Before Candace Cameron Bure played Ainsley McGregor on Great American Pure Flix, Ainsley lived on the page. Candace Havens wrote five Ainsley McGregor novels for Tule Publishing between January 2020 and June 2021, years before any movie. Two movies are adapted from books 1 and 2. The third and the announced fourth are original stories with the same characters, set in the same fictional small town, Sweet River, Texas.
The biggest change on screen is Ainsley’s job. In the novels she is a former English professor who has gambled everything on Bless Your Art, an artisan market in her hometown. The movies make her a former Chicago criminologist who teaches criminology.
Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: Which Book Became Which Movie?
The Ainsley McGregor movies grew out of Candace Havens’s novels. Great American Media’s press releases name the source book for each adapted one:
| Movie | Based on |
|---|---|
| A Case for the Winemaker (2024) | Book 1 of the same name |
| A Case for the Yarn Maker (2025) | Book 2 of the same name |
| A Case for the Watchmaker (2026) | no book: original screenplay |
| The Model Maker (early 2027) | no book: original screenplay |
No novel exists with the Watchmaker or Model Maker title. Books 3 to 5 have not reached the screen so far. That leaves the Toy Maker, the Candle Maker and the Cookie Baker.
The plots change too. In the second novel the victim is the Yarn Goddess, and the suspect is Mrs. Whedon, an octogenarian crafter. In the second movie the victim is wool heiress Ellie Mitchum, and her feuding family wants the company.
What Is the Ainsley McGregor Series About?
Ainsley comes home from Chicago and runs a shop where artists sell their wares, teach classes and pour wine at tastings. Then the bodies start turning up, and her Great Dane, George Clooney, is the one who finds them. Her brother, the sheriff, wants her out of his investigations. She does not listen.
Jake, her brother’s best friend, starts as a friend; by Book 5 he is her boyfriend. The later books hang on town events: Christmas in Book 3, Valentine’s Day and a wedding in Book 4, a summer celebration in Book 5.
Where Do the Ainsley McGregor Mysteries Take Place?
In Sweet River, Texas. It is fictional, and the books and the movies share it.
On Screen: The Ainsley McGregor Mystery Movies on Great American Family TV
Great American Family announced the franchise on 28 February 2024 as its first mystery movie franchise. Candace Cameron Bure stars and is also an executive producer. Martin Wood has directed every movie so far. Each one streams first on Great American Pure Flix and reaches the cable channel later.
A Case for the Winemaker: the first movie
It premiered on Thursday, 25 July 2024, at 9 p.m. ET on Great American Pure Flix, and aired on Great American Family in October 2024. Jim Head wrote the teleplay from book 1. Ainsley teaches criminology at the community college when a murder at a friend’s winery leaves the friend accused.
A Case for the Yarn Maker
Streaming since Thursday, 22 May 2025, it aired on cable in October 2025. Robin Dunne wrote the teleplay from book 2. Ellie Mitchum is honoured at Ainsley’s shop and then found dead.
A Case for the Watchmaker
Streaming began on Thursday, 1 January 2026. Its cable premiere followed on Saturday, 10 January 2026, on Great American Family and GFAM+. A beloved book club member raises a cold case: a man murdered over his rare antique watch.
The Model Maker: the fourth movie
Announced on 22 July 2026, it is due in early 2027 on all three services. Ainsley prepares a university exhibition on forensic scientist Frances Glessner Lee and her miniature crime-scene dioramas. Then a killing in Sweet River suggests the models may hold the key.
Ainsley McGregor Mysteries Cast: Who Is in the Movies?
Candace Cameron Bure plays Ainsley in every movie. Around her:
- Aaron Ashmore as Fire Chief Jake Trenton, her boyfriend.
- Robin Dunne as Sheriff Ryan McGregor, her brother; he also wrote movies 2 to 4.
- BJ Harrison as Mrs. Gladys Whedon.
- Francisca Dennis as Maria Martinez (movies 1 to 3).
- Laura Yenga as Lily Martin (movies 1 and 2).
- Farrah Aviva as Coroner Cyra Vale (movies 2 and 3).
The screen version also adds the Book Club, amateur sleuths who pose as a reading group.
Where to Watch the Movies and the Trailer on Great American Pure Flix
You can stream the full movies online on Great American Pure Flix. Great American Family repeats them, but the airings change, so check its schedule. The official Winemaker trailer is on YouTube, on the Pure Flix channel (@GreatAmericanPureFlix); look there for the later ones too.
Who Is the Author of the Ainsley McGregor Series?
The novels are by Candace Havens. The press release for the second movie calls her a bestselling novelist, and the fourth is billed as “inspired by characters created by” her. She is also listed in our Cozy Mystery Census.
Ainsley McGregor Books in Order
All five are Tule Publishing novels, listed by publication date:
- A Case for the Winemaker (2020)
- A Case for the Yarn Maker (2020)
- A Case for the Toy Maker (2020)
- A Case for the Candle Maker (2021)
- A Case for the Cookie Baker (2021)
Book 3 is the Christmas one, with a body in the Santa House at the Christmas Festival. Book 4 has a locked-room death at the B&B. In Book 5 the victim lies in Lizzie’s bakery.
How Many Ainsley McGregor Books and Movies Are There?
Five novels, all out within 18 months. Three movies so far (2024, 2025, 2026), with a fourth on the way.
Is There a New Ainsley McGregor Movie? A Case for the Watchmaker and The Model Maker
Yes. The newest released movie, the Watchmaker, premiered on 1 January 2026, and The Model Maker follows in early 2027. On the book side, nothing is planned. A Case for the Cookie Baker (June 2021) is still the latest novel, and no sixth one is on the publisher’s list.
Where to Start: A Case for the Winemaker
Begin with A Case for the Winemaker, both on the page and on screen. It introduces Ainsley, Bless Your Art, her sheriff brother, Jake and George Clooney. After that, read the rest by date, since Ainsley and Jake grow closer with each novel.
Cozy Mystery Series Like the Ainsley McGregor Mysteries
- China Bayles Mysteries: another small Texas town, Pecan Springs, and another heroine who left a big-city career to open a shop.
- Hannah Swensen Mysteries: Joanne Fluke’s baker in Lake Eden, Minnesota, whose books also became a run of TV movies.
- Domestic Diva Mysteries: an event planner who solves murders in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.
- Cupcake Bakery Mysteries: two best friends and a bakery in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is A Case for the Winemaker based on another work?
Yes. The movie is adapted from Candace Havens’s 2020 novel of the same name.
Which is the first Ainsley McGregor movie?
A Case for the Winemaker, which premiered on Great American Pure Flix in July 2024.
Is A Case for the Watchmaker based on a book?
No. Robin Dunne wrote it as an original screenplay with the book characters.
Do you need to read the Ainsley McGregor books in order?
Not strictly, since every book has its own case. The order helps, though, because the romance with Jake develops over time.