Book Review: Cherry Cheesecake Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Title: Cherry Cheesecake Murder
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publish Date: May 1, 2011
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Hannah Swensen and her bakery, The Cookie Jar, bask in the glow of Hollywood glamour when Main Street becomes a movie set. And although tensions simmer as the cameras roll, no one expects the action to turn deadly. . .until it's too late. . .

There's no such thing as privacy in Lake Eden, but Hannah never thought things would go this far. Everyone has been telling her what to do ever since she got not one but two marriage proposals. Movie mania soon shoves Hannah's marriage dilemma into the background and even gives her cat a shot at stardom. The Cookie Jar serves as snack central with Main Street rented out for the week. She stirs lots of fresh gossip, whipping up treats for cast and crew, including demanding director Dean Lawrence's favorite--cherry cheesecake.

Review: Cherry Cheesecake Murder is Book 8 in the Hannah Swensen Mystery series. I usually love this series, but this book was downright bad.

The book starts with Hannah dealing with not one, but two proposals.

Uh and uh...

I have read these books out of order, and I am glad I did, because this book might have caused me to stop. The murder didn't happen until the book was 2/3's done.

Before that happens...Hannah turns down both guys and takes up with Ross, who she went to college with.

I just don't understand this.

Of course I have a hard time understanding why Mike and Norman have hung around so long, and how they don't seem jealous of one another.

Thank goodness the movie folks that have taken over Lake Eden make things interesting, especially the womanizing director, Dean, who ends up being the victim when demonstrating a suicide scene.

The murder has to be solved so quickly that it feels incidental. This book probably could have worked as just a non-murder novel, but in a cozy series, someone always has to end up dead.

For me, this book was only good for the recipes. Joanne always has awesome recipes in these books. I just wish the story would have lived up to the goodies.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review: Lemon Meringue Pie Murder

Author Joanne Fluke
Title: Lemon Meringue Pie Murder
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: Feb 1, 2004
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Hannah Swensen thought she'd finally discovered the recipe for a perfect life. But her sometime beau Norman Rhodes tosses a surprise ingredient into the mix when he phones to tell her he's just bought a house from local drugstore clerk Rhonda Scharf - which he plans to tear down in order to build the dream home he and Hannah designed.

It seems the plan has been cooking for quite some time, and Hannah is shocked - especially since her ring finger is still very much bare. The good news is that the soon-to-be-torn-down house is full of antiques - and Norman has given Hannah and her mother first dibs.

They uncover some gorgeous old furniture, a patchwork quilt ... and Rhonda Scharf's dead body. A little more sleuthing turns up the half-eaten remains of a very special dinner for two - and one of The Cookie Jar's famous lemon meringue pies.

Now it's up to Hannah to turn up the heat - and get busy tracking down the clues. Starting in her very own kitchen.

Review: Lemon Meringue Pie Murder is book 4 in the Hannah Swensen series. I've been reading these totally out of order, as I can find them at my library and other libraries. The earlier Hannah books are the best, and this one is definitely a great read.

I love Hannah, because this woman is so not right. She's a baker, a little overweight, (as the author likes to drum into our heads, in this book particularly so) she's a bit overbearing and grammar nazi-ish, but because she's so quirky you have to love her.

To me, this book felt like it focused more on Hannah's relationship's rather than Rhonda's murder, though she did do her best at sleuthing. I really felt that she unearthed the killer more by accident than through actual deduction.

This book finds Hannah's mom discovering a dead body in the home Norman purchased to demolish so he could build the dream house that he and Hannah designed. (Don't get any ideas, they aren't engaged or anything like that)

Hannah's diet bugged the hell out of me, again because I've read other books in this series, Hannah's weight and her fashion sense or lack thereof seem to be a really big deal, and I'm not sure why. Also, I don't see why Norman wouldn't propose if Hannah put on weight, you either love someone or you don't

I have also never been able to figure out why and how Hannah didn't make a choice between Norman and Mike. I can't quite figure out why the guys aren't fighting for her or dumping her for dating them both.

Also, I kinda had an idea of who the killer was midway through the book. That isn't really a plus for me, but I loved seeing what was happening to Hannah and Co.

There is also a matter of some stolen money tied into this book, which weaves  two characters, Freddie and Jed, into the mix.

