Easter is just around the corner and that means a rush at The Cookie Jar for tasty treats! Hannah is busily preparing lots of scrumptious goodies when her sister, Andrea, calls in a panic. Mayor Bascomb has been murdered in his own office, and Andrea is the unlucky one to find him.

Mayor Bascomb's murder has many suspects simply because his is a bully through and through. Could it be his wife who he has been unfaithful too? Or one of his mistresses'? The suspects are piling up like cookies in the oven, but only one is the true murderer. Can Hannah find out who it is before the cookie crumbles?

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley and Kensington for my honest review.*

It's Easter in Lake Eden and Hannah has to supply everyone with Easter desserts. And solve a murder with Andrea as the prime suspect.

I'm not sure why I keep reading this series. There is so much 'fluff' in the writing and it's hard not to end up just skimming to get the gist and get to the end to be done with it. I'm not sure when the 'internal monologues' in Hannah's head started becoming to prominent in the books, but it's a little ridiculous with how much it is used. The extra bits in the recipes become a little condescending to me - I can follow a recipe without having every bit overexplained and it seems to have gotten worse on the recipes I did skim through.

And really, the police force needs Hannah to investigate a murder? And it's not the first time that Mike has said that he needs her help, but she makes it out like it's the first time. And now she is living at Norman's house permanently and they argue about who will get up at 4AM and make breakfast?

One good thing that came out of this book is a recipe for Hot Chocolate cookies and I am excited to make them. The books have started to lean more towards the recipes and everyone trying out new recipes and drinking massive amounts of coffee everyday. Maybe Hannah is dehydrated and should switch to water in the afternoon? I know that this is a very popular series and some of the books have been made into Hallmark movies. I just feel like there needs to be some new life breathed into them before Hannah is the one dead in her cookie shop.

I started reading these books because of the Hallmark series and I found the characters interesting. I look forward to her new releases every year, and this one certainly did not disappoint. In fact, this probably goes in my top 5. As readers have come to know and love, this includes several more Cookie and Dessert Recipes. Now I just need to find the time to try them out, as they look delicious! Thanks for keepers your readers entertained!

Hannah is still getting over the death of her marriage/ex-husband/thoughts of romance. Moishe her beloved kitty refuses to set a paw back in the condo so Hannah and Moishe are staying with Norman. What Hannah needs is a distraction and Andrea's fiercely protective attitude gives Mayor Bascomb a proper slap-down for shouting disparaging things about both Andrea and her husband, police Chief Bill. Unfortunately, Andrea also to discovers his dead body after when she returns to City Hall to apologize. This time Bill cannot investigate and Mike actually asks Hannah and Norman to help. It seems that the Mayor has made a few more enemies than friends including but not limited to his own wife. So many suspects and so many recipes, where does one start? My rational mind says to start with the chocolate because we like chocolate but my suspicious mind says that a triple chocolate cheesecake could be too decadent and I should start with the Stroganoff Light. One thing that they both can agree on is that Hannah needs to let go of her fears and look at what/who is right in front of her. Team Norman all the way!

Baker Hannah Swensen accompanied her sister to see the irascible mayor of their small town. Hannah is bringing samples of her new cookies to share with the mayor, but her sister Andrea is there with a request -- and the mayor is not having it. When Andres ends up punching the mayor in the face, Hannah doesn't know what to think.

And when the mayor ends up dead, Andrea looks like she might have a motive. Hannah and her friends and family, including some police officers, band together to find the real culprit before Andrea gets into trouble.

I'm a fan of the Hannah Swensen books, but this is definitely not one of her best. For one thing, it contains thirty recipes, each of which is discussed at length in the novel, leaving little room for the mystery.

The dialogue seems stilted, and Andrea is portrayed as extremely insecure, and maybe a little bit dimwitted. In fact, the characters -- unless you already know them from previous books -- are generally unconvincing.

Read this one for the recipes or just to catch up on Hannah and her friends, but otherwise, this might be one from a good series that could be skipped.

I have to start by saying that I love this series and anticipate each new installment. By the 27th book, the characters feel like family and I love Lake Eden (especially things like the Lake Eden Inn and the penthhouse domed rooftop garden/pool). However, I feel like the writing is declining over time. The text and dialogue are overly simplistic and stilted, the characters seem to be talking down to us/each other, and there's so much filler conversation/recipes that the mysteries themselves are solved very quickly. Andrea acts like an anxious teenager, rather than a successful realtor (at least she used to be) and mother of 2. I feel like there's so much lost by making these characters less than they were and by not fleshing out the mysteries more. That said, I liked the mystery in this book. When the "big" clues started coming in, I figured out what happened and thought "Wow - great twist." I just wish the writing lived up to that. These are very cozy mysteries and I love the feeling that they give, so I'll continue to read them, but I'd love to see a return to the style of some of the previous books in the series. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the advance digital copy!

