I recommend this book to Hannah Swenson fans, it is a must read. Hannah is finally getting her life back on track when Ross reenters it but this time now so lovingly. I have not read all of this book series but most of the ones I have read over the years can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. This book, however, in my opinion, you need to have read the previous two books to really have an understanding of what is going on. One other element that has some fans a little upset is that the murder does not happen until about the 80% mark. This, however, did not really bother me as there is enough mystery surrounding why Ross is suddenly back and asking for the money he left behind. I really enjoyed this book and I am happy to see that Hannah seems to be getting back to herself and not letting everyone make decisions for her but at the same time, she willingly accepts help from her family and friends. Also, she isn’t making stupid decisions by putting her life in jeopardy. I also like how there isn’t this love triangle with Norman and Mike but they are still very much there for her as friends. I don’t think the murder victim will be a surprise to anyone and most fans will be happy the victim is this person even if it took a while to happen. The only thing that I didn’t like is the placement of the recipes but this is a minor thing and should not reflect on my opinion of this storyline or writing of the author. If you like recipes there is no shortage in this one. There is a big cliff hanger in this book that I somewhat suspected but was still surprised at the reveal. I am looking forward to the next book.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.

This is the 24th book in the series and I have enjoyed them all. Hannah is a cookie maker and owner of the Cookie Jar. She recently married an old boyfriend from college, Ross, leaving her friends and 2 ex-boyfriends surprised. However, Ross has disappeared and this book begins with Hannah apologizing for Ross to her friends and church. As the Cookie Jar prepares for Valentine’s Day, more uproar comes into Hannah’s life. Ross is threatening Hannah to get his money back that he left her when he disappeared.

The story escalates until finally someone is murdered. Hannah also ends the book with a not unexpected cliffhanger. I received a netgalley copy of this book for my honest opinion.

The recipes in this book look great. I look forward to trying the boozy frozen grapes!

Another great book in the Hannah Swenson series. This time Hannah is recovering from finding out that she was never legally married to Ross. Then he shows up out of no where and turns into a crazy person, causing Hannah's friends and family to keep a close eye on her. Little mad about this cliffhanger at the end because I don't want to wait a year to find out what happened! Filled with lots of yummy sounding recipes.

This is book 24. I enjoyed it as much as the others. As usual I love reading the recipes and side notes. I was in shock about Ross! What a read. Must read! I knew whodunit - go me! That doesn't happen often. There is a shocking ending. I loved visiting my "friends" again.

This book is AMAZING!!!! “Chocolate Cream Pie Murder” is one of the very FIRST cozy mystery I’ve ever read. I did not read the other books in the series, I jumped right in, and it worked for me, so, this could be read alone, but, once you’ve read this, you won’t want to miss the rest of the story.
This story is mostly about Hannah. Hannah believes the wedding she just had made Ross her legal husband, right? Um, no, Ross is already married....hmmmm......now we all have to find out what Ross is up to and when someone is found dead in Hannah’s bed, who did it.....when the ENTIRE town has voiced that they would love nothing more then to get Ross back for what he did to Hannah.....so who is responsible for this mans murder?!?!?......
This is a absolute MUST READ!!!!!

This book was SO good. I carried my nook with me everywhere and read it every single second that I could. The way that it ended was so unexpected and I cannot wait to find out what happens next! Joanne never disappoints, but I think this is one of the best books that she has written!

Thank goodness that the old Hannah Swensen is back in Joanne’s Fluke latest Cookie Jar mystery, The Chocolate Cream Pie Murder. After a disappointing last few books, the series has regained its bearing and fans of the series will be pleased by the return of a stronger Hannah and the end of Ross, her bigamist “husband.” I was happy to see most of the series characters back (though where is Andrea?). Hannah’s younger sister, Michelle, continues to play a large part in the books, which isn’t a bad thing, and the relationship between Hannah and her mother seems to have finally found a more pleasant footing. I liked the support that a frequently seen Norman and the lesser seen Mike offered. Minor complaints—Mike used Norman, an unarmed dentist, as a bodyguard for Hannah, and there were a few plausibility holes in the story. That said, this book is an enjoyable, quick read and I look forward to seeing how the cliffhanger in this book is plays out in the next book.

I was given a free copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated and the opinions stated are solely my own. Three and a half stars.

Yes! Yea! Finally! I saw where Joanne Fluke promised this would be the book we would all be waiting for, and she was right! I was initially late to the party, I only started reading the Hannah Swensen series about 4 years ago. I had plenty to read, and finally got all caught up and have been fortunate enough to start getting the ARCs for the past few books. I have been so grateful, and sad. Sad because I have to wait so long for a new addition to the series!

When we left off in the book before last, The Raspberry Danish Murder, I was in complete shock! I could not believe what Hannah had done. I felt like she was a completely different person as a married woman and I did not like it. It also felt like she was still single since her friends, to include Mike and Norman, and family were always around. In this book Ross had finally left, and is it wrong to say I was glad? This book made me feel happy again!

This had a nice storyline with great recipes, as usual, and the murder did not happen until late in the story. I actually did not mind the wait, and enjoyed simply reading about Hannah beforehand. The book has a nice steady pace, and did not feel like it jumped into anything too quickly or drag. It ended on a great cliffhanger that kept you guessing until the end. I cannot wait for the newest one already!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this opportunity and privilege to read the ARC.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book. Joanne Fluke writes stories for an evening of relaxation If only there were time to make them all.

