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Hannah Swensen #11
Cream Puff Murder
Now A Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Original Movie Starring Alison Sweeney!
Beloved New York Times bestselling author and Queen of the Culinary Mystery Joanne Fluke concocts a delicious mix of mystery, humor, and mouthwatering recipes in this classic Hannah Swensen Mystery!
Staying fit during in winter in Lake Eden, Minnesota, can be quite the challenge. But it's nothing compared to staying alive...
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...
Beloved New York Times bestselling author and Queen of the Culinary Mystery Joanne Fluke concocts a delicious mix of mystery, humor, and mouthwatering recipes in this classic Hannah Swensen Mystery!
Staying fit during in winter in Lake Eden, Minnesota, can be quite the challenge. But it's nothing compared to staying alive...
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...
336 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 2009
656 people are currently reading
10635 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Fluke
134 books8,591 followersLike Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke grew up in a small town in rural Minnesota where her neighbors were friendly, the winters were fierce, and the biggest scandal was the spotting of unidentified male undergarments on a young widow's clothesline. She insists that there really are 10,000 lakes and the mosquito is NOT the state bird.
While pursuing her writing career, Joanne has worked as: a public school teacher, a psychologist, a musician, a private detective's assistant, a corporate, legal, and pharmaceutical secretary, a short order cook, a florist's assistant, a caterer and party planner, a computer consultant on a now-defunct operating system, a production assistant on a TV quiz show, half of a screenwriting team with her husband, and a mother, wife, and homemaker.
She now lives in Southern California with her husband, her kids, his kids, their three dogs, one elderly tabby, and several noisy rats in the attic.
Series:
* Hannah Swensen
While pursuing her writing career, Joanne has worked as: a public school teacher, a psychologist, a musician, a private detective's assistant, a corporate, legal, and pharmaceutical secretary, a short order cook, a florist's assistant, a caterer and party planner, a computer consultant on a now-defunct operating system, a production assistant on a TV quiz show, half of a screenwriting team with her husband, and a mother, wife, and homemaker.
She now lives in Southern California with her husband, her kids, his kids, their three dogs, one elderly tabby, and several noisy rats in the attic.
Series:
* Hannah Swensen
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,076 reviews
August 12, 2022
3 out of 5 stars to the eleventh book, Cream Puff Murder, in the "Hannah Swensen" cozy mystery series by Joanne Fluke. And yes, it was hard to read without wanting a cream puff the entire time!
Why This Book
I've been reading the Joanne Fluke series for several years and had asked for a few of her books for my birthday last month. One was Cream Puff Murder, and once I finished a rather difficult book just before this one, I needed something light and fluffy to shock me back to normalcy. Lake Eden's Hannah Swensen fit the bill, and I started it two days ago, reading through a third each night up 'til now - review time.
Overview of Story
Hannah's mother is throwing a book launch party for her new regency novel, and Hannah needs to fit into a dress despite having put on a few pounds. Her sister Andrea steps in to help, and even though Hannah despises exercising, she agrees to spend an hour every morning before work at the gym, focusing on her body. Shortly afterwards, Ronni Ward, fitness instructor extraordinaire, is found murdered in the jacuzzi. Since she'd been dating several men, and annoyed several women, Hannah suspects it's someone at the gym or in one Ronni's fitness classes. But Mike and Bill are put on temporary leave, as they may be too close to the crime, since Ronni was working part-time at the police station to make some extra money, and possibly dating Mike on the side. Hannah steps up her work-out time to a few hours a day to attend all Ronni's classes with with the new instructor to see if she can find out more details, especially when her family and some-time boyfriend aren't able to work the case. As she begins to narrow down the clues, and her own waistline, Hannah finds herself smack in the middle of disaster again when she steps right into trouble with the culprit. But along the path, she's determined that she can no longer keep bouncing back and forth between Mike and Norman, appearing ready to finally make a choice for her suitor and potential future husband.
Approach & Style
The book is told in third-person from an omniscient narrator, but the point of view is consistently with Hannah as the main protagonist. Every few chapters, the author throws in some sweet recipes based on whatever Hannah's cooking up in The Cookie Jar that day. Cream Puffs are this books' flavor of the month.
It's a very lighthearted cozy, casual and simple in both setting, dialogue and tone. An easy breezy read in under 4 hours, given the paperback book's about 350 pages, inclusive of at least 100 focused on recipes.
Strengths
1. Hannah is consistent. Her sisters, mother, friends and boyfriends are all good people and I really enjoy reading about them. It's comfortable and makes you feel warm and cozy.
2. The town is quite lovely, as is the history you learn with each successive book. It feels like a place you'd love to call home -- when you're done livin' on the edge in your younger days.
3. Fluke's got a solid formula that works time and time again, assuming the story is interesting and the cast of characters rotates just enough.
Open Questions & Concerns
1. I probably didn't need 20% of the book dedicated to figuring what Moishe (the cat) was doing with his new automatic food dispensing unit. Seriously... we kept reading about "where is Moishe putting all that food? He's not gaining any weight, so he can't be eating it." It actually got a little bit annoying. I love the antics and banter with the cat and Hannah, but this was a little too much!
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2. Normally, a cozy reveals the murder about 15% into the book; however, it didn't happen until almost 30% this time. It was a little too much, and I felt at times like I was reading someone's journal about daily goings-on. I already do that for myself... don't need this one, too!
3. Mike takes a darker turn and we get a much-needed push in the "Choose Mike or Norman" story line. He does something unexpected, tho, in my opinion... and while I welcomed the direction change, it didn't feel natural.
4. The mystery was not very strong. It was pretty clear from about 50% in, it was 1 of 2 people; and I knew very little about them, so it didn't matter which one it was to me. I think it needed a few extra plot points to make this a stronger book.
Author & Other Similar Books
Diane Mott Davidson's "Goldy Bear Shultz Culinary" mystery series is a good comparison.
Final Thoughts
This was Book 11 out of a series with about 20 so far. I've a little over half-way done, still enjoying Hannah and her family, but if she doesn't make a choice for sure in the next book... I will probably take a break for a while. I won't give it up, as I love the townspeople and the background setting; but I'd like a little less of the romance and a tad more of the mystery. Still an enjoyable read tho!
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
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Why This Book
I've been reading the Joanne Fluke series for several years and had asked for a few of her books for my birthday last month. One was Cream Puff Murder, and once I finished a rather difficult book just before this one, I needed something light and fluffy to shock me back to normalcy. Lake Eden's Hannah Swensen fit the bill, and I started it two days ago, reading through a third each night up 'til now - review time.
