Another wonderful entry in a long running series that has a welcoming midwestern feel and returning characters that are very likeable. The main character owns her own business and has a close group of family and friends she depends on to assist her in solving cases. This book strikes close to home and Hannah is trying to clear a family member of murder. It is nice to see the development on ongoing characters in interesting and somewhat surprising ways. Also has recipes that are appetizing and easy.

I think Joanne Fluke has had her run with this series. I did not finish this story because I could not handle the overly sweet dialogue. The main character acts like she is elderly, when she is supposed to be in her 30s or 40s. I used to enjoy this series, but not anymore. I think this will be the last one of the author I read. Also, there are too many recipes within the story.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke (Hannah Swensen #27) 4.5 stars

Hooray! - a new Hannah Swensen mystery and we are back to the current timeline. Mayor Bascomb is furious with Bill and threatens to fire him for arresting his nephew on a DUI charge. Andrea is meeting with the Mayor to discuss this matter, things get heated, insults are thrown, and Andrea ends up slapping the Mayor out of his chair. This event doesn't help, when Andrea tries to make peace by bringing a slice of Hannah's Triple Chocolate Cheesecake to the Mayor's Office and discovers a dead body. Andrea is a suspect, but she has plenty of company because the Mayor was not exactly a model citizen. Hannah's murder notebook is overflowing - who really killed Mayor Bascomb and why is the main theme to this mystery. Hannah needs to solve this fast or Andrea may end up in her husband's jail.

I always enjoy a new Hannah Swensen mystery. There is a comfort level that goes beyond the food and desserts. However, since her marriage to Ross ended with deception and death, Hannah shows a new hesitation in her thinking. The cynical, suspicious part of her that stayed mostly silent is coming out more. After her experiences with Ross, it is understandable that she is questioning other peoples motives, but I am sad that the Hannah of old may never come back. I look forward to the next Hannah Swensen mystery "Christmas Dessert Murder" coming in Oct 2021.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.

I absolutely love anything Hannah Swensen! This mystery concluded in an unexpected way and it was so good! Several of the recipes sound amazing, and I’m going to have to try them out! Don’t hesitate to buy this book or any of Hannah’s stories!

When Hannah's sister Andrea calls her panicked because she just found a dead body, Hannah goes to her and discovers Andrea has found the Mayor dead in his office. Many people have reason to kill Mayor Bascomb but, Hannah knows Andrea just had an argument and had slapped the Mayor that afternoon so it puts Andrea at the top of the list!
It is almost Easter, Hannah and the girls are busy as always at The Cookie Jar getting ready for the holiday when another murder investigation lands in her lap. Norman is helping Hannah look for suspects and luckily, this time Mike and Lonnie need her help and ask for it instead of warning her to butt out. Andrea's husband, Bill, has to sit back and let his deputies investigate his wife, no matter how hard it is.
Joanne Fluke has done it again with another installment of her fun series. Many suspects, all with reason to kill and lots of interaction with Hannah and her family.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this book!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read these books. Joanne Fluke and her Hannah Swenson books are some of my favorites. This book centers around the murder of Mayor Bascomb. Norman (who I am starting to worry will get his heart shattered in a million pieces when Hannah decides he isn't the one for her) helps Hannah solve the mystery. There are so many suspects, from Stephanie, the Mayors wife, to Andrea (who gets into a fight with the Mayor shortly before his death). I enjoyed this book immensely and I figured out who did it about 3/4 of the way in when Stephanie talks to Hannah about the Mayor's college time. I look forward to the next one and hope that Norman won't be let down (as I picture him as the handsome actor Gabriel Hogan).

Book Review for Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

Once again I love the Hannah mysteries! I absolutely adore that these cozy mysteries comes with different recipes in each one and slowly I'm reading through the series and maybe not so much in the order but I love these books!
In this installment Hannah is working to solve a mystery because the Mayor is found dead by none other than Hannah's sister Andrea. Making her and several other people suspects in his murder!
I think Hannah's character took a blow after Ross and I don't really like that it seems like she is coddled soo much but I still enjoyed the book!
I will definitely continue on with the series because I adore it soo much! I definitely recommend this book and series to anyone who loves cozy mysteries and recipes

This book is a lovely addition to the Hannah Swenson series. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll no doubt enjoy this one. Having this be the 27th book in the series, I definitely don’t recommend starting here. You won’t have connection to the characters at all.