The ending, though I knew who the killer was, had a wow factor.

There's so much weirdness in this series, but for some reason, I read these stories like they are some kind of drug.

As always there are some great recipes in this book. I think it would be fun to live in a town with a bakery that specializes in cookies.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: Key Lime Pie Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Title: Key Lime Pie Murder
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publish Date: Feb 1, 2008
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: It promises to be a busy week for Hannah Swensen. Not only is she whipping up treats for the chamber of commerce booth at the Tri-County fair, she's also judging the baking contest; acting as a magician's assistant for her business partner's husband; trying to coax Moishe, her previously rapacious feline, to end his hunger strike, and performing her own private carnival act by juggling the demands of her mother and sisters. With so much on her plate, it's no wonder Hannah finds herself on the midway only moments before the fair closes for the night. After hearing a suspicious thump, she goes snooping - only to discover Willa Sunquist, a student teacher and fellow bake contest judge, dead alongside an upended key lime pie. But who would want to kill Willa and why?Now Hannah needs to crank up the heat, hoping that Willa's killer will get rattled and make a mistake. If that happens she intends to be there, even if it means getting on a carnival ride that could very well be her last..

Review: Key Lime Pie Murder is the ninth installment of the Hannah Swensen series. I always fall back on Hannah when I need a light easy read. I also read these for the recipes.

This book featured a pretty awesome recipe for popovers, which I tried.

In this book, Hannah is judging a baking contest at the fair, while trying to try a deep fried candy bar. When one of her fellow judges is found murdered (well into the story though), Hannah gets to sleuthing.

I've found that as these books go, the further into the series, the longer it takes to get to the mystery. I swear it was around page 100 when Willa was finally offed.

This is one of the interesting cases where the victim is someone you genuinely liked. Willa seemed like a sweet person that most people liked, but as Hannah investigated her murder, she had secrets. Willa was not only a judge of the bakery competition but she was also working for the Tri County Beauty Pageant and she was well liked by all. It makes it hard to believe she's the one killed.

Then there's the rodeo and the people that follow it. I loved Ruby and how the cowboy's figure in with the mystery.

What I love about cozy mysteries is how ridiculous they are for the most part. Hannah is a tall red head and she has terrible fashion sense, as we hear so often from her sister and mother. When she is helping her friend's husband Herb as his magician's assistant you see the myriad of horrible gowns she owns, and several times you hear her discuss the colors she can't wear because of her hair color.

How does an awkward woman, who also has zero tact end up with two hot men vying for her affections? Only in a cozy mystery! (Especially as these are clean books, and she's never done more than kiss either of them!!!!)

How does one small town have so many murders? You know, without making national news? I can't get over the fact that they don't mention this in these books. I mean, Lake Eden is a small town, and there are an awful lot of people winding up dead.

Those are the things that make a cozy series good, but often bog them down as a series goes on. This is 9 in the series and already the love triangle with Norman and Mike is old. (Though I have to say I love Norman the most, because he's kind)

There's a part after Willa's murder when they are discussing what happened when Hannah goes off on them for acting like Willa was not a friend. As she does this I find it hard to believe she could have two guys that she dates in the same room together without a fight.

The story was solid and I loved all the side stories,  like Moishe's lack of appetite and her mother's side project that is a secret from the family. The other thing that's different in this book is that the recipes are more from the baking competition than The Cookie Jar. (I'm hoping to try the Swedish Oatmeal cookies soon)

This was a good addition to the series.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review: Plum Pudding Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Title: Plum Pudding Murder
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publish Date: Oct 1, 2009
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb:  The yuletide season in Lake Eden, Minnesota, guarantees a white Christmas, delectable holiday goodies from Hannah Swensen's bakery, The Cookie Jar—and murder…

The Cookie Jar's busiest time of the year also happens to be the most wonderful time...for Christmas cookies, Hannah's own special plum pudding—and romance! She also gets a kick out of “Lunatic Larry Jaeger’s Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot,” a kitschy carnival taking place smack-dab in the middle of the village green. But then Hannah discovers the man himself dead as a doornail in his own office...

Now, with so many suspects to investigate and the twelve days of Christmas ticking away, Hannah's running out of time to nab a murderous Scrooge who doesn't want her to see the New Year...

