I never know which I enjoy more about Joanne Fluke's books;
the mystery or the recipes. Let's start with the lime and
optional vodka cookie bars! An August rain storm brings
branches crashing down onto roads. The terrible driving
conditions cause Hannah Swensen's truck to leave the
country road and hit a person so she's understandably
distraught.
BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER is the latest in this series about
three Minnesota sisters who run the Cookie Jar store and
coffee shop and stumble over more than their share of
murders. Now it looks as though Hannah's an unintentional
killer. Previously the ladies' main concern was arranging
the wedding of their notoriously picky mother, who keeps
changing her mind about menu and flowers. They discuss the
police interviews and what the local paper will report. The
dead man was not known locally and after the autopsy,
Hannah is charged - in public - with vehicular homicide,
and locked in jail. How much worse could this get?
Hannah's family and friends rally around to learn who the
man was and what he was doing, meanwhile bringing her
supplies like food, blankets and a romance manuscript which
her mother is sure she'll be delighted to proofread to pass
the time. The intrepid investigators ascertain that the
dead man had a blackberry stain on his shirt, and they know
someone who had a blackberry pie stolen off her windowsill
as it cooled. What else can they discover?
Some readers may find certain turns of phrase too cute,
such as "Norman was a great kitty-daddy" about a man who
keeps a cat. I also thought it was overdoing it to
say "After two gruelling days in the cell" when Hannah had
been treated with courtesy and allowed family visits and
home comforts. Wry humour however is present when a six-
year-old not only hears all the local gossip at Bible
school, but offers to teach her elders how to send texts.
So true! Recipes are written with easy-cook hints, for
those who don't bake often. The cream cheese and herb
scones sound scrumptious. As for the small ball-shaped
cookies with different edible treats in the centre - that's
a must for a kids' party!
Joanne Fluke serves up another sweet treat with BLACKBERRY
PIE MURDER, which will please fans and new readers alike.
It's been a sleepy summer for the folks of Lake Eden,
Minnesota. In fact, it's been a whole four months since
anyone in the Swensen family has come across a dead body—a
detail that just made the front page of the local paper. And
that means Hannah Swensen can finally focus on her bakery.
. .or can she?
Life is never really quiet for Hannah.
After all, her mother's wedding is a little over a month
away and guess who Delores put in charge of the planning?
Yet just when Hannah believes her biggest challenge will be
whether to use buttercream or fondant for the wedding cake,
she accidentally hits a stranger with her cookie truck while
driving down a winding country road in a raging
thunderstorm. Hannah is wracked with guilt, and things get
even worse when she's arrested. . .for murder! But an
autopsy soon reveals the mystery man, his shirt covered in
stains from blackberry pie, would have died even if Hannah
hadn't hit him. Now, to clear her name, Hannah will have to
follow a trail of pie crumbs to track down the identity of
the deceased, find a baker who knows more about murder than
how to roll out a perfect pie crust—and get herself to the
church on time. . .
Indulge In Joanne Fluke's
Criminally Delicious Hannah Swensen Mysteries!
I've read all of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson books and also the mysteries she has recently published. I like her wit and her writing style, but, I do agree with the review in that some of her turns of phrase are a little over the top. I also find it very strange that two very desirable bachelors are waiting for so long for her answer and tolerating each other. But, for the most part, I enjoy the characters personalities and the coziness of the Cookie Jar. (Vennie Martinisi 11:11am March 11, 2014)
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