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Joanne Fluke Reviews
Page Two
Updated! April 17, 2006
Lemon Meringue Pie Murder
A Hannah Swensen Mystery
Author: Joanne Fluke
Publisher: Kensington Books
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: March 2006
Genre: Mystery: Cozy
Format: Paperback
Price: $6.99
ISBN: 0758215045
Author Email/Website: www.murdershebaked.com
Reviewer: Sharyn McGinty
It started out as an ordinary day for Hannah Swensen. She showered, had her coffee, organized her day and was on her way out the door when the phone rang. Normally she would have ignored it, but only one person called her that early in the morning: her mother. She picks up the phone, automatically greeting the person as her mother. To her surprise, it's not her mother but her sometimes boyfriend Norman Rhodes.
Norman calls to ask if she would reserve two tables at The Cookie Jar for him. He's just bought a house and will be there later to sign the papers. Casually, he mentions he's planning to tear down the house and build their dream house. Hannah is speechless... he's building their dream house, but it's too big for a bachelor, did he just propose or was he taking for granted that she would say yes?
After the papers are signed, Hannah and her mother drive out to the house to see what items they could find to sell in her mother's store, Granny's Attic. Her mother goes downstairs to inspect the attic and comes up, pale and tongue-tied; she manages to say she's found a dead body. Hannah goes to the basement to be sure her mother isn't seeing things and is surprised to see the body is none other than the previous owner, Rhonda Scarf. Who killed her and for what reason?
At first, Hannah decides to stay out of the investigation, knowing the sheriff's department wasn't too thrilled to have her helping out in previous cases. One by one, people come in asking her to solve the mystery. How could she refuse them? As she digs into the life of Rhonda Scarf, she learns things she wished she hadn't; unfortunately, none of them bring her any closer to the killer. Will she find the killer before he comes after her?
A beautiful written mystery with just the right amount of suspense and comedy, Lemon Meringue Pie Murder is a testament of Joanne Fluke's ability. Here are all the characters we've come to love thrown into familiar and new situations, and they worm themselves deeper into our hearts. Will Hannah finally decide between her boyfriends, Mike and Norman? To what lengths will Hannah's mother go to get Hannah married? I was sorry to see Lemon Meringue Pie Murder end; I wanted to spend more time with these wonderfully, unforgettable characters.
Kudos to Ms. Fluke for another brilliant novel. Don't forget to visit her site, www.murdershebaked.com for more information on her upcoming novel, Fudge Cupcake Murder.
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Updated! April 17, 2006
Blueberry Muffin Murder
A Hannah Swensen Mystery
Author: Joanne Fluke
Publisher: Kensington Books
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: March 2002
Genre: Mystery: Cozy
Format: Paperback
Price: $6.50
ISBN: 1-5756-6707-X
Author Email/Website: www.murdershebaked.com
Reviewer: Sharyn McGinty
Lake Eden's Winter Carnival promises to be a big success. Most of its intended success is due to Connie Mac's involvement. The host of a cable television cooking show, Connie Mac is America's Sweetheart Chef. She is given the honor of creating the carnival's official cake. While relieved, Hannah Swensen is a bit miffed.
After meeting the famous chef, Hannah has a hard time remaining civil. Not only is the woman bossy and demanding, she is completely tactless. She constantly orders her staff around, makes impossible demands and generally makes life hell for everyone. To make matters worse, she will be baking the carnival cake in Hannah's kitchen.
After securing a promise that everything will be cleaned and back in its proper place, Hannah leaves Connie and her staff to their job. When she returns early the next morning, nothing has been cleaned and the ovens were still on. Grumbling, she cleans up and prepares to bake the carnival refreshments. Imagine her surprise at finding the body of Connie Mac in one of the walk-in freezers.
As it has been declared a crime scene, Hannah is thrown out of her kitchen. Where will she bake dozens of cookies for the carnival? There's only one solution: help the police find the killer. The sooner he or she is found, the sooner she can get back into her kitchen.
A delightful treat. I heartily enjoyed the latest Hannah Swensen mystery. With each novel, these characters entrench themselves deeper in my heart. While I managed to solve a few of the smaller mysteries on my own, the killer's identity remained elusive. Definitely a must read.
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