Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Helpful Score: 1
Coconut Layer Cake Murder is the 25th installment in the Hannah Swensen series set in Lake Eden, MN and featuring Cookie Jar owner, Hannah, her family and friends. Hannah has accompanied her mother to California to help their friend Lynne pack up her house and move back to Lake Eden. The house is almost buttoned up when Hannah gets a call from sister Michelle that her boyfriend Lonnie is the prime suspect in a murder.
Hannah's brother in law and chief of police, Bill has taken both Mike an Lonnie off the case due to conflict of interest and everyone is now looking to Hannah to solve the mystery. Hannah teams up with Mike, Norman and Andrea to identify the killer and clear Lonnie's name.
There really is no plot in this latest addition to the series. In fact, the actually mystery is only about 50 pages and the rest of the book is just filled with recipes and notes about the recipes. In the 50 pages of actual story over a third is spent at the work table in the Cookie Jar with the usual characters sampling cookies and commenting on the different knocks on the back door. Even Moishe was barely mentioned in the story. If you haven't read this series before I wouldn't start with this one as it does not read like a stand alone, you will have no idea who Lynne is or understand the casual references to why Hannah is not living at her condo or what happened to her husband. This series has become a true disappointment.
Hannah's brother in law and chief of police, Bill has taken both Mike an Lonnie off the case due to conflict of interest and everyone is now looking to Hannah to solve the mystery. Hannah teams up with Mike, Norman and Andrea to identify the killer and clear Lonnie's name.
There really is no plot in this latest addition to the series. In fact, the actually mystery is only about 50 pages and the rest of the book is just filled with recipes and notes about the recipes. In the 50 pages of actual story over a third is spent at the work table in the Cookie Jar with the usual characters sampling cookies and commenting on the different knocks on the back door. Even Moishe was barely mentioned in the story. If you haven't read this series before I wouldn't start with this one as it does not read like a stand alone, you will have no idea who Lynne is or understand the casual references to why Hannah is not living at her condo or what happened to her husband. This series has become a true disappointment.
Coconut Layer Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke is the twenty-fifth A Hannah Swensen Mystery. I have read all the books in this series and there is a marked difference between Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder and Coconut Layer Cake Murder. The mystery is not the primary focus of the story. It seems that most of the book is devoted to cooking, baking, eating, and chatting. More than half of the book is devoted to recipes. I have stuck with the series this long, and I am not about to quit. After the cliffhanger left in the last book, I wanted to know what was happening with Hannah. I like how close Hannah is to her family and friends. Delores, Michelle, Doc Knight, Andrea, Bill, Norman, Mike, Lonnie and all the regulars are back. Lonnie is accused of murdering an old high school classmate and he needs Hannah's help if he is to prove he is innocent. Mike is Lonnie's partner so that bans him from investigating and Lonnie's brother is also off the case. The lone detective left is Bill, Andrea's husband, who lacks experience solving murders. This time (believe it or not) Hannah's nosiness is encouraged. Lonnie's fuzzy memory, though, causes some problems. Hannah zips around town in her cookie truck asking questions, dispensing cookies, and searching for clues. With help from family and friends, Hannah pieces together the clues and identifies the killer. Readers will have no problem solving this whodunit before the reveal. The story proceeds in a unique manner for cozy mysteries that was a nice change of pace, but I would not want too often. I know that Hannah needs to recover from what happened with Ross, but I believe it is time for her to decide between Mike and Norman (my pick is Mike). When A Hannah Swensen Mystery series ends (it is inevitable), I hope Joanne Fluke starts a new cozy mystery series. Coconut Layer Cake Murder is a light, feel good story firm friends, mouthwatering meals, a vital vacation, scrumptious cookies, and a busy baker.
