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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780758218582
ISBN number: 0758218583
Label: Kensington
Manufacturer: Kensington
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 320
Printing Date: February 01, 2003
Publishing house: Kensington
Sale Popularity Level: 12589
Studio: Kensington
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Preparations are underway for Lake Eden, Minnesota's annual Winter Carnival - and Hannah Swensen is set to bake up a storm at her popular shop, The Cookie Jar. Too bad the honour of creating the official Winter Carnival cake went to famous lifestyle maven Connie Mac - a half-baked idea, in Hannah's opinion. She suspects Connie Mac is a lot like the confections she whips up on her cable TV cooking show - sweet, light, and scrumptious-looking, but likely to leave a bitter taste in your mouth.Hannah's suspicions are confirmed when Connie Mac's limo rolls into town. Turns out America's 'cooking sweetheart' is a bossy, bad-tempered, and downright domineering. Things finally boil over when Hannah arrives at The Cookie Jar to find the Winter Carnival cake burnt to a crisp - and Connie Mac lying dead in her pantry, struck down while eating one of Hannah's famous blueberry muffins.Next thing Hannah knows, the police have declared The Cookie Jar's kitchen crime scene off-limits. She's a baker without an oven - and the Carnival is right around the corner. Hannah's only alternative is to cook up a plan to save her business - by finding the killer herself.
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Rated by buyers 
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I am a mystery buff and devour the likes of James Patterson, Tami Hoag and many more. This author was recommended on one of the websites and I found her totally enjoyable and will buy all of her publications. There is no blood and gore and an additional benefit are terrific recipes in every book.
Rated by buyers 
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I started with the 1st book of the Hannah Swensen mysteries, and now after reading the 3rd one I am totally taken. Like another reviewer said, I feel like a resident of Lake Eden when I read these books and encounter familiar characters from the last one. Small town charm comes through in these books, and even if you are a city person like me, you will find the pace of life described in the book a breath of fresh air.
Another thing that keeps me reading is wondering who will Hannah end up with in the end...Mike or Norman. Another review mentioned this particular book shows more in reference to Hannah dating both of these men. Right now I dont have a favorite...although Mike is very appealing.
I cannot say that I have ever tried any of the recipes in these books, but I enjoy reading the ingredients and how to go about making. For those collecting recipes, the ones included in the book are written in a way that seems simple to understand.
A definite find for cozy mystery lovers....this is why I love them, not so much gore and a comical element added. Also, for those who are dessert lovers and bakers a must read!
Rated by buyers -
Book three in the series, and I liked it for a different reason than the very first two. The mystery was less intriguing, but the relationships between the characters really got my attention. Hannah is now dating both Norman and Mike (though she is rather old-fashioned, it doesn't go beyond kissing!) and can't decide between them. It's the classic conundrum - every woman wants the dashing, exciting, handsome hero type (Mike) on occasion, but at the end of the day, it really is nice to curl up with the comfortable, familiar, easy-going type that can just make you laugh (Norman). She finds Mike very physically attractive, but he really irritates her with his chauvinist attitude. And Norman just makes her feel good, and his pudgy balding appearance is starting to grow on her... So which will she go for, a life of adventure and sparks, or a comfortable, happy (though perhaps less exciting) life? It's got me interested enough to go out and buy some more books in the series. Still haven't tried the recipes, though!
Rated by buyers -
Imagine opening a book and finding yourself in a snow covered, chilly town of Lake Eden where the cookies are freshly baked, winter carnivals supply all the hot chocolate needed to melt of the winter chill and a detective who bakes those cookies is on the run to solve the subsequent cozy murder mystery. Not only is this mystery actually very interesting and complex but it develops our relationship with it's inhabitants, the neighbors and family members, coworkers and tourists all add a fun touch as we get familiar with their habits and manners. I recommend reading this series starting with the very first book because they only get better and better - knowing all the facts only enriches the entire storyline. Andrea has a big part in this book and I find her endearing, Norman and Mike are battling it out for Hannah's feelings and things are starting to pick up in the romance department and the new characters add a whole other layer to the all ready charming town.
