I received a copy of Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder is the 27th installment of the Hannah Swensen mystery series. In this installment, we join the characters when Andrea is having an altercation with Mayor Bascomb regarding an arrest that Bill has recently made. Their encounter turns heated and when Andrea returns later to apologize she finds Mayor Bascomb murdered. With Andrea a prime suspect in the Mayor's death, Hannah puts on her sleuthing cap in order to clear her sister.

I have read every book in this series and have been a longtime fan, so I was looking forward to diving in to this new cozy mystery. As always, I enjoyed the characters and the setting of Lake Eden and The Cookie Jar, but this time around, certain things got on my nerves more than before. Was it just me or was Hannah's internal dialogue a bit much this time around? I feel like every other paragraph contained an internal debate between Hannah's suspicious and logical mind and it was always about trivial things.

Overall, I enjoyed this cozy mystery like I also enjoy the newest Hannah Swensen book, but this was not my favorite installation. If you are looking for a cutting edge mystery, this mystery is not for you, but if you want fun characters, good recipes, the small town setting and a hint of cozy mystery, definitely check this out!

Loved this book! The Hannah Swenson books are always favorites & this was no exception! Fun twist at the end, but still a happy ending as usual...and great recipes!

I have been reading this series since the very beginning. I have developed a real love-hate relationship with this series. Some I have really loved and others not so much. This one falls into the not so much. I am really tired of Hannah’s rational and suspicious minds arguing with each other. And what makes it worse, the voices in her head refer to her in the 3rd person. Get the girl on some medication, stat. This is not normal. I am also tired of Hannah and everyone else treating Andrea like an idiot. Up until the last few books, Andrea was a very successful real estate agent. Now she is just there to be an object of condescension. I get that she may not be the greatest cook, but she is neither a child nor an idiot. Why is Hannah always so tired? She barely works; everyone else is always either running The Cookie Jar or waiting on her hand and foot. At least we didn’t have to deal with any scenes of Moishe and Cuddles running races around the house and everyone lifting up their plates and feet. Pick Norman already and end this series. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Hannah Swensen solves mysteries while operating the Cookie Jar, an eat-in bakery with strong coffee, in the small Minnesota town of Lake Eden. Joanne Fluke conducts regular visits to the comfortable community to follow Hannah and her friends as they figure out who-done-it.

Hannah’s sister, Andrea, is the main suspect in Mayor Bascomb’s murder in this stopover. The good news is that there is a list of many suspects, including his wife, due to the mayor’s highhanded way of dealing with local issues. The mystery plot is well-conceived. The community of characters is familiar and as engaging as always. However, there is more talk of food and included recipes than memory recalls from past books. In the end, a good mystery plus great, detailed recipes.

Hannah Swenson’s sister Andrea discovers the body of Lake Eden's Mayor Bascomb dead at his desk. Hannah and her friends work to solve the mystery and prove her sister isn’t the one that did it.
I always enjoy these cozy mysteries and this one didn’t disappoint. I’m also glad this story did not involve Ross. I did not enjoy his storyline. Thank you NetGalley for my Arc.

Finally, another post-Ross novel. Hannah is living at Norman's house with her cat as Moishe was so traumatized in the earlier events, he doesn't want to return to the condo. Norman is happy to have Hannah with him (of course). Andrea's husband, Bill (the chief of police), stops a drunk driver. It's the mayor's nephew, and the mayor wants him released with just a slap on the wrist. He threatens to fire Bill. Andrea, Hannah's sister, goes to meet the mayor to ask him to re-consider but his rudeness ends up causing her to slap him so hard he falls out of his chair. Later than day, she wants to make amends and take a piece of Hannah's triple chocolate cheesecake to the mayor's office and finds him dead.

Hannah makes a deal with Mike to share all their evidence and interviews. Of course, Hannah solves the case before the police! But I'm most bothered by Andrea - she used to be a happy and confident real estate agent, now she portrayed as a weak person unable even to crack eggs without putting the shells into the batter! Hannah has to praise her for putting paper liners into cupcake trays - what has happened! And Hannah's now got two voices in her head telling her opposing views of each situation - is this because of Ross?

Anyway, I still love this series and look forward to the next. Many thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy.

I eagerly await the new Hannah Swensen cozy mystery each year. I have been faithfully reading this series ever since the first book came out in 2000. This series wasn't the very first culinary cozy series...but close to it. The plots aren't complex....the characters talk a lot about food....and recipes take up a lot of the pages...but for me Hannah Swensen books are a tradition. I love this series, and I will keep reading each book as quickly as Joanne Fluke can churn them out until it comes to a close. I love the characters (except for one that shall remain unnamed to not give spoilers for new readers.....but any reader who has read most of the books knows who I am referring to. Ugh)

This time, Hannah's sister Andrea is incredibly upset with Lake Eden's mayor. When the man turns up dead soon after, Hannah is on the case to find out who could have been mad enough to kill. Turns out the list of suspects is rather long. The mayor was a bit of a jerk. Hannah and her crew get to work to discover the culprit.