Overview of Story
Hannah's mother is throwing a book launch party for her new regency novel, and Hannah needs to fit into a dress despite having put on a few pounds. Her sister Andrea steps in to help, and even though Hannah despises exercising, she agrees to spend an hour every morning before work at the gym, focusing on her body. Shortly afterwards, Ronni Ward, fitness instructor extraordinaire, is found murdered in the jacuzzi. Since she'd been dating several men, and annoyed several women, Hannah suspects it's someone at the gym or in one Ronni's fitness classes. But Mike and Bill are put on temporary leave, as they may be too close to the crime, since Ronni was working part-time at the police station to make some extra money, and possibly dating Mike on the side. Hannah steps up her work-out time to a few hours a day to attend all Ronni's classes with with the new instructor to see if she can find out more details, especially when her family and some-time boyfriend aren't able to work the case. As she begins to narrow down the clues, and her own waistline, Hannah finds herself smack in the middle of disaster again when she steps right into trouble with the culprit. But along the path, she's determined that she can no longer keep bouncing back and forth between Mike and Norman, appearing ready to finally make a choice for her suitor and potential future husband.
Approach & Style
The book is told in third-person from an omniscient narrator, but the point of view is consistently with Hannah as the main protagonist. Every few chapters, the author throws in some sweet recipes based on whatever Hannah's cooking up in The Cookie Jar that day. Cream Puffs are this books' flavor of the month.
It's a very lighthearted cozy, casual and simple in both setting, dialogue and tone. An easy breezy read in under 4 hours, given the paperback book's about 350 pages, inclusive of at least 100 focused on recipes.
Strengths
1. Hannah is consistent. Her sisters, mother, friends and boyfriends are all good people and I really enjoy reading about them. It's comfortable and makes you feel warm and cozy.
2. The town is quite lovely, as is the history you learn with each successive book. It feels like a place you'd love to call home -- when you're done livin' on the edge in your younger days.
3. Fluke's got a solid formula that works time and time again, assuming the story is interesting and the cast of characters rotates just enough.
Open Questions & Concerns
1. I probably didn't need 20% of the book dedicated to figuring what Moishe (the cat) was doing with his new automatic food dispensing unit. Seriously... we kept reading about "where is Moishe putting all that food? He's not gaining any weight, so he can't be eating it." It actually got a little bit annoying. I love the antics and banter with the cat and Hannah, but this was a little too much!
[image error]
2. Normally, a cozy reveals the murder about 15% into the book; however, it didn't happen until almost 30% this time. It was a little too much, and I felt at times like I was reading someone's journal about daily goings-on. I already do that for myself... don't need this one, too!
3. Mike takes a darker turn and we get a much-needed push in the "Choose Mike or Norman" story line. He does something unexpected, tho, in my opinion... and while I welcomed the direction change, it didn't feel natural.
4. The mystery was not very strong. It was pretty clear from about 50% in, it was 1 of 2 people; and I knew very little about them, so it didn't matter which one it was to me. I think it needed a few extra plot points to make this a stronger book.
Author & Other Similar Books
Diane Mott Davidson's "Goldy Bear Shultz Culinary" mystery series is a good comparison.
Final Thoughts
This was Book 11 out of a series with about 20 so far. I've a little over half-way done, still enjoying Hannah and her family, but if she doesn't make a choice for sure in the next book... I will probably take a break for a while. I won't give it up, as I love the townspeople and the background setting; but I'd like a little less of the romance and a tad more of the mystery. Still an enjoyable read tho!
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
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May 3, 2019
"It was a good thing there hadn't been any murders in lake Eden lately."
*five seconds later
Hannah's Mother has completed her secret project, a romance book, and now she's throwing a party to celebrate the incoming publication. Hannah is not only required to provide refreshments for the attendants, but also to fit in a regency dress that has been tailored for a much younger, much lighter version of herself. It is time for diet again, and this time Andrea, her sister, has even managed to convince her that visiting the gym before going to work - which, for a baker, is basically before sunrise - might be just what she needs. That and, of course, another corpse. But you already saw that coming, didn't you? Let's put it like that: something is cooking inside Lake Eden's gym Jacuzzi, and it's not bath salts. After all, everyone now that stuff clogs the filters!
It is true that violent deaths are a daily occurrence in Lake Eden, but it also appears that people who die there are... how to put it in a nice way... not the most lovely characters. I don't want to say "good riddance" but, yeah...
When a person dies and it's not a matter of "woah, she was a such a nice woman, I wonder who could have done something so awful" but more like "I wonder which one of the 235647 people who had a reason to kill her actually did it" you wonder if Lake Eden is named like that because they cold-bloodedly remove everyone who doesn't fit in their small paradise...
But no, that can't be. After all, Hannah is still alive, isn't she? 😏
*five seconds later
Hannah's Mother has completed her secret project, a romance book, and now she's throwing a party to celebrate the incoming publication. Hannah is not only required to provide refreshments for the attendants, but also to fit in a regency dress that has been tailored for a much younger, much lighter version of herself. It is time for diet again, and this time Andrea, her sister, has even managed to convince her that visiting the gym before going to work - which, for a baker, is basically before sunrise - might be just what she needs. That and, of course, another corpse. But you already saw that coming, didn't you? Let's put it like that: something is cooking inside Lake Eden's gym Jacuzzi, and it's not bath salts. After all, everyone now that stuff clogs the filters!
It is true that violent deaths are a daily occurrence in Lake Eden, but it also appears that people who die there are... how to put it in a nice way... not the most lovely characters. I don't want to say "good riddance" but, yeah...
When a person dies and it's not a matter of "woah, she was a such a nice woman, I wonder who could have done something so awful" but more like "I wonder which one of the 235647 people who had a reason to kill her actually did it" you wonder if Lake Eden is named like that because they cold-bloodedly remove everyone who doesn't fit in their small paradise...
But no, that can't be. After all, Hannah is still alive, isn't she? 😏
September 6, 2023
It’s cold and snowy in Minnesota. Hannah and her sisters have to suit up in Regency gear to get ready for their mother’s book launch and wouldn’t you know, Dolores Swenson has ordered Hannah’s dress in the size she imagines her daughter is rather than her true size. Ah, mothers. So now Hannah is on a strict exercise and diet regimen, there are donuts and cream puffs and cookies everywhere, leading to temptation.
Also, Ronnie is back and not exactly making friends with the women in town as she flirts with every taken man. So when she turns up dead… near a fallen platter of Hannah’s cream puffs… and all of the Lake Eden police department officers were either involved with her romantically previously or under suspicion of having been, oy! Hannah takes on the case.
This one was fun. I confess, I had no idea about the killer. Hannah’s diet was making me hungry. I was feeling a bit more Team Norman than Team Mike with Norman’s acceptance of Hannah just the way she is plus Hannah’s dream house definitely tipping the balance when compared to Mike sleeping around with Ronnie… I know where I fall in this particular love triangle! The book launch event was hilarious. Love the little Lake Eden touches.