Hannah and her sister Andrea have new trouble on their busy minds. When the famous television host to the best watched cooking show decides to make an appearance at the Winter Carnival, everyone is thrilled and enamored with the idea of meeting Connie Mac, the star of the show. She arrives and makes herself known all right, by pushing everyone's buttons and making their lives miserable. From ridiculous demands to her sugar coated viper spiked requests to change everything into her way, she ends up meeting her own doom. Found in Hannah's bakery munching on blueberry muffins she meets the maker and turns the Cookie Jar into an investigation site, closing Hannah out. Desperate to save her shop and still make the cookies for the carnival, she decides to snoop on her own and find out who killed Connie Mac. The funny part is that everyone who is usually mellow and calm has deep resentment to Connie and finding out the only guilty person who actually committed the crime was quite the formidable task that required a lot of work and sugar to keep up Hannah's energy. In the end the mystery is solved and the reader is left hungrier for more of these fun books.
This book was wonderful and Hannah was wittier than ever, I always felt the connection to the story and as a bonus it was full of great cookie recipes and cooking tips. I am all ready planning on making some of them, and I have tried her recipes in the past, they work perfectly. The mystery was always the most important part and the story never fizzled, it reached the ending with flying colors.
Fun, enjoyable and breezy read, highly recommended for fans of cozy books.
- Kasia S.
Rated by buyers -
After finding a total of five dead bodies over the past few months, and solving two crimes that left even the local police force stumped, flame-haired cookie queen, Hannah Swensen is determined to act like a normal business owner for once, and throw herself headfirst into the work that she loves - running Lake Eden, Minnesota's booming shop, The Cookie Jar. First up, supplying an array of tasty treats for the annual Winter Carnival. But in the world of Hannah, where there are cookies, there's murder, and before she knows it, she's at it again.
Since returning to Lake Eden, Minnesota, Hannah Swensen has discovered that she truly adores the small town way of life. The fact that she knows each and every one of her neighbor's is a pleasant discovery, and she can't help but feel as if all of the customers who stop in at The Cookie Jar are like family to her. Except for world-renowned cooking sweetheart, Connie Mac. When the lifestyle maven agrees to bake the cake for Lake Eden, Minnesota's annual Winter Carnival, the Lake Eden residents are up in arms with excitement - except for Hannah. Connie Mac may seem like a lovely person on screen, but in reality she's a demanding, conniving, unkind individual - at least to the people who work for her. To everyone else she's an underhanded, manipulative mastermind who can get just about anyone to do her bidding. Except for Hannah. As much as Hannah dislikes the TV host, she certainly doesn't want to see her dead; but that's exactly how she finds her. When Hannah arrives at The Cookie Jar to start the days work, she is shocked to discover the burnt to a crisp Winter Carnival cake, along with the lifeless body of Connie Mac lying in her pantry, surrounded by Hannah's special Blue Blueberry Muffins. Hannah has seen people go wild for her muffins, but this is the very first time someone has literally gone belly up. The victim of a skull-bashing, Connie Mac has managed to cause just as much turmoil in her death, as she did during her living days - especially for Hannah. Due to the fact that Connie Mac was murdered in The Cookie Jar, Hannah's booming business has been marked a crime scene, and is completely off-limits. With the Winter Carnival looming just around the corner, Hannah knows that she can't possibly get her work done without a slew of commercial ovens by her side, so she resolves to do something to save her business - solve the murder herself. But as people begin dropping like flies, Hannah will have to keep her head in an endeavor to catch the killer - before she finds herself subsequent on the chopping block!
I don't know how she does it, but with each addition to the Hannah Swensen series, Joanne Fluke manages to make the reader feel more and more like a resident of Lake Eden, Minnesota. Hannah is such a delightful character whose no-frills demeanor, firecracker personality, sarcastic slings, and passion for baked goods makes her lovable from beginning to end. Her fast-talking ways are quick-witted and creative; and her recipes are absolutely to-die-for (no pun intended!) treats. The only person who almost manages to overshadow Hannah would have to be her precocious four-year-old niece, Tracey, who comes off as sweet as Hannah's original concoctions. Once more, Fluke has proven that Hannah Swensen is a character who is here to stay - and her subsequent adventure will be just as mouthwatering as the last three. Third times the charm!
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
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