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Dec 17, 2009

Min rated it:

I had been eyeing this book for a while, mostly because the cover amused me so. I finally picked it up when I was on one of my cosy mystery tears. Knowing it had been written in the 80s made the content a little less annoying. Unfortunately, the first book is the best of this sad lot.
However, having read all but the latest (Key Lime Pie Murder, which I am still debating whether or not to read) in the series, I have to say that the series is not that great. The latter books were written mor More...

0 comments like (14 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Kate rated it:

Is it difficult reading? No. Are the characters the best characters I've ever read? No. But what this series does have going for it is that all the books are 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).
Hannah Swensen, the main character, while not as pretty as her sister Andrea, or her mother, f More...

0 comments like (9 people liked it)

May 31, 2011

Julie added it

My book is about a girl named hannah. She owns a chocolate chip cookie shop, in lake edin,lake edin is a very small town andonly a few people live there. There has been a terriable accident, the worker for the cozy cow milk company has been shot while eating hannahs chocolate chip cookies. Hannah has to find how shot him before people in her town find out that he was eating her chocolate chip cookies while he died,or her company will go down thedrain.

Today whe i read this book More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Oct 23, 2007

Bobbi rated it:

I am a sucker for the quick, easy, light-hearted mystery novels and I really enjoy Joanne Fluke. The characters are fun and the "whodunits" are clever enough. Not surprisingly many of the situations the heroine finds herself in are a bit unlikely. But it's not meant to double your IQ, just entertain and all of her books do well at that.

0 comments like (7 people liked it)

Feb 17, 2012

E. rated it:

One day Hannah Swensen, who's running her own bakery business The Cookie Jar, finds her usual delivery guy murdered in his truck. He has been shot, and Hannah's cookies were scattered around him.
To help his brother-in-law, who's the investigating detective, Hannah starts to collect clues from unexpected sources. And all that while baking cookies, running a business and dodging her mother who's trying to fix her single daughter up with every single man she sees.

This is it More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 26, 2008

Kimz rated it:

Really wanted to like this book (bought a later one from a used book sale... and wanted to start with this first book in the series).
It started okay and then there was the addition of a chocolate chip cookie recipe... a little gimmicky, but okay.
The characters could have been much more likeable. The main character admittedly lacks tact, which could be humorous (but I found the remarks she was making in her mind about an overweight person distasteful). The sister uses her female More...

4 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 16, 2008

Laurie rated it:

A few months ago, I went to the walk-in clinic because I was feeling miserably sick. They told me the wait would be at least 3 hours. I wasn't about to sit there and read the same out-dated magazines for 3 hours, so I snuck out and picked up this book at Walmart. I normally don't choose mysteries, but I figured anything with the words "chocolate chip cookie" in it had to be worth reading. I devoured this book just like I would a cookie, because it really was a fun and quick read. ( More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 26, 2010

Michael rated it:

This book is the first novel in the Hannah Swensen series. I thought it was an all-around great mystery story. It kept me guessing who the killer was right up until the end and left me shocked by the conclusion. What more can a mystery reader ask for?

I found the fact that the main character was a baker very entertaining. It made me want to run to my nearest bakery every time I read what newest cookie recipe Hannah would be preparing. The characters are also very amusing, but of cour More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Apr 22, 2008

Mandy rated it:

If I could I would give this 2 1/2 stars but since I can't I am leaning more to two stars. Here's the breakdown for me:

The Good- It was a quick, easy read. I didn't know who the murderer was and was slightly surprised when finding it out. The recipes look delicious that were added, very cute idea! And lastly, it's good to read someone else has the same belief as I do, "Chocolate can cure just about anything!" :)

The Bad- The characters are a bit annoying, the More...

4 comments like (4 people liked it)

Oct 16, 2007

Heather rated it:

The only reason I read the book in its entirety is because I was traveling and had nothing else to read in English. Aside from the flimsy plot and even flimsier characters, the thing that irked me most about the book was when the author tried to dress up her writing with mixed metaphors and other weak attempts at plumping up the lackluster text. "She was going to have a shiner the size of the Grand Canyon," and "She looked at the chisel-faced anchorman" ???!! Yes, I know More...

