Blackberry Pie Murder: Free Sneak Preview

by Joanne Fluke

It's been a sleepy summer for the folks of Lake Eden, Minnesota. In fact, it's been a whole four months since anyone in the Swensen family has come across a dead body—a detail that just made the front page of the local paper. And that means Hannah Swensen can finally focus on her bakery. . .or can she?
Life is never really quiet for Hannah. After all, her mother's wedding is a little over a month away and guess who Delores put in charge of the planning? Yet just when Hannah believes her biggest challenge will be whether to use buttercream or fondant for the wedding cake, she accidentally hits a stranger with her cookie truck while driving down a winding country road in a raging thunderstorm. Hannah is wracked with guilt, and things get even worse when she's arrested. . .for murder! But an autopsy soon reveals the mystery man, his shirt covered in stains from blackberry pie, would have died even if Hannah hadn't hit him. Now, to clear her name, Hannah will have to follow a trail of pie crumbs to track down the identity of the deceased, find a baker who knows more about murder than how to roll out a perfect pie crust—and get herself to the church on time. . .

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction

357 pages, ebook

First published December 15, 2013

About the author

Like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke grew up in a small town in rural Minnesota where her neighbors were friendly, the winters were fierce, and the biggest scandal was the spotting of unidentified male undergarments on a young widow's clothesline. She insists that there really are 10,000 lakes and the mosquito is NOT the state bird.

While pursuing her writing career, Joanne has worked as: a public school teacher, a psychologist, a musician, a private detective's assistant, a corporate, legal, and pharmaceutical secretary, a short order cook, a florist's assistant, a caterer and party planner, a computer consultant on a now-defunct operating system, a production assistant on a TV quiz show, half of a screenwriting team with her husband, and a mother, wife, and homemaker.

She now lives in Southern California with her husband, her kids, his kids, their three dogs, one elderly tabby, and several noisy rats in the attic.

Series:
* Hannah Swensen

Reviews

[Christopher Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. It was predictable like all these books are. After so many books you learn to like the cast of characters and it's usually obvious who the killer is ( the new person in town). Usually it's all wrapped up at the end of the story, but not this one it leaves you hanging for the next book. Several of the usual characters weren't even in this book, that was kinda off. Other than that and the ending I enjoyed my visit to Lake Eden. Excited for the next book.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cliffhanger! Great book as always but I do wish Hannah would pick a guy for good.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blackberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Love the Hannah Swensen series and all the characters involved in this family saga tale.
The three sisters, Hannah, Andrea and Michelle are wondering why their mother, Delores won't pick a color for the theme for her wedding to Doc. When she decides she changes her mind a week later.
Hannah heads to the car shop to pick up Lisa, her baker in The Cookie Jar and with the storm ends up running into a man and killing him.
She is in jail and with her notes and others helping to even figure out who the man is, there are many clues as they all gather with what they've seen. With lots of food recipes this is always a good story.
Lots of new things happen that are described, places where I never thought we'd see Hannah involved in....
Most of all I enjoy watching how she creates a new cookie-this is something I do yearly now as well. The freedom to play with food, flavors, textures, etc.
Excerpts from her next thriller series book, Dead Giveaway are included at the end.
This book has a bit of romance, mystery, baking, travel and new experiences.
I received this book from The Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a series when I picked up the audiobook. I found the plot to be slow-moving and predictable. Hannah Swanson accidentally hits a man in her truck during a severe thunderstorm. She is arrested and the search is on to identify the victim. There is never any serious concern that Hannah will go to prison and most of the book revolves around the witty banter between Hannah, her sister, mother, and friends. The book also included recipes from Blackberry pie to apple martinis.

[Yvonne Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Joanne Fluke's books with Hannah and the Cookie Jar. They are light rather fun reading. I would have given this book more stars, except for the ending. Fluke left us with a few cliff hangers, and I kept wondering if I had missed part of the book. It was such an abrupt ending. The sisters were planning the mother's wedding throughout the book, and that was one of the things that was left hanging. Hannah's lawyer told her that her court hearing should be over by the time her mother's wedding was to take place, and then the book ended. Now I am wondering how long it will be before the next book comes out, and if I will remember what had been happening in the story. I don't anticipate Fluke's books ending this way. I read other books, that I know will be in a series, and that is all right with me. I am very disappointed.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am really tempted to give this book 2 stars but have bumped it up because I love the characters in this series. And I hope that some things change soon in the continuing story line. I found myself irritated with actions in the story that I found not plausible. Seriously, who goes out to dinner at a nice restaurant the night that they hit and kill someone with a car? I'm frustrated with the drawn out 'can't choose between the two boyfriends, who also happen to have dinner together with Hannah most nights' theme. And the biggest part of the story was left hanging without resolution. Plus, the narrator that they use on this series has a most annoying voice and a delivery style that is completely awkward. I'll give the next book a try and then decide whether to just move on.

[Jeanne-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great Hannah story

[benebean · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was mediocre and the ending was so abrupt I was looking for another chapter

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolutely favorite authors

[Helen Grothe]

I enjoyed the book with a bit of humor.