If you’re familiar with these books, you know how decadent they can be. I always wind up hungry reading about all of the delicious food that’s mentioned. Having recipes be included is a massive highlight for me. I’m looking forward to trying to make a few. If you’re curious, it’s not all baked good/desserts. In this book in particular there’s a cheeseball recipe and a mouth watering Stroganoff that I know I’ll be making very soon.

Hannah is back and this episode more in line with the older books. While I wasn't a huge fan of the previous, throwback book, Fluke seems to be back on her cozy mystery game with Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder.

The mayor of Lake Eden has been murdered and Hannah's sister Andrea is the last one to have a known encounter with him. Of course Andrea isn't a murderer, but it's up to Hannah to prove it. Plenty of people have motives, but who would actually want the mayor dead?

It's another fun little cozy mystery featuring all of the gang from Lake Eden, and there's less focus (finally) on the Hannah, Norman, Mike love triangle. The friendships and mystery are more of a focus and there's a couple not-to-be-missed recipes in there, especially the brunch sandwich bake!

Early last week I was notified that NetGalley and Kensington Books granted me access to Joanne Fluke’s latest installment from Lake Eden and I couldn’t wait for the weekend to hurry up and get here so I could start!

I love cozy mysteries. In 2012, I was student teaching and exhausted. But I was also missing the joys of reading. I couldn’t handle anything too intense, yet I couldn’t bring myself to stray from mysteries. While traveling to see family, I snagged a random book in The Hannah Swenson series and couldn’t put it down. So, I went back and read them all! I probably own 85% if the series in hard covers!

The last few installments weren’t my favorites. The stories were feeling a bit lost. In this book, Hannah is back to her normal self! The murder is a good one. It had me interested from the beginning. The progression of the characters is there. I guess, I just don’t know where Hannah really can go next. I’ll be there to read it though and maybe that's what Fluke's goal was. It reset the stage after the drama of Ross. I just find myself unable to handle another love triangle setup.

One thing I found frustrating was the narration about Hannah’s suspicious mind versus rational mind. The internal banter was silly and trivial. Generally, it made kind Hannah sound like a jerk. It was out of character. She isn't maliciously suspicious. I have always found her to be curious to a fault, but always out of good intent.

Perhaps my favorite part of this book was seeing Andrea more in the spotlight. Her character has become less confident throughout the series. She's often seeking approval from others, which is such a change from the woman she was in the beginning. In this novel, Andrea seems to be regaining her confidence and shines through and through.

All in all, it was another Joanne Fluke chapter in the book of Hannah! If you like cozy mysteries it’s a good read. If you’re a loyal Hannah Swensen reader, this may feel a bit familiar. - I do recommend reading the series in order. Out of order, you'll get way too many spoilers!

I've heard a lot of good things about this author and this series, and I am grateful to Kensington Books for the opportunity to read an ARC. Unfortunately, this style of writing did not work for me at all. This book is okay, but I thought it would be my new favourite series.

This style of writing is not exactly for me. I fully appreciate the concept of combining a mystery with a bunch of recipes. This idea revolutionized the genre of cozy mystery. I've seen similar things in other books, apparently inspired by this series. I find this combination very interesting and innovative. Unfortunately, it didn't work out very well in this book. At times it seemed to me that I was reading a cookbook with an added plot. I think this is due to the author's attempts to put too many food related scenes into this book. Sometimes it resembles bizarre product placement. But neither did the general writing style work for me. I found too many awkward dialogues that sound unnatural and scenes that add nothing to the plot and work only as a filler.