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 30, 2008

Heidi rated it:

I have been wanting to get into this series for a couple of years. Since I had gotten the audio for Melinda, I figured I might as well have my turn at it as well. I was not disappointed. Everything I'd heard about it was true: light, clean (not squeaky, but pretty near), some humor, and leaving me anxious to try the recipes. Of course, I had the audio version so I'll need to get a print copy so I can write out the recipes. I liked the characters. And I liked the story. As I'm getting the rest of More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 28, 2011

Chrissy rated it:

I loved this book and was finished in a day and a half, it was a quick and easy read. At first I didn't think I was going to enjoy reading this book, it seemed like a cheesy who done it mystery in the beginning. I was trying out the library borrowing via download onto the kindle and figured I might as well read the book after figuring out how to download it.

I am very glad I downloaded this book and stuck through the first two chapters. I became sucked in to trying to figure out the m More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 07, 2011

LitAddictedBrit rated it:

Apparently, this type of book is known in the literary world as a "cozy". I hadn't heard of this but the description does fit...

"...a mystery which includes a bloodless crime and contains very little violence, sex or coarse language...The character solving the crime is often an amateur sleuth who becomes involved for personal reasons"

What I loved the most about this book (awesome recipes aside - Regency Ginger Cookie anyone?) was that it was set i More...

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May 31, 2011

Sarah rated it:

It’s a little odd to go backwards in a murder mystery series. When I first discovered this author, the only book available was the third – Blueberry Muffin Murder. So I gamely put the first two books on hold and read that one. Well, at long last someone decided to return this first in the series.

The “hook” for this series is the inclusion of recipes, usually which have to do something with the title (I say this only based on my reading of two books so it may in no way be construed as f More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 02, 2011

Mimi rated it:

It’s funny how we discover writers and books sometimes. For instance, I was googling up Christopher Moore’s Fluke after I read it, and the name Joanne Fluke kept appearing. No, Joanne Fluke is not a whale or even a reasonable facsimile thereof, but a clever mystery writer who has written a series of mysteries revolving around an unlikely amateur detective/entrepreneur/baker extraordinaire….so I decided to give the first book in the series, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, a try.

Hannah Swe More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 09, 2011

The rated it:

Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen series is one of my decadent indulgences. *Sigh* I feel better admitting I am powerless over Jo's scrumptious series! Let me not even go into the yummy goodness nestled under the covers ;-}.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder kicks off a savory new mystery series. Fluke introduces a delectable, delightful, down-to-earth sleuth that readers of the mystery genre will definitely relish for many years to come.

I love Lake Eden! Fluke's picturesque small town More...

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Feb 21, 2011

Jenny rated it:

The title of the book was the first thing that caught my eye, but what really led me to read it was the fact that it was set in Minnesota. As a Minnesota native, I enjoyed the references to Minnesota sports teams, weather, cities, etc. It's always fun to read a book set in the Midwest!

I enjoyed the character of Hannah Swenson. Hannah owns a bakery/coffee shop known as "The Cookie Jar"--hence the title of the book. Hannah is a person well-liked in the community, but has fami More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 26, 2011

EZRead rated it:

How is this murder mystery possible? That is the question that continued to pop in my head while reading about a civilian who took it upon herself to practically head a murder investigation. One minute Hanna is just asked to keep an ear out for any relevant news on the mystery, and the next minute Hanna is taking over the whole operation. How is this possible? In reality, it’s not, which is a little disturbing to those of us who want some realism in our fiction.

Hannah even seems to kno More...

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Jan 24, 2011

Notnessie rated it:

This book was just middlin' for me. I thought the mystery was well thought out and intriguing, and I liked small town setting and baker-turns-detective idea. The recipes in the book are divine! I guess the characters just didn't quite pull me in.

Hannah Swenson is just a little too perky for me to take on in my sleep-deprived state. Her mother drives her crazy, she lives alone and her best friend appears to be her cat. Just why exactly are you so bubbly, lady? Must be the sugar More...

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Aug 31, 2010

Katie rated it:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder was really sicky-sweet. (Ha ha! See what I did there? It's a pun!) Hannah Swensen, doer of the right thing and owner of a cookie shop, has the misfortune of finding a body. That qualifies her to become an investigative detective, at least according to her brother-in-law, who's a policeman so he should know. He totally gives her classified information and practically begs her to snoop around town, interrogate witnesses and suspects, and break and enter to look fo More...

