Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen #1)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
(Hannah Swensen #1)
By: Joanne Fluke
Release Date: April 11th 2013 (first published April 1st 2000)
Publisher: Kensington Books
Rating: 3 out 5
Series:Hannah Swensen
Summary: Discover the delicious mystery that started it all!

No one cooks up a delectable, suspense-filled mystery quite like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke s dessert-baking, red-haired heroine whose gingersnaps are as tart as her comebacks, and whose penchant for solving crimes one delicious clue at a time has made her a bestselling favorite. And it all began on these pages, with a bakery, a murder, and some suddenly scandalous chocolate-chip crunchies. Featuring a bonus short story and brand new, mouthwatering recipes, this limited edition of the very first Hannah Swensen mystery is sure to have readers coming back for seconds.

Hannah Swenson already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother s attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden, Minnesota s most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah s famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can t get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer.

Who would have the sheer audacity and the motive to kill the most punctual delivery man Hannah ever had? Topping the list is the high school football coach. What exactly was his wife doing, making the rounds with the milkman? Could Max Turner, owner of Cozy Cow Dairy, have had a secret he didn t want to share with his top employee? The more Hannah snoops, the more suspects turn up. Why has Lake Eden s most prominent prodigal son, Benton Woodley, just resurfaced? And what about the mysterious Mr. Harris who seemed interested in buying the property next to the dairy, but then disappeared? This is one murder that s starting to leave a very bad taste in Hannah s mouth. And if she doesn t watch her back, Hannah s sweet life may get burned to a crisp.


Filled with a healthy sprinkling of humor and a delightful assortment of nuts, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE MURDER serves up a great new mystery series and introduces a delicious, down-home sleuth that mystery readers will surely savor for years to come.


Review:Is it difficult reading? No. Are the characters the best characters I’ve ever read? No. But what Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder it is that the book is a fun, light read. You could probably start reading any of these books as your first, and you would have no trouble understanding the characters or the plots (some would find this a plus, while others would see it as a drawback, I’m sure).

This is the first of Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen books. Hannah is the owner of the Cookie Jar, and she develops a propensity for finding dead bodies and investigating their murders. It’s actually a really fun series, and good for those times when you just want a light-hearted and relaxing read. Adding to the fun of the series is the fact that Hannah has two men vying for her attention — one a handsome police officer who never cannot make her heart beat faster, the other a sweet, reliable, though balding dentist. Hannah torn between the two, and it’s fun trying to figure out which one she might choose in the end.

The recipe tidbits were fun, but I would rather have them all collected at the end of the book instead of breaking up the story so many times.

Overall, the mystery was fun. The book was light and a quick read. I will continue with this one even if the ending love triangle creation was a bit of a stretch.