Raspberry Danish Murder is a good cozy mystery. Joanne Fluke writes a fun series of food related mysteries. I recommnd her books.

I don't even know what to say about this one. I usually enjoy Joanne Fluke books but this one just doesn't cut it. Not enough story, too many recipes and the characters just keep doing the same things over and over and over.

I love this series beyond words! Hannah Swensen is on the case again! I loved the twists and turns!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

I realized with this book, cozy mysteries are not for me.
Well written but not fast paced enough for me.

Raspberry Danish Murder
(Hannah Swensen #22)
by Joanne Fluke 

Kindle Edition, 385 pages
Published February 27th 2018 by Kensington


Goodreads synopsis:
Thanksgiving has a way of thawing the frostiest hearts in Lake Eden. But that won’t be happening for newlywed Hannah Swensen Barton—not after her husband suddenly disappears . . .
 
Hannah has felt as bitter as November in Minnesota since Ross vanished without a trace and left their marriage in limbo. Still, she throws herself into a baking frenzy for the sake of pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving-themed treats while endless holiday orders pour into The Cookie Jar. Hannah even introduces a raspberry Danish pastry to the menu, and P.K., her husband’s assistant at KCOW-TV, will be one of the first to sample it. But instead of taking a bite, P.K., who is driving Ross’s car and using his desk at work, is murdered. Was someone plotting against P.K. all along or did Ross dodge a deadly dose of sweet revenge? Hannah will have to quickly sift through a cornucopia of clues and suspects to stop a killer from bringing another murder to the table . . .

***

4.5 Stars

When this book starts, Ross is already missing/left/whatever. I am sure all the Team Mike and Team Norman fans are cheering hoping for his demise. But instead of Ross turning up murdered, his cameraman P.K. is the one who bites the dust. I find this sad, really. He was a great character that I liked a lot and hoped would be a good fit with Hannah’s sister, Michelle. This is showing me that Fluke is slowly drawing us away from the TV station setting and moving mainly back into Lake Eden, Minnesota. I have read some books after this one and have noticed the trend. Fluke is making us not so invested in the TV station by the death of P.K. I am sure it will be replaced by other settings of equal interest in other books.

The main cast is as fun-loving as they ever have been and most of the minor players show up at one time or another. I can’t always say this is the case in a Fluke mystery. It is nice to see the town so full for a change.

The name dropping of all the recipe titles is really noticeable in this book compared to most others. I am not sure if I were speaking about a cookie I was making would refer to the complete title of the cookie, bar, whatever. I would just say “check out this oatmeal cookie I made with a splash of lemon. Good, right?”

Looking back on this book after reading future books after this one, I wonder about Ross’s motives as to why he left Hannah all that money. I know Fluke was setting this up for a future plotline but it seems like a normal person might not take these particular actions. It is sometimes hard to remember these are not real people and are instead book characters.

As for the whodunit, the plot keeps you guessing until the bitter end. You will have to have some foresight to figure this one out. Definitely one of my favorite books from the series. I am not a big Ross fan so having him absent for this one made me happy.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I enjoyed this book and the recipes. I'm not a Ross fan and can't wait to have him turn up dead.. I'd preferred Hannah marrying Mike or Norman, or staying single over marrying Ross.
Patiently waiting for the next book...

Like the books before it, Raspberry Danish Murder features Hannah, her friends and family trying to solve not just a murder, but the mystery of Hannah’s missing husband as well. When an employee at the television station is poisoned, Hannah and her sister are especially upset, as they were friends with him. Though I always find the stories entertaining, the plot was a bit thin when it came to the murder. That stated, Fluke has become good at offering nuggets of information regarding Hannah’s missing husband, Ross, which made me look forward to the next installation. And as usual, the book is infused with recipes, mostly cookies of course!

I received an advance copy of the book from Net Galley and have provided an objective review.

I'm a devoted fan of Joanne Fluke. I love the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder Mysteries. I find her books to be very cozy, fast reads. However, the Raspberry Danish Murder missed the mark. I did not like the story. Keep in mind, the reader really should read the other books in the series prior to reading this book. I believe this is the nineteenth book in the series. I felt there was no character development. This story didn't keep me entertained. I felt like a chore actually reading it. I love Joanne Fluke, but I wouldn't recommend this particular book.

This is just as good as the other books in the series. When you get so far in a series, you start to wonder if it's going to go downhill. In this case, the answer is no. This book is just as good as the others.

A little over a year ago, I joined NetGalley and Raspberry Danish Murder, the 22nd book in the Hannah Swensen cozy mystery series by Joanne Fluke, was one of the first books I requested. It had just been published, but I was ten books behind in the series. Throughout the last year, I finally caught up and read this one. From what I'd read, given the strange arc the books took a little while ago, it wasn't going to be good. Forgetting the love/romance change, the mystery itself in this book was very typical and fit well within the boundary or range we've seen from the author.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I was sad to see who was killed given (s)he seemed nice in prior books. Sometimes the good ones have to die, I completely understand that as an author of a book series myself. Fluke balanced the past and the present, the known and the unknown in this book trying to find a way to explain how/why Hannah's husband might or might not stick around. That said, it ended with a cliffhanger bombshell that makes us think... are we going back to the way things were four books ago before the proposal? Wow, I can't wait to see. I have the next book ready to read, but I haven't bought the last one yet. I wonder how many more there will be!

