Goodreads Mobile | see what your friends are reading

Mar 23, 2011

Barb rated it:

Hannah Swensen and Lisa Herman own the Cookie Jar in Lake Eden, Minnesota. Business is very good in the resort town and the two stay quite busy baking cookies and selling coffee. Lake Eden is a small town and one can stay pretty up-to-date just by sitting in the coffee shop of the Cookie Jar. Norman, one of Hannah’s two sometimes boyfriends, picked the Cookie Jar as the place to sign the contract for the house he just bought. According to Norman, he bought the Voelker place from Rhonda Scharf in More...

0 comments like

Sep 04, 2009

Holly rated it:

This is a really quick read. The plot is o.k. It is pretty easy to guess who the murderer is. I have a problem with the 2 boyfriends of the heroine Hannah. They are friends. What's up with that? Neither guy is jealous of the other. Not normal. And another thing. One of her boyfriends is a dentist living at home with his mother?? Not a manly man in my book. And he violates HIPAA! You can't go around telling people who you treat and what you are treating them for at a party. And I am pretty sure t More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 10, 2011

Megan rated it:

The 4th Hannah Swensen has a lot to offer but for the most part I am starting to understand why some of Flukes constant readers reviews sound more like long suffering than adoration. The book is well written and there is definitely some character development, in this book we really begin to understand what it is Mike and Norman have to offer Hannah. The problem is it seems Hannah has an emotional connection with Norman and a physical one with Mike, and it becomes clear to me who is the better ch More...

0 comments like

Jan 23, 2012

FABR Steph rated it:

Joanne Fluke writes books that are the picture perfect example of cozy mysteries. My favorite thus far has been Blueberry Muffin Murder. Her books are always stocked with unusual and delicious recipes. I have enjoyed the recipes so much that I recently purchased her cookbook for myself and as Christmas gifts for the women in my family.

Lemon Meringue Pie Murder is the slowest read that I have found in the series. A lot of time is spent revisiting who’s who, which is great for tho More...

0 comments like

Sep 20, 2010

Martha rated it:

My husband jokes about the various mystery series I read and the professions of the solvers of said mysteries. He loves to pick some far fetched job or hobby and then have them solve the crime. Topiary sculptor or glass blower, teapot collector or professional sock darner you name it they solve crimes. I myself am perfectly okay with this idea but then, I do have a remarkable ability to really suspend disbelief. So it all works out.

I'm just fine with Hannah Swensen being a baker who More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 22, 2011

Amy rated it:

This is the fourth book in the Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke and I'm enjoying the character development and although I have been able to figure out the murderer as soon as they were introduced, this book series is still enjoyable. The stories are pretty light and fun to read and the recipes are seriously to die for.

I did feel like this book jumped ahead quite a bit. In the last book Hannah and Norman were designing their "dream house" for a contest. Fast forward to More...

0 comments like

Jul 14, 2010

Kelle rated it:

Now this was a more traditional mystery. I must say the recipes made me want to read the book (they all sound yummy), but I wasn't a fan of the book. For one thing, I think I"m starting to get sick of love triangles- especially when they are both perfectly good guys. Perhaps it's just because I'm jealous no two people have ever fought over me, but about half-way through, I was tired of hearing about the romance that was going nowhere. I was also jealous all she did was make cookies all More...

0 comments like

Apr 22, 2008

Donna rated it:

This series is really growing on me. I like how the characters are evolving. I am adjusting to the fact that the reader always knows who the "bad" guy is before the main character. This is just pure escapist reading--no literary quality whatsoever.

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Mary rated it:

I've just begun to read this....the title intrigued me. My husband likes Lemon Meringue Pie (and I don't) and he's been so good to me lately, I need to make one for him. The books has lots of recipes in it......so, I'll let you know.

