Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder
Author: Joanne Fluke
Series: Hannah Swensen #27
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 340
Date of Publication: February 23, 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

This fun new story from the Queen of Culinary Cozies is just the indulgence you need this winter! Cozy mystery fans know that a trip to The Cookie Jar—Hannah Swensen’s famous bakery—will always result in a delightfully page-turning whodunit…

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller!

Spring has sprung in Lake Eden, Minnesota, but Hannah Swensen doesn't have time to stop and smell the roses--not with hot cross buns to make, treats to bake, and a sister to exonerate!

Hannah's up to her ears with Easter orders rushing in at The Cookie Jar, plus a festive meal to prepare for a dinner party at her mother's penthouse. But everything comes crashing to a halt when Hannah receives a panicked call from her sister Andrea--Mayor Richard Bascomb has been murdered...and Andrea is the prime suspect.

Even with his reputation for being a bully, Mayor Bascomb--or "Ricky Ticky," as Hannah's mother likes to call him--had been unusually testy in the days leading up to his death, leaving Hannah to wonder if he knew he was in danger. Meanwhile, folks with a motive for mayoral murder are popping up in Lake Eden. Was it a beleaguered colleague? A political rival? A jealous wife? Or a scorned mistress?

As orders pile up at The Cookie Jar--and children line up for Easter egg hunts--Hannah must spring into investigation mode and identify the real killer...before another murder happens!

Link to purchase the series

MY THOUGHTS:

Joanna Fluke has finally cracked the code for her Hannah Swensen series, and now we have book #27! Winter is over, and spring has sprung in Lake Eden, Minnesota. Hannah’s shop, The Cookie Jar, is bursting with orders, but guess what? Another murder has caught her attention once again.

The latest murder victim is Mayor Richard Bascomb, a man with an unkind reputation. Perhaps his death was fortuitous as the more people that Hannah speaks with, the more the memories of Bascomb were troublesome. So, more than one person could have easily wanted him dead. So, Hannah decides that she will be the one to solve his murder.

Here’s the twist in this story: the last person to see Bascomb alive was Andrea, Hannah’s sister. Andrea had a heated argument with the mayor, and others heard the exchange. Could Andrea have been the one who wanted the mayor dead and actually did it?

This book was engaging throughout, with murder and mayhem, and of course, recipes.

Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I'm already a big fan of Joanne Fluke's books. Hers were the first cozy mysteries I read that include the recipes throughout the book which I really enjoy. This one in particular builds up her relationship more with her sister which is nice to see. It had a little bit of a slow story for Fluke's typical stories, but I still really enjoyed it. It's a pretty fast read and difficult to know who in the end actually committed the murder. It's not my favorite of the Hannah Swensen series, but I still recommend giving it a read.

The perfect time to read this light mystery, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder is not when you are hungry but after you have eaten and are relaxing for the afternoon.

Joanne Fluke has just shared her 27th mystery novel with us. Not only is it amazing that she has come up with a new murder plot for Hannah Swenson who runs The Cookie Jar, coffee shop in Lake Eden, Minnesota along with her friend and with the help of her sisters, Andrea and Michelle. They also are great at helping the local police solve murders. Of course Andrea is married to the police detective, Michelle is dating his deputy and Hannah is sort of being courted by another detective on the force. Hannah's other love interest is the town dentist, who also is always happy to assist in solving the current case.

This time it is the Mayor of the town who is not well loved and there are any number of suspects that would be happy to see him dead, including Andrea. So Hannah is doubly interested in finding out what really happened to exonerate her sister.

The other amazing part of this series is that once again Fluke has included 27 recipes in the book, that Hannah and the others cook for each other throughout the story. None of the recipes are repeated in all these novels. That is quite a bit of cooking, testing and tasting. They all always sound delicious but I must admit that I have never cooked any of them. So many of them seem to have very high caloric levels.

These plots are no longer quite that unique, the dialog is not really snappy. So I guess what keeps me reading is that I know the characters so well that it is just like traveling to Lake Eden, sitting down for a visit with them and catching up on what's new.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder is a cozy mystery . I recommend this book and the recipes in it.

"Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder" is a delectable blend of suspense, romance, and of course, scrumptious dessert recipes. This latest addition to Joanne Fluke's series follows amateur sleuth Hannah Swensen as she investigates a murder in the quaint town of Lake Eden, Minnesota. With her signature flair for baking, Hannah finds herself at the heart of the investigation as she uncovers a web of deceit, jealousy, and motive.

With a cast of quirky characters and a bevy of suspects, this book keeps readers on their toes as they try to figure out whodunit. But don't be fooled by its lighthearted exterior, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder packs a punch with its twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. And, as an added bonus, you get to savor the mouth-watering recipes for triple chocolate cheesecake and other sweet treats.

If you're a fan of mystery novels and have a sweet tooth, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder is the perfect read for you. So sit back, grab a slice of cake, and let yourself get lost in this charming tale of murder and dessert.

This is my first Fluke cozy mystery, It was easy to follow along even though I do not know how a baker became a central crime solver in this small town. The plot was decent and it was a super easy read. The recipes and the mention of how much Mike likes to eat got a little old for me. I like my mysteries with a little more grit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a huge fan of Hannah Swenson and her bakery for YEARS and I'm pretty sure I've read every book in the series. But this book didn't feel the same. It was like it was written by someone else or perhaps edited by someone who wasn't familiar with the series? The mystery kept with the Hannah Swenson style but the details that were either forgotten or left out made a huge difference to me as a reader. I feel like this series may have ran its course. I know I'm not in a hurry to read anymore.

Sadly I cannot continue with this series. I have lost all interest I had in it. I am so over the love triangle and nothing is interesting anymore.

Joanna Fluke could easily be the queen of cozy, cozy mystery that is. I've been a fan of Hannah Swenson since the beginning, this one is #27, so that's a long time. Hannah's family is guaranteed to either get into trouble or cause trouble along the way. And Hannah is guaranteed to step into the fray, after all, family is #1 in her books. There's always a couple of good recipes along with a crime or two to solve. If you haven't tried a Joanna Fluke cozy mystery, I can recommend a couple, or 27.

I am sorry for the lack of a stellar review, but unfortunately, I have a bad taste in my mouth for the genre of cozy mysteries at the moment and would hate it to go into your book with any preconceived prejudices. I have no doubt many readers will love reading Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder, but after having read another cozy mystery revolving around food that I didn't like at all, I don't think it would be fair to read this book with a closed mind. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

I have read and reviewed many other books in this series. I have enjoyed them and continue to enjoy them. It is set in Spring and Hannah is busy baking. This is until she hears about the murder of the mayor and Hannah learns her sister is the suspect. It is another great story from this series. If you haven't read others in the series I suggest you do because they are wonderful, but you won't be too lost. They do follow her life and the life of other characters, yet the mystery itself is contained in the book. Recipes are great and as always what makes this series extra special to me. The recipes in this book look delicious. Try a recipe or two and enjoy this cozy mystery.

Another cozy mystery win for me by Joanne Fluke. I do enjoy that this series has always been consistent in the way it is written and the interactions between the characters. Don't get that confused with predictable though! Filled with recipes to try at home!

Cozy Mystery- Hannah Swenson Book 27

Mayor Bascombe is found dead in his office and Andrea was the one to find him after they had an altercation earlier that day. Can Hannah uncover what happened before Andrea ends up in jail?

This is my favorite cozy mystery series, but I was really disappointed with this book. The writing was terrible. I was rewriting sentences and dialogue in my head as I read the book. I also think the author forgot some of the details from the other books. For instance, what happened to Andrea’s job as a Real Estate agent and didn’t Hannah get a new truck? I also didn’t like reading Hannah’s inner thoughts. I found it very distracting. I was also disappointed by the lack of action while solving the mystery and not having as much interaction between the characters. With that being said, I did enjoy the new recipes, the compassionate Norman, and having Mike save the day at the end. I would recommend this book to Hannah Swenson fans!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Joanne Fluke continues to impress readers with her long running Hannah Swenson series. This installment has Hannah trying to clear her sister from a murder charge when Andrea finds Mayor Bascomb dead in his office, other hours after she'd argued loudly with him. Hannah has the sheriff's department's blessing to investigate and she gets right to work on the lengthly list of suspects. This one has an interesting twist and is an engaging whodunit.

