Blackberry Pie Murder


Book Description

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




Murder and Blueberry Pie


Book Description

Two murders lead NYC detective Nathan Shapiro out of the city and into the country in this mystery from the authors of the “excellent” Mr. and Mrs. North series (The New Yorker). Nathan Shapiro might be the gloomiest member of Manhattan’s finest, but that doesn’t stop the dour detective from getting the job done when the going gets tough . . . Lois Williams of Glenville, Connecticut, is going about her business when she’s abruptly asked to bear witness to the signing of a wealthy elderly woman’s will. She is just as quickly rushed out, and is disturbed when she learns that Abigail Montfort died less than thirty minutes after her departure. Lois can’t get the strange incident out of her head and confides her suspicions in newspaperman Bob Oliver, who agrees that something strange is afoot. As they investigate a young woman who may have been posing as Abigail Montfort, their search takes them to New York City and into the path of Det. Nathan Shapiro. While Shapiro doesn’t much like leaving Manhattan, a mugging death in town seems to be linked to the old woman’s death in the country. Soon, he finds himself chasing leads with the two amateur sleuths—and what they discover is a mystery that belongs on the front page . . . Murder and Blueberry Pie is the 2nd book in the Nathan Shapiro Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.




Chocolate Cream Pie Murder


Book Description

The latest irresistible cozy mystery with recipes from a bestselling author that fans of Kathi Daley, Laura Childs, and Jessica Beck will eat up, crumbs and all . . . When The Cookie Jar becomes the setting of a star-studded TV special about movies filmed in Minnesota, Hannah hopes to shine the spotlight on her bakery—not the unsavory scandal swirling around her personal life. But that’s practically impossible with a disturbing visit from the shifty character she once believed was her one and only love, a group of bodyguards following her every move, and a murder victim in her bedroom. Now, swapping the crime scene in her condo for her mother Delores’s penthouse, Hannah and an old flame team up to solve a case that’s messier than an upended chocolate cream pie. As suspects emerge and secrets hit close to home, Hannah must serve a hefty helping of justice to an unnamed killer prowling around Lake Eden . . . before someone takes a slice out of her! Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar! “Hannah’s fans will relish following Hannah’s journey as she heals and becomes stronger, surrounded by the love of family and the many familiar, quirky residents of Lake Eden.” —Booklist




Lemon Meringue Pie Murder


Book Description

The residents of Lake Eden, Minnesota, are planning to paint the town red, white, and blue to celebrate the Fourth of July—but the fireworks are already going off at Hannah Swensen’s bake shop, The Cookie Jar. . . Lemon Meringue Pie Murder Hannah Swensen thought she’d finally discovered the recipe for a perfect life. But her sometime beau Norman Rhodes tosses a surprise ingredient into the mix when he phones to tell her he’s just bought a house from local drugstore clerk Rhonda Scharf—which he plans to tear down in order to build the dream home he and Hannah designed. It seems the plan has been cooking for quite some time, and Hannah’s shocked. Especially since her ring finger is still very much bare. . . The good news is that the soon-to-be-torn-down house is full of antiques—and Norman has given Hannah and her mother first dibs. They uncover some gorgeous old furniture, a patchwork quilt . . . and Rhonda Scharf’s dead body. A little more sleuthing turns up the half-eaten remains of a very special dinner for two—and one of The Cookie Jar’s famous lemon meringue pies. Now it’s up to Hannah to turn up the heat—and get busy tracking down clues. Starting in her very own kitchen. Includes nine original cookie and dessert recipes for you to try! “Tasty . . . Hannah is irresistible as a cookie fresh from the oven.” —Publishers Weekly




Murder at the Blueberry Festival


Book Description

Living in a lighthouse with her dog, Lindsey Bakewell is lulled to sleep at night by the sound of Lake Michigan’s waves—and gets up at the crack of dawn to start the day at her bakery café. But someone in Beacon Harbor is about to rock the boat with murder… After a career on Wall Street, Lindsey is making a different kind of dough in a pretty lakeside village, and the upcoming blueberry festival—including the pie-eating contest her bakery is hosting—is the highlight of the summer. But soon Beacon Harbor runs into a patch of trouble. A local real estate agent gets pranked. A parade float gets pelted with water balloons. It’s all laughed off until the stunts start escalating—and looking more like sabotage. As the event turns into a debacle complete with rampaging goats, Lindsey’s sweetheart, a former SEAL, starts investigating. But the juicy mystery takes a bitter turn when a man—dressed up as a Viking—is found dead in a boat, and it’s no longer mischief but murder…




