mary Celeste was a Brigantine set sail from New York in 1872, bound for Genoa, found near Gibraltar, deserted, with no signs of foul play.  Fast forward to 1975 and we have artistic Francine, "disinclined to share her nature with others," except sweet Vincent, a model boarder and the foil for brash Dave.  When Vincent is murdered, Francine finds herself holding the key to 100 years of mystery, and everyone from the mafia to Mother Teresa are suspects.  Francine is a dear, guileless character, completely charming whether she's singing Sweet Home Alabama while being interrogated by Scotland Yard or illustrating her masterful comics.  She's totally earnest and her "heart-on-sleeve" mannerisms wins over even the most hardened detectives, including the unforgettable Hastings, "a consummate career performer" hoping to play his cards properly and parlay a murder case into national celebrity.  This is a story with no ending, a flying machine, and ghost ship government experiments that will keep you guessing- and laughing, and loving it- until the very end.