I enjoyed this book...just as I enjoy every Hannah book. The mystery was a bit light in this one, but still interesting. The characters spent most of their time discussing cookies and kitchen tips with a bit of time left for sleuthing. The ending seemed almost abrupt. I wish there had been just a bit more mystery and a bit more character development for the Lake Eden crew in this one....but the story was entertaining and fun to read. It was a quick read...I finished in under 2 hours, mostly because I don't fully read through all the recipes. I only read ones I might actually try out. My husband is diabetic, so I skip all the dessert recipes. :)

An enjoyable visit to Lake Eden. Not much mystery...but enough to keep me reading. And unless Joanne Fluke surprises me with a short story or visit to Lake Eden before next Christmas, that's my Hannah fix until the holiday season 2021. The tradition will continue!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder is the 27th installment of the popular Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke. This cozy mystery is like the others in that it is set in a sort of fantasyland and is reminiscent of the old Donna Reed Show or Leave it to Beaver. The book is set in Lake Eden, Minnesota and the characters mostly drink coffee (dozens of cups a day leaving little time for accomplishing much), and eat cookies, cheesecakes, and high-fat main dishes without gaining an ounce. None of the characters seem to age albeit the gallons of coffee which would make for ugly leathery skin if it were a real person.

Mayor Bascomb has been an unpopular character throughout the series; he has been well known for cheating on his wife, and like most politicians, values his power over ethics or even common sense. In this novel, after a disagreement with Andrea, who slaps him so hard he falls over on his chair, he is found a few hours later dead. There are, unfortunately, dozens of suspects, but Andrea is the main suspect. Hannah’s job now is to find the real murderer so her sister doesn’t go to prison. Nobody is particularly upset about the mayor’s death. So, in between cups of coffee, baking a few cookies and of course several Triple Chocolate Cheesecakes, and having guests for dinner, Hannah investigates. With the help of Mayor Bascomb’s wife, Stephanie, some unknown facts about him surface and as the facts add up, Hannah, et al, figures out who murdered the mayor.

Fans of this series are very familiar with the small town environment, and the shallow lives they live in this small Minnesota town. The books are actually well-written, and Fluke is an excellent storyteller. While the characters are not very believable because no modern person is as naïve or simple as Hannah, et al, they are quite charming, and even though these books are make-believe, they are fun to read.

There are good recipes – actually more than in most culinary mysteries, but they are written in such a way that they assume readers have an IQ under 50 and are not only morons, but have never even boiled water. It is, in fact, very difficult to follow the recipes because there is so much fluff in them. Anyone who has tried these recipes, will find, however, that after getting through the wordy crap, the recipes turn out well.

All told, this is another fun book that fans will want to read.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I love to see the antics Hannah and the gang get into and this book did not disappoint!! LOVed it, Cannot wait for the next book!

This is the first Hannah Swensen book I've read, and coming in at #27 in a series, I was not sure how it would be to catch up on the character development and details. The book explains and backtracks slightly, but many things have built on each other (understandably) from the previous books so if you are just picking up the series, this may not be the book to start with. I found the plot slow and the characters a bit flat, overall I just think this wasn't my book. The recipes sound excellent, and I would highly recommend it for those who have read Fluke's previous books and enjoy them.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder is the latest in the Hannah Swenson cozy mystery series. Hannah and her family and friends find themselves deep in another small town murder - this time it's the mayor! Hannah is on the case to track down the killer and bake some delicious dishes too!

Hannah Svensons sister Andrea discovers the body of Lake Eden's Mayor Bascomb dead at his desk! Hannah, owner of The Cookie Jar and her possee work to discover whodunnit. Everyone is a suspect, including Andrea. Quick easy read with lots of recipes included!

Regular readers of this series will be sure to enjoy this new title. It offers all the comfort and familiarity of previous titles, so I do look forward to recommending it.

These books are pretty predictable and a lot of the same things happen in each one. But I love this family and their small town and I will continue to read them as long as they come out. These are just fun mystery books that help take your mind off of everything else.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I have been a long time fan and enjoyed the earlier books. As time goes on I think it maybe time to wrap up Hannah’s story. This was okay however it felt as though it was the same as the others. That said I will be making the cheesecake! I would like to see a series using another character from this one. A point of view story from one of the other characters.
#TripleChocolateCheesecakeMurder #NetGalley

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke is book 27 in the Hannah Swensen series. I have read all the books and this one did not disappoint. The Lake Eden is like home and the characters are like family. I am sad that the mayor was the victim this time (this is not a spoiler). However, Hannah and her sleuthing always turn up the evidence to catch the bad guy. This book is worth the read and the series is highly recommended.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

The latest in a series I’ve followed from the start, this one was ok for me, not as good as previous books.
Hannah’s sister gets into an argument with the town’s mayor over his treatment of her husband, the town sheriff. It ends with Andrea slapping the mayor so hard he falls off of his chair as she runs out. My first thought was that crazy, nasty mayor would have her arrested for assault, but rather than worry about that at all, Hannah and her family all cheered her on when she told them what happened. That set the tone of the book as being just a bit off for me. When the mayor is later found murdered Andrea she becomes a suspect, along with many others who had grievances with the mayor. It’s up to Hannah and her friends to help Mike, Lonnie as the seemingly only police officers assigned to the case. The story is interesting enough, but a bit slow., Hannah has lost some of her spark and independence due to events that have happened to her. Andrea seems to have given up her real estate business...did I miss that in a previous book? Norman must have the patience of a saint.
The ending is a happy one, although Hannah did, as she often does, put herself in potential danger by confronting the person she thinks is the killer alone.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I do look forward to the next book in which I hope Hannah gets her mojo back! Still a fun series. I would give 3 1/2 stars if I could vs. 3.