I love the Hannah Swensen series and was excited to read the next instalment. While the storyline was interesting and the recipes looked yummy I was disappointed as it didn’t seem this book was edited. There were plot holes and contradictory statements throughout the book that made it hard to read. I certainly hope some changes are made before this book goes to print.

The mysteries keep getting better and better as do the recipes. Hannah is actually asked to help solve a crime in which her sister is a suspect., Instead of being annoyance to the police. She still hasn't returned to live in her condo, but seems to be quite copacetic with Norman. Anxiously waiting to see how this non-romance progresses. Recipes are top-drawer as always.

I have read every single one of the Hannah Swenson mysteries even the cookbook. This is the 27th in the series. A large part of the book is taken up with recipes and the instructions for the recipes.
The murder of the town mayor takes second place to the food and food preparation throughout the book. A new recipe for cheesecake takes center place in Andrea’s discovery of the mayor’s body.
It is a cozy almost sweet mystery. But Hannah isn’t really herself at least not the self that is portrayed in the early books of the series. In some ways this can be traced to Ross and what happened with him. Hannah is living with Norman in the dream home they designed together but it is completely platonic? Her other love interest, Mike, doesn’t seem to have any difficulty with the arrangement. I have to say that the continued presence of two suitors after 27 books seems to be dragging it out a bit much. Also, when did Hannah start carrying on an internal monologue that answered her back?
There are a couple or three books that flash back to the past, so not all 27 involve the multiple suitors.
In this book even Andrea seems to be having a crisis of identity. What happened to the confident real estate agent? At least I’m pretty sure that is what her profession is in the books. In the movies, I think it is interior designer. Speaking of movies at least Hallmark gave is resolution on which man Hannah chose in the fifth movie.
The wrap up on the murder seemed a bit weak as well. I can’t say more as that would be spoiling the outcome.
I had high hopes for this book but it wasn’t the story I hoped for. I did like it as it’s fun to visit Lake Eden and catch up with the crew.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.

Hannah Swensen owns a bakery and coffee shop in Lake Eden called The Cookie Jar. Her sister, Andrea is meeting with Mayor Bascomb to smooth things out with him because Andrea’s husband Bill arrested the mayor’s nephew for drunk driving and now the mayor is threatening to fire Bill. But things don’t go as planned and soon Hannah overhears the mayor yelling at her sister after which Andrea slaps the mayor.

Later that night Hannah gets a call from Andrea telling her that she found Mayor Bascomb dead in his office. Apparently, she took some of the cheesecake Hannah had baked earlier to the mayor as a peace offering but when she got there she found him dead at his desk. Andrea’s now the prime suspect. Overall a good read filled with recipes.

Thank you to Joanne Fluke, NetGalley, and Kensington for the ARC of this book.

Of course Andrea didn't kill Ticky Ricky Bascomb, the annoying mayor of Eden Lake but she's worried because she has argued with him a lot lately (so has everyone else). Hannah, our intrepid cozy heroine quickly lays out the suspects in between baking cookies, having an relationship, and more or less taking care of Andrea's entire life. As always in this series, there is lots of writing about food and many recipes. It's not my favorite of the long running series (it feels like someone needs to freshen things up) but it's a good read for a lazy afternoon. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

This is the 27th book in Fluke's Hannah Swenson series and it was a lot of fun. The book starts out with Hannah waiting for her sister, Andrea, outside the mayor's office where Andrea ends up slapping him before running off. Andrea later brings the mayor a slice of Hannah's incredible triple chocolate cheesecake as a peace offering but is shocked to find him bludgeoned to death. Of course Hannah immediately starts investigating and we follow along with her as she bakes, drinks coffee and solves the crime.

Most cozy mysteries are for a very specific audience since the writing is more carefree and the crime is secondary to the lives of the characters. The Hannah Swenson series is for an even more specific audience because the characters, the dialogue and the way of life in Lake Eden can feel older or even old fashioned. One reason I enjoy them so much is because of the strong sense of community and family in these books. But my favorite part is the baking and the crime solving. Hannah makes so many delicious sounding desserts and dinners that my mouth is always watering reading this series. Which is a good thing since all of the books contain recipes for almost everything she makes.

I really enjoyed the story of this one because there were a lot of suspects for who would want to kill the mayor and I enjoyed the process of Hannah narrowing down the list. I also really appreciated the resolution of this one and how it managed to expand the world of Lake Eden. Which is pretty impressive considering how prolific this series is.

If you have previously read a Hannah Swenson novel then I think you will find this a pleasant addition to the series. I jump around a lot in this series but I wouldn't recommend starting with this one because it does spoil a pretty major event of the previous book. I look forward to making more than a few recipes in this book, especially since it is centered around Easter which is right around the corner!