“Raspberry Danish Murder” earns 4/5 Berry Treats…Deliciously Clever!

Anything with the word “raspberry” in it gets me interest, but add “murder” and I'm very interested...probably shouldn't say that out loud. This is book twenty-two in the series, so the ongoing storyline and development of characters have been well established, and I have nothing for comparison. However, I know the basic details from watching the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel’s version, reading a few synopses and reviews, talking to fans of the series, and with this story revisiting key information about background and character connections, I was totally engaged.

The immediate problem is Hannah’s husband has disappeared without a trace leaving Hannah to question their relationship and herself. It's a bit worse when she discovers things about him and his past she was previously unaware. It gets even "worser" when a man with whom her husband worked is found dead. It was a clever mystery supported by an engaging third-person narrative, delightful banter, realistic characters, and did I mention all the marvelous recipes following up each chapter? I didn't like some of the incidents where explanations of clues and evidence seemed repetitive, but I quickly read over those parts. Although there are similarities to the Hallmark movies I love, I greatly enjoyed the differences.

Another good add to the series...mysteries still going strong as well as the eternal character conflict.

Hannah and Ross's story is strange and a little disappointing. I guess my heart was with Norman! This was a quick fun read.

This book was a hard one to rate.

For the story itself, I think I'd give it four stars. It was certainly entertaining, The characters are all well developed - of course, we all know them well having read other books in this series. But sometimes I felt that the author just needed to fill in pages with words so we got elaborate descriptions of step-by-step baking or every little thing ordered at a restaurant and the food consumed (blue cheese dressing on the side so the leftover french fries and onion rings can be dipped in it, etc.) While I would like to read more of the Hannah Swensen novels, there is no urgency created. It's a good book.

However, the ending. The ending. That's what makes it five stars. I want to read the next book in the series. I NEED to read the next book in the series. The ending makes all the difference in the world! An author must want people to read the books she has written. And this ending (no spoilers) does exactly that. Joanne Fluke gets five stars for this one.

The only question that remains is, "How long must we wait for Hannah Swensen #23?"

I tried really hard to get into this book. I really did, I tried it over and over, but I didn't get the flow of the book. I have read other books by this author, but this one didn't have a good flow to it.

Hannah Swenson is newly married but her husband has disappeared! How does a newlywed husband just up and vanish without a trace?

Naturally, Hannah is upset and on a mission to solve this mystery. The mystery was well done!

As the 22nd in the Hannah Swenson books, this is another great addition to the series. I found it enjoyable and well done. Definitely not the best in the series but it is still great! I loved it. Of course, I just adore Hannah and the characters in the series!

I received an advanced review copy via NetGalley

Hannah's husband Ross is missing. She's worried about him, so she throws herself into her work. Ross's coworker P.K. is filling in for Ross, using his office and driving his car. When P.K. dies mysteriously, Hannah looks into his death to determine if it was related to Ross's disappearance. Along the way, Hannah learns some new things about her husband.

The 22nd book in the Hannah Swensen series. These cozy mysteries are light and entertaining. A fast read that's good for fans of cozies. Plus, recipes are included for the mouthwatering treats they mention in the story.

Another winner by Joanne Fluke...I always enjoy Hannah's adventures...and look forward to spending time w/ her. You will too.

Another good entry in a intriguing series with a very mostly unexpected twist at the end. By the end, I could predict a little bit who the murderer was and what happened with the character disappearance. As always, there are lots of great recipes that sound delicious, and I want to try them all. This mysteries always make me really smart because I can figure out whodunnit, and also, challenge the little grey cells, a little bit, to a different way of thinking and solving challenges.

Hannah Swensen continues to struggle with her new husband Ross' disappearance while she and Lisa (plus helpers, Michelle, Marge, Jack, Aunt Nancy, etc.) prepare for the upcoming holiday baking season, along with holding a cookie and coffee concession stand at Sally Louden's holiday craft fair.

This story felt a little lackadaisical with it's approach to solving the mystery. It felt like there was less investigation in this book and more the person (whether it is Hannah or Mike or whoever) just hearing the right story at the right time than actually figuring out whodunnit. Whodunnit is actually pretty easy to figure out (as the reader) if you're genre savvy enough. The solution/climax also seemed shoehorned in to the last 10% or so.

I also felt a distinct lack of characters I'm used to catching up with in the book. Or, at least a diminishing of those's characters' importance. I feel like there was much less of Delores and Andrea in the book than usual, especially so with Andrea. At least there's less than I would like.

This book also goes into some weird tangents, though it's totally within the logics of the story. And it felt, too, like there was less humor than has been present in other stories in this series.

However, all that said, this is still an enjoyable read and definitely recommend for Hannah fans. It's definitely good to be back in Lake Eden again.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and have voluntarily provided a review.