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Hannah Swensen #20 & 23 omnibus
Christmas Dessert Murder
CHRISTMAS CARAMEL MURDER
Hannah and her good pal Lisa have agreed to provide all the goodies for the town’s annual production of A Christmas Carol. But before anyone can say “Bah, humbug!” the actress playing Mrs. Claus exits stage left for good. As murder suspects pile up faster than snowdrifts in a blizzard, it might take a visit from ghosts of Christmas past to wrap up this mystery in time for the holidays . . .
CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER
Hannah’s life matches the hectic December hustle and bustle of Lake Eden when she agrees to help recreate a spectacular Christmas Ball in honor of Essie Granger, an elderly local in hospice care. But instead of poring over decadent dessert recipes, Hannah’s surprised by Essie’s secret talent for penning crime fiction. She’s even more surprised when the story turns real. It’ll be a true miracle if she can prevent another Yuletide disaster by solving a mystery as dense as a Christmas fruitcake . . .
Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!
Hannah and her good pal Lisa have agreed to provide all the goodies for the town’s annual production of A Christmas Carol. But before anyone can say “Bah, humbug!” the actress playing Mrs. Claus exits stage left for good. As murder suspects pile up faster than snowdrifts in a blizzard, it might take a visit from ghosts of Christmas past to wrap up this mystery in time for the holidays . . .
CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER
Hannah’s life matches the hectic December hustle and bustle of Lake Eden when she agrees to help recreate a spectacular Christmas Ball in honor of Essie Granger, an elderly local in hospice care. But instead of poring over decadent dessert recipes, Hannah’s surprised by Essie’s secret talent for penning crime fiction. She’s even more surprised when the story turns real. It’ll be a true miracle if she can prevent another Yuletide disaster by solving a mystery as dense as a Christmas fruitcake . . .
Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!
427 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2021
1245 people are currently reading
5339 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Fluke
134 books8,542 followersLike 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
April 19, 2025
I've read so many of these books at different times - sometimes they are part of a collection with other authors, sometimes there are several from Fluke bound together. Or it could be just a mini-novella from Fluke herself. Love Hannah as a main character. And a Christmas theme always makes it a fantastic holiday read.
May 20, 2021
I love the Hannah Swensen series. I've been a reader since book one came out in 2000. It was literally the first cozy culinary mystery I ever read. I read every single book as soon as it comes out. And I've seen every Hallmark movie several times. Gotta get my Hannah fix! Each year there is usually a holiday story or novella at Christmas and a new book. This time, the holiday story is a reprint of two earlier books in the series. I have to say I was a bit disappointed to not get a new Hannah holiday treat. I don't necessarily dislike reprints, but if I was going to choose two earlier Hannah stories, it wouldn't have been these two. Just not my favorites....
This book includes: Christmas Caramel Murder (Book #20, published in 2016) and Christmas Cake Murder (Book #23, published in 2018).
I'm a dedicated reader of this series. I will keep reading each new book until there aren't any more. The series went through a rough patch a couple years ago, but things seem to have improved.
Readers will enjoy these two holiday cozy stories. The recipes sprinkled amid the stories are wonderful, as usual. And Hannah and her crew are awesome. I've been reading this series for more than 20 years -- what more can I say! :) I keep coming back again and again for Hannah, Mike, Norman and the whole gang....plus recipes from The Cookie Jar!
I, of course, reviewed both of these prior books when they came out. Here are those reviews:
CHRISTMAS CARAMEL MURDER (Originally reviewed 2/2/2017)
Christmas Caramel Murder is the 20th book in the Hannah Swensen series. This story is a novella of only about 200 pages or so, including the recipes sprinkled throughout the book.
Hannah's new husband, Ross, asks her why The Cookie Jar won't be selling Christmas caramels for the holidays. Hannah replies that she and Lisa, her business partner and good friend, believe the candies they made last holiday season are bad luck. When she made them last Christmas, she found a bag of them near a dead body. Then she settles in to tell Ross the whole story of the murder case and a Christmas spirit that appeared to her.
This story at first reminded me a lot of a prior Hannah Swensen holiday novella, Candy Cane Murder. Hannah saw something in the snow and walked through the drifts down into a ditch and found a body. Both stories started out the same with a naughty Claus dead in the snow, but in Christmas Caramel Murder, it's the local slut who was playing Mrs. Claus in the Christmas play who got iced.
This story was short, but basically enjoyable. It's pretty much fluff with lots of recipes and subplot like what they are baking for the holidays, the broken popcorn machine at the high school and Norman's new huge television. The mystery is simple and not that involved. But, this is a cozy mystery....so fluff and light mystery is ok. That's how it's supposed to be. This would be a great cozy to read in front of the nice fire on Christmas Eve.
I was a little disappointed in this book. Mostly because it's so short. If you leave out the subplot unnecessary-to-the-mystery portions and the recipes, the mystery itself is maybe 50 pages tops. The rest is fluff stuff. And I found some parts of the plot to be just too cheesy -- like Hannah's father appearing as a ghost visiting her in the night to help her with the case. Really? At one point, he told her to throw a pen at him to prove he was a spirit. Umm....yeah. A bit too hokey for me. Plus, this story is told as a flashback to her new husband, Ross....the parts with Mike and Norman still acting all in love with her was just a bit weird since it was a story she was relating to her husband. I dunno....just seems like Joanne Fluke wrote this hurridly without paying too much attention. I feel like maybe she took the basic plot of Candy Cane Murder, replacing the victim with a woman and making little tweaks here and there to form a new story. Old hat. But.....the story would still be a nice cozy read during the holidays. It is what it is. After writing 21 books in this series, it might just be running out of steam a bit.
I'm surprised this wasn't another holiday collection like Candy Cane Murder that also included stories by Linda Levine and Leslie Meier. I could have justified the $20 price tag of the hardback book a little more if it had more than just the short, fluffy Hannah Christmas tale. But, it was an enjoyable read. I checked it out of the library, rather than buying it.
CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER (Originally reviewed 8/2/2018)
I have been a fan of the Hannah Swensen series for years. Although there are a lot of culinary cozy series now, this series was one of the first. After 23 books, this series is still one of my favorites, despite some....disappointments....in the last couple of books (not going to say what so I don't spoil things for newer readers but those who have read the entire series know I'm talking about R.) This book is a prequel taking readers back to before Hannah opened her bakery, The Cookie Jar, ....so it circumvents the R debacle. I was so excited when I saw this available for review. A Hannah prequel! Yep -- I'm up for it!
I'm going to delve into what I love about this book first, then get to several problems I see. Always the good first! :)
I love the fact that the plot of this book is a bit different....a bit of a story inside a story. Hannah comes home after college, not sure what to do with the rest of her life. She settles back into life in Lake Eden, helping her mother and sisters after the recent death of her father. An elderly much-loved resident of the little MN town has fallen on hard times and is in the hospital recovering from a fall. Hannah and her mother discover that the woman has been living in squalor in the old theater building in town. They come up with a plan to recreate the annual Christmas Ball, an event that Essie remembers fondly. And, they go to the old building Essie has been living in to pack up some of her belongings to bring to the hospital. While looking for items Essie has requested, they find some old notebooks. Essie was writing a story. Hannah, her sisters and mother all get totally sucked into Essie's story, which turns out might be a real mystery about the past. So...a story within a story. Nice creative touch for a Hannah Swensen Christmas tale!
I liked the fact that this story was completely pre-love triangle. For those new to the series, through most of the series, Hannah was torn between two men in Lake Eden. Things just dragged on too long, and when it finally did resolve, it was disappointing. But, in this prequel tale, Hannah is busy deciding to open her bakery and coffee shop. No love triangle. No male competition. Not even Moishe, Hannah's kitty cat.
Lots of recipes! From pork roast to breakfast burritoes and peach pie to mint cookies, there is a recipe to tempt almost everybody!
There is some nice character development in this prequel. Dolores has just lost her husband and is having difficulty dealing with the loss. Hannah has just finished college and wants to change her life plan of teaching college to something she will actually enjoy -- baking. The story gives some nice insight into Hannah, her sisters and her mother. I'm invested in these characters after years of reading this series. It was nice to read about what things were like for them before Hannah opened The Cookie Jar.
Much as I love, love, love getting a Hannah-fix, I do have to give an honest review.... Some problems evident in the past several books in this series are still a problem with this one.
Clunky, clumsy dialogue. Overuse of characters' names. Over explanation of situations, or characters unnecessarily repeating conversations or situations to other characters. It's just different (and more amateurish) writing than what I'm used to from this series. I went to my library's digital site and downloaded an early book in the series to see if I'm imagining things.....and no, I stand by my analysis. The writing style is completely different, and much less polished than the rest of the series. The last 3 books have been problematic. Ghost writer? Different editor? Something has changed. I'm invested in this series after 23 books and years of reading, but I'm disappointed by the changes in quality of writing and in the characters' behavior.
But.....all in all....I love this series and the characters. This was a nice Christmas story with some new elements that I enjoyed. But I have to be honest and say that the story should have gone through another round of editing to tighten things up, bringing it up to the standard of the first 20 books or so of this series.
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**
This book includes: Christmas Caramel Murder (Book #20, published in 2016) and Christmas Cake Murder (Book #23, published in 2018).
I'm a dedicated reader of this series. I will keep reading each new book until there aren't any more. The series went through a rough patch a couple years ago, but things seem to have improved.
Readers will enjoy these two holiday cozy stories. The recipes sprinkled amid the stories are wonderful, as usual. And Hannah and her crew are awesome. I've been reading this series for more than 20 years -- what more can I say! :) I keep coming back again and again for Hannah, Mike, Norman and the whole gang....plus recipes from The Cookie Jar!
I, of course, reviewed both of these prior books when they came out. Here are those reviews:
CHRISTMAS CARAMEL MURDER (Originally reviewed 2/2/2017)
Christmas Caramel Murder is the 20th book in the Hannah Swensen series. This story is a novella of only about 200 pages or so, including the recipes sprinkled throughout the book.
Hannah's new husband, Ross, asks her why The Cookie Jar won't be selling Christmas caramels for the holidays. Hannah replies that she and Lisa, her business partner and good friend, believe the candies they made last holiday season are bad luck. When she made them last Christmas, she found a bag of them near a dead body. Then she settles in to tell Ross the whole story of the murder case and a Christmas spirit that appeared to her.
