Strawberry Shortcake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery

I haven’t read many cozy-mysteries so I’m still a novice in this genre, but I must say that this is the best cozy-mystery series I have read so far. Just like the previous book, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, Hannah is likeable as ever, I particularly liked her quick-wittedness and how physically capable she is. The confront scene with a murderer was not only thrilling and suspenseful, but also glorious displaying her physical capability of taking on a villain armed with a shotgun (!!!) not to mention her ability of bluffing. Even in such suspenseful scenes, the author’s wicked sense of humor is evident through the omnipotent narration style, they had me giggle or laugh out loud so many times. Boy, was it hilarious! That said though, as opposed to the first book, I found this book was a bit lengthy for a cozy-mystery. It can be said that this book is more substantial than other typical cozy-mysteries which tend to be fast-paced and shorter. Given the page count (324 pages) I think it is understandable there’s a lot of buildup until it reaches the climax. Nonetheless, with all those ideas set aside, I felt that this book takes too long to get down to the nitty-gritty of the mystery, hinting who the possible murderer is. I did enjoy the side stories such as Lisa and Hannah’s partnership, sisterhood with Andrea, and a romantic triangle with Mike and Norman, but I would have enjoyed this book better if this book was a bit shorter than it actually is. There seem to be some what I found superfluous scenes that could have been cut (in my opinion). The latter part (especially past 70% of the book) and as we inch toward the culprit reveal, I couldn’t put it down. I think I read the rest of the book in one gulp. One of the attributes what I think is distinct to this book is making us attached to the characters even if they are flawed. The victim in this book was an abusive husband and used to beat his wife so badly to the extent she often has a black eye. Before being murdered, Joanne Fluke presented a scene that hints the victim’s humanity, a warm side of him. In fact, my heart mildly squeezed when I found he was brutally murdered, lamenting his untimely death. I think what makes this series special to me is this humanity displayed through the interactions and dialogues between the characters, one of the backbones of the story that makes me smile and warms the cockles of my heart without fail. Other than the aforementioned length issue, I totally enjoyed this second-installment of the series. The more I delve into the series, the more emotionally attached I am to the characters and the setting. I already downloaded the next two books in the series, and I am really anxious to know what incidents are in store for Hannah.

When the president of Hartland Flour chooses cozy Lake Eden, Minnesota, as the spot for their first annual Dessert Bake-Off, bakery owner Hannah Swensen is thrilled to serve as the head judge. But when a fellow judge, Coach Boyd Watson, is found stone-cold dead, facedown in Hannah’s celebrated strawberry shortcake, Lake Eden’s sweet ride to fame turns very sour indeed. While perfecting her Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie and Chocolate Crunchies, Hannah’s also snooping into the coach’s private life, which yields plenty of suspects. Or could Watson’s harsh criticism during the judging have lethally ticked off one of the contestants? The stakes are rising faster than dough, because somebody’s cooking up a recipe for murder—with Hannah landing on the “necessary ingredients” list. Includes seven delicious recipes! My Thoughts: Hannah Swensen is an intriguing character, with her head for murder investigations and her cozy life in her bake shop, The Cookie Jar. I have enjoyed this character in other novels, and also in the Hallmark movies. Strawberry Shortcake Murder takes us along for the ride as Hannah follows the clues, sometimes accompanied by her sister Andrea. I loved the dialogue between the characters; it often made me smile and helped keep the darker aspects of the story at bay. Meanwhile, two possible suitors are part of Hannah’s entourage, and curiosity about what will happen next in her romantic life kept me turning the pages.

My aunt recommended this series to me and for that I’m grateful. I was needing a genre so I could take a break from my rabbit hole chasing. This series is a pleasant read that not only engages you in the characters arcs but keeps you invested in the outcome of the story. On another positive note: you get very yummy recipes throughout all of the books!

I love all her cookie murder books and the movies too! I love all the characters in the books!Thanks a lot

Published in 2002, THE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE MURDER is second in the so-called “murder she baked” murder mystery series by Joanne Fluke. The series features Hannah Swensen, a bakery owner who lives in small town Lake Eden, Minnesota and is thought of as a “cozy” murder mystery series—a genre in which there is little graphic violence, less graphic sex, and even naughty words are a rarity, and the books are not so much murder mysteries as they are flyweight portraits of the central characters and their community. Fluke writes in a workman like manner, but in truth her mysteries read like a mix of Lillian Braun’s “The Cat Who …” series and Fannie Flagg’s FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CAFÉ—albeit without the light charm of the former and the depth of the latter. STRAWBERRY finds Hannah acting as judge of a local bake-off, which is itself marred when one of the judges—a popular high school coach who is secretly a wife-beater—is found dead in his garage. Local authorities suspect his long suffering wife, but she denies the accusation, and Hannah believes her. An annoying reporter, blackmail, extortion, and a second murder round out the story. Along the way, Fluke tosses in the recipes Hannah uses at her bakery, “The Cookie Jar.” Hannah’s process is essentially one of elimination, so the killer becomes increasingly obvious as the novel progresses. Fluke’s novels don’t rank with Braun, much less with Sayers or Christie, but they are reasonably well-written and they have the advantage of occupying your mind when you don’t want give your full attention to a novel—the perfect read while waiting in a doctor’s office or in an airport. Mildly entertaining and mildly recommended. GFT, Amazon Reviewer Posted July 2018