Review: I admit it, I'm addicted to the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series. I'm totally reading them out of order, but I don't care. The festive stories are the best, and this one was really great. It was really more story than mystery. In fact, the murder didn't happen until the story was almost over.

The best part of the story is always the recipes. Joanne develops the best cookie recipes. It is one of the reasons why I always go for these books.

The whole story revolves around  The Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot, who seems to be doing well but his books show otherwise. When more people seem to be finding out about what Larry's doing, he ends up dead and as always, Hannah is on the case. She found him, after all.

Cozy mysteries always make me laugh, because its hard to believe one small town could have so many murders and all found by the same woman. 

In the real world, Mike would have be be wondering if Hannah was a serial killer!

This is the twelfth book in the series, and Hannah is still dating two guys. I really wish Hannah would make a decision on which guy she wanted. I have to admit, I'm team Norman. I don't know why, but I like the guy that is a bit more reliable.

I didn't guess the killer in this one at all, which is actually unusual. I'm actually pretty good at figuring out the killer in these books.

The subplot in this book involves Norm's mom, Carrie, and that was actually a little bit more interesting than the actual murder.

These books are kind of fluffy, but I enjoy them. I enjoy Harlequin romances too. I wish this one had more mystery to the story, but it really doesn't matter, because I enjoy all the goings on in Lake Eden.

I will inevitably read more in this series.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

Author:  Joanne Fluke
Title: Red Velvet Cupcake Murder
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: Feb 26, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

This summer has been warmer than usual in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and Hannah Swensen is trying to beat the heat both in and out of her bakery kitchen. But she's about to find out the hard way that nothing cools off a hot summer day like cold-blooded murder. . .

It's a hot, muggy evening, and the last thing Hannah wants to do is squeeze into a pair of pantyhose for the Grand Opening of the refurbished Albion Hotel. But with Hannah's famous Red Velvet cupcakes being served in the hotel's new Red Velvet lounge, she can't bring herself to back out.

The party starts off with a bang with the unexpected arrival of Doctor Bev, a Lake Eden legend who left town in shame after she two-timed her fiancé one too many times. Bev's splashy appearance on the arm of a wealthy investor is the talk of the night. But the gossip comes to a screeching halt when a partygoer takes a mysterious dive off the hotel's rooftop garden.

The victim is the sheriff's secretary, Barbara Donnelly, and she is barely clinging to life. The question is, did she fall--or was she pushed? As the police investigate, the only one who isn't preoccupied with the case is Doctor Bev. She's too busy trying to stir things up with her old flame Norman, who's reunited with Hannah.

Just as Hannah's patience with Bev runs dangerously thin, her rival is found dead at the bottom of Miller's Pond. The only clue the police have is the Red Velvet cupcake Bev ate right before she died--and the tranquilizers someone seems to have baked into it. To everyone's shock, Hannah is now the unlikely target of a murder investigation--and she's feeling the heat in a way she never has before.

Review: Red Velvet Cupcake Murder is book 16 in the Hannah Swenson Mystery series. I have to admit, I read these books for the recipes and I'm never disappointed. I wish the same could be said for Hannah and Co.

After 16 books there's still a love triangle between Hannah, Norman and Mike. I think it is time for her to make a choice. I'm Team Norman, because I think Norman is just the nicer of the two guys..but that's just me.

I've never quite understood the chasteness of Hannah either. I could possibly accept this if this series fell in the Inspirational/Christian fiction genre, but it isn't. How can you be dating these guys and not have sex with them EVER?

I shake my head at that, but relationship weirdness aside, I've always found the books to be light, satisfying reads, and this one was no different. I also have to admit when your mom can decide on a husband faster than one of her daughters...well it is time to take a look at things.

I really liked the first mystery that dealt with Barbara's accident. I almost thought that there wouldn't be a death in this book, though truthfully if anybody needed killing in a book, Doctor Bev was the one I thought was the one you wanted to bump off the most.

As for the whodunit, I was pretty surprised at who off-ed Bev, so for me, this book worked. Now to make some of the cookies!

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: Winter Chill

Author: Joanne Fluke
Title: Winter Chill
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: August 6, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: 

A Small Town. . .