Also, Ronnie is back and not exactly making friends with the women in town as she flirts with every taken man. So when she turns up dead… near a fallen platter of Hannah’s cream puffs… and all of the Lake Eden police department officers were either involved with her romantically previously or under suspicion of having been, oy! Hannah takes on the case.
This one was fun. I confess, I had no idea about the killer. Hannah’s diet was making me hungry. I was feeling a bit more Team Norman than Team Mike with Norman’s acceptance of Hannah just the way she is plus Hannah’s dream house definitely tipping the balance when compared to Mike sleeping around with Ronnie… I know where I fall in this particular love triangle! The book launch event was hilarious. Love the little Lake Eden touches.
December 8, 2015
I read the first couple of pages before realizing that all these books are the same. Someone kills someone else,Hannah sticks her nose in it, while Lisa does all the grunt work at the Cookie Jar. Hannah always answers the phone with "Hello mother" because her cat just knows its her. She's dating 2 guys she's totally unsure about, even though it's totally obvious who she should be with. Once she figures out who the killer is, the killer finds out that she knows, the killer tries to kill her, she talks her way out of being killed, or the killer ends up being hurt or killed in some other way. They all gather at the end for a great meal and a nice chat. And the end until the next book.
I'm tired of this series. Moving on.
I'm tired of this series. Moving on.
July 5, 2018
I have to admit this was not one of my favourite novels in the Hannah Swensen series.
Similar to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, I like these novels as a consistently quick, fun, read. There really isn't anything too surprising in each installment because they are quite similar from one novel to the next. However, even if they are similar, they consistently are entertaining reads with a relatable main female character.
Breaking my disappointment down for this novel, it was not necessarily the plot. The plot was not one of the best in the series and that definitely did impact the entertainment factor. The main thing was Hannah that was the problem in this novel.
In this novel, Hannah is focused on losing weight to fit in a dress for an event. As much as this can become reality, I would not encourage authors to promote this idea so strongly. Yes, a huge component of Hannah losing weight was examining her health but that decision was all based on the fact that she wanted to fit in a dress....not based on the desire to become healthier.
Another issue that I have is Hannah in relation to the two main love interests (I'm not going to list names). Okay, a love triangle. I get it. But the way that Hannah is treating both of them seems wrong to me and with each book I seem to get stronger feelings about it. She's leading both of them on and it isn't just a little bit.
I will continue to read this series because I want to read it until completion and typically I do enjoy each novel. However, I have to say, I really am over this particular love triangle. It doesn't sit well with me and with each subsequent novel, it bothers me more.
Similar to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, I like these novels as a consistently quick, fun, read. There really isn't anything too surprising in each installment because they are quite similar from one novel to the next. However, even if they are similar, they consistently are entertaining reads with a relatable main female character.
Breaking my disappointment down for this novel, it was not necessarily the plot. The plot was not one of the best in the series and that definitely did impact the entertainment factor. The main thing was Hannah that was the problem in this novel.
In this novel, Hannah is focused on losing weight to fit in a dress for an event. As much as this can become reality, I would not encourage authors to promote this idea so strongly. Yes, a huge component of Hannah losing weight was examining her health but that decision was all based on the fact that she wanted to fit in a dress....not based on the desire to become healthier.
Another issue that I have is Hannah in relation to the two main love interests (I'm not going to list names). Okay, a love triangle. I get it. But the way that Hannah is treating both of them seems wrong to me and with each book I seem to get stronger feelings about it. She's leading both of them on and it isn't just a little bit.
I will continue to read this series because I want to read it until completion and typically I do enjoy each novel. However, I have to say, I really am over this particular love triangle. It doesn't sit well with me and with each subsequent novel, it bothers me more.
March 11, 2010
Absolutely terrible.
If Joanne Fluke wanted to write a cookie cookbook, she should have just written a cookie cookbook. I was expecting a good murder mystery with a couple of cute recipes woven into a solid storyline and it was the exact opposite. I counted 25 recipes in this book. Twenty-five! It was ridiculous. Someone walks by Hannah's cookie truck, "Here! Have some ______ cookies" and bam! there's another recipe. What does this have to do with the STORY? Nothing. "This is the best egg-salad I've ever had!", and there it is, the recipe. In most cases the only reason for mentioning a cookie/sandwich/potato pancake (WTF?!) was to include the recipe and that got really old, really fast. While cookies that look like cheeseburgers are cute, what relevance did it have to the plot? None. And the cheeseburger sub-sub-sub-plot was better developed than the murder mystery I was reading the book for.
As if that wasn't enough, there was Hannah Swenson herself who might as well have been Pollyanna in an apron. She can't say "sex" to her mother and when she's too tired to drive home she can't stay at Norman's because he lives alone and what would people think. Really? Are you an independent, grown woman living in the 21st century or not? What would people think? Who cares?! The 1950's propriety was beyond irritating and again, seemed more important to the author than the murder.
By the time Hannah got around to finding the murder victim, after giving away truckloads of cookies, finding jobs for neighbors and worrying about her cat, I didn't care. I had to muddle through so much sub-plot of irrelevant crap that I didn't care about the main storyline, the reason I bought the book in the first place. Unfortunately, I read it as an ebook, because if not I would have returned it and got my money back.
If you are looking for a solid murder mystery, do yourself a favor and get an Agatha Christie. If you're looking for cute cookies that will take an entire day to make (seriously who has the time for most of these?) then by all means, Hannah Swenson is for you.
If Joanne Fluke wanted to write a cookie cookbook, she should have just written a cookie cookbook. I was expecting a good murder mystery with a couple of cute recipes woven into a solid storyline and it was the exact opposite. I counted 25 recipes in this book. Twenty-five! It was ridiculous. Someone walks by Hannah's cookie truck, "Here! Have some ______ cookies" and bam! there's another recipe. What does this have to do with the STORY? Nothing. "This is the best egg-salad I've ever had!", and there it is, the recipe. In most cases the only reason for mentioning a cookie/sandwich/potato pancake (WTF?!) was to include the recipe and that got really old, really fast. While cookies that look like cheeseburgers are cute, what relevance did it have to the plot? None. And the cheeseburger sub-sub-sub-plot was better developed than the murder mystery I was reading the book for.
As if that wasn't enough, there was Hannah Swenson herself who might as well have been Pollyanna in an apron. She can't say "sex" to her mother and when she's too tired to drive home she can't stay at Norman's because he lives alone and what would people think. Really? Are you an independent, grown woman living in the 21st century or not? What would people think? Who cares?! The 1950's propriety was beyond irritating and again, seemed more important to the author than the murder.
By the time Hannah got around to finding the murder victim, after giving away truckloads of cookies, finding jobs for neighbors and worrying about her cat, I didn't care. I had to muddle through so much sub-plot of irrelevant crap that I didn't care about the main storyline, the reason I bought the book in the first place. Unfortunately, I read it as an ebook, because if not I would have returned it and got my money back.