I have read all 27 books in this series and enjoy the recipes and the murder mystery. In this edition there is also a lot of talk about food as in the chapter when there was way to much talking about who had a piece of cheesecake, wanted a piece, would eat more than one piece etc. That lasted through most of the chapter. Another thing that bothered me was Hannah's internal dialogue. The reader is told the rational part of Hannah's mind thought something and then told the suspicious side thought something. This continued throughout the story and each time it stated it was the rational part then the suspicious part. I will continue with the series but I hope next time it is more story focused and less random food talk.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

This is the twenty seventh book in the Hannah Swenson series. Hannah's sister, Andrea is having an argument with Mayor Bascomb that ends with her slapping him out of his chair. She later regrets her actions and goes to apologize with a piece of Hannah's triple chocolate cheesecake but finds him dead in his office. Hannah sets out to investigate. The mystery was okay. I don't feel like there was a lot of sleuthing going on and they were just handed clues. I liked the interactions between Hannah and Norman, The recipes and food talk are always my favorite and a big reason why I keep coming back to the series. I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll preface this review by saying that I am a die hard Hannah Swensen fan and have been since the first book. With that said this book fell a little flat for me and the overall tone was just off and different. I also would not recommend this as a stand alone as very little explanation was included regarding events or people in the past, this explanation was needed for certain parts of this book.

As for the elements of a good cozy Murder this almost had it all; great setting, loveable characters, plenty of suspects for the amateur sleuth and a satisfying ending.

What this book missed for me was the ease and almost expectation that Hannah solve the murder for the police. I know they have a long history by now but the contention and back and forth was one element that made this series strong. I also did not like how Hannah, normally very confident, was now babied and coddled all the time. I know this could be from the trauma of her last book but it didn’t sit well with me or seem natural.

One other strong element of this series has always been the love triangle between Hannah, Norman and Mike. As much as I wish she’d make a decision already, Mike was barely a blip in this book And Norman was like a love sick puppy.

Finally, it’s 2021. A woman in her 30s/40s would not need to be reminded to charge her phone and keep it with her. It’s time to drop that character trait.

I really hate to say anything negative about this series because I love it so much and will continue to read until the end. At this point these characters are like family. That being said I think this series has ran its course and is starting to show its age.

The newest installment in the Hannah Swenson mystery series! Hannah is up to her ears in Easter orders until she gets a call from her sister that the mayor has been murdered and she is the prime suspect. The mayor had been known for being a bully but had also been particularly testy in the days leading up to his death. Hannah is on the case to find out who is responsible!

A classic Joanne Fluke mystery. Interesting, descriptive and detailed. Easy to follow but challenging enough to keep you interested at all times. The vivid details of baking in Hannah’s shop, the catering jobs and the family dinner gatherings are truly enjoyable in this murder mystery. They engage our senses and add to our recipe collections. Along with superb cookie recipes there was a nice selection of appetizers and main dishes, for example, cocktail quiches, stroganoff light, corn salad and deli brunch bake. The mix of mystery and food preparation’s are cozy, comforting, and familiar. The relationship re-development of Hannah and Norman add to the story, as Hannah gets back to her life after Ross (and all of the painful memories) and back into her beloved condo. The ending is a little expected but with a new and original twist!!!
A trifecta of Mystery, Relationships and of course Food! It comes out February 23!

I just love the Hannah Swensen series and Joanne Fluke's writing. These books and stories and especially Hannah is like visiting with a very dear friend. I love all the same characters return: Andrea, Lisa, Michelle, Norman, Mike, Lonnie, Delores (her mom) and Doc. Hannah is asked to help in the investigation of the murder this time, which is a nice change. There were some twists and surprises. I do have to say, her sister Andrea was a little irritating in this book.

My only complaint (but not downgrade it) is the formatting of the recipes! Maybe because it is an egalley, but the recipes were in a single descending line down the middle of my kindle. I do like to save the recipes and cook some of them. STILL RECOMMENDED if you love Hannah Swensen. Cannot wait for the next one! I was 2 of these were written in a year.

All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, Joanne Fluke and Kensington Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 2/23/21

This latest installment of the Hannah Swensen Mystery series is just what I expect when I read a book in this series. There is a lot of cooking and recipes with a mystery thrown in to be solved.

I like the relationships in this book a lot and the way the family and her friends support Hannah. The book is very easy to read, leaves me wanting dessert, and always has me waiting for the next one i the series.

An entertaining and well written cozy mystery. A fantastic addition to the series. Mystery fans will not be disappointed. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

I love it when Hannah Swensen is back in form as she is in 'Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder'. this time her sister Andrea is a suspect in the death of Mayor Bascomb, a difficult, womanizing personality. All of the regular cast of characters were present and the accompanying recipes seem thoroughly delightful. I continue to have a problem with Hannah's relationship issues, because as much as I like Norman I am still team Mike. I look forward to more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.