In this second book in the Hannah Swensen series, Hannah hones her detective skills. Her friend Danielle has been battered again by her husband, Boyd Watson. Hannah rushes to her friend's defense, only to find that Boyd has been murdered. Danielle is, of course, the primary suspect but Hannah does not believe that she committed the murder. Hannah joins her sister Andrea in looking for clues. This includes trying to run down the local newspaper reporter, Lucy, and involving her good friend Norman Rhodes. There is no denying the attraction between Hannah and the new detective , Mike, and Hannah is increasingly torn between Mike and Norman as a possible boyfriend. As always, Hannah solves the crime well in advance of the detectives but places her own life in jeopardy. She is saved in the end and the evildoer is caught. I give this book four stars instead of five merely because it is it is quite easy to tell the evildoer's identity.

I gave this book 5 stars because it was a great read and mystery. The plot was well done and you didn't know who committed the murders until the end of the book. I liked the fact that there were only a few recipes and not after every chapter. I did read one of her other books and it had recipes after every chapter and it ruined the story line for me. If you like mysteries this would be a great one to read.

This book is awesome. Hannah Swensen is an amazing baker and I love the way she can solve murder cases before the police detectives can. I can not wait to read more stores about her.

As with all 'Hannah' books - I do have all of them I not only enjoyed it the first time but shall read and re-read it in time. I buy too many books, being a bookworm, to review each one. Suffice it to say they are literate and not tiresomely American! The quality of the books I have is very good - always clean and always delivered on time or earlier. In other words a pleasure to own.

Die Hannah Swensen Mysteries sind einfach nur gut! Eine perfekte Mischung aus Witz, Romantik und natürlich Spannung! Oft weiß man bis zum Schluss nicht so Recht, wer der Mörder ist, verdächtigt die falschen Personen. Was mir besonders gefällt, ist die Beschreibung von Lake Eden und deren Bewohner. Obwohl man noch nie dort war, hat man das Gefühl, bald jeden Winkel der Stadt zu kennen und die Bewohner werden zu Freunden und Bekannten! Zum Inhalt des Buches muss hier nichts mehr gesagt werden, auch der Klappentext gibt schon viel Preis.

たまたま「２円」という価格設定だったのであまり期待せず購入しましたが、大当り！！でした。 話の内容は他の方が沢山書かれているので省きますが、気軽に読めて後味も良く、大変気に入りました。シリーズの他の作品も読みたくなりました。 多読をされている方にお薦めの点は二つ。 １．児童書では出会えない微妙な大人の会話や感情が、易しい英語で上手く表現されています。何度も「なるほど～こう言えばいいのか～」と感心しました。 ２．お菓子のレシピが英語で読めます。体験上、英語で料理すると使える単語が劇的に増えて、英語への抵抗感が薄まります。わざわざ英語の料理書を買うのは敷居が高いですが、こんなところから英語クッキングに入門するのも楽しいと思います。

This series is absolutely amazing. It’s got some humor, which is nice and makes it for an easy read.

I bought this book before I'd even finished 'Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder', the first of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mysteries, and happily I wasn't disappointed! Fluke serves up another dose of dessert-related criminal mayhem, and it's just as delicious as ever! In this installment, our cookie-baking cafe-owner-turned-sleuth is delighted to have been chosen as the Head Judge for the Hartland Flour Dessert Bake-Off being held in Lake Eden. But when she finds fellow judge Boyd Watson dead in his garage in a heap of her famous strawberry shortcake, she soon realises that there's something more sinister going on in town than fruit pies and frosting... This series is seriously frothy and great fun to read. Hannah is a wonderful heroine, with a fiery personality tempered with just the right amount of sugar, and I'm looking forward to getting to know her friends and family even more as the series goes on. The mouthwatering recipes scattered throughout the book are a bonus too - seven this time, including Molasses Crackles, Chocolate Highlander Cookie Bars and, of course, Strawberry Shortcake Swensen, all of which appear in the novel - and I'm definitely considering buying some American measuring cups so I can try them out! I'll be eagerly looking forward to reading the next book, 'Blueberry Muffin Murder'...