The moment Marian Larsen sees the patrol car stop outside her house, she feels a shiver of foreboding. The news is even worse than she feared. Marian's husband and young daughter have been in a snowmobile crash. Dan is paralyzed and Laura is dead, her body broken on the icy ground.

. . .With A Chilling Secret

Friends and colleagues in Marian's Minnesota hometown rally around to try and ease her grief. But soon there are more horrible accidents. Then the rumors start--that these are not coincidences at all, that someone is picking off victims one by one. And as winter deepens, the search for answers will reveal a killer whose blood runs colder than the blinding snow. . .

Review: Before Hannah Swenson and The Cookie Jar, Joanne Fluke wrote some psychological thrillers, Winter Chill is one of them. Now if you are expecting a cozy mystery like the Hannah novels you may find yourself disappointed. This book is nothing at all like the Hannah books.

For starters, this book is very dark. It starts with the death of a young girl on a snowmobile with her father. Her dad is paralyzed as a result.

There's a lot of grief to be dealt with and neither parent is doing it well. Both have a whole lot of issues and the first part of the story creeps along as they start to deal with them, some in better ways than others.

It all starts with Dan leaving a note as Laura for Marian, to ease her grief, but when Marian keeps getting more notes things get strange and then they get stranger. Marian seems to lose grip on reality, thinking that Laura is with her and she asks for things....and then friends and family start ending up dead.

It is creepy...very very creepy, and definitely not the type of book I'm used to reading by Joanne Fluke.

The plot was what kept me reading after one event that normally would have me cast aside the book, because I wanted to see who else was going to get bumped off. (In my case, I hated that Muffy, the family dog was one of the victims)

As things go on, you see how Marian and Dan's relationship is falling apart, as is the case with many families when a child is lost in such a horrific manner.

Fluke does a great job bringing out the weird in Marian and the guilt infested self pity of Dan. While this is not my favorite novel by Joanne, it was a good read and it gives long time readers a taste of something different.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: Fudge Cupcake Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Title: Fudge Cupcake Murder
Publisher: Kensington Press
Publish Date: Feb 1, 2005
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: Bakery owner Hannah Swensen just can't keep her hands out of the batter when murder stirs things up in Lake Eden, Minnesota, leaving the sheriff dead, a deputy accused, and a killer on the loose...For Hannah, life seems to be lacking a certain flavour lately. Maybe it's the local sheriff's election that's got her down. For years, Sheriff Grant's been the iron hand in town. But now, Hannah's brother-in-law Bill is giving the old blowhard the fight of his long, dubious career - and Grant's not taking it well, especially once the polls show Bill pulling ahead. But before anyone can taste victory, things go sour. While Hannah's emptying the trash, she makes a very unappetizing discovery: Sheriff Grant's body in the Dumpster behind the high school where she's teaching her cooking class. And as if that weren't bad enough, the poor man still has fudge frosting on his shirt from one of her cupcakes. The number one - and only - suspect is Bill, but Hannah's not swallowing it. Plenty of people had reason to hate Sheriff Grant. Soon, Hannah's dishing up scandalous secrets, steaming hot betrayals, and enough intrigue to keep the gossip mill at The Cookie Jar going through several pots of decaf. And the closer Hannah gets to the truth, the closer she gets to smoking out a murderer with a very nasty recipe for silencing people...

Review: This is book 5 in the Hannah Swensen series. I devour this series much like I do cookies, and I've made several of Joanne's that are published in these books.

There's a lot of craziness going on in this book.

1. Bill is running for sheriff and Andrea is having a rough last few weeks of her pregnancy.
2. When the Sheriff is found murdered, Bill is suspended and he's driving everyone crazy, especially his wife, since he can't work the case.
3. Moishe is trying to be weened off the regular kitty crunchies to the senior variety, and Moishe isn't going for it.
4. Hannah is trying to figure out the secret ingredient in Ted's mother's Fudge Cupcakes.

So yeah, lots going on...oh and Mike just may be seeing another girl on the side.

I have to say, I've never understood Hannah's affection for Mike. He's pretty much been a big jerk in most books. I'm team Norman all the way. The way he treats her would have had any other woman showing him the door.

I loved the sleuthing in this one. There are lots of secrets and the killer is really not who you expect, though you kind of get nudged in the right direction in the last part of the book. Still I was surprised at the killer. I really thought that the sheriff's murder would tie in with his son's death for some reason...but I won't give you any spoilers.