This story at first reminded me a lot of a prior Hannah Swensen holiday novella, Candy Cane Murder. Hannah saw something in the snow and walked through the drifts down into a ditch and found a body. Both stories started out the same with a naughty Claus dead in the snow, but in Christmas Caramel Murder, it's the local slut who was playing Mrs. Claus in the Christmas play who got iced.
This story was short, but basically enjoyable. It's pretty much fluff with lots of recipes and subplot like what they are baking for the holidays, the broken popcorn machine at the high school and Norman's new huge television. The mystery is simple and not that involved. But, this is a cozy mystery....so fluff and light mystery is ok. That's how it's supposed to be. This would be a great cozy to read in front of the nice fire on Christmas Eve.
I was a little disappointed in this book. Mostly because it's so short. If you leave out the subplot unnecessary-to-the-mystery portions and the recipes, the mystery itself is maybe 50 pages tops. The rest is fluff stuff. And I found some parts of the plot to be just too cheesy -- like Hannah's father appearing as a ghost visiting her in the night to help her with the case. Really? At one point, he told her to throw a pen at him to prove he was a spirit. Umm....yeah. A bit too hokey for me. Plus, this story is told as a flashback to her new husband, Ross....the parts with Mike and Norman still acting all in love with her was just a bit weird since it was a story she was relating to her husband. I dunno....just seems like Joanne Fluke wrote this hurridly without paying too much attention. I feel like maybe she took the basic plot of Candy Cane Murder, replacing the victim with a woman and making little tweaks here and there to form a new story. Old hat. But.....the story would still be a nice cozy read during the holidays. It is what it is. After writing 21 books in this series, it might just be running out of steam a bit.
I'm surprised this wasn't another holiday collection like Candy Cane Murder that also included stories by Linda Levine and Leslie Meier. I could have justified the $20 price tag of the hardback book a little more if it had more than just the short, fluffy Hannah Christmas tale. But, it was an enjoyable read. I checked it out of the library, rather than buying it.
CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER (Originally reviewed 8/2/2018)
I have been a fan of the Hannah Swensen series for years. Although there are a lot of culinary cozy series now, this series was one of the first. After 23 books, this series is still one of my favorites, despite some....disappointments....in the last couple of books (not going to say what so I don't spoil things for newer readers but those who have read the entire series know I'm talking about R.) This book is a prequel taking readers back to before Hannah opened her bakery, The Cookie Jar, ....so it circumvents the R debacle. I was so excited when I saw this available for review. A Hannah prequel! Yep -- I'm up for it!
I'm going to delve into what I love about this book first, then get to several problems I see. Always the good first! :)
I love the fact that the plot of this book is a bit different....a bit of a story inside a story. Hannah comes home after college, not sure what to do with the rest of her life. She settles back into life in Lake Eden, helping her mother and sisters after the recent death of her father. An elderly much-loved resident of the little MN town has fallen on hard times and is in the hospital recovering from a fall. Hannah and her mother discover that the woman has been living in squalor in the old theater building in town. They come up with a plan to recreate the annual Christmas Ball, an event that Essie remembers fondly. And, they go to the old building Essie has been living in to pack up some of her belongings to bring to the hospital. While looking for items Essie has requested, they find some old notebooks. Essie was writing a story. Hannah, her sisters and mother all get totally sucked into Essie's story, which turns out might be a real mystery about the past. So...a story within a story. Nice creative touch for a Hannah Swensen Christmas tale!
I liked the fact that this story was completely pre-love triangle. For those new to the series, through most of the series, Hannah was torn between two men in Lake Eden. Things just dragged on too long, and when it finally did resolve, it was disappointing. But, in this prequel tale, Hannah is busy deciding to open her bakery and coffee shop. No love triangle. No male competition. Not even Moishe, Hannah's kitty cat.
Lots of recipes! From pork roast to breakfast burritoes and peach pie to mint cookies, there is a recipe to tempt almost everybody!
There is some nice character development in this prequel. Dolores has just lost her husband and is having difficulty dealing with the loss. Hannah has just finished college and wants to change her life plan of teaching college to something she will actually enjoy -- baking. The story gives some nice insight into Hannah, her sisters and her mother. I'm invested in these characters after years of reading this series. It was nice to read about what things were like for them before Hannah opened The Cookie Jar.
Much as I love, love, love getting a Hannah-fix, I do have to give an honest review.... Some problems evident in the past several books in this series are still a problem with this one.
Clunky, clumsy dialogue. Overuse of characters' names. Over explanation of situations, or characters unnecessarily repeating conversations or situations to other characters. It's just different (and more amateurish) writing than what I'm used to from this series. I went to my library's digital site and downloaded an early book in the series to see if I'm imagining things.....and no, I stand by my analysis. The writing style is completely different, and much less polished than the rest of the series. The last 3 books have been problematic. Ghost writer? Different editor? Something has changed. I'm invested in this series after 23 books and years of reading, but I'm disappointed by the changes in quality of writing and in the characters' behavior.
But.....all in all....I love this series and the characters. This was a nice Christmas story with some new elements that I enjoyed. But I have to be honest and say that the story should have gone through another round of editing to tighten things up, bringing it up to the standard of the first 20 books or so of this series.
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**
May 4, 2021
This is a reprint of 2 previous books and even though I read both of these books, it was fun to catch up with some of my favorite characters.
It's always a pleasure to find myself in Lake Eden with Hannah and her friends & family.
It's always a pleasure to find myself in Lake Eden with Hannah and her friends & family.
September 24, 2021
Two festive mysteries with mouth watering recipes. For those of you that have read the whole series these are old books being published again. Christmas Caramel Murder copyright is 2016 and Christmas Cake murder 2018 and they are together in this one book. There has not been much progress since the Ross debacle and I hope the next book advances the story of Hannah and her life in Lake Eden.
December 21, 2021
The first book is great as usual but the second story gave us a glance a how it started.
January 5, 2022
Had to give this book 1 star because the second story, Christmas Cake Murder was just absolute trash. First off, there’s no murder. There’s an attempted murder but that’s it, so the title is basically false advertising. After I get about 85% of the way through the book, then there’s an attempt on Essie’s life. The guy is apprehended, Essie is wounded, and after all that, someone says that they should continue on with the Christmas cake parade, because it’s what Essie would’ve wanted. Wtf?
And about the cakes and cookies, omfg this book. So in one part, Hannah is going through the motions of baking cookies. Like really going through it. The book describes how much flour she’s using, the type and color of icing, the effort she went through to get the industrial stove going, just all this stuff. She finishes the cookies and I’m like, good, we can move onto something else. Nope, the chapter then ends with us being given the recipe for the cookies. Again.
By the way, this book features recipes at the end of a few chapters. So we basically read about Hannah assembling the ingredients, baking the cookies and all that. Then at the end of that same chapter is the recipe. I was just like, seriously? Chapters later it happens again except with a cake! We get descriptions of her going through the motions of baking a cake, what she does with that stove, etc and at the end of the chapter, recipe. What in hell? Never read a book written quite like this before. It’s obviously filler. 🤦♀️
And then there’s the church ladies who just bore the hell out of me. Idk maybe because they’re church ladies. 🤷♀️ They’re determined to get Delores, Hannah’s mother, out of her depression. Why is she depressed? Because she’s a widow. Why not just let the woman grieve? So they decide to recruit her for the Christmas cake parade for Essie, who they think is dying. She’s not.
Another weird thing about this book is that it reads like the first book in the series. It goes through Hannah acquiring a location for her business, The Cookie Jar, the vehicle given to her by her mother for the business, the condo found by her mother, because she dropped out of college and came home. Her relationship didn’t work out. 🙄 So I did some digging and turns out this particular story is #23 of 28. So why the fuck does it read like book 1?!
And did I mention that these people are nosy as fuck? So Hannah finds Essie’s notebooks and starts reading them to the church ladies, her sister, and a friend. 🙄🤦♀️ It’s about a pregnant woman leaving town on a train and her man was shot. That’s the closest this book gets to an actual murder. Turns out they were journal entries written like a story. The guy who tried to kill Essie was basically trying to finish the job, mind you this woman is old as hell. Like dude let it go. Her cousin was involved with some criminal activity and her husband was a cop.
The way Hannah and Delores speak to each other and refer to each other is rather formal. Hannah calls her mother, never ma or mom. They’re supposed to have a warm relationship but you’d never know it at times. And they spend a lot of time taste testing cookies and cakes. Once again, filler. I was expecting some sleuthing, but since this book is written like it’s book 1, Hannah is having people test her food before selling it. For the first time ever, in her shop that she has, apparently, never opened. Weird for book 23.
I get that these cozy mysteries aren’t gonna have a lot of depth and that’s fine. I’m not expecting top author level work, but this was just so damn lazy, and the mediocrity, omg. Never seen people so excited about clearing a table after eating. Maybe that’s a church lady thing. 🤔 Anyway, this is going to be the last Hannah Swensen mystery book that I read.
And about the cakes and cookies, omfg this book. So in one part, Hannah is going through the motions of baking cookies. Like really going through it. The book describes how much flour she’s using, the type and color of icing, the effort she went through to get the industrial stove going, just all this stuff. She finishes the cookies and I’m like, good, we can move onto something else. Nope, the chapter then ends with us being given the recipe for the cookies. Again.
By the way, this book features recipes at the end of a few chapters. So we basically read about Hannah assembling the ingredients, baking the cookies and all that. Then at the end of that same chapter is the recipe. I was just like, seriously? Chapters later it happens again except with a cake! We get descriptions of her going through the motions of baking a cake, what she does with that stove, etc and at the end of the chapter, recipe. What in hell? Never read a book written quite like this before. It’s obviously filler. 🤦♀️
And then there’s the church ladies who just bore the hell out of me. Idk maybe because they’re church ladies. 🤷♀️ They’re determined to get Delores, Hannah’s mother, out of her depression. Why is she depressed? Because she’s a widow. Why not just let the woman grieve? So they decide to recruit her for the Christmas cake parade for Essie, who they think is dying. She’s not.
Another weird thing about this book is that it reads like the first book in the series. It goes through Hannah acquiring a location for her business, The Cookie Jar, the vehicle given to her by her mother for the business, the condo found by her mother, because she dropped out of college and came home. Her relationship didn’t work out. 🙄 So I did some digging and turns out this particular story is #23 of 28. So why the fuck does it read like book 1?!