I have read every one of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen books. This one is predictable and even somewhat boring.. I do not want or need to read each detail over and over again on how to pull the measuring spoons from the drawer, get the spice from the cabinet, measure the spice and put it into the bowl! More mystery and less tedium is needed. The characters need to move on with their lives and stop treating Hannah like she is a fragile 4 year old! Go back to the character's at the beginning of this series and give Hannah some spunk back! Also, please put the recipes in the back of the book instead of following each chapter with them. It is distracting to the story.

Joanne Fluke writes stories for an evening of relaxation. Recipes included always sound wonderful. If only there were time to make them all.

I couldn't wait to read this book, and I was not disappointed. I felt for Hannah as she grieved over her relationship with Ross. There was a lot of family interaction in this book, with a lot of recipes that followed. I was happy to see who the murder victim was, even though it was almost at the end. Speaking of the end, there was a whopper of a cliffhanger. I can't wait till the next book. This is a series that I'm still invested in.

Chocolate Cream Pie Murder is another sweet entry to Fluke's Hannah Swenson cozy mystery series. Hannah must cope with Ross' betrayal as she shared with the community that he lied to her, is already married, and that their wedding was a shame. Suddenly Ross returns, acting frantic and demanding money. A murder mystery follow along with more tasty recipes in true Lake Eden style.

I love love this series!!! This book does not disappoint! I read every single one of the Hannah Swensen series in one sitting because they are that great!!

I keep coming back to this series as a sort of literary comfort food. I have not read all the books in the series, I read the first 9, and then picked up with #23-24. So I had missed some things, but it wasn’t hard to pick up the story in thid installment.

I found this to be a light and enjoyable read. It passed the time on a cold and snowy day. Sure, there are some questions that will never be answered, such as:

- How do the characters keep eating so much food?
-Why does Hannah, a single woman, have enough food in her crockpot for 8 unexpected guests? And also enough to serve breakfast thw next day?

However, I found I liked this more than some of the other books in the series and I am very interested to see how Hannah’s life continues in the next installment. I appreciated that there were different layers of mystery and the recipes look easy and delicious, as always.

As a long time reader of the Hannah series, I was particularly anxious to read this book and find out what happened next! Ross did not turn out to be a great catch and I was very happy Norman and Mike continued to stand by Hannah, even after she passed them both over. I was sad and frightened for Hannah and the ending has me anxious to read the next book, as well. The recipes included ranged from Bundt cakes, cookies (of course!), as well as some fairly easy sounding slow cooker dinners and little treats that do not require many ingredients that I plan on trying out. Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this book.

If you're a longtime fan of Hannah Swensen who's been lamenting that the series has become a bit stale, and Hannah never seems to grow, welcome to Chocolate Cream Pie Murder. It's a pretty different book in this series- Hannah doesn't find a body in the first few chapters, and she's not really trying to solve any crimes in this book. Instead, she's dealing with the fallout from her marriage to Ross and what it's meant for both her and the community. Hannah is not the moony, lovestruck character from a few of the past books, nor the spineless sad sack from the last book. She's got a better take now on who she is and how she wants to live. There's a dramatic event towards the end of the book, and the cliffhanger at the end? I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Hannah Swensen adventure. Even if you have not read all the previous books, you can take this book and not feel confused as to who everyone is and their relationships.

Hannah's husband (or is he) Ross has disappeared. When he reappears he threatens Hannah, wanting money for a safe deposit box. Hannah has deposited the money back in his account but the bank doesn't keep that kind of money on hand.

Many people in town would like to see this man gone forever, many of them out of loyalty to Hannah. So when Ross winds up dead, of course, there are many suspects but they all have a clear alibi except for one. As usual Hannah ends up in trouble but comes out on top with help from her devoted friends.

Many delightful recipes are shared throughout the book making it a very enjoyable read.

Another Hannah Swenson Mystery and we finally get a resolution to the Ross debacle. Hannah marrying Ross killed this series for me and I know that was the general consensus amongst fans of the series. I'm glad Joanne Fluke realized this and has concocted a way to basically void their relationship. Although with the final scene it seems he will still be part of the next book's plot and mystery (no spoilers). The plot/mystery was interesting enough to keep me entertained and the book is a very fast read considering all the recipes, but I was not pleased with Hannah's poor decision making when confronting the murder suspect. She is constantly doing the least smart thing and she's supposed to be this responsible, modest person. I also found that there was a lot of filler talk about people coming to dinner or making breakfast. Those pages could have been filled with Andrea (who was not present the entire book) or deeper conversations with any of the characters. I did enjoy this book more than a lot of the others in the series, yet it still left me wanting more.

24th title in the Hannah Swensen mystery series finds our lead heroine dealing with a double-crossing husband and heartbreak. For much of the book, we are clued into what exactly happened to Ross and how Hannah is handling the situation. Most die-hard Hannah Swenson fans (and you have to be at #24) hated the introduction of the Ross character and Hannah's strange decision of marriage, so fans will be pleased that the marriage didn't last and Ross gets his due. All the same familiar characters that readers have grown to love are around for this simple mystery. In fact, the body isn't found until you are 80% of the way done with the book.
As a reader, the mystery isn't exactly what keeps you coming back. It is the sense of community and the idyllic setting of Lake Eden and of course all the talk of food! They all need to switch to decaf though!
I'm giving this 4 stars because there is a marked improvement in writing with this book and story seems more on par with the series. Yes, recipes take up far more than the actual story but it is what you come to expect from a Hannah Swensen book. Recommend for series fans and those looking for a culinary mystery that is a little light on the mystery. Must buy for our library.