I'm afraid this book is just too simple for me. The mystery idea itself had a lot of potential, but it was not used. Also because the stakes were not high at any time. I wish Hannah would have to find a murderer to clear her sister Andrea of suspicion. That would add a little thrill. I prefer more complicated stories and I think that it can also be achieved in cozy mystery. Here, to put it simply, if someone is a suspect, s/he is a murderer. I solved this case too quickly. The murderer turned out to be a person whom I began to suspect quite early and for reasons I also predicted.

I think if I had read the previous books, it would have been much easier for me. Most of all, I would feel attached to the characters and scenes that seemed redundant to me when I read this book, I would probably find cute. Fans of the series will be glad to see more of the ordinary life of their favourite characters. For me, this was unfortunately not enough to give them the necessary depth.

I think I'll try to read the first book in this series before finally deciding if this author is for me. This is a book more for fans of the series. If you are new to it as I am, this is not the best point to start. Although I will consider making one of the recipes.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder
JoAnne Fluke

I have read this entire series and I am always thrilled when a new addition is available for my reading pleasure. Hannah Swenson is always finding dead bodies.....but not this time...her sister finds the dead body! Hannah and her crew must join forces and coffee up (they drink a lot of coffee and eat a lot of cookies) to find out who murdered the mayor. Hannah owns a cookie shop & the author includes recipes within the chapters. When the author describes the cookie creations that Hannah serves in her shop-I always wish her cookie shop was in my town! I highly recommend this series. I am team Norman.

This is the 27th book in this series. It can be read without first reading the others, but you miss a lot of nuance. Richard Bascom, long time mayor of Lake Eden, is found murdered in his office. Unfortunately, he is found by Hannah Swensen's sister, Andrea, who had just loudly argued him. There are too many suspects in this case: former mistresses, people trampled by "his honor", his wife, his brother, his nephew, etc. Eventually Hannah, aided by friends and family figures it out and justice is served.
My only criticism is that there is no mention of Mayor Bascom's deceased sister Tori in the discussion of family dynamics.

This series is so good and as always I can’t wait to to try some of the recipes in this book. This book is part of a series but you don’t have to read all of them to enjoy the book it does help to have some background on the characters in the story. I love the family and friends of Hannah and how they help her solve the situation and how everyone in the town is there for each other.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

I received a copy of this through NetGalley. And thank you to Kensington.

I liked this one better than some of the more recent ones. I always return to them to see what is going on and hope to find things going in a better direction. I found it to be better and while there are still some annoying things such as the use of names, I realized it could be worse.

In this story, we find out there is a murder - of course - only the list of subjects is quite long. One could include Andrea but we all know that is wrong. Andrea actually helps Hannah this time throughout the search for the killer along with Norman. And by the way, Hannah is still living with Norman which I am thinking get married or move along. Everyone is pitching in and meeting to go over the notes on the murder which is the norm. And yes, it does get figured out by the end - no spoiler there.

Something I did find interesting was Hannah having good and bad conversations in her head. I don't recall this from before but could be wrong. Also, Hannah is working on allowing Andrea to help her cook and not just with the murder book.

An annoying part for me was Hannah being a guest in her own condo. Michelle and Lonnie living there worked initially but this needs to move along.

Overall, it is a gentle read, one you come to expect and lots of very unhealthy recipes included. Fans will enjoy.

I am a big fan of the cozy mystery genre and have enjoyed many elements of this series over the years. However, as the series goes on it must be acknowledged that these novels are more food porn than mystery. At least fifty percent of the book is recipes. Of the actual text, a good seventy percent involves the characters eating and drinking ridiculous amounts of various unhealthy treats such as cupcakes and cookies for breakfast, massive heart attack provoking amounts of coffee, and prodigious amounts of champagne for no particular celebratory reason. To top all of that off, the characters are so prim and proper as to be laughable. The mystery is nothing that the reader will actually be engaged in solving and is wrapped up quickly in order for the Bacchanalian eating and drinking to carry on. I don't intend to read anymore installments in this series and cannot recommend this title.