And did I mention that these people are nosy as fuck? So Hannah finds Essie’s notebooks and starts reading them to the church ladies, her sister, and a friend. 🙄🤦♀️ It’s about a pregnant woman leaving town on a train and her man was shot. That’s the closest this book gets to an actual murder. Turns out they were journal entries written like a story. The guy who tried to kill Essie was basically trying to finish the job, mind you this woman is old as hell. Like dude let it go. Her cousin was involved with some criminal activity and her husband was a cop.
The way Hannah and Delores speak to each other and refer to each other is rather formal. Hannah calls her mother, never ma or mom. They’re supposed to have a warm relationship but you’d never know it at times. And they spend a lot of time taste testing cookies and cakes. Once again, filler. I was expecting some sleuthing, but since this book is written like it’s book 1, Hannah is having people test her food before selling it. For the first time ever, in her shop that she has, apparently, never opened. Weird for book 23.
I get that these cozy mysteries aren’t gonna have a lot of depth and that’s fine. I’m not expecting top author level work, but this was just so damn lazy, and the mediocrity, omg. Never seen people so excited about clearing a table after eating. Maybe that’s a church lady thing. 🤔 Anyway, this is going to be the last Hannah Swensen mystery book that I read.
September 21, 2021
Christmas Caramel Murder and Christmas Cake Murder were published previously as the twentieth and twenty-third installments in Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series. The characters are well developed, the setting charming, and the mysteries interesting.
Christmas Caramel Murder begins with Hannah and her new husband, Ross, dining at the Lake Eden Inn where the owners, Sally and Dick Laughlin, are getting ready for their annual Oktoberfest celebration, and Sally asks Hannah’s opinion about a new dessert Sally is testing. The subject of Hannah’s business partner’s, Lisa, chocolate caramels comes into play, and Hannah’s husband, Ross, who has never tasted caramels, asks if they will be making them again this Christmas make them. Hannah is hesitant, saying that they were bad luck since she found some of them at a murder scene the previous year. Ross asks to hear what happened, and Hannah proceeds to explain what happened. Lisa had told Hannah that her husband, Herb, had been working late every night and that she was concerned that he might be having an affair with his high school flame, Phyllis Bates, who had recently returned to Lake Eden, Minnesota. Herb had played Santa for the past four years, and he and Mrs. Claus passed out gift bags with candy and cookies to the children in the audience after the Lake Eden Players had performed their annual Christmas play. Needless to say, when Mayor Bascomb arbitrarily gives the role of Mrs. Claus to Phyllis, Lisa is upset, but she’s devastated when she sees Mrs. Claus kiss Santa in a completely inappropriate manner during the play’s rehearsal. Hannah has an uncanny penchant for finding murder victims, so it’s no surprise when she finds a body buried in the snow, and when the victim turns out to be Phyllis, both Lisa and Herb end up on the suspect list. Hannah is determined to find an alibi for her friend and Lisa’s husband Herb and find the real murderer. Hannah’s father comes to her as a ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to show her clues to look for.
Christmas Cake Murder takes readers back to before Hannah opened her bakery, The Cookie Jar. Hannah Swensen’s father, Lars, recently passed away, and her mother, Delores, is taking long naps, eating very little, and says she’s too tired to do anything. Michelle, the youngest, is still in high school. Andrea, the middle daughter, is married to Deputy Sheriff Bill Todd and is expecting their first child. Hannah, the oldest and in college, returned to Lake Eden, Minnesota, for the funeral and is helping her mother and sisters cope with their loss. After unsuccessful attempts by the sisters to get Delores involved with their lives, two of Delores’ friends, Grandma Knudson and Annie Winters, come up with a project she won’t want to do but will feel obligated to take on. Essie Granger, a beloved town resident, has fallen on hard times, not eating properly and living in squalor in two rooms in the old Albion Hotel building, without electricity or running water. She’s currently recovering from a broken hip, and Doc Knight placed her in the hospital’s hospice ward. Essie told Grandma Knudson and Annie that she wished she could go back in time and experience the splendor of the hotel’s first Christmas Ball and Christmas Cake Parade again, and they asked Delores to spearhead the event. She agrees, but only if Hannah will help bake the cakes for the parade. When Hannah and Delores go to the hotel to pick up some of Essie’s things, they find some old notebooks containing what they believe is a story Essie was writing. Hannah reads the story to Delores, Michelle, and Michelle’s friend, Lisa Herman, and they all enjoy what turned out to be a real mystery from the past. Hannah, who thought she wanted to be a college professor, changes her mind and decides not to go back to college to get her doctorate. She told Michelle and Lisa her dream job would be to own a bakery and coffee shop. Delores suggests that Hannah take the remainder of her college and rent a recently vacated bakery on Main Street. Delores does a fantastic job recreating the event and encouraging everyone to help, and Michelle and Lisa help Hannah with the baking. The Christmas Ball begins wonderfully, but mayhem breaks out during the Christmas Cake Parade.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
Christmas Caramel Murder begins with Hannah and her new husband, Ross, dining at the Lake Eden Inn where the owners, Sally and Dick Laughlin, are getting ready for their annual Oktoberfest celebration, and Sally asks Hannah’s opinion about a new dessert Sally is testing. The subject of Hannah’s business partner’s, Lisa, chocolate caramels comes into play, and Hannah’s husband, Ross, who has never tasted caramels, asks if they will be making them again this Christmas make them. Hannah is hesitant, saying that they were bad luck since she found some of them at a murder scene the previous year. Ross asks to hear what happened, and Hannah proceeds to explain what happened. Lisa had told Hannah that her husband, Herb, had been working late every night and that she was concerned that he might be having an affair with his high school flame, Phyllis Bates, who had recently returned to Lake Eden, Minnesota. Herb had played Santa for the past four years, and he and Mrs. Claus passed out gift bags with candy and cookies to the children in the audience after the Lake Eden Players had performed their annual Christmas play. Needless to say, when Mayor Bascomb arbitrarily gives the role of Mrs. Claus to Phyllis, Lisa is upset, but she’s devastated when she sees Mrs. Claus kiss Santa in a completely inappropriate manner during the play’s rehearsal. Hannah has an uncanny penchant for finding murder victims, so it’s no surprise when she finds a body buried in the snow, and when the victim turns out to be Phyllis, both Lisa and Herb end up on the suspect list. Hannah is determined to find an alibi for her friend and Lisa’s husband Herb and find the real murderer. Hannah’s father comes to her as a ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to show her clues to look for.
Christmas Cake Murder takes readers back to before Hannah opened her bakery, The Cookie Jar. Hannah Swensen’s father, Lars, recently passed away, and her mother, Delores, is taking long naps, eating very little, and says she’s too tired to do anything. Michelle, the youngest, is still in high school. Andrea, the middle daughter, is married to Deputy Sheriff Bill Todd and is expecting their first child. Hannah, the oldest and in college, returned to Lake Eden, Minnesota, for the funeral and is helping her mother and sisters cope with their loss. After unsuccessful attempts by the sisters to get Delores involved with their lives, two of Delores’ friends, Grandma Knudson and Annie Winters, come up with a project she won’t want to do but will feel obligated to take on. Essie Granger, a beloved town resident, has fallen on hard times, not eating properly and living in squalor in two rooms in the old Albion Hotel building, without electricity or running water. She’s currently recovering from a broken hip, and Doc Knight placed her in the hospital’s hospice ward. Essie told Grandma Knudson and Annie that she wished she could go back in time and experience the splendor of the hotel’s first Christmas Ball and Christmas Cake Parade again, and they asked Delores to spearhead the event. She agrees, but only if Hannah will help bake the cakes for the parade. When Hannah and Delores go to the hotel to pick up some of Essie’s things, they find some old notebooks containing what they believe is a story Essie was writing. Hannah reads the story to Delores, Michelle, and Michelle’s friend, Lisa Herman, and they all enjoy what turned out to be a real mystery from the past. Hannah, who thought she wanted to be a college professor, changes her mind and decides not to go back to college to get her doctorate. She told Michelle and Lisa her dream job would be to own a bakery and coffee shop. Delores suggests that Hannah take the remainder of her college and rent a recently vacated bakery on Main Street. Delores does a fantastic job recreating the event and encouraging everyone to help, and Michelle and Lisa help Hannah with the baking. The Christmas Ball begins wonderfully, but mayhem breaks out during the Christmas Cake Parade.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
December 13, 2021
CHRISTMAS CARAMEL MURDER
Hannah and her good pal Lisa have agreed to provide all the goodies for the town’s annual production of A Christmas Carol. But before anyone can say “Bah, humbug!” the actress playing Mrs. Claus exits stage left for good. As murder suspects pile up faster than snowdrifts in a blizzard, it might take a visit from ghosts of Christmas past to wrap up this mystery in time for the holidays . . .
CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER
Hannah’s life matches the hectic December hustle and bustle of Lake Eden when she agrees to help recreate a spectacular Christmas Ball in honor of Essie Granger, an elderly local in hospice care. But instead of poring over decadent dessert recipes, Hannah’s surprised by Essie’s secret talent for penning crime fiction. She’s even more surprised when the story turns real. It’ll be a true miracle if she can prevent another Yuletide disaster by solving a mystery as dense as a Christmas fruitcake . . .
My Thoughts: Each section of Christmas Dessert Murder brings delicious goodies and a murder mystery to the residents of Lake Eden.
I am a fan of Hannah and her Cookie Jar bakery, and in this particular set of stories, we spotlight both the present and the past.
In the story from the past, we meet Hannah at a younger age and follow her adventure of launching the Cookie Jar. Other characters are also trying out new experiences and adding to what we already know about them.
As with all the books, there are recipes appearing regularly and titillating us with deliciousness.
An enjoyable read, although I liked the present-day story more. 4.5 stars.
Hannah and her good pal Lisa have agreed to provide all the goodies for the town’s annual production of A Christmas Carol. But before anyone can say “Bah, humbug!” the actress playing Mrs. Claus exits stage left for good. As murder suspects pile up faster than snowdrifts in a blizzard, it might take a visit from ghosts of Christmas past to wrap up this mystery in time for the holidays . . .
CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER
Hannah’s life matches the hectic December hustle and bustle of Lake Eden when she agrees to help recreate a spectacular Christmas Ball in honor of Essie Granger, an elderly local in hospice care. But instead of poring over decadent dessert recipes, Hannah’s surprised by Essie’s secret talent for penning crime fiction. She’s even more surprised when the story turns real. It’ll be a true miracle if she can prevent another Yuletide disaster by solving a mystery as dense as a Christmas fruitcake . . .
My Thoughts: Each section of Christmas Dessert Murder brings delicious goodies and a murder mystery to the residents of Lake Eden.
I am a fan of Hannah and her Cookie Jar bakery, and in this particular set of stories, we spotlight both the present and the past.
In the story from the past, we meet Hannah at a younger age and follow her adventure of launching the Cookie Jar. Other characters are also trying out new experiences and adding to what we already know about them.
As with all the books, there are recipes appearing regularly and titillating us with deliciousness.
An enjoyable read, although I liked the present-day story more. 4.5 stars.
May 23, 2021
This is an anthology, of two Christmas themed Hannah Swenson mysteries that had previously been released and been more novella in length. If you’re new to Joanne Fluke and the Hannah Swenson books, I’m sure they would be a nice fun read, Christmas themed, vanilla romance with a bit of mystery to solve, with recipes added each chapter to boot, which is always fun. If you’re already a Joanne Fluke fan and have read all the books in the series, as I have, then you were likely bitterly disappointed by these two novellas when they were originally released. They take place as flashbacks, because Fluke unfortunately wrote herself into a hole she cannot get out of, and chose to write these books as flashbacks so she could act as if she hadn’t made those fatal plot errors in the books preceding. Unsatisfying as someone who has followed the series, but as a stand-alone to a newbie, should be a decent read.
January 14, 2022
In the first story Hannah has her sisters around for Christmas as well as her mom. This story takes place after her father has pass on. I enjoyed the part where her dad becomes the ghost of Christmas, Past, Present and Future and she gets to enjoy him for a brief moment. Basically a person comes back and the mayor decides that this person is going to be Mrs. Claus. Unfortunately, Herb is Mr. Claus and Lisa (Hannah's sister) is not happy about it since she knows that the person had a crush on her husband. The person ends up dead and Hannah needs to make sure that neither Lisa nor Herb are the people of interest. The second story takes place around the same period since her mom is in mourning. Her friends are able to give her a task to help with the grief and get her back into life again and that is to help out Essie (an elderly who has been around a long time and needs some assistance).
October 24, 2021
Christmas Dessert Murder is the 28th book in the Hannah Swensen Mystery series. It is a holiday omnibus from Joanne Fluke containing mysteries set in Hannah Swensen’s Cookie Jar bakery in Lake Eden, Minnesota: Christmas Caramel Murder (book 20) and Christmas Cake Murder (book 23).
I thoroughly enjoyed both of these fun tales. Some might be upset that Christmas Dessert Murder is not a shiny new story to read but I was delighted as, for me, it was two books for one neither of which I'd previously read. I'm looking forward to reading more in the collection and also book 29, Caramel Pecan Roll Murder.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed both of these fun tales. Some might be upset that Christmas Dessert Murder is not a shiny new story to read but I was delighted as, for me, it was two books for one neither of which I'd previously read. I'm looking forward to reading more in the collection and also book 29, Caramel Pecan Roll Murder.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
October 10, 2021
Thank you to the publisher for sending me the arc for winning on Goodreads!! I have read two of her other Hanna Stephen's Bakery mysteries. If you have never read any of her, this book would be the best to read. You can't beat two stories in one and you find out how Hannah was able to start her bakery.
Read
November 14, 2021This was a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you Goodreads!
I love the Hannah Swensen mysteries by Joanne Fluke! This book was a double treat, since there are two books in this volume. Both have great mysteries and lots of delicious recipes perfect for the holidays. This is the perfect book to get you in the mood for Christmas. I highly recommend, Christmas Dessert Murder.
I love the Hannah Swensen mysteries by Joanne Fluke! This book was a double treat, since there are two books in this volume. Both have great mysteries and lots of delicious recipes perfect for the holidays. This is the perfect book to get you in the mood for Christmas. I highly recommend, Christmas Dessert Murder.
August 6, 2022
Love these light Christmas Themed mysteries. The characters are fun and they combine baking along with recipes that are featured in each book. These two are both unique cause one features new one and one from Hannah's younger days.
January 11, 2025
Always love her books!!!! Fun with recipes that actually work!!!! Enjoy reading about Hannah and her escapades 🤗🤗🤗🤗!!
October 17, 2021
Christmas Dessert Murder
By: Joanne Fluke
Kensington Books
Kensington
Mystery & Thriller
Publish Date 26 October 2021
#ChristmasDessertMurder#NetGalley
50 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader
I would like to first thank NetGalley and Kensington for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Good Reads Synopsis:
The perfect stocking stuffer for fans of culinary capers, this holiday omnibus from New York Times bestselling author Joanne Fluke featuring two classic mysteries set in Hannah Swensen’s Cookie Jar bakery in Lake Eden, Minnesota: Christmas Caramel Murder and Christmas Cake Murder.
It’s Christmas in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and there’s no better way to enjoy the holidays than by cozying up to two Hannah Swensen yuletide mysteries with a plateful of goodies from The Cookie Jar bakery…
CHRISTMAS CARAMEL MURDER
Hannah and her good pal Lisa have agreed to provide all the goodies for the town’s annual production of A Christmas Carol. But before anyone can say “Bah, humbug!” the actress playing Mrs. Claus exits stage left for good. As murder suspects pile up faster than snowdrifts in a blizzard, it might take a visit from ghosts of Christmas past to wrap up this mystery in time for the holidays…
CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER
Hannah’s life matches the hectic December hustle and bustle of Lake Eden when she agrees to help recreate a spectacular Christmas Ball in honor of Essie Granger, an elderly local in hospice care. But instead of poring over decadent dessert recipes, Hannah’s surprised by Essie’s secret talent for penning crime fiction. She’s even more surprised when the story turns real. It’ll be a true miracle if she can prevent another Yuletide disaster by solving a mystery as dense as a Christmas fruitcake…
Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!
I gave this book 4 stars. I didn’t realize that this book was a bind-up of two books. I had already read the first book and really enjoyed but had read the second the book. I own both books.
The first book is Christmas Caramel Murder. This book is about the annual production of The Christmas Carol, that Hannah and her friend Lisa agree to provide all the refreshment’s for. Every year there is a Christmas light tour of the town. This year one of the displays looks odd because there is a Santa Claus lying on the ground in the front yard. What happen to this Santa and who killed Santa? They want to find the murderer before the big day but the clues are not leading anywhere. Can they find the murderer before the big day? You will have to read the book to find out.
The second book is The Christmas Cake Murder. This book starts out with Hannah coming home from college because her dad has passed away. This threw me off a little because it seems like it sound be the first book in this series instead of the twenty-third book. I really enjoyed this one because it gave a lot of information on why Hannah came back home. Hannah wanted to become a Professor and teach but she was finding out that she really didn’t want to go back because of a relationship break-up. This gave so much background information that is only hinted at in the other books. I loved it. Also this book has a different mystery in it. They are reading some notebooks that a very dear friend of the town wrote and they are enjoying it. Since this friend is in the hospital because of a broken hip they are recreating an event she has been describing. To get more information on this event they are on the hunt for details this is when they came across the notebooks. As the event comes together with the whole town getting together everyone is excited. Thins happen at this event and you have to read the book to uncover them. It is a sweet story and one you should read.
I have always liked reading her books and have actually tried some of the recipes. I highly recommend that you do the same.
By: Joanne Fluke
Kensington Books
Kensington
Mystery & Thriller
Publish Date 26 October 2021
#ChristmasDessertMurder#NetGalley
50 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader
I would like to first thank NetGalley and Kensington for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Good Reads Synopsis:
The perfect stocking stuffer for fans of culinary capers, this holiday omnibus from New York Times bestselling author Joanne Fluke featuring two classic mysteries set in Hannah Swensen’s Cookie Jar bakery in Lake Eden, Minnesota: Christmas Caramel Murder and Christmas Cake Murder.
It’s Christmas in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and there’s no better way to enjoy the holidays than by cozying up to two Hannah Swensen yuletide mysteries with a plateful of goodies from The Cookie Jar bakery…
CHRISTMAS CARAMEL MURDER
Hannah and her good pal Lisa have agreed to provide all the goodies for the town’s annual production of A Christmas Carol. But before anyone can say “Bah, humbug!” the actress playing Mrs. Claus exits stage left for good. As murder suspects pile up faster than snowdrifts in a blizzard, it might take a visit from ghosts of Christmas past to wrap up this mystery in time for the holidays…
CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER
Hannah’s life matches the hectic December hustle and bustle of Lake Eden when she agrees to help recreate a spectacular Christmas Ball in honor of Essie Granger, an elderly local in hospice care. But instead of poring over decadent dessert recipes, Hannah’s surprised by Essie’s secret talent for penning crime fiction. She’s even more surprised when the story turns real. It’ll be a true miracle if she can prevent another Yuletide disaster by solving a mystery as dense as a Christmas fruitcake…
Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!
I gave this book 4 stars. I didn’t realize that this book was a bind-up of two books. I had already read the first book and really enjoyed but had read the second the book. I own both books.
The first book is Christmas Caramel Murder. This book is about the annual production of The Christmas Carol, that Hannah and her friend Lisa agree to provide all the refreshment’s for. Every year there is a Christmas light tour of the town. This year one of the displays looks odd because there is a Santa Claus lying on the ground in the front yard. What happen to this Santa and who killed Santa? They want to find the murderer before the big day but the clues are not leading anywhere. Can they find the murderer before the big day? You will have to read the book to find out.
The second book is The Christmas Cake Murder. This book starts out with Hannah coming home from college because her dad has passed away. This threw me off a little because it seems like it sound be the first book in this series instead of the twenty-third book. I really enjoyed this one because it gave a lot of information on why Hannah came back home. Hannah wanted to become a Professor and teach but she was finding out that she really didn’t want to go back because of a relationship break-up. This gave so much background information that is only hinted at in the other books. I loved it. Also this book has a different mystery in it. They are reading some notebooks that a very dear friend of the town wrote and they are enjoying it. Since this friend is in the hospital because of a broken hip they are recreating an event she has been describing. To get more information on this event they are on the hunt for details this is when they came across the notebooks. As the event comes together with the whole town getting together everyone is excited. Thins happen at this event and you have to read the book to uncover them. It is a sweet story and one you should read.
