Strawberry Shortcake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

Overview

Intrepid amateur sleuth and bakery owner Hannah Swensen finds herself judging a baking contest where the competition is really murder in this cozy culinary mystery for fans of Jenn McKinlay, Ellie Alexander, Laura Childs and Kate Carlisle.

When the president of Hartland Flour chooses cozy Lake Eden, Minnesota, as the spot for their first annual Dessert Bake-Off, Hannah 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.

Between perfecting her Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie and Chocolate Crunchies, Hannah’s snooping into the coach’s private life and not coming up short on suspects. And could Watson’s harsh criticism during the judging have given one of the contestants a license to kill? The stakes are rising faster than dough, and Hannah will have to be very careful, because somebody is cooking up a recipe for murder . . . with Hannah landing on the “necessary ingredients” list.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496749833
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	01/21/2025
Series:	Hannah Swensen Series , #2
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	230,427
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

JOANNE FLUKE is the New York Times bestselling author of the Hannah Swensen mysteries, which include Caramel Pecan Roll Murder, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder, Coconut Layer Cake Murder, and the book that started it all, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. That first installment in the series premiered as Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel. She is also the recipient of Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award. Like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke was born and raised in a small town in rural Minnesota, but now lives in Southern California. Please visit her online at JoanneFluke.com.

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE FOR JOANNE FLUKE’S HANNAH SWENSEN MYSTERIES
 
“The variety of cookies and other sweet treats included will make this a popular addition to holiday cookbook collections.” —Booklist on Joanne Fluke’s Lake Eden Cookbook
 
“Jam-packed with recipes from her beloved Hannah Swensen Mystery series, Fluke’s most recent work is simply superb… Newcomers and longtime fans of Fluke will find plenty to enjoy in this latest dispatch from Lake Eden. The characters are incredibly lovable and the community quickly welcomes readers into a world of friends, fun, and of course, food.” —Publishers Weekly on Joanne Fluke’s Lake Eden Cookbook
 
“The mystery is page-turning AND the bakery treats are mouthwatering.” —Jules Herbert, B&N Reads on Caramel Pecan Roll Murder
 
“A good puzzle, lots of delicious recipes, and time spent with Hannah’s beloved fan-favorite cat, Moishe…Fluke reinforces her place as the queen of culinary cozies.” —Publishers Weekly on Caramel Pecan Roll Murder
 
“Fans of the long-running cozy series will enjoy the baking frame, the delicious-sounding recipes interspersed throughout the story.” —Booklist on Caramel Pecan Roll Murder
 
“Fluke’s fans call her ‘the queen of culinary capers’—and her stories have shown me just how cozy mysteries can be when food is at the heart of them.” —Bon Appetit
 
“I was lulled by the uncomplicated prose, charmed by the protagonist’s life as both bakery owner and amateur sleuth—and drawn to the paradoxical concept of a feel-good murder.” —Alyse Burnside, The Atlantic on Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder
 
“Another sweet-tempered outing filled with tempting sweets.” —Kirkus Reviews on Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder
 
“Don't miss this charming mystery, which will also satisfy your sweet tooth.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW for Christmas Cupcake Murder
 
“Dripping with sweet desserts and mystery!” —PopSugar on Christmas Cupcake Murder
 
“Murder might be what excites the town, but Swensen’s desserts are what unite it.” —Eater on Raspberry Danish Murder
 
"The coziest cozies remain those by Joanne Fluke." —The New York Times Book Review on Banana Cream Pie Murder
 
“My favorite guilty-pleasure reading material.” —Eater

From the Publisher

The stakes start rising faster than dough when a judge from the Hartland Flour company's Dessert Bake-Off is found dead in Hannah Swensen's strawberry shortcake. Can she catch the killer before he or she cooks up another recipe -- for murder?

bn.com

Following her successful debut, 2000's Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, Fluke brings back amateur sleuth and Lake Eden, Minn., bakery owner Hannah Swensen for another delicious adventure. Hannah has the honor of serving as head judge of the first annual Hartland Flour Dessert Bake-off, which she anticipates will be good advertising for her already popular bakery, The Cookie Jar. Then one of the judges, high school basketball coach Boyd Watson, is found dead, face down in Hannah's strawberry shortcake, and suspicion falls on Watson's abused wife, Danielle. Determined to prove Danielle's innocence, Hannah ignores the warnings of romantic interest Mike Kingston, the supervisor of detectives at the Winnetka County sheriff's station, not to get involved. Tempting descriptions of meals served at the local establishments, mouth-watering recipes and a warm family of characters ward off the vividly depicted bitter chill of a Minnesota winter. While the other characters tend to be stereotypical, Hannah is a believable, down-to-earth protagonist who can't function without her morning coffee, justifies her passion for chocolate as a biological need for endorphins and deals with a matchmaking mother and a needy sister with understanding and humor. Add the ingredients of a cleverly crafted mystery and a realistic portrayal of smalltown life, and you have a superior cozy sure to leave readers satisfied... but hungry for more. (Mar. 12) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

After a last-minute replacement judge for Lake Eden, MN's, first annual dessert bake-off alienates several contestants with his snide comments, he winds up dead. Did one of them kill him in retaliation, or did his physically abused wife finally get up enough gumption to do the deed? Cookie-store owner/sleuth Hannah Swensen (Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder) aims to find out. Hannah somehow finds time, while tending her shop, baking desserts, delivering cookies, and judging the bake-off, to milk her would-be boyfriend/detective for details and do her own sleuthing. A comfortable, cozy read, with a few recipes thrown in for later enjoyment. For fans of culinary mysteries. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Adult/High School-Cookie entrepreneur Hannah Swensen is recruited to judge a bake-off but gets embroiled in a bittersweet murder. The victims are not Lake Eden's finest; one is a wife abuser and the other is a snippety blackmailer, but the town is small, concern is rampant, and Hannah is curious. She and her sister Andrea begin sleuthing to prevent their friend (the wife of the first victim) from being accused of a crime she did not commit. The story is at times dense with detail, but the relationships among family and neighbors are pleasingly homespun-and occasionally sophomoric. Spanning the time of the bake-off, this whodunit is appropriately interspersed with mouthwatering dessert recipes. Readers who don't like guts or gore will enjoy this mystery and stick with the amateur detectives as they reach an action-packed conclusion.-Karen Sokol, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

The citizens of Lake Eden, Minnesota are very proud of hosting the first annual Hartland Flour Dessert Bake-off. Bakery owner, Hannah Swensen is the head judge and even makes it on the evening news, showing how to bake strawberry shortcake. The first day of judging is not quite as smooth as the pre-event setup. Showing no tact, last minute replacement judge, Coach Boyd Watson accurately but viciously rips the desserts of four of the contestants, irritating everyone.That night Boyd's wife Danielle calls Hannah pleading with her to come over quickly. Hannah does only to find someone murdered Boyd in his garage. All the circumstantial evidence points towards Hannah. She was a battered spouse and even now sports a black eye. Her fingerprints are on the murder weapon, a hammer. Finally the victim's blood is all over her clothing. Hannah believes Danielle did not kill Boyd, but she worries that even her best friend, police detective Mike Kensington, thinks the wife killed the abusive husband. Having solved a previous homicide (see Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder), Hannah decides to investigate because she also realizes that in this election year, the sheriff, re-running for office, will want a fast solution. The Strawberry Shortcake Murder is an entertaining amateur sleuth tale starring a person who seems more like a neighbor than a character in a book. The story line is fun and Chef Joanne Fluke, who proves with this tale that she is not a one-book fluke, bakes the who-done-it to a tasty morsel.