Joanne Fluke's Lake Eden Cookbook


Book Description

The Queen of Culinary Crime, Joanne Fluke, returns with a much-requested, newly updated edition of her New York Times bestselling Joanne Fluke’s Lake Eden Cookbook. This updated version includes all the recipes from the original 2012 cookbook and features title recipes from each of her delectable Hannah Swensen Mysteries that were released after, from Carrot Cake Murder to Pink Lemonade Cake Murder so recipes from the entire series are included. Joanne Fluke invites you to celebrate the holidays with Hannah Swensen and friends at Lake Eden, Minnesota’s annual cookie exchange! It's a picture postcard December in Minnesota. Pristine white snow is glistening in the winter sunlight, and Main Street is brimming with festive holiday decorations. Best of all, it’s the day Hannah’s mother, Delores Swensen, is holding her annual Holiday Cookie Exchange at the Community Center—catered by none other than The Cookie Jar! The whole Swensen clan, their friends, and members of “The Lake Eden Gossip Hotline,” of which Delores is a founding member, have gathered for the delicious event. And as they share their favorite juicy tales of Lake Eden and its residents over coffee and dessert, they also share their favorite scrumptious cookie recipes—plus a mouth-watering menu of luncheon recipes, including: *Kiss My Grits Cookies *Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie *Norwegian Pizza *Minty Marvels *Double Chocolate Puffs . . . plus all the recipes from Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder to Pink Lemonade Cake Murder. Whether this is your first taste of Lake Eden, or you’re back for another helping, you can now bring the irresistible flavors of The Cookie Jar into your very own kitchen!




Strawberry Shortcake Murder


Book Description

In her debut mystery, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, intrepid amateur sleuth and bakery owner Hannah Swensen proved that when it comes to crime, nothing is sweeter than a woman who knows how to really mix it up. Now, the flame-haired, tart-talking (and baking) heroine is back, judging a contest where the competition is really murder. Strawberry Shortcake Murder When the president of Hartland Flour chooses cozy Lake Eden, Minnesota, as the spot for their first annual Dessert Bake-Off, Hannah is thrilled to serve as the head judge. But when a fellow judge, Coach Boyd Watson, is found stone-cold dead, facedown in Hannah's celebrated strawberry shortcake, Lake Eden's sweet ride to fame turns very sour indeed. Between perfecting her Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie and Chocolate Crunchies, Hannah's snooping into the coach's private life and not coming up short on suspects. And could Watson's harsh criticism during the judging have given one of the contestants a license to kill? The stakes are rising faster than dough, and Hannah will have to be very careful, because somebody is cooking up a recipe for murder. . .with Hannah landing on the "necessary ingredients" list. "Another delicious adventure. . .a superior cozy sure to leave readers satisfied. . .but hungry for more." --Publishers Weekly Includes seven delicious recipes!




Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder


Book Description

First in the New York Times-bestselling mystery series: “A cleverly plotted cozy full of appealing characters and delicious cookie recipes.”—Publishers Weekly Take one amateur sleuth. Mix in some eccentric Minnesota locals. Add a generous dollop of crackling suspense, and you've got the recipe for this mystery series featuring Hannah Swensen, the red-haired, cookie-baking heroine whose gingersnaps are almost as tart as her comments and whose penchant for solving crime is definitely stirring things up. While dodging her mother’s attempts to marry her off, Hannah runs The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden’s most popular bakery. But after Ron LaSalle, the beloved deliveryman from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery—with Hannah’s famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him—she’s determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, so she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn’t watch her back, Hannah’s sweet life may get burned to a crisp. “Culinary cozies don’t get any tastier than this winning series.”—Library Journal




Devil's Food Cake Murder


Book Description

USA Today Bestseller: A minister, a mynah bird, and a murder keep a sleuthing baker busy in this “fabulous” mystery with “mouthwatering recipes” (Publishers Weekly). Hannah Swensen has to admit life is pretty sweet. Things are going well in the romance department, and her bakery’s delectable confections are selling as fast as she can make them. Even her good friend Claire is head over heels with her new husband, Reverend Bob Knudson. If only they could find time to take their honeymoon! When Bob’s childhood friend, Matthew Walters, comes to town, it seems like divine intervention. Matthew, like Bob, is a Lutheran minister with a stubborn sweet tooth. Since he’s on sabbatical, Matthew is happy to fill in for Bob while he and Claire take that long-awaited honeymoon. It sounds like the perfect plan—until Hannah finds Matthew facedown in a plate of Devil’s Food Cake, a single bullet in his head. And the only witness is a bird who squawks “The wages of sin is death.” It will take some sleuthing for Hannah to sift out the killer… Features cookie and dessert recipes from The Cookie Jar, including Red Devil’s Food Cake and Carrot Oatmeal Muffins! “Fans will be eagerly awaiting the next installment.”—Booklist




Key Lime Pie Murder


Book Description

It promises to be a busy week for Hannah Swensen. Not only is she whipping up treats for the chamber of commerce booth at the Tri-County fair, she's also judging the baking contest; acting as a magician's assistant for her business partner's husband; trying to coax Moishe, her previously rapacious feline, to end his hunger strike, and performing her own private carnival act by juggling the demands of her mother and sisters. With so much on her plate, it's no wonder Hannah finds herself on the midway only moments before the fair closes for the night. After hearing a suspicious thump, she goes snooping–only to discover Willa Sunquist, a student teacher and fellow bake contest judge, dead alongside an upended key lime pie. But who would want to kill Willa and why? Now Hannah needs to crank up the heat, hoping that Willa’s killer will get rattled and make a mistake. If that happens she intends to be there, even if it means getting on a carnival ride that could very well be her last… Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!