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 23, 2011

Rachel rated it:

Although this was a fun, fast read in the style of the series, I was a little disappointed. There has always been a balance between the murder mystery plot and Hannah's personal sub-plots, but in this book I felt that only a small part of the story actually dealt with the investigation. Everyone mills around with no ideas to pursue for quite a while, and when Hannah eventually finds a clue, it feels more like luck than anything. Meanwhile, Hannah is fretting about her two competing boyfriends, w More...

0 comments like

May 29, 2011

Kasia rated it:

The fourth and truly mouthwateringly delightful book in any baker's dream series hasn't disappointed. If anything it's my favorite so far, so cute in fact that I'm all ready breezing through the next novel; I wasn't ready to let go of Hannah just yet so I had to come back for another bite of crime and cookies. In this series it's best to read in order because key characters are quickly killed off in each book and not starting at the very beginning will ruin some surprises.

Hannah Swense More...

0 comments like

Jun 23, 2009

Kim rated it:

I really enjoy series mysteries so these books are right up my alley. The mystery was enjoyable but I did kind of get a feel for the murder before it was solved. My only real problem with this series is that the 2 guys that are interested in Hannah, the main character, have become friends. For some reason I am having trouble with this. I don't really think its realistic but then again how realistic is it that a baker can be an amatuer slueth? Still, I love these books and will be reading the More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 03, 2009

Kay rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 30, 2008

Ana T. rated it:

really liked this Hannah Swensen mystery. In this story Norman Rhodes tells Hannah he just bought a property to tear down and build their dream house, however there's no mention of making theirs a permanent relationship. During their visit to the property they find a dead body and one of Hannah's pies on the table. The house's last owner was murdered...

Knowing Hannah, and since everyone is pulling for her to investigate, she just can't resist some amateur sleuthing to find the culpr More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 09, 2011

Charity rated it:

Although predicatable, still an enjoyable read. The end left me with a smile on my face. I have enjoyed these books for their easy reading and fun style as well as the fact that they have very little content I personally would consider inappropriate. The problem I'm having is that I am beginning to wonder just how many murders this 'small-town' can handle and why Hannah is always figuring it out before the police. Are these detectives incompetent, or what! I'm also struggling a little with More...

0 comments like

Aug 20, 2011

Barbara rated it:

They said it would be a mystery. Unfortunately it wasn't. It was so clear who the murderer was it wasn't funny anymore. I still had to struggle through the rest of the book waiting for our heroine to figure it out while she was working against the police and allowed other people to get hurt. Won't be reading another mystery by this author any time soon.

The recipes that are included are a nice touch but I bought a mystery novel not a cook book.

0 comments like

Sep 12, 2009

Meleah rated it:

In this 4th book in the Hannah Swenson series we find the town gossip dead in the basement of a house she just sold... The only clues are some take out containers and the typical pastry that is the trade-mark of these books which in this case is a lemon meringue pie. While Joanne Fluke can't hold a candle to my fav mystery writer Mary Higgins Clark, this book and the entire series are definitely still worth reading. See if you can figure out who done it... I did!

0 comments like

Dec 03, 2008

Heidi rated it:

I think this was the cleanest of the series so far. Fluke did well because I had my guesses of who the murderer was, but she kept adding things to the character that gave me doubts to my suspicions. The plot for this story was not as intriguing to me as the previous 3. Yet somehow I read it faster than the others. Still light and fun, and nice to finally get back to the series and to characters I have been getting to know. I think I'm pretty much set though: ditch Mike and take Norman! Easy choi More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 28, 2010

Tiffany rated it:

Hannah Swensen is at it again. This is installment number four. Hannah owns a cookie shop and has an incredible knack for finding dead bodies and then being able to solve the mystery of their death. I'm only giving these books 3 stars because I don't think it's very realistic that a little town in Minnesota could have so many murders. Other than that these books are an enjoyable read and I usually finish them in one day.