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Feb 19, 2012

REBECCA rated it:

This is the first book in a series. So far, so good. Hannah has recently moved back to her hometown after being away at school. She has opened up a cookie shop where the locals gather for great cookies and a cup of coffee...they also engage in a bit of gossip. Everything seems normal until Hannah's milkman ends up murdered in her back alley. Not one to turn away from a mystery, Hannah hooks up with her brother-in-law to help solve the case. Along the way, Hannah has to deal with her overbe More...

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Feb 11, 2011

Alisha rated it:

Okay, first of all I am a big cozy fan, but this one was terrible! I'm glad that I picked this book up used because I would be totally pissed if I'd paid full price.

Fluke's dialogue is unbelievable at best. Nobody talks like this! "Mother, Moshie just spilled his food. I have to go!" For real? The cat spilled his dry food and this is an emergency situation that is good enough for a nosy mom to accept as hang-up worthy? I kept reading only because I had nothing else to More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 15, 2009

Carrie rated it:

I should not have read other reviews of this book, before I did so I was reading along with only a slight nagging annoyance that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I'm not finished yet, but I will only be skimming the last 100 pages in order to find out who done it, I definitely won't be wasting my time with the other books in this series. Don't get me wrong, I love a cozy mystery & read lots of 'em, but why does the main character (if she’s younger than 35) always fall into one of two types i More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Apr 24, 2010

Wendy rated it:

This was my first book by this author and the first in this series and I really enjoyed it. The characters are like real people and I could see myself being friends with Hannah, who is very likeable.
Hannah Swenson runs a cafe called The Cookie Jar which specializes in cookies made from her own recipes (many of which are included in the book...yum). When she finds the dairy deliveryman shot to death outdie her door, the curious flock to her cafe to find out all the details. However, a murde More...

2 comments like

Jun 08, 2007

Writerlibrarian rated it:

This is my new guilty pleasure reading. I ordered the next 6 books in this tongue in check, fluffly, foodie mystery series. It's fluff and proud of it. Doesn't mascarade as literature or anything else than good old fun whodunit mystery. You get great cookie recipes as a bonus. Hannah has the most annoying mother this side of Jackie Tyler. You kinda end up rooting for the geeky dentist to win Hannah's heart. I don't really trust that out of town detective. : )

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 09, 2011

Kat rated it:

I love the titles of these murder mysteries. And the book covers always have cute pictures of desserts on them. I've only read a handful of mystery novels, but I definitely want to read more. I thought the Hannah Swensen Mysteries would be a good way to get more into mystery novels because they're part chick lit and part cookbook.

This first story in the series pulled me in right away. Hannah Swensen, owner of The Cookie Jar bakery in Lake Eden, Minnesota, discovers the body of her da More...

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Jan 02, 2011

Andrea (mrsaubergine) rated it:

I chose this book from the Kindle bestsellers' list for three reasons: 1) the yummy title; 2) the accompanying recipes; and 3) it was cheap - $US2.99.
It was an easy read with a very basic plotline, but there were numerous characters to keep track of and by about halfway through I realised I was keen to find out whodunnit. Prior to that I had been mostly annoyed at the ineptitude of the police - why give a rookie detective sole charge of the biggest crime in town, which ended up being a doub More...

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Oct 06, 2010

Ruth rated it:

Hannah returned to Lake Eden and started her business "The Cookie Jar". Early each morning, Hannah comes into work to start up a fresh pot of coffee and bake some delicious new cookies before her customers begin to arrive. One morning, Hannah discovers the dairy delivery man dead in his truck - shot through the heart. Everyone loved Ron and the folks in this peaceful town wonder who the murderer is in their midst. Hannah's brother-in-law works for the sheriff's department and he is More...

1 comment like

Mar 22, 2009

Amy (amyb2332) rated it:

I liked this one okay but I didn't love it and while I will probably eventually read more of the series, I have no burning desire to run out and get the books right away. I think if it wasn't for the recipes and the cookie subline of this books, I probably would have given it 2 stars. But I'm a sucker for cookies so what can I say!

I found the mystery part to be pretty good actually. I mean it isn't great but the author does a good job of having lots of characters, so you do really f More...

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Jan 26, 2012

David rated it:

The first Hannah Swansen mystery plus a bonus novella. (Does anyone know the difference between a novella and a short story?)It is an excellent mystery.I really liked that hannah was actually asked by the police to help with the mystery instead of being repeatedly to not get involved.Of course, I am not sure the police thought she would do as much as she did.I think they were just expecting her to listen for clues when customers came into her coffee shop/cookie store.The characters are interesti More...

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