Reading a Joanne Fluke mystery is like visiting an old friend. Her characters are a delight to be around. Hannah Swensen is the owner of a bakery called The Cookie Jar and oh how I long to be able to walk into the establishment and sit down and sample some of Hannah’s baked goods.
The stories are based in the fictional town of Lake Eden, Minnesota and the Minnesota affect is very authentic. My wife is from Minnesota and Hannah’s world reflects the world in which she lived when she was there down to the gallons and gallons of coffee consumed and always a sweet treat with coffee.
This story opens with Hannah’s sister Andrea slapping the mayor after she’s gotten into an argument with him. Later Andrea returns to apologize to the mayor and bring him some of Hannah’s baked goods and discovers him dead.
Hannah immediately starts one of her famous “Murder Books” as she and Andrea and others work diligently to find the murderer.
One thing I like about this series of books is that Hannah (and her friends) work in harmony with the police not at odds with them.
Hannah and her minions pursue many lines of enquiry and suspects. It is at times frustrating for them when they seem not to be making progress. Even the police are confounded. But they do take some comfort in Hannah’s baked goods as they plod along.
Ultimately it is Hannah who puts together the clues and solves the mystery.
I wouldn’t dream of giving away the murderer or the ending but suffice it to say that it is well done and most unexpected.

I have read most of the Hannah Swenson books by Joanne Fluke and enjoyed the series…until this one. I suppose I would have liked it if I had not read the previous books. As I read the book, I kept thinking…did all these characters develop personality disorders or are all of them on Prozac. Where is the Hannah we have known and loved? Where is her spunk, the snarky interactions with her mother, that quick mind that puts information together to reveal the culprit? Norman gets more and more like an Eddie Haskell (if you remember the old television series Leave it to Beaver), Mike no longer treats Hannah as a romantic partner just drops in for meal regularly. Andrea, the successful non-baking career woman, starts showing up at the bakery and learning to BAKE. Where are the nieces? Everyone is just too nice and goody goody. Even the (previously) obnoxious mayor’s wife has turned into a paragon of virtue. Maybe Ms. Fluke was kidnapped by aliens or captured by the Christmas spirit, or hired a ghost writer. I will read the next one, in the hopes that Lake Eden crew will be back in their right minds.

i have been a devoted fan of this series and was thrilled to read #27 in series . The cover is wonderfully drawn to the story and I love returning to all our favorite charcters. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley,

This was not my favorite of the series and the writing seemed off course from the early books in series. As if someone else is writing these books now as Hannah is different and everything seemed rushed and not quite the same with the charcters. The dialogue with the supporting characters is disconnected. Our Hannah is still living platonic with Norman due to her stress of the murder of her husband but she is dragging that out and not taking control of her life dependent on Norman for everything as if she cannot function on her own to the extreme. Their relationship is one of dependency and its not the Hannah we knew and loved. Her only contribution to their relationship seems to be cooking as she took over his house , his bedroom and his entire life and makes him drive her about and show up for all her family meals. Norman remains devoted so much so that he spends most days with Hannah and has hired someone else to run his practice which is far from normal. What dentist would forgo clients to bake cookies? Its just so far off the mark from the earlier books. My feeling is this series will end soon as its going in the same circle as the last few books. Since Hannah married the criminal Russ the series seems to have taken a turn away from the independent happy Hannah that built her bakery and her happy life. We see a Hannah here that is dissolving into a mental illness with constant dialogue in her head that is not healthy or Hannah like. Its sad to read Hannah listening to her voices in her head rather then be reasonable and recognize what is happening to her. I hope the author will give Hannah her happy ending with Norman before the series ends and get Hannah back to her happy life.

Ms. Fluke your readers need a happy ending for the long suffering Norman ! This has gone on so long reading it has become redundant.

The mystery was light and easy to solve with clues throughout. Andrea was involved more in this book and it was fun to read about the sisters baking together. The food as always is enjoyable and fun to read about but I cannot imagine anyone actually eats that much sugar in one day ! Everyone gathers at the Bakery to solve clues , drink endless cups of coffee and enjoy cookies, No one seems to work except Mike who pops in here to eat and leave true to his nature. Hannah has finally recognized Mike is not for her.

If your looking for new receipes with lots of butter, salt and sugar they are here for all foodies to delight over. The cheesecake receipes is truly amazing. There are endless cookie receipes many for holiday baking and a great Easter cookie recipe.

I look forward to closure of this long time beloved series soon.. Our Hannah and Norman deserve their happy ending and I hope the next books will move in that direction and reconnect Hannah with her life again and with reality. As always these books are a fun easy fast paced read with the receipes at the end of the chapters.