0 comments like

Jun 14, 2011

Melissa rated it:

Each book makes me love Hannah Swensen even more. She is such a likable heroine; down to earth, genuinely thoughtful, and generous with both her time and her possessions. The plots are complex enough to keep me guessing, the characters are developed enough to keep me caring about them, and the recipes make me want to bake something after I finish reading! I can't wait to get my hands on more in the series.

0 comments like

Dec 15, 2010

Paula rated it:

This was a fun book filled with mystery, summer fun and interesting characters. Norman decides to b
uild the house that he and Hannah designed together for a contest. Everyone assumes he's popped the question to Hannah, unfortunately that is not the case. Mike comes rushing in to confirm the engagement to which there is none still. And when the previous owner of the property Norman bought is killed, all building designs get put on hold. Hannah is reluctant to investigate after having gone up More...

0 comments like

Nov 15, 2011

Brittany rated it:

Another good Hannah Swensen book. And it inspired me to bake some Peanut Butter Melts which were delicious!! Thought it was weird that everyone is considering and pushing marriage proposals from both Mike and Norman, neither of which she is actually officially dating... She's "dating" both but there's not much behind the romances! Take it easy with the marriage ideas. Anyway, the rest of the book is good, like the mystery, and they make it different every time!

0 comments like

Jun 19, 2010

Heather rated it:

Every single one of these books begins with her waking up. I need a new beginning.
I like that Mike is starting to trust her. Also, the two man thing needs to be concluded in the next book or two or else it's going to get old.
After having read a few of her books it's becoming obvious as to who is the killer. Her style is predictable.

2 comments like

Dec 16, 2011

Laura rated it:

Even for those who aren't fans of this series, I thought this was well-written and actually suspenseful. We met a few new characters, and got to know others better. I also liked her good descriptions of the tourist trade in mn.

Also, this book contains the recipe for mystery cookies, which is almost worth the read alone.

0 comments like

Jun 24, 2010

Jeannie rated it:

Okay, this is a four star book in the summer reading category, not the greatest books of all time category, but with that explanation aside, the characters and small town setting are fun and the mystery plot is simple enough to read with distractions without being boring. And who can resist lemon meringue pie anyway?

0 comments like

Aug 12, 2011

Margaret added it

The first book I've read in this series - it was delicious! Comparable to the Diane Mott Davidson books, I found myself wanting to munch a few cookies while I read. Likeable characters, it made for fast reading. I may write down the Pineapple Bar recipe before passing this book on - it sounds so good! :)

0 comments like

Jan 05, 2010

Georgiann rated it:

Hannah Swenson thought she,d finally discovered the perfect life.Then Norman her sometime boyfriend buys an old house and plans to have it torn down and build his dream home . T he good news is the house is filled with antiques. Hannahs mom wants to check them out . But when she finds the dead body of the woman who sold Norman the house. Its up to Hannah to find out who murdered her and why.

0 comments like

May 15, 2008

Tabby rated it:

A lemon meringue pie, two pieces cut and only one eaten (an important clue or an insult to her cooking?), an empty bottle of wine and only one of two take-out dinners consumed-these bits of evidence set Hannah Swenson, amateur sleuth and owner of the Cookie Jar Bakery in Lake Eden, Minn., on the trail of a murderer in Fluke's fourth fun, frothy cozy (after 2002's Blueberry Muffin Murder). Who could have killed voluptuous Rhonda Scharf, whose half-buried body Hannah's interfering mother discovers More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 28, 2011

Whitney rated it:

This book brought me back into the series. After reading the Strawberry Shortcake Murder I thought I was done with this series, but I'm glad I gave this book a chance. I think it's necessary to take a break when reading this series. I've found that I can get through 2 and then I need a break.

0 comments like

Jan 04, 2009

Lady Ozma rated it:

Another Hannah Swensen novel down, along with another citizen of Lake Eden, Minnesota. This time Hannah's mother finds the body and Hannah's on the case. Better yet, Hannah's on a diet which proves very challenging as she tries to bake cookies for the town's 4th of July Festival.

0 comments like