I'm a big fan of the series and devoured this and am ready for the next. My only issue is that it does seem to be getting a little repetitive. Fluke keeps it interesting, but once again we see Hannah in her familiar position of investigating by delivering baked goods and doing a will-they or won't-they dance with Norman. The author shakes it up some in this book, but is running the risk of becoming formulaic. Then again, fans like knowing what to expect from a Hannah Swenson book, so that's comforting. I'm not sure which way I lean on that. But that's the only reason for my slightly lower rating.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Rating: Four Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review this book.

I love Joanne Fluke!! Love these cozi mysteries with awesome recipes tucked into the story!

I’ve been hooked on this series since book one. It’s evolved over the years, and not in a good way. There are certain things that are super annoying - and boring - to have to read over and over again, and cozy or not this series is becoming too simple.

Hannah now has internal “arguments” in her head which she has not done in any of the previous books.. This was a terrible addition to the series.

Having everyone use a persons name in every sentence of every conversation. When there are two characters talking, we can follow who is saying what, without them having to use the other characters name in every single sentence. and vice versa.

There isn’t any real investigating being done by Hannah. All clues and information is basically just handed directly to Hannah. I think it's pretty lazy investigating when Hannah is handed a list of suspects by the victims wife because she couldn't think of more than two or three suspects.

Having to skip over all of the recipes printed throughout the book is getting really annoying after 27 books. Why can't the author and her editor put the recipes at the back of the book like other mysteries do.

*I'm getting tired of the whole love triangle plot line, It has been going on since the first book and was only not used as a plot lint when Hannah was married to Ross for a few books. Hannah needs to pick one guy to resolve this situation because it's getting pretty old.

*I'm pretty sure that not everyone you cook for is going to lover every single thing you make. In real life you will have people who don't like coconut or pineapple and won't want to eat your food but that's not the case in this town. Maybe the residents should have some realism written into their development so they will Hannah what they really think about some of the items that she bakes and cooks.

Despite all that I do like this series, but I do miss the old Hannah, and I hope the author brings her back soon, and fixes some of the problems that have popped up with this book, and finally resolve the whole love triangle.

First let me say, the thing I noticed in this book (and the last) is how much freaking coffee they drink. OMG, its either coffee, wine or champagne like there is nothing else to drink.

ok, the coffee drinking aside. The book was good. I am still hung up about the dialogue. I just don't feel people really talk like that. But that could just be me and my circle of friends.

The storyline was good, but I feel like Mike and Lonnie had no involvement at all in this case. Mike basically handed it to her and then he arrested the killer at the end. Which, I figured out a little before Hannah did.
I do feel that the actual stories for this series are getting shorter.
I still like having the recipes, but I think they could all be added at the end of the book instead of at the end of each chapter.

* I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cozy mystery, and this is the 27th book in the Hannah Swensen series. I have to say the mystery in this book was not front and center, but the food, cooking, and talking about food was the front and center thing in this book. Honestly, I just got sick about hearing about food so much when I was reading this book. There was some cool recipes in this book. If you want a story talking about food with recipes then this is the book for you. I just wanted so much more for this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington Publishing Corporation) or author (Joanne Fluke) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! This is a cozy mystery and this is the 27th book in the Hannah Swensen series. As a fan of this series, I’m always anxious to read another book. The mystery was a bit light in this one, but still interesting and always entertaining. And I can't wait to try the recipes found throughout the book!

Hannah Swensen is still trying to adjust after her "husband's" murder in the previous book. Afraid to face the condo where it happened, she is staying with her friend Norman, at his house.
The mystery this time is the murder of Mayor Bascomb, and the prime suspect is Hannah's sister, Andrea. Hannah has to find out what was the motive for Mayor Bascomb's murder and who did it.

The mysteries in this series (now at #27) have reached the point of almost being non-existent but when you are invested in the characters, the mystery isn't important. They do seem to have a few too many recipes.