Sugar Cookie Murder

Guess what? This yummy novella includes over twenty-five original recipes! Delicious :p! Hannah Swensen Rocks! It's that simple. I love Hannah ~ what's not to love?! Joanne Fluke's first holiday mystery is an enticing read. I devoured it in one sitting. Sugar Cookie Murder is a well thought out mystery that isn't your typical cozy. Sugar Cookie Murder is an extremely tempting read that is half mystery & half cook book. Sugar Cookie Murder is brimming w/ scrumptious recipes that would make Julia Child smack her lips & shout, "Whoa! Talk about mouthwatering goodness"! Fluke's veritable brilliance simply glows in this delectably captivating series. Sugar Cookie Murder whisks up a little mystery, a murder, tasty recipes & a deeper look @ the fascinating characters that reside in the charismatic Hannah Swensen Mystery series. Fluke has created an absorbing character in Hannah Swensen; she not only charms but warms your heart like a delicious cup of cocoa. Lake Eden, Minnesota is a town that has a lot charm & the characters are irresistibly engaging. Joanne is a gifted storyteller that electrifies Hannah Swensen w/ every book she pens. Quick! Grab a copy of Sugar Cookie Murder.

What can possibly be better than being trapped inside a building with spinach quiche, cheesy spicy corn muffins, strawberry bread, salmon loaf, party potatoes, spinach souffle, sweet potato casserole, coconut green pie, Christmas sugar cookies, heavenly tea cookies, blueberry shortbread bar cookies, candied pecans, just to name a few of the delightful treats? The whirling snow, coming down in sheets, causing one of Minnesota's worst snow storms, causes the town Christmas party goers to be trapped inside. The food, the snow descriptions, 3 dynamic sisters, a warm (not physically warm) small town . . . This book epitomizes coziness. This book is one of the coziest I've ever read. Most of the book takes place in one night in the Community Center, surrounded by delectable food, amiable friends and neighbors, outstanding Christmas music played by the local high school band, festive decorations. I would love to be in that cozy trap! Meanwhile, a body is found. Hannah and her sisters, Andrea and Michelle, are determined to solve the mystery. The mystery plot and clues are really good and clever. I immensely enjoyed this cozy book - one of the coziest I've ever read. Now I feel I must sing praises to this well-deserving book (and in response to the negative reviews it got). **It is smaller than most Hannah books.** A small book doesn't mean a bad book. I've read many drawn-out books with boring parts that could have been told have half as many pages. It's the quality and coziness of the book that counts, not the quantity of the pages. **Almost half the book was recipes.** The reader doesn't have to try the recipes, or even look at them. But they are there for those who want to try any of those mouthwatering treats that were served at the Community Christmas party. I think it is good that the recipes are there, because there is a lot of good-sounding food in the book, and it is enough to make you hungry enough to possibly try the recipes. Anyway, the recipes are there for whoever wants them. **The book takes place in one night.** Again, it's the quality of the book that counts - not how many days it takes place in. Anyway, I like variety. I wouldn't want all the Hannah books to have one style and formula. **The mystery doesn't start until late in the book.** Again, I like different formulas and styles. As long as the mystery is good - and the cozy atmosphere is good - I don't care where in the book the mystery starts, or what the length of the book is. I see nothing wrong with this book - it has such a cozy atmosphere and a clever mystery plot. It is one of the best of the best. If I were to grade it on a percentage scale, I would have to give it at least 120% (extra credit for being so good.)

Since I finished this book, I have filed it with my cookbooks! It is loaded with not only Joanne Fluke's usual delicious cookie recipes, but lots of main dishes, veggies, and appetizers as well. A great cozy read and delicious "keeper" recipes as well.

For months, Hannah has been working on the Lake Eden Cookbook. Now it's time for the final test, tonight's potluck at the community center. With a winter storm blowing outside, everyone is inside enjoying all the delicious food and feeding the gossip mill about Martin Dubinski and his new wife, Brandi Wyen. Seems the two got married when Martin was in Vegas and she's a dancer from the famous city. Meanwhile, Andrea is finally off bed rest, and Hannah finally gets to meet her mom's new boyfriend. But when Hannah finds Brandi stabbed with her mother's antique cake knife, things take a turn for the worse. With a full blown blizzard raging outside, everyone is trapped at the community center with the killer. Hannah sets out to help Mike solve this crime while the trail is still fresh. But can she do it without letting everyone else know what's going on? If you're a fan of this series, you need this book. The series character's storylines take a step forward, and you won't want to miss what happens to them. Plus, as always, there's a good mystery. Personally, I didn't have it figured out before the end. This entry in the series is really only a novella. The second half of the book features the recipes from the cookbook. Naturally, there are a few awkward paragraphs listing the dishes, but everything mentioned makes an appearance in the back. As with any cookbook, there are some wonderful sounding recipes and some that don't appeal to me (like the fish), but considering I bought the book for the mystery, I'm really not complaining. (And a side note, there's an error on a recipe in this book as well. For the Not So Swedish Meatballs, you really only need one 50 ounce can of cream of mushroom soup, which should be fairly obvious.) It was nice to pop in and visit these friends for the holidays. I'm looking forward to seeing them again in a few months with the next book.

Hannah Swenson owns the Cookie Jar Bakery in Eden Lake, Minnesota. Currently she is working her buns off (pun intended) to get ready for the Christmas party and food competition at the community center. Hannah is compiling a book of recipes that the townsfolk are renowned for. Everyone seems to want to be included in the cookbook so Hannah is struggling not to ruffle any feathers by showing every dish entered at the party. She also looks forward to spending time with her date police investigator Mike Kingston. Hannah knows that Martin's new wife Brandy Wyn Dubrinksi will make his mother Babs and his former spouse Sherry uncomfortable. However everyone gasps when they see Brandy as she is wearing a $25,000 mink coat that Martin just bought her. While Hannah toils in the kitchen she notices that the door to the back parking lot is ajar. She goes outside only to find Brandy dead with her mother's jewel encrusted Regency serving cake knife in the victim's chest. Hannah begins searching for the real killer. There should be a warning not to read this book on an empty stomach because the descriptions of food throughout the novel and the recipes at the end will send the pickiest eater on a gorging frenzy. This warm cozy amateur sleuth tale is well plotted and has a sweet eccentric small town support cast, but the main ingredient remains Hannah as she takes another bite out of crime. SUGAR COOKIE MURDER is a delicious lighthearted mystery. Harriet Klausner