Again, I always feel like I'm coming home when I read the Hannah books. These are books that are pure fun, and I love the recipes. (Though this one didn't seem to have as many as some of the others)

Rating: 4 flowers

Andrea's Pecan Divines (I had to make them, I'm an Andrea)
2 cups melted butter (4 sticks, one pound)
3 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
4 beaten eggs
5 cups flour (no need to sift)
3 cups chocolate chips
4 cups chopped pecans
Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

2. Melt the butter. (Nuke it for 3 minutes on high in a microwave-safe container, or melt it in a pan on the stove.) Mix in the white sugar and the brown sugar. Add the vanilla, the baking soda, salt and mix. Add the eggs abd stir it all up. Add half the flour, the chocolate chips, and the chopped pecans. Stir well to incorporate, Add the rest of the flour and mix throughly.

3. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets, 12 cookies to a standard-size sheet. If the dough is too sticky to handle, chill it slightly and try again. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes or until nicely browned.

4. Let cool two minutes, then remove cookies from the baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Book Review: Cream Puff Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Title: Cream Puff Murder
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publish Date: March 1, 2009
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Bakery owner Hannah Swensen has a dress to fit into and a date with her sister, Andrea, at Lake Eden's new health club, Heavenly Bodies. Dragging herself out of bed on a frigid Minnesota morning for exercise, of all things, is bad enough. Discovering the body of man-eating bombshell Ronni Ward floating in the gym's jacuzzi? Okay, that's worse. Nor does it help that there's a plate of The Cookie Jar's very own cream puffs garnishing the murder scene. Trying to narrow the list of Ronni's enemies down to fewer than half the town's female population, Hannah has her plate full. Trouble is, when it comes to cookies - and to murder - there's always room for one more...

Review: I have to admit, I love this series. It is a very light on the mystery and heavy on the small town comings and goings and on the recipes.

Oh yeah, I will admit I read these for the recipes. Joanna Fluke delivers great cookie recipes. Move over Mrs Fields, cos Joanna's cookies are 100 times better.

And I know because I've made quite a few.

This book deals with the murder of fitness instructor and sexpot, Ronni Ward. She's one character you're happy to see dead. She's just not nice to other women and she's trying to steal everyone else's men, including part of Hannah's love triangle, Mike.

Thanks to Ronni's sluttish nature, Hannah has a free hand at trying to solve this murder, because every detective is off the case.

WTF! Including Andrea's husband Bill!

Yikes!

To make things interesting Hannah needs to lose weight to fit in the regency dress her mother ordered for her for her book launch party.

I'm not sure how she lost all the weight in 2 weeks, but kudos to her, for staying away from all her yummy cookies.

Why I love about this series is how homey they feel. I don't read a Hannah Swensen novel looking to be wowed but a great mystery. I read them because I love the characters in Lake Eden. I love Hannah's family and friends.

I look at this series as something like Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street series, only with a murder in each book (and some awesome cookie recipes)

I really enjoyed the mystery in Cream Puff Murder, because the victim was so nasty. I also liked the switcheroo Joanne pulled when it came to whodunit. Just when you thought you knew who it was, you find out your wrong.

Some might complain that things are predictable and not so realistic, but I don't care. These books are fun and I love them!

Now onto a recipe.

Blueberry Crunch Cookies


Ingredients 
1 C melted butter
2 C sugar
2 t vanilla
½ t salt
1½ baking soda
2 large beaten eggs
2½ C flour 1 C dried sweetened blueberries
2 C ground dry oatmeal (measure before grinding)

Directions 

350 oven
Melt butter.
Add sugar and mix.
Add vanilla, salt, baking soda—mix well.
When cooled to room temp., add eggs.
Add flour slowly.
Mix in dried fruit.
Place oatmeal in food processor and process till it is the consistency of course sand. Add oatmeal to bowl. Dough will be quite thick.
Roll into walnut size balls.
Put on greased cookie sheet.
If too sticky, refrigerate for 1/2 hour.
Squish balls down a bit with spatula.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. These freeze well.

I made a half a batch and I made one change to the recipe. Dried blueberries are super expensive and I'm on a budget, so I bought a bag of mixed berries. The bag had dried cranberries, blueberries and cherries  but at a reduced cost.