If you are looking for a solid murder mystery, do yourself a favor and get an Agatha Christie. If you're looking for cute cookies that will take an entire day to make (seriously who has the time for most of these?) then by all means, Hannah Swenson is for you.
April 6, 2009
These are kind of funny books. The tone of the story is kind of annoying. I am kind of tired of the series, they are getting preditable. She will find a body and solve the murder, bake more cookies and debate which boy she likes better and leave them equal. I am ready for something new to happen and she needs to pick Norman already. Hopefully in this book she finally learned that Mike is a player and she is over him and maybe the next book will be more interesting. She does include a lot of recipes and inspires me to try to bake new things.
April 18, 2011
So much fail in this instalment of Fluke's series. Body image, dieting, losing weight to please mother, sister and whomever. I almost threw the book out. Why did I keep reading? Because Norman was still the best thing in this. Really. It's about time Fluke puts an end to the romantic triangle (and gets rid of Mike). Too many cookie recipes, too thin a mystery plot, too much body image fail. One star because of Norman, the rest of the characters are so paper thin it's annoying and sad.
My copy is going on to Bookmooch asap.
My copy is going on to Bookmooch asap.
April 4, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Audiobook 🎧
Book #11 in the Hannah Swensen Series
As I was reading this I realized I had seen the movie on the Hallmark channel, but it was still a fun read with Hannah and her sisters sleuthing to find out who killed Ronni Ward the town…man magnet. All three sisters men have been seen with Ronni and they want to know to what extent they were involved with her. Hannah gets the biggest surprise and further solidifies my opinion of Mike.
Book #11 in the Hannah Swensen Series
As I was reading this I realized I had seen the movie on the Hallmark channel, but it was still a fun read with Hannah and her sisters sleuthing to find out who killed Ronni Ward the town…man magnet. All three sisters men have been seen with Ronni and they want to know to what extent they were involved with her. Hannah gets the biggest surprise and further solidifies my opinion of Mike.
August 8, 2019
Hoping Hannah sticks to Norman especially after how Mike acted in this one.
February 9, 2010
The Hannah Swenson mysteries are light & fluffy. They're very good easy reads. However, the books are starting to get annoying. I find it hard to believe that a woman of Hannah's age is still so concerned with what society thinks of her. The most risque part of the book was when Hannah & Mike kiss. Furthermore, it's gotten to the point that Mike is turning into a sleaze & yet Hannah still can't decide between him & Norman. The constant grammatical corrections are becoming obnoxious as well. Unless Hannah has been living under a rock it is highly unlikely that Hannah doesn't know what peppermint schnapps taste like. While I originally really enjoyed this series & may even read future novels by Joanne Fluke, I'm starting to think that the author is very out of touch with what a modern woman would be doing with her life.
May 30, 2011
The best thing that I can say about this book is that it is completely consumable. I started reading this book at about eight thirty last night and I'm already finished with it. It's true that I couldn't put it down, but that's not necessarily because it was a fantastic read. It was just an easy read. An easy read that didn't demand too much of my mental capacity and allowed me to just consume it. It's completely forgettable, and, though I totally think of this series as brain candy, it's not the best brain candy that I've ever had.
As I was reading this book, I was reminded of the poll that EW is currently running on its website, awarding season finales of TV series with some interesting awards based upon fan responses. One of the categories is "Your Season Pass is now in Jeopardy." I feel that way with this series. This book is the 13th installment in this series, and the key ingredient that's missing? The characters don't really evolve, and that's completely unrealistic. What's more, Fluke's handing of the love triangle between Hannah, Mike, and Norman is not only unrealistic, but it's downright silly. I know that I wrote about this in my review in the previous installment of this series, and I still have the same axe to grind, but I think maybe this time, I can articulate myself much better. Fluke wants us to believe that her heroine and main character is really so clueless when it comes to men that she really can't see that Norman is the better choice than Mike? Particularly with the events that occur in this book. Hannah is basically forced to see that Mike loves her cooking, and he loves that she gives him cookies and coffee whenever he wants (and that's not a double entendre) but that he really has no consideration for her and has no real desire to be in a relationship where he has to give anything back to the person that he's with or even respect her, for that matter. He likes her for her "domestic" qualities if you will, but he doesn't see her as an intelligent woman nor can he accept her as she is. He only wants her to take care of him, and he has no clue how to treat a woman he claims to love. This is all to say that I find this love triangle completely insulting to female readers and Fluke makes it difficult for us to completely respect her main character when she can't even see what's right in front of her when it comes to her personal life. What I expect in a series is that the characters grow and mature and make life choices, and I guess that's what I want to happen in this series, but apparently that's not what Fluke intends. It's kind of like the difference between CSI and Castle. CSI only wants to focus on the crime and the process of solving the crime at the expense of any character development or investment in the characters' personal lives. Castle wants to focus on both and does a really nice job of dividing my attention between the crime (and its resolution) as well as developing the characters and the relationships between them. This is why I have come to enjoy Castle tremendously and stopped watching CSI altogether. The same can be said for this series. It's completely focused on the crime, and when it does focus on character development, it's just ridiculous. I know we are meant as readers to identify with Hannah, but I just can't identify with someone who is so wishy-washy when it comes to her personal life and can't see the forest for the trees. And personally, as a reader (and as a TV watcher) I'm only willing to allow the writers to string me along for so long. Apparently, my tolerance with this is much higher with TV shows that with reading--it's taken me 6 seasons of Bones to tire of being strung along and then when the writers finally try to give me what I have been waiting for, they completely screw it up--and it's taken me 13 installments of this series to tire of being strung along by Fluke and her inept handling of this love triangle. I'm not sure if I'll read the 14th installment. It's not on my bookshelf, so I'll have to make a conscious decision to buy it.
So in the end, this book helped to relieve some boredom, but left me primarily unsatisfied and wishing I had chosen another book to read. I'm glad that I can look at this book on my shelf and say that I've read it, but that's about all the satisfaction it will give me.