I have always liked reading her books and have actually tried some of the recipes. I highly recommend that you do the same.
September 2, 2021
Christmas Dessert Murder (Hannah Swensen, #20 & 23): CHRISTMAS CARAMEL MURDER / CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER
by Joanne Fluke
Two prior stories in this box set.
.....
Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanne Fluke
Love the authors work and treasure recipes throughout each book.
This one starts out with Hannah and Ross-her new husband and after having a meal at the Inn he asks her about last Christmas event where the caramel candy didn't quite work out well.
She then explains to him over the course of the rest of the night what happened. Started out with Lisa and Hannah and Lisa has agreed they will need to make more as the candy company is out of business.
As Lisa informs Hannah of her spouses late night work she worries his new assistant who he had dated in high school was going to be Mrs. Santa Claus this year as Herb was Santa himself. They catch a rehearsal as they are in the neighborhood and just as she feared Gloria is up to her old tricks.
They buckle down and discuss it while they experiment and make treats only to find out later that Phyllis is now dead...
The characters in the book that are always in the books are present here: Norman, Mike, Herb, Lisa and her sisters and mother. Even a guest appearance from her father as a ghost of Christmas helps solve this one.
Recipes are to die for!
I received this book from The Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review
..
Christmas Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Have read most all of other books in the series, can be read as standalone also.
This one starts out when Hannah is just in college and they've lost their dad. Delores, their mom is taking it bad spending a lot of time in bed, napping.
One day her friends come up with a suggestion that might help get her going again. Only she'd be able to handle the huge event.
She accepts and we learn about how it all came together and what she has to do to make the event a huge accomplishment.
What I like also is that Essie has notebooks of stories she had written and it's played out by other characters. Love getting two stories in one book.
Love hearing how the cookie shop started-had no idea after 25 books.
Like hearing of the regular day when their dad was alive and how he'd spill food on his clean shirt-reminds me so much of my husband also.
There are many components to the Christmas Ball and a cake parade is one of them, sounds so yummy and colorful.
Loved learning new things: spray Pam in spoon before measuring molasses! it won't stick!
Quite the mystery surrounding Essie, glad it got solved! Conversion tables at the end of the book.
Recipes included after every other chapter that relate to the topics in those chapters.
Received this review copy from Kensington Books via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#ChristmasCakeMurder #NetGalley
Loved this set of two Christmas books.
Received this review copy from Kensington Books via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#ChristmasDessertMurder #NetGalley.
by Joanne Fluke
Two prior stories in this box set.
.....
Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanne Fluke
Love the authors work and treasure recipes throughout each book.
This one starts out with Hannah and Ross-her new husband and after having a meal at the Inn he asks her about last Christmas event where the caramel candy didn't quite work out well.
She then explains to him over the course of the rest of the night what happened. Started out with Lisa and Hannah and Lisa has agreed they will need to make more as the candy company is out of business.
As Lisa informs Hannah of her spouses late night work she worries his new assistant who he had dated in high school was going to be Mrs. Santa Claus this year as Herb was Santa himself. They catch a rehearsal as they are in the neighborhood and just as she feared Gloria is up to her old tricks.
They buckle down and discuss it while they experiment and make treats only to find out later that Phyllis is now dead...
The characters in the book that are always in the books are present here: Norman, Mike, Herb, Lisa and her sisters and mother. Even a guest appearance from her father as a ghost of Christmas helps solve this one.
Recipes are to die for!
I received this book from The Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review
..
Christmas Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Have read most all of other books in the series, can be read as standalone also.
This one starts out when Hannah is just in college and they've lost their dad. Delores, their mom is taking it bad spending a lot of time in bed, napping.
One day her friends come up with a suggestion that might help get her going again. Only she'd be able to handle the huge event.
She accepts and we learn about how it all came together and what she has to do to make the event a huge accomplishment.
What I like also is that Essie has notebooks of stories she had written and it's played out by other characters. Love getting two stories in one book.
Love hearing how the cookie shop started-had no idea after 25 books.
Like hearing of the regular day when their dad was alive and how he'd spill food on his clean shirt-reminds me so much of my husband also.
There are many components to the Christmas Ball and a cake parade is one of them, sounds so yummy and colorful.
Loved learning new things: spray Pam in spoon before measuring molasses! it won't stick!
Quite the mystery surrounding Essie, glad it got solved! Conversion tables at the end of the book.
Recipes included after every other chapter that relate to the topics in those chapters.
Received this review copy from Kensington Books via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#ChristmasCakeMurder #NetGalley
Loved this set of two Christmas books.
Received this review copy from Kensington Books via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#ChristmasDessertMurder #NetGalley.
October 28, 2021
Christmas Dessert Murder (Hannah Swensen, #20 & 23): CHRISTMAS CARAMEL MURDER / CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER
by Joanne Fluke
Two prior stories in this box set.
.....
Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanne Fluke
Love the authors work and treasure recipes throughout each book.
This one starts out with Hannah and Ross-her new husband and after having a meal at the Inn he asks her about last Christmas event where the caramel candy didn't quite work out well.
She then explains to him over the course of the rest of the night what happened. Started out with Lisa and Hannah and Lisa has agreed they will need to make more as the candy company is out of business.
As Lisa informs Hannah of her spouses late night work she worries his new assistant who he had dated in high school was going to be Mrs. Santa Claus this year as Herb was Santa himself. They catch a rehearsal as they are in the neighborhood and just as she feared Gloria is up to her old tricks.
They buckle down and discuss it while they experiment and make treats only to find out later that Phyllis is now dead...
The characters in the book that are always in the books are present here: Norman, Mike, Herb, Lisa and her sisters and mother. Even a guest appearance from her father as a ghost of Christmas helps solve this one.
Recipes are to die for!
I received this book from The Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review
..
Christmas Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Have read most all of other books in the series, can be read as standalone also.
This one starts out when Hannah is just in college and they've lost their dad. Delores, their mom is taking it bad spending a lot of time in bed, napping.
One day her friends come up with a suggestion that might help get her going again. Only she'd be able to handle the huge event.
She accepts and we learn about how it all came together and what she has to do to make the event a huge accomplishment.
What I like also is that Essie has notebooks of stories she had written and it's played out by other characters. Love getting two stories in one book.
Love hearing how the cookie shop started-had no idea after 25 books.
Like hearing of the regular day when their dad was alive and how he'd spill food on his clean shirt-reminds me so much of my husband also.
There are many components to the Christmas Ball and a cake parade is one of them, sounds so yummy and colorful.
Loved learning new things: spray Pam in spoon before measuring molasses! it won't stick!
Quite the mystery surrounding Essie, glad it got solved! Conversion tables at the end of the book.
Recipes included after every other chapter that relate to the topics in those chapters.
Received this review copy from Kensington Books via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#ChristmasCakeMurder #NetGalley
Loved this set of two Christmas books.
Received this review copy from Kensington Books via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#ChristmasDessertMurder #NetGalley.
by Joanne Fluke
Two prior stories in this box set.
.....
Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanne Fluke
Love the authors work and treasure recipes throughout each book.
This one starts out with Hannah and Ross-her new husband and after having a meal at the Inn he asks her about last Christmas event where the caramel candy didn't quite work out well.
She then explains to him over the course of the rest of the night what happened. Started out with Lisa and Hannah and Lisa has agreed they will need to make more as the candy company is out of business.
As Lisa informs Hannah of her spouses late night work she worries his new assistant who he had dated in high school was going to be Mrs. Santa Claus this year as Herb was Santa himself. They catch a rehearsal as they are in the neighborhood and just as she feared Gloria is up to her old tricks.
They buckle down and discuss it while they experiment and make treats only to find out later that Phyllis is now dead...
The characters in the book that are always in the books are present here: Norman, Mike, Herb, Lisa and her sisters and mother. Even a guest appearance from her father as a ghost of Christmas helps solve this one.
Recipes are to die for!
I received this book from The Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review
..
Christmas Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Have read most all of other books in the series, can be read as standalone also.
This one starts out when Hannah is just in college and they've lost their dad. Delores, their mom is taking it bad spending a lot of time in bed, napping.
One day her friends come up with a suggestion that might help get her going again. Only she'd be able to handle the huge event.
She accepts and we learn about how it all came together and what she has to do to make the event a huge accomplishment.
What I like also is that Essie has notebooks of stories she had written and it's played out by other characters. Love getting two stories in one book.
Love hearing how the cookie shop started-had no idea after 25 books.
Like hearing of the regular day when their dad was alive and how he'd spill food on his clean shirt-reminds me so much of my husband also.
There are many components to the Christmas Ball and a cake parade is one of them, sounds so yummy and colorful.
Loved learning new things: spray Pam in spoon before measuring molasses! it won't stick!
Quite the mystery surrounding Essie, glad it got solved! Conversion tables at the end of the book.
Recipes included after every other chapter that relate to the topics in those chapters.
Received this review copy from Kensington Books via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#ChristmasCakeMurder #NetGalley
Loved this set of two Christmas books.
Received this review copy from Kensington Books via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#ChristmasDessertMurder #NetGalley.
January 9, 2024
Oh my.
I almost DNF'd this. A 2 star may be a bit generous. But there were recipes, so.
The problems?
First, it felt like these two in the bindup should have been reversed. The father dies in the second story, and comes back as a ghost in the first? So that was a bit disconcerting. The second problem, which I noticed especially in the second story, was that the story itself read like a RECIPE. Every. Single. Action. was laid out and described. Oy. Maybe this was a way to pad it out, but hey, if it's a short story? Leave it a short story. (For instance, at one point she gets a cup of coffee from a brewing pot, and it is explained exactly how she manages this, as if we all haven't done this a million times.)
This would have been far better with 1. Better editing - not only were the actions drawn out to an excruciating degree, but there were whole chapters of the women having conversations about desserts that just didn't move the story forward. At all. And several instances of just poor copyediting - missing words, transposed words. For a popular author like this, I would expect better. 2. The story in the first one was a murder mystery. That made sense. The second one? Was there even a murder?? Okay, yes, but not in the actual story. In a story they were READING. Epic fail. That's not even cozy. That's a drama. Sorry not sorry. 3. Had they been switched in the bindup! I know they were published in this order, but they don't read well in this order. This kept bugging me the whole time.