The cookies are delicious and the ground oatmeal gives them the perfect crunch. The other thing I've noticed about Joanna's recipes is the use of melted butter. I think this really adds something to the cookie

I can't wait to try another recipe from the book.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: Sugar Cookie Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Title: Sugar Cookie Murder
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: Oct 1, 2005
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb:The holidays are the icing on the cake for bakery owner Hannah Swensen. Surrounded by her loved ones, she has all the ingredients for a perfect Christmas until murder is added to the mix...

When it comes to holidays, Minnesotans rise to the occasion and the little town of Lake Eden is baking up a storm with Hannah leading the way. The annual Christmas Buffet is the final test of the recipes Hannah has collected for the Lake Eden Holiday Buffet Cookbook.

While Hannah is baking the day s goodies at The Cookie Jar, the evening s plans begin to jell. Start with the best Lake Eden culinary creations, add two of Hannah s sometime boyfriends, a pinch of her ready-to-pop pregnant sister, and a dash of her mother and new significant other, an actual British lord, and what do you get? A recipe for disaster, but the juiciest ingredient is yet to come..

The recently divorced Martin Dubinski arrives at the buffet with his new Vegas showgirl wife all wrapped up in glitter and fur. His ex-wife, however, seems as cool as chilled eggnog. And when Hannah s mother s antique Christmas cake knife disappears, its discovery in the decolletage of the new and now late Mrs. Dubinski puts the festivities on ice.

With everyone stranded at the community center by a blizzard, Hannah puts her investigative skills to the test, using the ingredients at hand: half the town of Lake Eden and a killer. Now, as the snowdrifts get higher, it s up to Hannah to dig out all the clues and make sure that this white Christmas doesn't bring any more deadly tidings.

Review: This is a cute holiday mystery for fans of the Hannah Swensen series. It is also a two-fer if you ask me. It is half book and half cookbook. Not bad really, unless you are looking for a meaty mystery to carry you through a few hours.

If that's the case, you probably wouldn't want to be reading a Hannah Swensen anyway. These are cheesy fun cozies. If Harlequin had a cozy mystery line, Hannah would be part of it. Hmmm. Why doesn't Harlequin have a cozy line!

But back to the story at hand.

This story involves a recent divorced man and his showgirl bride. It is easy to tell that the bride is going to be our victim early on, because she's just so unappealing and unlikeable that she has to be the one that dies!  All this happens during a potluck supper for the holiday. (That's why there are so many recipes in the end. They are compiling a cookbook from everyone's potluck taste test recipes).

The characters of Lake Eden are so colorful and quirky. That's why I keep coming back. It has nothing to do with great mysteries, because like I said, these aren't really what these books are about. I mean come on! How many people get killed in the same small town? I would think the FBI would be starting to wonder!

I will give Joanne credit for making sure you won't guess her killer in most books, and this one was no exception. Just when you think you do know, you find out that you were wrong!

My only gripe with Hannah is her crazy love triangle. I love the average Joe, Norman. He's nice, he loves Hannah, he has cats.  Good guy! Mike, however is a ....hmmm. I think buttwad is an appropriate term. I cannot figure out why Hannah would stick with him this long.

It isn't as if he's someone like Ranger and Morelli. Nope.

Still, I enjoyed this one. A cute, festive read with lots of glorious things to cook.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Title: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: January 2008
Buy:Amazon
Book Blurb: Discover the delicious mystery that started it all!
No one cooks up a delectable, suspense-filled mystery quite like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke’s dessert-baking, red-haired heroine whose gingersnaps are as tart as her comebacks, and whose penchant for solving crimes—one delicious clue at a time—has made her a bestselling favorite. And it all began on these pages, with a bakery, a murder, and some suddenly scandalous chocolate-chip crunchies. Featuring a bonus short story and brand new, mouthwatering recipes, this limited edition of the very first Hannah Swensen mystery is sure to have readers coming back for seconds…

Hannah Swenson already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother’s attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden, Minnesota’s most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah’s famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can’t get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer.

