Publishers Weekly
04/16/2018
Chicago baker Whitney Bloom, the narrator of Hannah’s diverting if flawed first novel and series launch, rushes back to her hometown of Cherry Cove, Wis., after receiving a phone call from her distraught mother. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival, held at the Bloom family’s Cherry Orchard Inn, is in jeopardy because the orchard manager, Jeb Carlson, has been murdered—and the chief suspect is Whitney’s father. Unfortunately, Whitney’s high school nemesis, Jack McLaren, who’s grown into quite the male specimen, is now the police detective handling the investigation, and he isn’t going to make proving her dad’s innocence any easier for Whitney. The book has a good basic story, but too many actions border on the ridiculous; for example, when Whitney grabs a hunting dog she’s never seen before and tries to pry open its jaws, fearing the animal just ate some poisoned pie, the dog doesn’t bark or bite her. Hannah displays enough talent to suggest she’ll do better next time. (June)
From the Publisher
"The first in an amusing new series features a fearless, reckless sleuth who unravels a complicated mystery while juggling her sex life and her future plans."—Kirkus Reviews
"Whitney is a well-drawn, sympathetic character, and the small-town frame, with a close-knit community and a cherry orchard, will appeal to cozy readers who enjoy Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mysteries."—Booklist
"Hannah displays... talent."—Publishers Weekly
"Great fun and extremely well-written. The crime, the characters—everything comes together...an extremely "tasty" story you will definitely devour in one sitting."—Suspense Magazine
Kirkus Reviews
2018-03-20
A cherry aficionado must find a killer to save her parents' business.Whitney Bloom, who lost her job at a Chicago advertising agency when the feminine products ad she produced for the Super Bowl became a joke, supports herself by baking all things cherry and selling them through her online bakery, Bloom 'n' Cherries! Whitney rushes back to Cherry Cove, Wisconsin, where her parents own both a cherry orchard and The Cherry Orchard Inn, after a call from her mother reveals that their orchard manager, Jeb Carlson, has been murdered and her father is the No. 1 suspect. She's dismayed to find that the officer in charge of the case is her former high school nemesis, Jack MacLaren, who's been transformed from a weedy geek to a well-built hunk. Her father had been heard quarreling with Jeb, and his croquet mallet has been identified as the murder weapon. But Whitney resolves to prove that Baxter Bloom is no murderer despite Jack's order to butt out. One of the reasons Whitney's been avoiding Cherry Cove is her former boyfriend Tatum Vander Hagen, who broke her heart. In fact a plethora of strikingly handsome men distract her from her investigation. In addition to Jack and Tate, these include a wealthy friend of Tate and a charming Irish bartender. With the help of her high school best buds, Hannah and Tay, Whitney soon picks up on local gossip. The cherry wine her father and Jeb were secretly making has been stolen and her grandmother was having an affair with Jeb. Now all she has to do is solve the crime, win the prize for the best cherry pie, decide which of the handsome dudes to give her heart to, and avoid the killer who's targeting her.The first in an amusing new series features a fearless, reckless sleuth who unravels a complicated mystery while juggling her sex life and her future plans.