Good thing? The recipes look interesting. I have yet to try any, but the instructions look clear and there are little tips in there that look helpful. I read through the burritos one though, and that was not too clear - are you rolling them up on the plastic wrap, and then using THAT piece of plastic wrap to wrap it in, and then getting a fresh piece of plastic wrap for each burrito? I really cannot condone heating up any tortilla in a microwave, either. But other than that, they all sounds amazing.
I kept reading the second story because I wanted to find out about the opening of her bakery - which was fully operational in the FIRST story, so I had a vested interest in that. The first story, again, was okay. I think I actually read that last year. And based on that, picked this up, thinking it was different holiday stories. But that second story, I don't know. It had so much going on, it was so poorly edited, and it really did not have a good mystery element to it. Disappointing. I also did not like the first story as much upon a second reading. Red flag.
Based on this abysmal performance, I don't think I'll be reading any more Fluke, even though the stories are ostensibly set in Minnesota. Which, really, feels more like Mayberry and that is not my experience of it. And that's okay, if ANY of it were realistic.
I almost DNF'd this. A 2 star may be a bit generous. But there were recipes, so.
The problems?
First, it felt like these two in the bindup should have been reversed. The father dies in the second story, and comes back as a ghost in the first? So that was a bit disconcerting. The second problem, which I noticed especially in the second story, was that the story itself read like a RECIPE. Every. Single. Action. was laid out and described. Oy. Maybe this was a way to pad it out, but hey, if it's a short story? Leave it a short story. (For instance, at one point she gets a cup of coffee from a brewing pot, and it is explained exactly how she manages this, as if we all haven't done this a million times.)
This would have been far better with 1. Better editing - not only were the actions drawn out to an excruciating degree, but there were whole chapters of the women having conversations about desserts that just didn't move the story forward. At all. And several instances of just poor copyediting - missing words, transposed words. For a popular author like this, I would expect better. 2. The story in the first one was a murder mystery. That made sense. The second one? Was there even a murder?? Okay, yes, but not in the actual story. In a story they were READING. Epic fail. That's not even cozy. That's a drama. Sorry not sorry. 3. Had they been switched in the bindup! I know they were published in this order, but they don't read well in this order. This kept bugging me the whole time.
Good thing? The recipes look interesting. I have yet to try any, but the instructions look clear and there are little tips in there that look helpful. I read through the burritos one though, and that was not too clear - are you rolling them up on the plastic wrap, and then using THAT piece of plastic wrap to wrap it in, and then getting a fresh piece of plastic wrap for each burrito? I really cannot condone heating up any tortilla in a microwave, either. But other than that, they all sounds amazing.
I kept reading the second story because I wanted to find out about the opening of her bakery - which was fully operational in the FIRST story, so I had a vested interest in that. The first story, again, was okay. I think I actually read that last year. And based on that, picked this up, thinking it was different holiday stories. But that second story, I don't know. It had so much going on, it was so poorly edited, and it really did not have a good mystery element to it. Disappointing. I also did not like the first story as much upon a second reading. Red flag.
Based on this abysmal performance, I don't think I'll be reading any more Fluke, even though the stories are ostensibly set in Minnesota. Which, really, feels more like Mayberry and that is not my experience of it. And that's okay, if ANY of it were realistic.
October 20, 2021
Christmas Dessert Murder
Joanne Fluke
October 26, 2021
Joanne Fluke is republishing a Christmas edition of her holiday writings of Hannah Swensen mysteries. The first is titled Christmas Caramel Murder, #20 in Hannah´s adventures. Originally published in 2016, it revolves around Hannah and LIsa´s busy times at the Cookie Jar. Aside from baking they are doing their usual orders for local residents and businesses. Again this year they will be supplying the treats for the Santa Celebration. Featured among the famous characters is Mayor Bascomb. He has recently hired Phyliss Bates as an assistant in his mayoral office. When his wife,Stephanie got word of this she laid it on the line to him. Consequently Phyliss was transferred to Herb Beesman´s office in the town hall. Fluke´s characters never keep much of a secret in Lake Eden. Her placement in his office made Lisa, Herb´s wife very unhappy. We find the usual humorous take on the pre-holiday happenings.
The second Fluke selection is Christmas Cake Murder. Although this book is 23rd in the series it features the Swenson family after the death of Lars, husband to Delores and father to the girls. We find Hannah back living at home trying to pull her mother out of complete desolation. She was not eating, crying, and sleeping most of the afternoon away. Hannah called on Delores´s long time friends, Grandma Knudson and Annie Winters to coerce her back to her usual pleasant self. This all takes place before Hannah opened The Cookie Jar. This book was originally published in September of 2018. The story has an historical edge to it concerning the writings of Essie Kalick, a long time helper at the children's home. She's been a volunteer for many events and a friend to many in Lake Eden. Her story revolves around the Christmas Ball, an event that supports the home each year. Essie had hoped to convince folks that another celebration would offer support. Recently however, her health problems prohibited her from beginning such a task. Of course, Delores took charge.
Joanne Fluke´s Christmas Dessert Murder is due to be published on October 26, 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corporation. I appreciate Kensington allowing me to read and review this latest Fluke novel. I had read the books when they first came on the scene but reading them again was a fun remembrance of Hannah and her cohorts adventures. The usual array of recipes are available at the end of each chapter. This is a fun holiday read for her admirers. Those not familiar with Joanne Fluke, looking for a comfort seasonal mystery, should pick this one up as well. Enjoy!
Joanne Fluke
October 26, 2021
Joanne Fluke is republishing a Christmas edition of her holiday writings of Hannah Swensen mysteries. The first is titled Christmas Caramel Murder, #20 in Hannah´s adventures. Originally published in 2016, it revolves around Hannah and LIsa´s busy times at the Cookie Jar. Aside from baking they are doing their usual orders for local residents and businesses. Again this year they will be supplying the treats for the Santa Celebration. Featured among the famous characters is Mayor Bascomb. He has recently hired Phyliss Bates as an assistant in his mayoral office. When his wife,Stephanie got word of this she laid it on the line to him. Consequently Phyliss was transferred to Herb Beesman´s office in the town hall. Fluke´s characters never keep much of a secret in Lake Eden. Her placement in his office made Lisa, Herb´s wife very unhappy. We find the usual humorous take on the pre-holiday happenings.
The second Fluke selection is Christmas Cake Murder. Although this book is 23rd in the series it features the Swenson family after the death of Lars, husband to Delores and father to the girls. We find Hannah back living at home trying to pull her mother out of complete desolation. She was not eating, crying, and sleeping most of the afternoon away. Hannah called on Delores´s long time friends, Grandma Knudson and Annie Winters to coerce her back to her usual pleasant self. This all takes place before Hannah opened The Cookie Jar. This book was originally published in September of 2018. The story has an historical edge to it concerning the writings of Essie Kalick, a long time helper at the children's home. She's been a volunteer for many events and a friend to many in Lake Eden. Her story revolves around the Christmas Ball, an event that supports the home each year. Essie had hoped to convince folks that another celebration would offer support. Recently however, her health problems prohibited her from beginning such a task. Of course, Delores took charge.
Joanne Fluke´s Christmas Dessert Murder is due to be published on October 26, 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corporation. I appreciate Kensington allowing me to read and review this latest Fluke novel. I had read the books when they first came on the scene but reading them again was a fun remembrance of Hannah and her cohorts adventures. The usual array of recipes are available at the end of each chapter. This is a fun holiday read for her admirers. Those not familiar with Joanne Fluke, looking for a comfort seasonal mystery, should pick this one up as well. Enjoy!
Read
January 27, 2022{1st} I'm a fan of Joanne Fluke and the Hannah Swensen Series. ever since I picked one of her new releases displayed at my library and proceeded to check every book out in order.
Maybe you didn't need to know all of that.
{2nd} I willingly admit that I don't like Ross, its just not the same since I read it. Honestly, how can you look at him in the same light after knowing? It's really quite hard.
{3rd}, Fully support having a third man in town who is a wonderful mash-up of Norman & Mike so I didn't have to just pick one.
Christmas Dessert Murder
1. "Christmas Caramel Murder"
2. "Christmas Cake Murder"
Each CozyMyst a full print of each book. I didn't know that before, ebooks kinda blinded me there. As always, great stories. Now I haven't read any of Fluke's Books in a while so other than the characters, it was like reading them for 1st time.
First up is "Christmas Caramel..." where Santa and Mrs Claus rehearse their parts for the kids.. candy, wishes and all of that. Instead of Herb and Lisa it became Herb and his high school ex, who seemed more of a give the milk for free kinda girl. She didn't care if Herb was married or not. So someone dies as discovered by Hannah, hunting for allibies and clues our courageous girl goes and gets herself entangled again... some saving needed.
There are treats that sound amazing here... a few had me imagining and 1 late night, I tried to reach into the book. While I can't bake them, I highly recommend someone eat them while you have that delicious freedom. Wish there were suggestions for more replacements, especially eggs. Maybe online because that could essentially create a disaster for all sorts of replacement requests to be in the book.
"Christmas Cake Murder"
I love many things about this book [story=book]. I think most is Hanna's past, her father, her beginnings of apt/bakery and so much more...
It rebuilt Hannah as a character and made me remember why she currently is the way she is. And not just Hannah but many of them, Doc and Delores.
I have never understood the whole "yes, mother" thing. But at the same time I have no replacement that's appropriate. Think about it. No really. Think about Delores' her character, her nature, style and personality. What makes her , essentially "Delores". Regardless of those around her. Not Mom/Mommy, Mama, Mum? Mummy, nope. Maa-
Nope, Definitely Not o_O
I got nothing. Remember, I never said a thing..shh.
Okay, I love that you put all these recipes in here. Sorry, I personally haven't made anything because I went from vegetarian->vegan. But its like I can smell the goodness and the yummy-ness like the smell of lemon butter cookies
Maybe you didn't need to know all of that.
{2nd} I willingly admit that I don't like Ross, its just not the same since I read it. Honestly, how can you look at him in the same light after knowing? It's really quite hard.
{3rd}, Fully support having a third man in town who is a wonderful mash-up of Norman & Mike so I didn't have to just pick one.
Christmas Dessert Murder
1. "Christmas Caramel Murder"
2. "Christmas Cake Murder"
Each CozyMyst a full print of each book. I didn't know that before, ebooks kinda blinded me there. As always, great stories. Now I haven't read any of Fluke's Books in a while so other than the characters, it was like reading them for 1st time.