Who would have the sheer audacity—and the motive—to kill the most punctual delivery man Hannah ever had? Topping the list is the high school football coach. What exactly was his wife doing, making the rounds with the milkman? Could Max Turner, owner of Cozy Cow Dairy, have had a secret he didn’t want to share with his top employee? The more Hannah snoops, the more suspects turn up. Why has Lake Eden’s most prominent prodigal son, Benton Woodley, just resurfaced? And what about the mysterious Mr. Harris who seemed interested in buying the property next to the dairy, but then disappeared? This is one murder that’s starting to leave a very bad taste in Hannah’s mouth. And if she doesn’t watch her back, Hannah’s sweet life may get burned to a crisp.

Review: This is the reissue of the first book in the Hannah Swensen series. It comes complete with the added short story Candy For Christmas. I have to say that I'm not sure what I love the most about the series, the characters or the recipes. I made the Chocolate Chip Crunches a few weeks ago and everyone raved about them. So Joanne gets props for having awesome cookie recipes. I plan on trying a few more from this book too.

The story is like most of the others in the series, only you get to see everything from the beginning. I've read a few of the books already and I have to tell you, it doesn't matter if you read them in order or not.

This book is pure fluff, and I don't mean that in a bad way. This is the kind of fluff you reach for when you've had a bad day and you need to just enjoy your reading time. I really liked getting to see the start of Hannah's relationships with Mike and Norman. I don't usually "ship" with these stories, but finally reading this book, I have to say, I'm Team Norman.

The murders were amusing, and being the dunce that I am, I never figured out whodunit until I reached the end. I always find myself laughing when the amateur sleuths go breaking in to places and they never get in trouble, even when they find bodies there!

This edition also includes a short story, Candy For Christmas. This was really a sweet story, no murder involved here, just a runaway girl and a whole lot of great holiday cookie recipes.

Lake Eden is one of my favorite places to visit, because Hannah and her family and friends are just so much fun to spend time with!

Rating:  5 flowers

Book Review: Carrot Cake Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Title: Carrot Cake Murder
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: March 2008
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Between baking up a storm for The Cookie Jar and unravelling the mystery of her cat Moishe's recent strange behaviour, Hannah Swensen has a lot on her plate. But she'll always make time for her business partner, Lisa, who's in the midst of preparing for a big family reunion. Everyone is delighted when Lisa's long-lost uncle makes a surprise appearance. No one has heard from Gus in twenty-five years. Uncle Gus is immediately the hit of the reunion. He's almost as popular as Hannah's scrumptious carrot cake, which is also Gus' favourite dessert. But the next morning, as the whole family gathers for the group photo, one person is missing. Hannah offers to track down Uncle Gus, but her search leads to a shocking find. Over by the bar at the pavilion, she spots two slices of her infamous carrot cake, frosting-side down on the floor - and Gus' corpse with an ice pick jutting out of his chest!Now Hannah's got to sift through a long list of suspects to find a killer - even if it could mean a recipe for her own demise...
Review: I'm in love with this series. It doesn't matter which book, they are really fun reads, and if you like cooking, there are some great recipes included.

Carrot Cake Murder is book 10 in the series. I'd say of the three that I've read, this one was definitely one of the best.

Here are the reasons this book is so great.

1. Not a lot with the love triangle in this one. Its hard to deal with the whole Hannah, Mike and Norman thing, and in this book it wasn't such a huge issue.

2. The mystery was really intriguing. The victim, as usual, is someone that deserves to be dead, but you still want to find out how he ended up that way. There were a lot of twists and turns at finding out who did it.

3. Awesome recipes that make you want to run to the kitchen to try them. OMG Red Velvet Cookies!!!

3. Moishe! I absolutely adore Hannah's cat, and he had a big part in this book.

4. Lisa's dad, Jack, who has Alzheimer's. He plays a big part in all of the Hannah mysteries, but he actually was a suspect in this one. He's truly a lovable character, one of my favorites in this series.

Now for the cons,

1. Hannah's mom, is just too much sometimes. I'd like her to be more accepting of her daughter.

2. Andrea. I love when characters share my name, but I hate when they are ditzy, can't cook to save herself..etc. Do my name some justice!

3. Mike and Norman. Ah the love triangle. Like I said, this book isn't as much about Hannah and the two guys, but I still can't help but wonder why she'd want either of them.

If you haven't tried a Hannah Swensen cozy yet, you should. They are quick fun reads that make a quiet afternoon go buy so much faster.