As I was reading this book, I was reminded of the poll that EW is currently running on its website, awarding season finales of TV series with some interesting awards based upon fan responses. One of the categories is "Your Season Pass is now in Jeopardy." I feel that way with this series. This book is the 13th installment in this series, and the key ingredient that's missing? The characters don't really evolve, and that's completely unrealistic. What's more, Fluke's handing of the love triangle between Hannah, Mike, and Norman is not only unrealistic, but it's downright silly. I know that I wrote about this in my review in the previous installment of this series, and I still have the same axe to grind, but I think maybe this time, I can articulate myself much better. Fluke wants us to believe that her heroine and main character is really so clueless when it comes to men that she really can't see that Norman is the better choice than Mike? Particularly with the events that occur in this book. Hannah is basically forced to see that Mike loves her cooking, and he loves that she gives him cookies and coffee whenever he wants (and that's not a double entendre) but that he really has no consideration for her and has no real desire to be in a relationship where he has to give anything back to the person that he's with or even respect her, for that matter. He likes her for her "domestic" qualities if you will, but he doesn't see her as an intelligent woman nor can he accept her as she is. He only wants her to take care of him, and he has no clue how to treat a woman he claims to love. This is all to say that I find this love triangle completely insulting to female readers and Fluke makes it difficult for us to completely respect her main character when she can't even see what's right in front of her when it comes to her personal life. What I expect in a series is that the characters grow and mature and make life choices, and I guess that's what I want to happen in this series, but apparently that's not what Fluke intends. It's kind of like the difference between CSI and Castle. CSI only wants to focus on the crime and the process of solving the crime at the expense of any character development or investment in the characters' personal lives. Castle wants to focus on both and does a really nice job of dividing my attention between the crime (and its resolution) as well as developing the characters and the relationships between them. This is why I have come to enjoy Castle tremendously and stopped watching CSI altogether. The same can be said for this series. It's completely focused on the crime, and when it does focus on character development, it's just ridiculous. I know we are meant as readers to identify with Hannah, but I just can't identify with someone who is so wishy-washy when it comes to her personal life and can't see the forest for the trees. And personally, as a reader (and as a TV watcher) I'm only willing to allow the writers to string me along for so long. Apparently, my tolerance with this is much higher with TV shows that with reading--it's taken me 6 seasons of Bones to tire of being strung along and then when the writers finally try to give me what I have been waiting for, they completely screw it up--and it's taken me 13 installments of this series to tire of being strung along by Fluke and her inept handling of this love triangle. I'm not sure if I'll read the 14th installment. It's not on my bookshelf, so I'll have to make a conscious decision to buy it.
So in the end, this book helped to relieve some boredom, but left me primarily unsatisfied and wishing I had chosen another book to read. I'm glad that I can look at this book on my shelf and say that I've read it, but that's about all the satisfaction it will give me.
May 21, 2018
This is my first cozy mystery read of the year, and I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much. There’s a great element of unreality in cozy mysteries, and this is no exception: with the amount of dead bodies showing up year after year in her small town, Hannah is often more unsettled about, say, whether her cat Moishe is over-eating or not, than about the murder victim. The love triangle is equal parts amusing and irritating.
April 23, 2018
This is the story about a woman who crash diets and starts an intensive exercise regime so that she and her slim sisters will all fit into matching dresses at their mother's regency party. The suspense nearly killed me. Would she manage?
The Hannah-is-too-fat theme annoyed me. Partly it was the implausibility: her mother and sister are supposed to be at the fashion pinnacle, and more than once it has been pointed out that Andrea notices the smallest of details when it comes to appearance, and Claire is supposed to be a clothing expert. They want to make Hannah a dress and one of them casually mentions that she was a size whatever a year ago. Unfortunately their critically fashionable eyes have failed them as they haven't noticed that Hannah has put on weight (any other time I'd be pleased about that, since it's not their business, but it's Andrea and Delores we're talking about so it doesn't seem likely), and Claire makes her dress out of some precious fabric which can't be replaced and has completely run out. What the %^%+{+]? A professional made a dress without even setting eyes on the wearer or flapping a tape measure in her direction, and the dress can't be altered? But it can't, so Hannah just has to alter her body instead. Fair enough; we don't want Delores disappointed. I'm all for having a healthy body, but not crash dieting so you fit into some dress.
Oh, that's right, someone was murdered and Hannah is on the case with her trusty sidekicks, Norman and Andrea,
The Hannah-is-too-fat theme annoyed me. Partly it was the implausibility: her mother and sister are supposed to be at the fashion pinnacle, and more than once it has been pointed out that Andrea notices the smallest of details when it comes to appearance, and Claire is supposed to be a clothing expert. They want to make Hannah a dress and one of them casually mentions that she was a size whatever a year ago. Unfortunately their critically fashionable eyes have failed them as they haven't noticed that Hannah has put on weight (any other time I'd be pleased about that, since it's not their business, but it's Andrea and Delores we're talking about so it doesn't seem likely), and Claire makes her dress out of some precious fabric which can't be replaced and has completely run out. What the %^%+{+]? A professional made a dress without even setting eyes on the wearer or flapping a tape measure in her direction, and the dress can't be altered? But it can't, so Hannah just has to alter her body instead. Fair enough; we don't want Delores disappointed. I'm all for having a healthy body, but not crash dieting so you fit into some dress.
Oh, that's right, someone was murdered and Hannah is on the case with her trusty sidekicks, Norman and Andrea,
May 29, 2011
Hannah Swenson, baker, is back at it again. This time she needs to fit in a dress to celebrate her mother's newly published book. the dress has been ordered but Hannah seems to have gained some weight. While joining her sister Andrea to work out, Hannah stumbles across the dead body of one of the personal trainers. Ronni, the murdered woman, was known to be rather free with her favors and there is more than one possible suspect, including three of Lake Eden's own police force.
Why only three stars? One of the two suitors that Hannah is caught between, Mike the cop, is a total jerk in this one. Not only did he sleep with the victim, he lied to Hannah about it. Plus, he's calling her at all hours of the night even though he knows she has to get up early to go to work. Added to that all, he makes free use of her detecting skills when he's off the case but then reverts to the "little lady" routine when he's cleared for duty. I understand that there are some women who keep going back to men like this, but Fluke has set Hannah up not only to be rather intelligent, but to have a great network of family and friends who should be stepping in to separate her from this arrogant jerk. I'm going to give the series a few more books but if Mike's not gone, I think we're going to have to part ways. Who wants to keep reading about a woman that dumb?
Why only three stars? One of the two suitors that Hannah is caught between, Mike the cop, is a total jerk in this one. Not only did he sleep with the victim, he lied to Hannah about it. Plus, he's calling her at all hours of the night even though he knows she has to get up early to go to work. Added to that all, he makes free use of her detecting skills when he's off the case but then reverts to the "little lady" routine when he's cleared for duty. I understand that there are some women who keep going back to men like this, but Fluke has set Hannah up not only to be rather intelligent, but to have a great network of family and friends who should be stepping in to separate her from this arrogant jerk. I'm going to give the series a few more books but if Mike's not gone, I think we're going to have to part ways. Who wants to keep reading about a woman that dumb?
