From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble Review
Although Hanna Swenson firmly believed there could never be too many cookies, she had to admit there was at least one too many cookie shops in Lake Eden, Minnesota. She'd never cared for Shawna Lee Quinn, and the lovely southern belle's decision to tantalize Hannah's sometime beau, Mike Kingston, only added fuel to the fire. But when Shawna Lee opened her Magnolia Blossom Bakery right across the street from Hanna's beloved shop, The Cookie Jar -- well, that just took the cake! With its flashy new décor, grand-opening bargains, and promotional treats, the Magnolia Blossom was luring customers left and right; and even though Hannah knew that Shawna Lee's baked goods couldn't hold a candle to her own, she worried that her once-loyal clientele wouldn't find that out until after The Cookie Jar's finances crashed and burned.
Hannah tried to put her worries for the future aside, busying herself with preparations for her partner, Lisa's, upcoming Valentine's Day wedding. But her rival managed to insinuate herself even into this idyll. Bad enough that the Georgia peach planned to upstage Hannah by bringing her homemade cobbler to the reception; to put the frosting on the cake, Shawna Lee failed to arrive with her promised treat. After the reception and long past closing time, Hanna notices that the lights are still burning brightly at the Magnolia Blossom and, despite her personal pique, she makes a courtesy call to help her neighbor out…only to discover Shawna Lee's body on the bakery's kitchen floor. A suspect herself, Hanna will have to act fast to save her reputation -- and to figure out who had all the right ingredients to cook up this nearly perfect crime.
Bestselling author Joanna Fluke satisfies our sweet tooth with this tempting mystery, which includes 14 yummy-sounding recipes. Sue Stone
From the Publisher
With The Cookie Jar, Hannah Swensen has a mouthwatering monopoly on the bakery business of Lake Eden, Minnesota. But when a rival store opens, tensions begin to bubble...
As she sits in her nearly empty store on Groundhog Day, Hannah can only hope that spring is just around the corner -- and that the popularity of the new Magnolia Blossom Bakery is just a passing fad. The southern hospitality of Lake Eden's two Georgia transplants, Shawna Lee and Vanessa Quinn, is grating on Hannah's nerves -- and cutting into her profits.
At least Hannah has her business partner Lisa's wedding to look forward to. She's turned one of Lisa's favorite childhood treats into a spectacular Wedding Cookie Cake. And Lisa's aunt will be bringing her famous Peach Cobbler to the reception. But Hannah starts to steam when she finds out that Shawna Lee has been invited-and is bringing her own Peach Cobbler.
Hannah doesn't like having the Georgia Peach in the mix, especially when both Shawna Lee and Hannah's sometime-boyfriend, Detective Mike Kingston, are no-shows to the wedding. Hannah has suspected that Mike is interested in more than Shawna Lee's baking abilities. So when she sees lights on at the Magnolia Blossom Bakery after the reception, she investigates-and finds Shawna Lee shot to death.
Everyone in town knew the Cookie Jar was losing business to the Magnolia Bakery -- a fact that puts Hannah at the top of the initial list of suspects. But with a little help from her friends, Hannah's determined to prove that she wasn't the only one who had an axe to grind with the Quinn sisters. Somebody wasn't fooled by the Georgia Peaches and their sweet-as-pie act -- and now it's up to Hannah to track down whoever had the right ingredients to whip up a murder…
Includes 10 original recipes for you to try!
About the Author
Like Hannah Swensen, JOANNE FLUKE was born and raised in a small town in rural Minnesota, but now lives in sunny Southern California. She is currently working on her next Hannah Swensen mystery and readers are welcome to contact her at the following e-mail address: Gr8Clues@aol.com or by visiting her Web site, murdershebaked.com.
Library Journal
A new bakery in Lake Eden threatens Hannah's (Sugar Cookie Murder) cookie shop sales, but she's more worried by the interest her sometime boyfriend shows in one of its owners. When she stops by the bakery to check up on him, she discovers a corpse. An always tasty series. Fluke lives in Southern California. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Trouble brews along with decaf when the poisonous Quinn sisters open a bakery across the street from The Cookie Jar. At first, Hannah Swenson (Sugar Cookie Murder, 2004, etc.) can't believe her once-loyal customers are streaming through the front door of the Magnolia Blossom Bakery. Operated by seductive Shawna Lee Quinn and bankrolled by her rich-bitch sister Vanessa, who inherited piles of cash when her octogenarian husband expired last year, the upscale eatery offers rustic Lake Eden classy decor and an irresistible stream of free-lunch contests that have The Cookie Jar teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Although Hannah's sometime boyfriend, dentist Norman Rhoades, assures her that Shawna Lee's soggy confection can't hold a candle to her Minnesota Peach Cobbler, Hannah's not so sure, especially since she sees her other-time boyfriend Mike Kingston's Hummer parked behind the Magnolia Blossom with suspicious frequency. So when Shawna Lee gets killed, it's a good thing that Hannah has an ironclad alibi: Along with most of Lake Eden, she's at St. Peter's Catholic Church watching her partner, Lisa Herman, marry sheriff Herb Beesman. In fact, one of the few Lake Edenites missing from the ceremony is Mike, whose conspicuous absence persuades Hannah that she'd better put her rhubarb custard cake on hold while she gets to the bottom of the mystery. Although she ties up false leads a little too quickly, Hannah's sixth-even without the 14 recipes-would be her tastiest yet.
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