As always this Hannah Swensen mystery did not disappoint. I was left with a cliff-hanger on the last one so I was glad to get this as an ARC and be able to dive back into this world. I love that Fluke shares recipes. I do find these stories a bit repetitive but I like the family dynamic and I just can't seem to stop being hooked on this family, this town, and this cookie shop!

Coconut Layer Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke is the latest installment featuring my all-time favorite female sleuth extraordinaire: Hannah Swensen. This time Lonnie takes center stage as the prime suspect in a murder case and it is up to Hannah and her family and friends of Lake Eden to exonerate Lonnie and find the killer.

I enjoyed this mystery and it threw a few curve balls into the mix so that I was not sure of the culprit until the end. I liked the flow and pace of the plot and best of all: I loved the subplots!!!!! I can’t talk more about both of them, but boy am I now excited to see where this goes. I feel like things are heating up again.

I have always loved Hannah Swensen and have read every one of the books in this series. This one did not disappoint!!!!

I have also already tried out the Meaty Minestrone soup recipe (although removing the Meaty part) and it is delicious. I can’t wait to try out the new version of Andrea’s whippersnapper cookies that were described in this book. It sounds right up my alley.

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this awesome ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I have read all the books in this series, and every one is better than the last, and this book was no exception. Hannah and her mother go to California to help a friend pack to move back to Lake Eden, Minnesota. Hannah returns early after she finds out her sister’s boyfriend is a prime suspect in a murder back home. As she investigates she is able to eliminate most of the obvious suspects. I usually am able to figure out who the murderer is in this series, but this story had me stymied until almost the end. All the books in this series are well worth reading. While they can all stand alone, I suggest reading them in order. Anyone who likes cozy mysteries will enjoy this series. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I have read this series from the very beginning. I have such a love-hate relationship with this series. Some of the books have been outstanding and others not so much. This one was one of the better ones. There was more Andrea in this book and included a scene with Tracy and Bethie. Bethie talks now! And she called Hannah "Antanna" which was adorable. There was less Lisa, Marge & Aunt Nancy, who are the true heroes because they keep The Cookie Jar running. Also, alot of recipes which all looked great. This book seemed like we MIGHT finally be getting a conclusion to the love triangle. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and will be waiting patiently for the next one. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 Stars

This is the twenty-fifth book in the Hannah Swensen Cookie Jar series by Joanne Fluke.

Wow! Can you believe we have hit the twenty-fifth book? So much yummy goodness in this banner foodie cozy mystery series. It is the forerunner in my mind that helped the cozy genre take off to new heights.

This book feels a little different than the rest. There is a whole section or two where Lonnie is the main character and we are seeing the action through his eyes. That seemed a new feature to me. Plus, we got to see Norman in a whole new light. We see his house and we get a feel for who he is and what he wants in his future. We all know both Mike and Norman love Hannah but here we get to see into their minds and know more about what they truly are thinking. I liked that aspect. Gave me a whole new aspect for the series and what I’d like to see more of in the future.

I was sorry to see Michelle taking a step back but having Angela back and helping Hannah was great! And then Delores being starstruck in California was just a hoot and a half.

As I followed along the mystery I kept fearing Lonnie may have done it after all. Of course, I didn’t want to believe it but as Hannah investigated and cleared so many suspects, I began to think the worse.

I am not going to tell you whodunit because that would ruin the entire story. So dive in and read this for yourself. Great book that I loved getting to know again.

Love this series. It is one of my guilty pleasure reads, for sure!

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

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.

Fans of the author will adore this new book in the long-running Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke.
Sorry to say that I came to this book without any prior knowledge of the characters and the town and found it impossible to:
* work out the relationships between the characters who came onto the page without any indication of who they were and why they mattered
* the family dynamics and whose sister was dating who and where etc.
* work backwards about Hannah Swensen's husband? Who is no longer on the scene.
* why Hannah's family are so whining and needy.
I did have to read several chapters twice to try and work out what was going on through the very long passages of detailed descriptions which appeared to be padding around a flimsy mystery which was very easy to work out who was responsible.
The recipes which were added into the middle of the text looked excellent but would be much better at the end of the book.
I know how hard it is to write a crime novel and the story world was very cleverly done, but this book was not a stand alone novel. So not for me.

Another delicious recipe filled cozy mystery. Love these characters and Hannah’s knack for baking and solving crimes.

Coconut Layer Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
This book starts out with other works by the author and acknowledgements.
Hannah finds out what's wrong with her from the blood test done in the last book and the doctor writes her a prescription.
She and her mother head to CA to help her friend pack up her house and move to MN as she's bought a mansion there.
Hannah and Lynne had gone to college in their younger years and have stayed in contact with one another. Lynne had made her money from being an actress and staring in commercials.
Just what the doctor ordered, rest and relaxation...
So fun to hear about the industry of making shows and movies. Love the trip around town with the butler/chauffeur.
Events occur that leaves Delores starring in a commercial with Lynne and they have so much fun with it...
Michelle, her sister calls with an emergency, a death has occurred and Loonie is devastated, his classmate has died and he's the first suspect.
Just Hannah will return home to help with the investigation leaving Delores in CA to help Lynne.
While work is being done at her condo, to erase traces of Ross living there she settles in at Norman's guest room and attends the meeting of the friends who are trying to find out who had killed Loonie's friend.
Loonie is able to give them a lot of information about what happened to Darcy and they have their work cut out for them to prove he's innocent. Surprise of finding her ex's items in storage...
Love information on baking secrets and tips. Irish blessings are a treasure to find! So many involved and you never would've thought who found Hannah on her last day alive.
Recipes index at the end. Recipes throughout the book. Baking conversion charts included. Other books highlighted at the end, Cold Judgement.
I received this review copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#CoconutLayerCakeMurder #NetGalley

Love Joanna Fluke and this series!!! The Coconut Layer Cake Murder definitely didn't disappoint. Another great addition to her amazing series. This was the perfect cozy mystery.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC!