March 31, 2019
Joanne Fluke is back to her normal great writing! I loved this book so much. I'm 100% Team Norman now after reading this book! He was so considerate and supportive of Hannah's independence and diet. He has done everything he could to make her strict diet easier. Mike was such a prick in this book. I couldn't stand him and his attitude! He told her [Hannah, his girlfriend] to go back to baking cookies and to write up a report about what she learned in her investigation to help clear him. He even had the nerve to kiss her forehead before he said it. I wouldn't let any man who admitted to lying about "being a grown up" with another woman at night when he was dating me ask me to help keep his job even if we weren't exclusive. Even worse not thinking my character was strong enough to not "seek a rebound" as a way to get even with them. This man is a clueless numbskull and jerk who doesn't seem to really value Hannah and the skills she has with all she does. I hope Hannah marries Norman as he treats her right.
I'm so grateful to have my fiancé who has sexiness down and a plethora of wonderful qualities. No way could I deal with someone like Mike constantly. I need someone who loves me and doesn't belittle me, my opinion, and ideas.
I'm so grateful to have my fiancé who has sexiness down and a plethora of wonderful qualities. No way could I deal with someone like Mike constantly. I need someone who loves me and doesn't belittle me, my opinion, and ideas.
May 31, 2022
This was a quick read and a fun enough mystery, but I had some pretty major problems with it. First of all, every male main character except for one is a cop, so when they all get caught sleeping with a fitness instructor (that’s never actually said because the book is weirdly Victorian) that turns up dead the first thought is “let’s have the baker in town solve a literal murder mystery” instead of bringing another detective in. Also, the murder didn’t even happen until 100 pages into the book. There was also a lot of random recipes in the book anytime a baked good or food was mentioned. So much so that it feels like this book was just a cover for the author to get her cookbook out there. It actually took me out of the story to flip through 3 pages of recipes literally 25 times in the novel. Not my favorite.
April 23, 2025
SO much sl*t shaming, so much about weight. It's getting so tedious. I get that Ronnie is a home wrecker and I hate that, but the shaming was so extreme that it made Hannah look even worse by the end.
Good for Mike for not sitting there waiting forever for someone who told him no.
Poor Norman has built his life around the possibility, loves her how she is, and even got a cat to be friends with her cat. If she friend zones Norman, it will be hard to like her at all.
I never loved Hannah, but I am starting to hate her and her pretentious family. You are a grown ass woman, stop acting like a 14 year girl and worrying about what everyone else thinks.
Is this true to a conservative small-town Michigan mindset? Someone please tell me.
The mystery was dumb and tried to have a dumb twist, and this one could have been skipped.
1 Star
Good for Mike for not sitting there waiting forever for someone who told him no.
Poor Norman has built his life around the possibility, loves her how she is, and even got a cat to be friends with her cat. If she friend zones Norman, it will be hard to like her at all.
I never loved Hannah, but I am starting to hate her and her pretentious family. You are a grown ass woman, stop acting like a 14 year girl and worrying about what everyone else thinks.
Is this true to a conservative small-town Michigan mindset? Someone please tell me.
The mystery was dumb and tried to have a dumb twist, and this one could have been skipped.
1 Star
May 9, 2021
This series is pure comfort reading for me, with its small-town setting, regular characters, humour, large fluffy cat and endless cookie recipes thrown in. (I've never tried to make any of them, but they always sound tempting!)
The books are extremely formulaic - the mystery element is never up to much, and the love triangle is becoming ever more tedious. Hannah herself is also often annoying, and in this book I could have done without her attempts to diet while cooking cream puffs! But I expect I'll be tempted by the next in the series before too long.
The books are extremely formulaic - the mystery element is never up to much, and the love triangle is becoming ever more tedious. Hannah herself is also often annoying, and in this book I could have done without her attempts to diet while cooking cream puffs! But I expect I'll be tempted by the next in the series before too long.
February 1, 2019
Much like other reviewers, I have zero idea why I continue with this series. Perhaps it’s because I enjoyed the first few titles and binge purchased a ton of books (shame on me!)
The story’s plot is so thin. The murder victim was barely developed, practically forgotten about among stories of food, dieting and Hannah’s cat. I didn’t connect with any of the peripheral characters, and by the time we finally found out who the murderer was, frankly I didn’t care.
I’m so done with the Mike/Hannah/Norman storyline. At this point, both men are nuts for sticking around with a woman who had zero intention to commit, acts petulant and jealous, and offers zero physical intimacy. Let’s be real here, in modern times, a woman dating 2 men and hasn’t even done more than kiss either one? Please.
Also - I love animals as much as the next guy, I own pets and have fostered dogs and worked with rescues, but oh my goodness, I DO NOT CARE about her cat. And why so much time devoted to him? And honestly, who has friends and family who are sooooo concerned about a cats eating habits? In reality -they aren’t. Enough with the cat obsession already.
I’m annoyed that Hannah is never at The Cookie Jar and relies on her “assistant” Lisa (who should actually be running the show to be honest) to do all the heavy lifting while she’s out gallivanting around. And why is she always so tired?!?! She’s a single woman, barely works, no kids or husband but oh my, she is just exhausted all the time. Maybe I am jaded but get real. I’m a mom of 3, wife, and work full time and even I am not as tired as Hannah. It’s just unrealistic and frankly, off putting for her character. It makes me feel even less connected to her or her story. Nitpicky I know.
Finally, if there’s a message I could impart to the author, please please please stop telling and start showing! This is writing 101. Stop treating your readers as dumb, not able to understand simple things. We don’t need things explained to us. show us with your writing.
The story’s plot is so thin. The murder victim was barely developed, practically forgotten about among stories of food, dieting and Hannah’s cat. I didn’t connect with any of the peripheral characters, and by the time we finally found out who the murderer was, frankly I didn’t care.
I’m so done with the Mike/Hannah/Norman storyline. At this point, both men are nuts for sticking around with a woman who had zero intention to commit, acts petulant and jealous, and offers zero physical intimacy. Let’s be real here, in modern times, a woman dating 2 men and hasn’t even done more than kiss either one? Please.
Also - I love animals as much as the next guy, I own pets and have fostered dogs and worked with rescues, but oh my goodness, I DO NOT CARE about her cat. And why so much time devoted to him? And honestly, who has friends and family who are sooooo concerned about a cats eating habits? In reality -they aren’t. Enough with the cat obsession already.
I’m annoyed that Hannah is never at The Cookie Jar and relies on her “assistant” Lisa (who should actually be running the show to be honest) to do all the heavy lifting while she’s out gallivanting around. And why is she always so tired?!?! She’s a single woman, barely works, no kids or husband but oh my, she is just exhausted all the time. Maybe I am jaded but get real. I’m a mom of 3, wife, and work full time and even I am not as tired as Hannah. It’s just unrealistic and frankly, off putting for her character. It makes me feel even less connected to her or her story. Nitpicky I know.
Finally, if there’s a message I could impart to the author, please please please stop telling and start showing! This is writing 101. Stop treating your readers as dumb, not able to understand simple things. We don’t need things explained to us. show us with your writing.
