Sarah Drew teases resolving that giant cliffhanger when Mistletoe Murders returns for season 3

The holidays are supposed to be about cocoa, twinkly lights, and small-town cheer. Fletcher’s Grove has a different tradition. Every year, the ornaments go up, and the bodies start dropping. If that sounds like your kind of comfort watch, you are in luck.

Hallmark Channel’s Mistletoe Murders, starring Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney, has been renewed for a third season. That means we are heading back to the Christmas shop, back to the cozy vibes, and back to the chaos that always seems to find Emily Lane.

Season 3 is officially happening

Drew sounds more than ready to jump back in. “I could not be more thrilled to be returning to Fletcher’s Grove for season 3 of Mistletoe Murders,” she tells PEOPLE. 

“As I’ve said in numerous interviews, this is my favorite job I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to tell more stories about Emily and Sam. I can’t wait to resolve that giant cliffhanger, and I can’t wait to be back on set with my beloved community in Toronto.”

She also makes it very clear that viewers should prepare themselves. “Buckle up!” Drew adds. “It’s going to be a fun ride.” And if you missed her message to fans on Instagram, she kept it simple. “You want it, you get it!”

Mooney is just as enthusiastic, and honestly, his quote sounds like exactly what you want to hear about a show you love. “So excited about our season 3 renewal!” he tells PEOPLE. “This is one of those rare shows for us all. The cast is incredible, the crew is incredible. We have so much fun making it.”

Why Mistletoe Murders works so well

At its core, the series is a cozy mystery with real holiday warmth. Emily Lane is a small-town Christmas shop owner, but she also has a hidden history.

When people in town turn up dead under suspicious circumstances, Emily cannot stop herself from digging in. She is smart, fearless, and just reckless enough to make things interesting.

Sam Wilner, played by Mooney, is the local cop who ends up pulled into Emily’s orbit. He is also clearly drawn to her, even when her instincts and her past complicate everything.

If you love a mystery that still feels friendly, this show hits the sweet spot. It gives you romance, community, Christmas, and a case to solve, all in one neat package.

Let’s talk about that Season 2 cliffhanger

Season 2 ended with a lot going on, both emotionally and plot-wise. Emily and Sam’s chemistry kept building, and they even got stuck together in a walk-in refrigerator at one point. That is the kind of ridiculous, memorable moment that cozy mystery fans live for.

But then the story got serious fast. Sam finally asked Emily on a date. Emily responded with honesty that changed everything.

She told him she once worked in intelligence and had been hunting someone who betrayed her. That person was her ex, Aaron, played by Aaron Ashmore. He is connected to a hacker group that funds terrorist networks.

Then came the final scene that basically guaranteed fans would demand another season. Sam texts Emily that he is coming over with coffee and pastries. Someone knocks at her door, and it is not Sam. It is Aaron. That is the “pause the screen and yell” moment. It is also exactly why Season 3 feels so necessary.

Hallmark knows why viewers keep coming back

Hallmark is leaning into what makes the series special, and they are not being subtle about it. Michelle Vicary, head of programming at Hallmark Media, summed up the appeal in a statement.

“Mistletoe Murders embodies so many of the elements viewers turn to Hallmark for: romance, community, and Christmas wrapped within a cozy mystery,” she says. 

“Over two seasons, viewer response to this series has been overwhelmingly positive, and we cannot wait to bring them back to Fletcher’s Grove and to continue to reveal the backstory that has made Emily Lane one of the most enigmatic characters on television.”

That word, “backstory,” matters. The show is not just a new mystery every time. It is also slowly peeling back who Emily really is and what she is running from.

What the showrunner says about Season 3

Ken Cuperus, the showrunner and an executive producer, sounds like a person who understands his audience very well. His statement is basically a mission statement for the whole series.

“Two things I can’t seem to get enough of are Christmas and murder mysteries, so having the opportunity to continue to tell the story of Emily Lane is one of the great joys of my life,” he says. “Hallmark fans have really come through for us in a big way, and I’m so excited to deliver more of what they love in season 3.”

Production is expected to start later this year, and the new episodes will air during Hallmark’s annual Countdown to Christmas. The current plan shared is that Season 3 will premiere in late 2026.

How to catch up, and what else to watch

If you need a refresher, seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Hallmark+. Season 3 will also premiere on Hallmark Channel during Countdown to Christmas 2026 and is expected to stream on Hallmark+ afterward, following the pattern of earlier seasons.

There is also more Sarah Drew on the way. -She stars in an all-new movie, The Stars Between Us, also starring Matt Long. It premieres Saturday, Feb. 21, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel.

One more fun detail for audio drama fans

Mistletoe Murders is adapted from the Audible Original series of the same name, voiced by Cobie Smulders, Raymond Ablack, Anna Cathcart, and a full ensemble cast. Four seasons are currently available exclusively on Audible.

The Hallmark series comes from Lionsgate Canada and Headspinner Productions, with Lionsgate Television handling international distribution. So yes, Fletcher’s Grove is open for business again. The tree is going up, the mystery is brewing, and that knock at the door is still echoing.

TL;DR

• Hallmark Channel has renewed Mistletoe Murders for Season 3, with Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney returning.
• Sarah Drew says she is excited to get back to Fletcher’s Grove, resolve the “giant cliffhanger,” and reunite with the Toronto cast and crew.
• Peter Mooney calls it a rare show where the cast and crew are incredible, and everyone has a great time making it.
• The series follows Emily Lane, a Christmas shop owner with a secret intelligence past, who keeps helping solve suspicious deaths in town.
• Season 2 ended with a major twist as Aaron, Emily’s ex, shows up at her door instead of Sam, right after Sam texted he was coming over.
• Hallmark says the show delivers what viewers want: romance, community, Christmas, and a cozy mystery, plus more of Emily’s backstory.
• New episodes will film later this year and air during Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas, with Season 3 expected in late 2026.
• Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Hallmark+, and the show is adapted from an Audible Original with four seasons available.

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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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