Being the foodie that I am, I was instantly drawn to Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen Mysteries. Her first book, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder was a kick in the pants. Hannah Swensen, the feisty red haired heroine, is the owner of The Cookie Jar, a bakery in her hometown of Lake Eden, Minnesota. Hannah instantly winds up in the middle of a murder investigation, and with some twists and turns, solves the who-dun-it. Fast paced, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder was fun, and included some great recipes, so I ordered the next book in the Hannah Swensen series, Strawberry Shortcake Murder, for a little light Summer reading.Strawberry Shortcake Murder brings us back to Lake Eden, and this time, Hannah finds herself at the grisly murder scene of Lake Eden Basketball coach, Boyd Watson. Determined to clear his widow's name, Hannah juggles baking and investigating, and always manages to stay one step ahead of the police.
All in all, I like the Hannah Swensen mysteries, but Strawberry Shortcake Murder falls a little flat. Not enough action, too much character development. The story felt like it was missing something, as if it was attacked by a sloppy, slash happy editor. (I like Joanne Fluke too much to discredit her- besides, the recipes she wedges in between the chapters are phenomenal!).
I would have to rate Strawberry Shortcake Murder as Literary Tuna Casserole: a little predictable, but will still make you feel warm and cozy inside.
TITLE: Strawberry Shortcake Murder
AUTHOR: Joanne Fluke
Copyright: 2001
For more info on Joanne Fluke and the Hannah Swensen series, visit http://www.murdershebaked.com/
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