Hannah doesn't feel well after everything that happened with Ross where we last left her. After confirming things with the doctor she is prescribed a wonderful trip to California with her mother to help her friend Lynne move back. As Hannah is enjoying the warmth and sunshine Lake Eden is missing, she gets a frantic all from her sister Michelle. Lonnie is in huge trouble back home and nobody can help him but Hannah. Lonnie was seen at a bar hanging out with some old friends when he drove one of them home. However, the story doesn't end right there and it leaves Lonnie the prime suspect of this murder case. This case puts all of the characters through a loop, with few suspects and even less clues Hannah has her work cut out for her.

I will never not be able to get through a Hannah book without being starving by the end of it. I will also never understand how all of them can drink that much coffee and still be alive. Lastly, does it bother anyone why Lisa is always working and Hannah is never there? I'd be so mad if I was Lisa. Now let me start saying that I have been a huge Hannah fan since the very beginning. I own all of the books and I have read all of them, that being said, I think most readers who are in my shoes will agree these books aren't what they used to be. Everything in them is so formal: "yes Mother, of course Mother." Nobody talks like that, especially in Minnesota. It's like a formula she is using to plop out another book on time. However, I will say I am very glad to have Ross out of the picture, but I wish Hannah would just pick a man already! Yet, half of me does love the triangle she's always in... As far as the murder case, I will say I did like this book better than some of the ones before it. There was some more depth to it, and I was excited to keep reading forward. I will say that any Hannah reader will like reading this one-and the recipes!

Rate: 3.5/5
Fiction
Author: Joanne Fluke

I have been one of Hannah's biggest fans since the beginning of this series , loving both the characters, the story lines and especially the recipes, so I was anxiously awaiting this new installment since the cliff hanger ending of the last book involving Hannah's possible pregnancy, And I felt a great deal of relief that it was stress not pregnancy and that she and her mother enjoyed a trip to LA for vacation and visiting with her old friend Lynn. but the story really begins with a phone call to Hannah from her sister Michelle telling her that Lonnie, Michelle's boyfriend as well as a police detective, is the prime suspect in the murder of one of his high school classmates. Hannah, Michelle, and the rest of her gang get together to clear Lonnie and find out what really happened. I loved how they all came together for Lonnie and the friendship of this group of long time friends. And I love the recipes - especially the chocolate cake in a mug. Can't wait for the next installment!

Coconut Later Cake Murder is the 25th book in the Hannah Swensen cozy mystery series by Joanne Fluke. I've read all the books in order, and when the latest showed up at both my library (I got my lending request in the day it was made available) and on NetGalley, I had to grab a copy. While the series is much lighter and getting a little too formulaic, I adore the characters. It always feels like 'going home' when I spend an hour or two with Hannah and the Lake Eden residents. And when I say an hour or two, I mean it... as the books are generally on the shorter side and are at least 1/3 recipes, so it's a fast read.

In this caper, Hannah is recovering from the death of her marriage... death because she was tricked into it by a former friend, and things went awry quite quickly. At the end of the last book was a shocker, but this time, things are back to normal. Unfortunately, while Hannah's on a vacation to somehow get away from all the stress, her sister Michelle calls her back home to solve a murder. Michelle's boyfriend, Lonnie, is the main suspect. We know he couldn't have done it. Yet... we never met these new characters in the mystery before. What's going on?

The books follow the same pattern as previous ones, which can be fun. A third is recipes, a third is general town news about our fave characters, and a third is the mystery. Most of these characters (the victim and the other suspects) were new or not big in the series, so it wasn't as immersive as I would've liked. Instead, I enjoyed all Hannah's time with Mike, Norman, Michelle, Andrea, Dolores, and the supporting characters. I liked Lynn, who's been in the books before. She was front and center this time, which made for a good segue in the Los Angeles trip.

So... fans of the series will get what they normally get in these books. But... the one difference I saw was the hint that Hannah might be ready to choose between Mike and Norman. They both had equal time with her, yet in the last few pages, something seemed different in how she thought about one of them. Maybe I'm reading into it, because that's the direction I want her to go in... see for yourself! Thanks for another fun book.

Hannah Swenson is back, this time looking forward to a break from a frigid Minnesota winter as she travels to California to help a friend on a film set. But her vacation is short lived when her sister’s boyfriend, detective Lonnie Murphy becomes the number one suspect in a murder back in Minnesota. Quicker than you can say cinnamon roll, Hannah is on her way home to help prove Lonnie’s innocence. The case is murky because Lonnie has no memory of what happened after he helped a very drunk woman home. He only remembers waking up on her couch the next day, then finding her dead in her bed. With sevreal of Lonnie’s friends and allies at the police department taken off the case, Hannah has got her work cut out for her