First up is "Christmas Caramel..." where Santa and Mrs Claus rehearse their parts for the kids.. candy, wishes and all of that. Instead of Herb and Lisa it became Herb and his high school ex, who seemed more of a give the milk for free kinda girl. She didn't care if Herb was married or not. So someone dies as discovered by Hannah, hunting for allibies and clues our courageous girl goes and gets herself entangled again... some saving needed.
There are treats that sound amazing here... a few had me imagining and 1 late night, I tried to reach into the book. While I can't bake them, I highly recommend someone eat them while you have that delicious freedom. Wish there were suggestions for more replacements, especially eggs. Maybe online because that could essentially create a disaster for all sorts of replacement requests to be in the book.
"Christmas Cake Murder"
I love many things about this book [story=book]. I think most is Hanna's past, her father, her beginnings of apt/bakery and so much more...
It rebuilt Hannah as a character and made me remember why she currently is the way she is. And not just Hannah but many of them, Doc and Delores.
I have never understood the whole "yes, mother" thing. But at the same time I have no replacement that's appropriate. Think about it. No really. Think about Delores' her character, her nature, style and personality. What makes her , essentially "Delores". Regardless of those around her. Not Mom/Mommy, Mama, Mum? Mummy, nope. Maa-
Nope, Definitely Not o_O
I got nothing. Remember, I never said a thing..shh.
Okay, I love that you put all these recipes in here. Sorry, I personally haven't made anything because I went from vegetarian->vegan. But its like I can smell the goodness and the yummy-ness like the smell of lemon butter cookies
October 26, 2021
I should preface my review with the fact that when I requested a copy of the most recent installment of Joanne Fluke's that I misunderstood what it was. I thought it was a new holiday novel of hers, but in fact, it's a re-publishing of two of her other books. The error was mine and therefore, I thought it best to provide a bit of feedback for each one. If you are a loyal fan of Fluke's like I am, I recommend reading the description closely to ensure you haven't read both of these already.
The first, Christmas Caramel Murder (book #20) lands us in Lake Eden with another murder on our dear Hannah's hands. During her busiest of times, Hannah and her partner Lisa are baking away to provide the treats for the town's production of "A Christmas Carol". However, things get a bit messy when Lisa's husband, Herb, is cast as Mr. Claus alongside his ex girlfriend Phyllis... can you say awkward?! Yet, things go from bad to worse when Mrs. Claus is found dead in the snow wearing something less than Mrs. Claus-like. This book could be it's own stand-alone, but provides just a bit of a glimpse into Hannah's life that readers are seeking.
The second, Christmas Cake Murder (book #23) like the one before, this book is really a holiday special. The story is about young(er) Hannah starting her career as a professional baker at The Cookie Jar. She has agreed to provide treats at the Christmas Ball in honor of Essie Granger. As Hannah gets to know Essie she becomes fascinated with the woman's ability to pen about crime. However, when the story comes true, things take a turn and all of a sudden the captivating story seems far too real.
Like I said before, I can really only judge this republishing based on the stories within it. I love Joanne Fluke's books and her holiday ones are generally my least favorite. I miss my installment of Norman and Mike. What can I say? I'm here for the mystery AND the romance! I've read all of her novels and while some haven't been my favorites, I always find it comforting to return to Lake Eden.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Co. for the ARC!
The first, Christmas Caramel Murder (book #20) lands us in Lake Eden with another murder on our dear Hannah's hands. During her busiest of times, Hannah and her partner Lisa are baking away to provide the treats for the town's production of "A Christmas Carol". However, things get a bit messy when Lisa's husband, Herb, is cast as Mr. Claus alongside his ex girlfriend Phyllis... can you say awkward?! Yet, things go from bad to worse when Mrs. Claus is found dead in the snow wearing something less than Mrs. Claus-like. This book could be it's own stand-alone, but provides just a bit of a glimpse into Hannah's life that readers are seeking.
The second, Christmas Cake Murder (book #23) like the one before, this book is really a holiday special. The story is about young(er) Hannah starting her career as a professional baker at The Cookie Jar. She has agreed to provide treats at the Christmas Ball in honor of Essie Granger. As Hannah gets to know Essie she becomes fascinated with the woman's ability to pen about crime. However, when the story comes true, things take a turn and all of a sudden the captivating story seems far too real.
Like I said before, I can really only judge this republishing based on the stories within it. I love Joanne Fluke's books and her holiday ones are generally my least favorite. I miss my installment of Norman and Mike. What can I say? I'm here for the mystery AND the romance! I've read all of her novels and while some haven't been my favorites, I always find it comforting to return to Lake Eden.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Co. for the ARC!
August 26, 2021
I was so excited to finally read a cozy mystery by Joanne Fluke but much to my dismay, I was left with a sour taste in my mouth. Christmas Dessert Murder features Hannah Swensen in Lake Eden, Minnesota is combination of two previously published books in novella form, Hannah, a baker and owner of The Cookie Jar, is a known as an amateur sleuth working alongside the police to solve a murder. She just always happens to find the dead body first.
The first story, Christmas Caramel Murder had all the elements of a good cozy mystery with a the murder of a woman known to be the mistress of the mayor yet also after Hannah’s friends husband and plenty of suspects with motives, one who was Hannah’s friend Lisa. Hannah sets off to find an alibi for her friend and Lisa’s husband Bert and to find the real murderer. To help Hannah solve the mystery, her father comes to her as a ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to show her clues to look for. I found this to be too much.
The second story, Christmas Cake Murder allows the reader to see how Hannah came to be a baker and own her own baker following the death of her father. Although there is no real murder for her to solve in this story, there is a great tale written by Essie whom Hannah and her mother are trying to help by throwing a Christmas Ball.
Not much content in either story and too much telling rather than showing. Lots of dialogue that is mundane. While it was interesting and tempting to see all the recipes included, having them placed after every chapter takes away from the flow of the story and to me is a distraction. I would rather have them placed at the end of the book. Not familiar with Joanne Fluke’s style of writing, perhaps I will have to try another of her stories to see.
However, for today, this Christmas story brought no joy, just ho hum. I don’t want to be a Grinch but I was disappointed in this book.
Many thanks to #netgalley #joannefluke #Christmasdessertmurder for the opportunity to read and write an honest review.
The first story, Christmas Caramel Murder had all the elements of a good cozy mystery with a the murder of a woman known to be the mistress of the mayor yet also after Hannah’s friends husband and plenty of suspects with motives, one who was Hannah’s friend Lisa. Hannah sets off to find an alibi for her friend and Lisa’s husband Bert and to find the real murderer. To help Hannah solve the mystery, her father comes to her as a ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to show her clues to look for. I found this to be too much.
The second story, Christmas Cake Murder allows the reader to see how Hannah came to be a baker and own her own baker following the death of her father. Although there is no real murder for her to solve in this story, there is a great tale written by Essie whom Hannah and her mother are trying to help by throwing a Christmas Ball.
Not much content in either story and too much telling rather than showing. Lots of dialogue that is mundane. While it was interesting and tempting to see all the recipes included, having them placed after every chapter takes away from the flow of the story and to me is a distraction. I would rather have them placed at the end of the book. Not familiar with Joanne Fluke’s style of writing, perhaps I will have to try another of her stories to see.
However, for today, this Christmas story brought no joy, just ho hum. I don’t want to be a Grinch but I was disappointed in this book.
Many thanks to #netgalley #joannefluke #Christmasdessertmurder for the opportunity to read and write an honest review.
October 20, 2021
Christmas Dessert Murder by Joanne Fluke contains Christmas Caramel Murder (Book 20) and Christmas Cake Murder (Book 23). These are not new Hannah Swensen tales but reprints. While I wish they were new stories, I still enjoyed reading these two holiday tales. All our favorite characters are back: Hannah, Delores, Michelle, Mike, Norman, Andrea, and Lisa. The stories move along at a quick pace. The are lighthearted stories with plenty of cozy moments. Hannah spends time baking (of course), cooking, eating, and with her friends and family. There are plenty of recipes for readers to try as well. I thought it was amusing that in Christmas Caramel Murder, Hannah is visited by her father who acts as the ghosts of past, present, and future. In Christmas Caramel Murder, Hannah is telling the story to Ross while they enjoy dessert at the Lake Eden Inn. Christmas Cake Murder takes us back to when Hannah was in college and her father had recently passed away. Hannah is worried about her mother who has not been the same since Lars passed away. Recreating the Christmas Ball for Essie gets Delores up and out of the house. Hannah is enlisted to make the cakes for the cake parade at the ball. I liked that we get to learn more about the Swensen women as well as Lisa. There is a story within a story in this book. Hannah reads Essie’s notebooks which contains a story she was writing. I liked this tale. The mystery was simple but interesting. I did find the dialogue to be off. It was awkward at times. I do wish that the recipes were put at the end of the book instead of between the chapters. They interrupt the flow of the story. It was great to visit Lake Eden, Minnesota so I could check in with Hannah and the gang. There are mouthwatering recipes that will have you heading to the kitchen for a bake-a-thon. Christmas Dessert Murder contains two A Hannah Swensen Mysteries that will get you in the mood for the holidays.
September 18, 2021
Christmas Dessert Murder by Joanne Fluke was a comfort read. I knew there would be a murder, some fantastic recipes, family interaction and lots of baking. Unfortunately, most of these books follow the same pattern. This particular book is actually too small novellas. The second one was considerably more enjoyable than the first. The first book was titled Christmas Caramel Murder. You probably figured out there was a murder and it involved some of Hannah's caramel candy. Well not exactly Hannah's candy but you get the idea. The ending on this one was a little bit of a surprise. Usually it's fairly simple to figure out but this one had a little bit of a twist to it. The second book was by far more enjoyable. Christmas Cake Murder takes us back to the days before Hannah opened the Cookie Jar. The book is basically a story within a story. We meet the Swenson family after the death of Hannah's father. From there we learn how each sister followed her career path thanks to their meddling mother. But there's also a story within that. Or maybe I should say two stories within that one. One story involves a favorite local named Essie. Essie wants to see her memory of a Christmas ball come back to life before she passes away. The Christmas ball was a tradition in her younger days. While Essie is recovering in the hospital Hannah finds notebooks of a story. Is it Essie's story or just something made up? As Joanne Fluke ties all the ends together into a pretty Christmas bow the story wraps up with a surprise ending. I'm still only giving the book three stars. Half of each book seems to be recipes. And the stories are becoming very predictable, the conversation stilted and the characters flat..
