Carrot Cake Murder: Hannah Swensen series book #10 review

Best when read in order ( see below).. this is one cute and yummy cozy mystery series that I'm really enjoying! For some crazy reason some sites spell the name as Swenson, just fyi...

Carrot Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries With Recipes #10) by Joanne Fluke


Fun and sweet with a healthy dose of mayhem


Anytime I look at my Joanne Fluke collection on my shelf I feel as if I have slices of dessert stacked one next to the other, these delicious morsels of sweet goodness are a fun getaway, as a nice book should be if you ask me! This is a cozy mystery with recipes and the theme of the story is carrot cake, sweet and chewy with a salty cream cheese frosting, smiles and tears if you will. There are some happy developments and there is death of course, as usual Hannah finds herself in the middle of everything but things are more serious than getting your hand stuck in some buttery cookie batter, the crime needs to be solved before the murderer strikes again.

It's summer and the trees are lush with shades of green cut through with sunlight like the insides of a dazzling jade kaleidoscope. Lazy days are what Hannah is looking forward to the most but a reunion gone wrong takes the hold of everyone's attention in Lake Eden. The Cookie Jar is as busy as ever but the tragedy strikes when Lisa's family reunion doesn't go as planned, Hannah's business partner finds herself face to face with death when her long lost uncle suddenly appears after twenty five years and dies that very week! Gus was a show off, flaunting his fame and money so the list of people who didn't like him has been long and it seems that it has followed him all the way to Lake Eden. The real intriguing part of the book was the debate about Gus and his identity, a man shows up and then expires, some are thinking that he was just pretending but why? I adore these cozy mysteries, it's not hard crime but it has its intriguing moments even if the answers aren't on the Agatha Christie level, I can never get enough of Hannah, her two boyfriends Norman and Mike who adore her crazy orange cat Moishe, her cozy bakery and her zany friends and family don't hurt the plot either. Sometimes it feels like the same old same old but comfort is in the familiar and when it's done well then it's truly warm and enjoyable. I like what I get when I read this series and it's also full of wonderful recipes, I tried a few with good results, so you get to eat and read, what can be better? Anytime I'm done reading one of these I have a strong urge to pick up the next one right away, which is always a wonderful torment, I save them though and space them out to read every few months and I cant wait for Joanne Fluke's Hannah Cookbook to come out this fall, should be quite tasty.



- Kasia S.

Updated 1/14/2012

Here is the Joanne Fluke reading order for the Hannah Swensen series
1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (2000)
2. Strawberry Shortcake Murder (2001)
3. Blueberry Muffin Murder (2002)
4. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (2003)
5. Fudge Cupcake Murder (2004)
6. Sugar Cookie Murder (2004)
7. Peach Cobbler Murder (2005)
8. Cherry Cheesecake Murder (2006)
9. Key Lime Pie Murder (2007)
10. Carrot Cake Murder (2008)
11. Candy Cane Murder (2008) (in Candy Cane Murder)
12. Cream Puff Murder (2009)
13. Plum Pudding Murder (2009)
14. Apple Turnover Murder (2010)
15. Devil's Food Cake Murder (2011)
16. Cinnamon Roll Murder (2012)