Strawberry Shortcake Murder (Hannah Swensen Series #2) by Joanne Fluke

From Barnes & Noble

The stakes start rising faster than dough when a judge from the Hartland Flour company's Dessert Bake-Off is found dead in Hannah Swensen's strawberry shortcake. Can she catch the killer before he or she cooks up another recipe -- for murder?

From the Publisher

A New York Times best-seller, Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke is a scrumptious concoction of fresh-whipped mystery and culinary intrigue. Publishers Weekly calls it "a superior cozy sure to leave readers satisfied … but hungry for more." Hannah Swensen, amateur sleuth and boutique bake store proprietor extraordinaire, is judging a dessert contest when fellow judge Coach Boyd Watson is found dead, face down in a delicate confection no less.

Publishers Weekly

Following her successful debut, 2000's Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, Fluke brings back amateur sleuth and Lake Eden, Minn., bakery owner Hannah Swensen for another delicious adventure. Hannah has the honor of serving as head judge of the first annual Hartland Flour Dessert Bake-off, which she anticipates will be good advertising for her already popular bakery, The Cookie Jar. Then one of the judges, high school basketball coach Boyd Watson, is found dead, face down in Hannah's strawberry shortcake, and suspicion falls on Watson's abused wife, Danielle. Determined to prove Danielle's innocence, Hannah ignores the warnings of romantic interest Mike Kingston, the supervisor of detectives at the Winnetka County sheriff's station, not to get involved. Tempting descriptions of meals served at the local establishments, mouth-watering recipes and a warm family of characters ward off the vividly depicted bitter chill of a Minnesota winter. While the other characters tend to be stereotypical, Hannah is a believable, down-to-earth protagonist who can't function without her morning coffee, justifies her passion for chocolate as a biological need for endorphins and deals with a matchmaking mother and a needy sister with understanding and humor. Add the ingredients of a cleverly crafted mystery and a realistic portrayal of smalltown life, and you have a superior cozy sure to leave readers satisfied... but hungry for more. (Mar. 12) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

After a last-minute replacement judge for Lake Eden, MN's, first annual dessert bake-off alienates several contestants with his snide comments, he winds up dead. Did one of them kill him in retaliation, or did his physically abused wife finally get up enough gumption to do the deed? Cookie-store owner/sleuth Hannah Swensen (Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder) aims to find out. Hannah somehow finds time, while tending her shop, baking desserts, delivering cookies, and judging the bake-off, to milk her would-be boyfriend/detective for details and do her own sleuthing. A comfortable, cozy read, with a few recipes thrown in for later enjoyment. For fans of culinary mysteries. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Cookie entrepreneur Hannah Swensen is recruited to judge a bake-off but gets embroiled in a bittersweet murder. The victims are not Lake Eden's finest; one is a wife abuser and the other is a snippety blackmailer, but the town is small, concern is rampant, and Hannah is curious. She and her sister Andrea begin sleuthing to prevent their friend (the wife of the first victim) from being accused of a crime she did not commit. The story is at times dense with detail, but the relationships among family and neighbors are pleasingly homespun-and occasionally sophomoric. Spanning the time of the bake-off, this whodunit is appropriately interspersed with mouthwatering dessert recipes. Readers who don't like guts or gore will enjoy this mystery and stick with the amateur detectives as they reach an action-packed conclusion.-Karen Sokol, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Internet Book Watch

The citizens of Lake Eden, Minnesota are very proud of hosting the first annual Hartland Flour Dessert Bake-off. Bakery owner, Hannah Swensen is the head judge and even makes it on the evening news, showing how to bake strawberry shortcake. The first day of judging is not quite as smooth as the pre-event setup. Showing no tact, last minute replacement judge, Coach Boyd Watson accurately but viciously rips the desserts of four of the contestants, irritating everyone.That night Boyd's wife Danielle calls Hannah pleading with her to come over quickly. Hannah does only to find someone murdered Boyd in his garage. All the circumstantial evidence points towards Hannah. She was a battered spouse and even now sports a black eye. Her fingerprints are on the murder weapon, a hammer. Finally the victim's blood is all over her clothing. Hannah believes Danielle did not kill Boyd, but she worries that even her best friend, police detective Mike Kensington, thinks the wife killed the abusive husband. Having solved a previous homicide (see Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder), Hannah decides to investigate because she also realizes that in this election year, the sheriff, re-running for office, will want a fast solution. The Strawberry Shortcake Murder is an entertaining amateur sleuth tale starring a person who seems more like a neighbor than a character in a book. The story line is fun and Chef Joanne Fluke, who proves with this tale that she is not a one-book fluke, bakes the who-done-it to a tasty morsel.

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