Not even Lake Eden’s nosiest residents suspected Hannah Swensen would go from idealistic newlywed to betrayed wife in a matter of weeks. But as a deadly mystery unfolds in town, the proof is in the pudding . . . When The Cookie Jar becomes the setting of a star-studded TV special about movies filmed in Minnesota, Hannah hopes to shine the spotlight on her bakery—not the unsavory scandal … unsavory scandal swirling around her personal life. But that’s practically impossible with a disturbing visit from the shifty character she once believed was her one and only love, a group of bodyguards following her every move, and a murder victim in her bedroom. Now, swapping the crime scene in her condo for her mother Delores’s penthouse, Hannah and an old flame team up to solve a case that’s messier than an upended chocolate cream pie. As suspects emerge and secrets hit close to home, Hannah must serve a hefty helping of justice to an unnamed killer prowling around Lake Eden . . . before someone takes a slice out of her!
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Hannah Swensen never imagined that her life would be taking the path that she is on. Soon after her honeymoon ended her husband packed up and disappeared. Now, she finds that there is more to the story and it is devastating. While she is dealing with her marriage issues her husband returns to town and she learns he is not the man she thought he was. Just when Hannah thinks life couldn’t get any more complicated, a murder is committed in her bedroom.
The latest addition to the Hannah Swensen mystery series is very good. I would say it is better than the last two books (not including the prequel) and it seems the story is back on track. This book could stand alone if you are not interested in reading the entire series. Now that Hannah’s marriage to Ross is over I hope she doesn’t go back to the Norman-Mike love triangle. That went on far too long and became distracting. The ending is a bit of a surprise. I’ll be interested to see how that works out. I recommend this book and hope you enjoy it.
Love her books! They always make me want to bake!
Chocolate Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke is a book intended to tie up loose ends, which is does…mostly. We open with Hannah preparing to make an announcement in front of the entire congregation-in her view the easiest way to reach the most people, that her husband has left her to return to his wife; that she was, in fact, not married; and that if they wanted their wedding gifts back, please let her know. Everyone is extremely sympathetic and Hannah pulls up her big girl panties and begins to move on (with the help of her friends and family, of course!) Then she hears from him. The world starts to spin.
This is not the best of the series, by a long shot. It is repetitive, often on the same page; sometimes in the same paragraph. Hannah is an endearing character, as are Mike and Norman, Michelle and Andrea (who hardly appears in this book), Lonnie, Carrie, Mom and Doc Knight, but none of them are at their best here. If this were the first of the series for a reader, it is not clear whether they would bother to go back and read the rest. The solution was never truly explained and the loose ends were not tied up. It was a disappointment. I recommend this to a read of the Fluke series but only because you can’t just stop.
I received a free ARC of Chocolate Cream Pie Murder in exchange for a fair and honest review. #netgalley #chocolatecreampiemurder
Clean, mystery with recipes.
Only problem with this series is “I just have to try all the recipes”. Stories are fun. I’d get them just for the recipes. Yum! Yum!
Love the Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke. Wish there were more in the series!
I enjoy a lighthearted read!
I love the structure of her books
Not as good as previous books in the series.
I Love the Hannah Swenson books. It is exactly what it describes to be A Cozy Mystery. Sometimes you just need familiar friends and a nice plot, and a few new recipes. I love the characters, especially Moshe and Cuddles. I recommend this book for those who don’t want an extremely scary mystery, but something that makes you smile when it’s finished. One of my favorite authors!!!
I’ve read the majority of these because of the likeable characters and the way they have grown.
Kind of like most of her other books.
I love the series
The only thing about this book is that you kind of had to read the previous books to know what is going on at the beginning. The recipes are great.
Too many recipes that went on for pages interrupted the flow of the story. Would rather have them indexed at the back of the book.
Joanne Fluke is always enjoyable!
Great series, easy read and the recipes are good too.
Very poorly written, no interest or excitement, most of the recipes involved Cool Whip, and the ending was lousy.
I enjoy this series and the bonus recipes in the books. There are hallmark movies too based on the books.
Another silly mystery that involves a bakery owner’s intuition and luck to solve. Great recipes, likable characters, and good always triumphs!!!