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: Blueberry Muffin Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Title: Blueberry Muffin Murder
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: Feb 1, 2003
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Hannah's popular Minnesota bakery, The Cookie Jar, is best known for its tempting confections—until best-selling cookbook author and television personality Connie McIntyre is murdered in its pantry. Despite police warnings to steer clear of the case, Hannah is soon chasing down a bevy of suspicious characters.
Review: I am skipping around in this series rather than reading them in order. Bad me. It doesn't really matter though, all of the books are great stand alone mysteries. This one is the third book in the series and it was a great read, definitely better than the more recent Hannah Swensen books. I think that's how it works though when author's keep series going well past 10 books. But that's not what I'm reviewing.

Blueberry Muffin Murder is a fun cozy. It is a quick read filled with a few dead bodies, an obnoxious cooking show host and a lot of great cookie recipes that make you want to run to your kitchen to try them.

I loved the easy relationship Hannah had with her sister even though the two of them were polar opposites, personality-wise.

There were a lot of twists and turns and subplots on the way to discovering the killer of Connie Mac. (I love that in both Hannah books that I've read the victim is someone you want to kill yourself) Connie was really obnoxious and not nice to her staff. Kind of like the Anti-Rachael Ray!

At one point her sorta-kinda boyfriend (well one of them), Norman is a suspect.

All of this is going on during the Winter Carnival in Lake Eden. I found myself wishing I could attend the carnival, because it seemed like great fun, and I'd get to eat Hannah's cookies! Lake Eden sounds like the perfect picturesque small town.

I would definitely recommend this book to any friend looking for a new cozy. The mystery was fun and I didn't figure out the whodunit at all.

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: Apple Turnover Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Title: Apple Turnover Murder
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: Feb 1, 2011
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Early summer brings plenty of work for baker Hannah Swensen, even before Mayor Bascomb's wife drops by The Cookie Jar to place an order for her charity event...For eleven-hundred cookies! And Hannah almost flips when her business partner, Lisa, suggests setting up an apple turnover stand. But she places her faith in Lisa and agrees to be a magician's assistant in the fundraiser's talent show. The only snag is the show's host, college professor Bradford Ramsey. Hannah and her sister, Michelle, each had unfortunate romances with Ramsey, and when the cad comes sniffing around between acts, Hannah tells him off. But when the curtain doesn't go up, she discovers Ramsey backstage - dead, with a turnover in his hand. Now Hannah must find a killer who's flakier than puff pastry - and far more dangerous.
Review: This is a light flaky cozy mystery that is almost as flaky as an apple turnover. This is book 13 in the Hannah Swensen series. Like most of these types of series, you don't need to read all the books to enjoy them. I might have read one of these awhile back, but I'm not really sure. This book worked as a stand alone for me.

It was a cute story. (That should get you right there...puppy dogs and kitties are cute...I'm not sure if that applies to cozy mysteries). I didn't feel cozy when reading it either. I did find myself wanting to start making cookies though. This book is packed with great cookie recipes! Murder however is not the focal point. In fact, the murder didn't happen until about 100 pages in! Yikes!

So yeah...things were very slow on that front, but by page 100, you've already been treated to a handful of great recipes. So you do have that.

Here are the pros and cons of the story:

Pros:

1. Hannah's family and friends are really funny and quirky.
2. The story is fast moving though the action is not so fast.
3. There are lots of animals in the story...Hannah's cat Moishe and Norman's cat Cuddle's and the dog Dillon. I love stories with lots of pets.
4. The recipes are super awesome and the book is full of them. I want to make the Cottage Cheese Cookies and the Chocolate Crack!
5. I never guessed the actual whodunit!

Cons:

1. There was a lot going on in the story. Too much at times. Hannah has two boyfriends and she can't decide which she wants, and this isn't like the Stephanie Plum, Morelli and Ranger dilemma. Neither of these guys seem to be worth her time. Not to mention subplots upon subplots some that left you hanging.

2. Speaking of being left hanging, WTF was up with Norman!!!

3. The victim: it would have been nice if we got to know Bradford Ramsey a bit more while he was alive than through the characters telling of their dealings with him.

I enjoyed this book, it was a fast fun read. I definitely want to check out some of the earlier books in the series, and maybe try some of the recipes!!

Rating: 4 flowers