September 21, 2011
I read this book after I read "Plum Pudding Murder", so I knew I'd missed something with Mike... I wasn't surprised by the revelation that Mike had other girlfriends, nor that he was most likely sleeping around, which he confirmed.
After all: 1. Hannah doesn't seem to be very interested in sex. She's content with a hug and a few kisses, but she makes it clear to both Mike & Norman that's it. Despite the fact that she's supposedly dating them both seriously for at least 2 years. 2. Hannah & Mike rarely spend time alone together on what could be called a date. She mostly feeds him cookies, coffee, and dinner... and he mostly asks her about the current murder.
Obviously, Ms. Fluke has Hannah leaning towards Norman. The last few pages of the book make that perfectly clear. About time!
As for the murder and the "mystery", it's tough to feel too badly for someone like Ronni, who obviously doesn't have many scruples and not only flirts with, but sleeps with, any man she can - married or not. However, it's galling that Ms. Fluke sees the need to make Ronni such a villainess; why should everything be so black and white? And why should men like Mike fall for Ronni and gals like her at the drop of the hat? (Remember Shawna Lee and her sister?) It's rather insulting.
So you may ask, why do I read these books? Probably because I have this need to see the Mike/Hannah/Norman triangle finally resolved -- or, as I've said in past reviews, I'd love to see Hannah dumped on her backside by both of them. Hannah is becoming a sarcastic, prim, prude schoolmarm who seems intent on correcting grammar and feeling sorry for herself. I just wish her mother or her sisters would love her enough to tell her to GROW UP and stop dreaming about the life she wants and get it.
After all: 1. Hannah doesn't seem to be very interested in sex. She's content with a hug and a few kisses, but she makes it clear to both Mike & Norman that's it. Despite the fact that she's supposedly dating them both seriously for at least 2 years. 2. Hannah & Mike rarely spend time alone together on what could be called a date. She mostly feeds him cookies, coffee, and dinner... and he mostly asks her about the current murder.
Obviously, Ms. Fluke has Hannah leaning towards Norman. The last few pages of the book make that perfectly clear. About time!
As for the murder and the "mystery", it's tough to feel too badly for someone like Ronni, who obviously doesn't have many scruples and not only flirts with, but sleeps with, any man she can - married or not. However, it's galling that Ms. Fluke sees the need to make Ronni such a villainess; why should everything be so black and white? And why should men like Mike fall for Ronni and gals like her at the drop of the hat? (Remember Shawna Lee and her sister?) It's rather insulting.
So you may ask, why do I read these books? Probably because I have this need to see the Mike/Hannah/Norman triangle finally resolved -- or, as I've said in past reviews, I'd love to see Hannah dumped on her backside by both of them. Hannah is becoming a sarcastic, prim, prude schoolmarm who seems intent on correcting grammar and feeling sorry for herself. I just wish her mother or her sisters would love her enough to tell her to GROW UP and stop dreaming about the life she wants and get it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2015
These books are entertaining but it has been a while since I have read one and, now that the series is fresher in my mind, I'm realizing just how... not good they are? Certainly a good read to lower my expectations and try to get me out of this reading slump but not something I will rave about forever.
The writing in this was both too much and clumsy at the same time. The dialogue was so unrealistic and way too proper. Everything was being told, nothing shown. I was getting explanations for jokes and things that I didn't need because it was made completely clear what they meant. I say clumsy because sometimes it is as if things said earlier are just being disregarded. One example is towards the end of the book when Hannah and her sister are at the gym. They say that they won't want to go into the Jacuzzi after working out because that is where the victim's body was found - literally a page and a half later, they are going into the Jacuzzi with no mention of "oh, I don't care if a dead body was found here, it feels so nice" or something similar. The writing just isn't for me.
The case itself was fine but it was wrapped up in about 3 pages and just really not climactic. Eh.
The one thing I can't get over is that Hannah is this amazing baker and so highly regarded but then she ends up charging someone double for a cookie order in which she uses cookies she bought from the store held together with frosting. If I received something like that from a woman who has her own cookie shop I would probably stop ordering from her!
The writing in this was both too much and clumsy at the same time. The dialogue was so unrealistic and way too proper. Everything was being told, nothing shown. I was getting explanations for jokes and things that I didn't need because it was made completely clear what they meant. I say clumsy because sometimes it is as if things said earlier are just being disregarded. One example is towards the end of the book when Hannah and her sister are at the gym. They say that they won't want to go into the Jacuzzi after working out because that is where the victim's body was found - literally a page and a half later, they are going into the Jacuzzi with no mention of "oh, I don't care if a dead body was found here, it feels so nice" or something similar. The writing just isn't for me.
The case itself was fine but it was wrapped up in about 3 pages and just really not climactic. Eh.
The one thing I can't get over is that Hannah is this amazing baker and so highly regarded but then she ends up charging someone double for a cookie order in which she uses cookies she bought from the store held together with frosting. If I received something like that from a woman who has her own cookie shop I would probably stop ordering from her!
January 9, 2019
.
This was the introduction to the series entitled, A Seagrass Sweets Cozy Mystery by Sandi Scott.
On the positive side, this was the first installation of this cozy mystery, which captures the reader's attention and entertains, if you proceed through the slow beginning and unusual, culinary vocabulary. The mystery was complicated with many and twists and turns.
A little voice popped in her head.
"You had your chance, it'll never work out now." She silenced it by thinking "one foot in front of the other."
On the negative side, I read this on my Kindle reader, which included many many words missing a space between them, usually at the beginning of a paragraph. It was a bit distracting, but not overly so. The characters did not seem to grow and the hinted romance didn't even develop into a spark until the story had nearly concluded.
"Ashley," said Ryan, stopping to face her. "I want more --- more fun, more adventures, more you." >
I appreciate that this is a clean tale that is able to stand on its own, in a way. There is an H.E.A. in regard to the murder mystery. However, the romantic relationship that is alluded to throughout the book remains only a tiny flicker of hope. I did not love this story, but I did not hate it either. It was a nice, cozy read.
December 26, 2020
Seriously, again? Mike is firmly seated as a dirt bag. Why is he even still a "boyfriend"?
The murder victims and murderers are either getting incredibly obvious or I'm just able to spot it now that I've read so many. How Hannah didn't figure it out quicker is beyond me. And why she can't ever seem to figure it out without putting her life in danger? I don't know.
Also, on the "this must have been written in the 90s" note - what person wore fitness leotards after the early 90s? Puh-lease! It's too much. Really.
I do like that this time Hannah's weight "issues" were for a dress and not simply vanity or someone else's scolding.
I'm hopeful that the mysteries get more interesting and we can finally move beyond the love triangle madness.