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
January 27, 2022
This book a repackaging/reprint of two previous Hannah Swensen mysteries but I was especially happy to get this version as I had missed out on getting the version(s) That were published as single stories.
Christmas Caramel Murder
The titular sweets in this one are made by Lisa for a different Christmas celebration the previous year. Ross asks why they won’t be made or sold this year and this prompts the story of when Lisa thinks her candies were jinxed when they were found near a body. Lisa is also perturbed when Herb is tasked with playing Santa with an old flame instead of herself as Mrs. Santa. When the old flame ends up the victim, Lisa and Herb both find themselves on the list of suspects and Hannah vows to do her best sleuthing to clear them.
Christmas Cake Murder
This is a look back at how this all started. Hannah’s father has just passed and Hannah leaves college to help her mother get her father’s affairs in order. Hannah also, with the help of her sisters, manages to help Delores through the depression she sank into following her husband’s death by enlisting her to coordinate a Christmas Ball, including a cake parade..
Instead of going back to college to get her degree and become a teacher, Hannah decides to stay in Lake Eden and open The Cookie Jar. She also gets her condo and her cookie truck at this time.
I very much enjoyed the way this information was related to us in this book, as opposed to TCJ already being open, as it was in Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. And, of course, the recipes sound delicious. Our family also has a version of the cocktail snack mix that Hannah serves at Delores’ but next time I make it, I’m going to try Hannah’s version because the seasonings are slightly different than our usual go-to.
Christmas Caramel Murder
The titular sweets in this one are made by Lisa for a different Christmas celebration the previous year. Ross asks why they won’t be made or sold this year and this prompts the story of when Lisa thinks her candies were jinxed when they were found near a body. Lisa is also perturbed when Herb is tasked with playing Santa with an old flame instead of herself as Mrs. Santa. When the old flame ends up the victim, Lisa and Herb both find themselves on the list of suspects and Hannah vows to do her best sleuthing to clear them.
Christmas Cake Murder
This is a look back at how this all started. Hannah’s father has just passed and Hannah leaves college to help her mother get her father’s affairs in order. Hannah also, with the help of her sisters, manages to help Delores through the depression she sank into following her husband’s death by enlisting her to coordinate a Christmas Ball, including a cake parade..
Instead of going back to college to get her degree and become a teacher, Hannah decides to stay in Lake Eden and open The Cookie Jar. She also gets her condo and her cookie truck at this time.
I very much enjoyed the way this information was related to us in this book, as opposed to TCJ already being open, as it was in Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. And, of course, the recipes sound delicious. Our family also has a version of the cocktail snack mix that Hannah serves at Delores’ but next time I make it, I’m going to try Hannah’s version because the seasonings are slightly different than our usual go-to.
October 29, 2021
Christmas Dessert Murder by Joanne Fluke is really two books, both with a Christmas theme. The second of the books, Christmas Cake Murder is really kind of an origin story, taking place as Hannah opens her bakery and how that all came to be. There is a mystery, but it belong to someone else, a person who had been writing a book, but didn't know how to end it, so she left it and Hannah, her sisters, and her mom, came upon it, decided Hannah should read it aloud. At the same time the whole family and some friends are staging a re-enactment of the Christmas Ball at the hotel, no defunct, for an old friend. They do some research, talk to a few people, and are now totally immersed in decorating and baking. Hannah's father, Lars, has just died, and this was helping her mother tremendously.
I have been critical of the last several Hannah Swensen mysteries as I felt they lacked the depth and breadth of her previous works. It is back here. These were both clearly well written and well plotted books bringing Joanne Fluke back into the fold. Her characters were sharp, the plots and pacing were good and it was almost as if they had been written in an earlier time: I can find evidence that the first, Christmas Caramel Murder was, but no evidence that Christmas Cake Murder was. I enjoyed both books tremendously.
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Christmas Dessert Murder by Kensington Publishing, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #kensington #joannefluke #christmasdessertmurder
I have been critical of the last several Hannah Swensen mysteries as I felt they lacked the depth and breadth of her previous works. It is back here. These were both clearly well written and well plotted books bringing Joanne Fluke back into the fold. Her characters were sharp, the plots and pacing were good and it was almost as if they had been written in an earlier time: I can find evidence that the first, Christmas Caramel Murder was, but no evidence that Christmas Cake Murder was. I enjoyed both books tremendously.
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Christmas Dessert Murder by Kensington Publishing, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #kensington #joannefluke #christmasdessertmurder
December 28, 2022
It’s Christmas, and this volume contains two Christmas treats from Joanne Fluke!
It’s December,and Hannah and Lisa are decorating the sixteen-foot Christmas tree that they bought for their business, The Cookie Jar. Hannah is holding the ladder while Lisa slowly climbs the rickety old ladder to place the star on the top of the tree. Hannah meant to order a new ladder, but she has been so busy that she forgot. She found the old ladder in the basement of her Dad’s hardware business before it was sold and took it to use.
Finally Lisa gets to the top andreaches down for the star. Just as she’s reaching up to place it on the top,their back door bursts open! A voice says, “Girls! Come quick! It’s an emergency!”
Both girls are startled by the panic in Hannah’s mother’s voice, and the ladder starts to wobble!
Hannah can’t hold it,and she tells Lisa to jump! Somehow Lisa manages to clip the star to treetop, scramble down two steps, and jump as the ladder collapses in pieces!
Read Christmas Carmel Murder to learn what the emergency is,and how Delores,Hannah, and Lisa decide to handle the Christmas emergency!
In our second Christmas treat it is the December after Hannah’s father’s death. Hannah has come home from college to help her mother. Delores is always tired lately, and she is uninterested in the things that she usually enjoys doing. The girls have tried to rekindle their mom’s interest in life, but so far it hasn’t worked.
Read Christmas Cake Murder to learn how Delores becomes involved in activities again, and how Hannah becomes the owner of a business!
❤️✝️✡️❤️
It’s December,and Hannah and Lisa are decorating the sixteen-foot Christmas tree that they bought for their business, The Cookie Jar. Hannah is holding the ladder while Lisa slowly climbs the rickety old ladder to place the star on the top of the tree. Hannah meant to order a new ladder, but she has been so busy that she forgot. She found the old ladder in the basement of her Dad’s hardware business before it was sold and took it to use.
Finally Lisa gets to the top andreaches down for the star. Just as she’s reaching up to place it on the top,their back door bursts open! A voice says, “Girls! Come quick! It’s an emergency!”
Both girls are startled by the panic in Hannah’s mother’s voice, and the ladder starts to wobble!
Hannah can’t hold it,and she tells Lisa to jump! Somehow Lisa manages to clip the star to treetop, scramble down two steps, and jump as the ladder collapses in pieces!
Read Christmas Carmel Murder to learn what the emergency is,and how Delores,Hannah, and Lisa decide to handle the Christmas emergency!
In our second Christmas treat it is the December after Hannah’s father’s death. Hannah has come home from college to help her mother. Delores is always tired lately, and she is uninterested in the things that she usually enjoys doing. The girls have tried to rekindle their mom’s interest in life, but so far it hasn’t worked.
Read Christmas Cake Murder to learn how Delores becomes involved in activities again, and how Hannah becomes the owner of a business!
❤️✝️✡️❤️
May 13, 2021
Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of CHRISTMAS DESSERT MURDER (Two Christmas novellas in the Hannah Swenson Mystery Series) by Joanne Fluke in exchange for an honest review. In CHRISTMAS CARAMEL MURDER, which I hadn’t read before, Hannah tells Ross a story about why she feels like caramels at Christmas are unlucky. One Christmas, Hannah and Lisa agreed to provide treats for a local play. When the woman portraying Mrs. Claus is killed shortly after publicly kissing Lisa’s husband, both Lisa and her husband become suspects in the woman’s murder. CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER, which was familiar to me, is the tale how Hannah ended up opening the Cookie Jar. Hannah has just returned to Lake Eden following her father’s death and needs to get her mother to reengage in life. The plan to do so, helping out a recently hospitalized town elder Essie Granger, results in the family persuading the town to recreate the historic Christmas Ball, which was one of Essie’s happiest memories. As Hannah and her family prepare for the ball, they end up reading Essie’s personal papers, which contain an unfinished crime story. When the Christmas Ball arrives, Hannah finds out the story was true crime and that Essie planned to conclude the tale at the Yule event.
I liked the stories. I recommend this book to fans of the series and to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, Christmas time, family, and food.
#ChristmasDessertMurder #NetGalley
I liked the stories. I recommend this book to fans of the series and to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, Christmas time, family, and food.
#ChristmasDessertMurder #NetGalley
May 22, 2021
Christmas Desert Murder by Joanne Fluke is a wonderful, festive collection of two Christmas-themed books in one of my all-time favorite cozy mystery series ever: Hannah Swensen series.
This book consists of two books in one: Christmas Caramel Murder and Christmas Cake Murder. These books were previously released and are # 20 and #23 respectively.
I have already read both of these in the past, however after reading all 27 books and the multiple novellas, I have begun to read several for a second time (yes I love this series that much!).
It was great to revisit Lake Eden, Minnesota again and try to imagine feeling the chill in the air as it is warm where I am living at this time.
Both are excellent additions to this impressive series, especially the Christmas Cake novel as it is a throwback to when Hannah was just starting down the infamous sleuthing path she has established by now. Both are equally enjoyable and I look forward to anything that Ms. Fluke writes.
Truly scrumptious and has left me craving gingerbread as we speak.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
This book consists of two books in one: Christmas Caramel Murder and Christmas Cake Murder. These books were previously released and are # 20 and #23 respectively.
I have already read both of these in the past, however after reading all 27 books and the multiple novellas, I have begun to read several for a second time (yes I love this series that much!).
It was great to revisit Lake Eden, Minnesota again and try to imagine feeling the chill in the air as it is warm where I am living at this time.
Both are excellent additions to this impressive series, especially the Christmas Cake novel as it is a throwback to when Hannah was just starting down the infamous sleuthing path she has established by now. Both are equally enjoyable and I look forward to anything that Ms. Fluke writes.
Truly scrumptious and has left me craving gingerbread as we speak.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
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