This was a favourite series of mine but I think I’ve finally had enough. I keep reading the new books hoping it will be return to the quality it was, but alas, no.
The recipes at the end of each chapter are a distraction and would be better placed at the end of the book. If you removed the recipes, it would be a short book.
Hannah’s inner dialogue about her rational mind and suspicious mind was annoying and not needed.
I guessed the murderer very early on which is not a good sign.
The characters themselves have changed and not for the better.
I wish I had something good to say, but unfortunately this series has become a hard pass for me.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder
JoAnne Fluke
February 23, 2021

Easter is arriving in Lake Eden, Minnesota and Hannah Swensen is finding herself in bakery orders galore. She and her partner, Lisa are doing their best to keep organized and the Cookie Jar filled with new treats. The last episode near Christmas left Hannah realizing her marriage was not real love. Ross had been involved in bad business and ended up losing his life in their apartment. Since, Hannah began living with her mother, Delores and stepfather, Doc. Even with a complete remodel, it was difficult to call it home. As her cat, Moishe had been there at the time of Ross’s murder, he still couldn’t enter without fear returning. In this episode, her sister, Andrea Todd is beside herself about her husband, Bill’s problems with Lake Eden’s Mayor. Richard Bascomb. His nephew, Bruce, is attending the local community college. He has more than one run in with law enforcement regarding his alcohol consumption but recently he was involved in a 3 car accident under the influence. Sheriff Bill Todd arrested Bruce. Mayor Bascomb was adamant about getting him released on bail with charges being dropped. There is no way that Bill will allow Bruce to be set free. Another officer was on duty making the arrest as well as multiple insurance claims being filed. Bascomb has decided that Todd should be fired from his job. Although Bill has spoken with the mayor on separate occasions regarding the incidents he felt his nephew was just shedding oats, as young men do.
Andrea, upon learning of Bill’s impending dismissal, felt she would take one more opportunity to speak with Mayor Bascomb. Hannah accompanied her to the office. All seemed calm until he referred to Bill as stupid and foolish. Too late, the rage flew from Andrea. She raised her hand wildly and slapped the civil administrator, knocking him right out of his chair.
Later in the evening, things go from bad to worse with Andrea trying to apologize. She finds him lying dead in his office.
This is a typical Swenson mystery with both police, family and friends trying to solve the ‘who did it’. It was a fun read and included several recipes for all food that was featured in the plot.
The Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder written by Joanne Fluke will be published on February 23, 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corp. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review this latest Fluke ARC. It was a great fun and I really enjoyed reading it. As many of Fluke’s readers have, I have now read all 27 of her Hannah Swenson Murder series. I always look forward to the next chapter of the Swensons. Be certain to look this one up, there are a few surprises you will find with major characters and no I am not going to spoil things for you. Enjoy!

I have been reading Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swenson series for many years, and they are always delightful reads. The 27th book in the series, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder is no different.

In this book, Lake Eden, Minnesota’s womanizing mayor, Richard Bascomb is murdered. Andrea Todd, Hannah Swenson’s younger sister, discovers the mayor’s body a few hours after getting into a big fight with him. Of course, Andrea becomes a suspect, and Hannah works on solving the murder to clear her sister’s name.

While this book has a lot in common with the other 26 in the series, I appreciate the ways in which Fluke made this book feel different. In many of the other books in the series, the murder victim isn’t necessarily someone who the reader knows a lot about, but Mayor Bascomb certainly is a well established character in the series. This made me more invested in learning what happened to him.

I also loved the focus on Andrea in this book. In many other books in the series, Hannah’s other sister takes a more prominent role than Andrea. As the second of three daughters myself, I have always felt most connected to Andrea of all of the Swenson sisters. In the previous books in the series, there is emphasis placed on how Andrea can’t bake, but she tries very hard to learn from Hannah in this book, which was lovely to see.

Throughout the series, Norman Rhodes, Lake Eden’s dentist, has served as a love interest. It is clear how much he loves and cares for Hannah, but this becomes even more clear in this installment. He opens his home to Hannah when she is scared to return to her own after finding her husband murdered there. Their relationship is so sweet, and I have always rooted for them.

Hannah and the other Lake Edenites are always fun to read about, and I’m always game to read about what shenanigans they get into next.