The murder victims and murderers are either getting incredibly obvious or I'm just able to spot it now that I've read so many. How Hannah didn't figure it out quicker is beyond me. And why she can't ever seem to figure it out without putting her life in danger? I don't know.
Also, on the "this must have been written in the 90s" note - what person wore fitness leotards after the early 90s? Puh-lease! It's too much. Really.
I do like that this time Hannah's weight "issues" were for a dress and not simply vanity or someone else's scolding.
I'm hopeful that the mysteries get more interesting and we can finally move beyond the love triangle madness.
March 24, 2017
This was a GOOD read. Only because I have read a "MILLION" cozy mysteries did I pick up on who might have done the murder (I was partially right). Good suspense, good comradarie between the sisters and between Norman and Hannah. And Mike is just proving his colors over and over and OVER again!!!! I DO NOT KNOW how Hannah can keep seeing him. In my eyes, HE IS A PIG!!!!! UGH!!!
March 10, 2018
Not only are these books good stories, but the recipes are great. I have tried several cookie recipes over the years and now I'm going to have to try cream puffs.
November 22, 2019
I love and hate this series...I do find it funny that any rival for Mike's affections doesn't live very long. Hmmm.
August 4, 2025
Cream Puff Murder
Hannah Swensen, Book 11
I Picked Up This Book Because: Continue the series.
Media Type: Audiobook
Source: HC Public Library
Dates Read: 8/1/25 - 8/3/25
Stars: 4 Stars
Narrator(s): Suzanne Toren
The Characters:
Hannah Swensen:
Andrea Todd: Hannah’s sister and sidekick
Lisa (Hannah’s business partner), Mike (Cop and love interest), Norman (town dentist and love interest number 2), Moishe (chief feline officer), Michelle (Hannah’s baby sister),Other town residents
The Story:
As usual I love Hannah and her crew but one of them got on my last nerve this time. *side-eyes Mike*. The mystery was interesting, but I think the people of Eden Lake should be more worried with so many incidents in their town.
Hannah Swensen, Book 11
I Picked Up This Book Because: Continue the series.
Media Type: Audiobook
Source: HC Public Library
Dates Read: 8/1/25 - 8/3/25
Stars: 4 Stars
Narrator(s): Suzanne Toren
The Characters:
Hannah Swensen:
Andrea Todd: Hannah’s sister and sidekick
Lisa (Hannah’s business partner), Mike (Cop and love interest), Norman (town dentist and love interest number 2), Moishe (chief feline officer), Michelle (Hannah’s baby sister),Other town residents
The Story:
As usual I love Hannah and her crew but one of them got on my last nerve this time. *side-eyes Mike*. The mystery was interesting, but I think the people of Eden Lake should be more worried with so many incidents in their town.
October 27, 2017
Nope. Nope. Nope. Everything about this—no.
I simply couldn’t take this seriously. At all.
This is supposed to be a mystery, right? A “cozy” mystery, sure. But a mystery, right? RIGHT?
I didn’t stay long enough on this ridiculous ride to find out.
Some parting comments. First, the only books that should fixate this much on calories, weight loss, salads vs. pizza, and self-image in the very first paragraphs are nonfiction books about calories, weight loss, salads vs. pizza, and self-image. Or Bridget Jones’ Diary-esque chic lit.
Second, how is one supposed to achieve the illusion of fiction when the first scene involves a unprovoked “cat fight” led by a woman with an “Irish brogue” in a pizza joint (in a Minnesota town where everyone knows each other) that devolves into a full-on food fight that is put to a halt by police officers who are the lunch dates of your two insecure, weight/food-obsessed female leads? Am I reading the extra-credit writing project of a seventh-grade girl, or the work of a NY Times bestselling author with a highly successful mystery series who was legit published?
Third, when you’re writing a book, you don’t need to use dialogue for exposition the way film/TV writers must sometimes resort to due to the limitations of a visual medium. You are book writer; thus, you can do whatever you want. Please do not have characters explain things that they would never need to explain. Good writers--hell, even bad writers—hell, even Stephanie Meyer—use the freedom inherent in the writing medium to provide exposition in other ways.
The audiobook reader was also terrible, which is a shame. Audiobook readers are usually so great.
Bye—ee!
I simply couldn’t take this seriously. At all.
This is supposed to be a mystery, right? A “cozy” mystery, sure. But a mystery, right? RIGHT?
I didn’t stay long enough on this ridiculous ride to find out.
Some parting comments. First, the only books that should fixate this much on calories, weight loss, salads vs. pizza, and self-image in the very first paragraphs are nonfiction books about calories, weight loss, salads vs. pizza, and self-image. Or Bridget Jones’ Diary-esque chic lit.
Second, how is one supposed to achieve the illusion of fiction when the first scene involves a unprovoked “cat fight” led by a woman with an “Irish brogue” in a pizza joint (in a Minnesota town where everyone knows each other) that devolves into a full-on food fight that is put to a halt by police officers who are the lunch dates of your two insecure, weight/food-obsessed female leads? Am I reading the extra-credit writing project of a seventh-grade girl, or the work of a NY Times bestselling author with a highly successful mystery series who was legit published?
Third, when you’re writing a book, you don’t need to use dialogue for exposition the way film/TV writers must sometimes resort to due to the limitations of a visual medium. You are book writer; thus, you can do whatever you want. Please do not have characters explain things that they would never need to explain. Good writers--hell, even bad writers—hell, even Stephanie Meyer—use the freedom inherent in the writing medium to provide exposition in other ways.
The audiobook reader was also terrible, which is a shame. Audiobook readers are usually so great.
Bye—ee!
August 10, 2012
This is my second Joanne Fluke murder. I picked it up to listen to it in the car while driving around (kill two birds with one stone). This series is about a woman named Hannah, who owns a cookie shop where people come for treats and tea. She finds a dead body and goes about solving the mystery of who killed them. The characters are light, the book is an easy read (a "cozy"), and there's not a whole lot of suspense and "bad energy." Bonus points for clean language and moral values. (I hate being dragged through the muck when I read.)
The story would rate about 3 stars, but I give her books a bonus star for the recipes. Interspersed throughout the story, Hannah serves cookies and other treats to people, and at the end of the chapter is the recipe. I've tried the recipes from a different book, and let me tell you, they are WONDERFUL. The recipes in this book sound no less scrumptious than the other book I read, and I had to check out the print version so that I could copy them down for my recipe file. I'm looking forward to Christmas baking again this year!
The story would rate about 3 stars, but I give her books a bonus star for the recipes. Interspersed throughout the story, Hannah serves cookies and other treats to people, and at the end of the chapter is the recipe. I've tried the recipes from a different book, and let me tell you, they are WONDERFUL. The recipes in this book sound no less scrumptious than the other book I read, and I had to check out the print version so that I could copy them down for my recipe file. I'm looking forward to Christmas baking again this year!
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