Bloggin' 'bout Books: Fluke Bakes Up More Murder and Mayhem in Second Swensen Mystery

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Fluke Bakes Up More Murder and Mayhem in Second Swensen Mystery

6:54 AM

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Tiny Lake Eden's quickly becoming murder central, and much to her mother's chagrin, Hannah Swensen seems to be finding all the bodies. In Strawberry Shortcake Murder, it's Boyd Watson, the high school basketball coach, who's taken the bullet (actually the hammer). He's no one's favorite person - in fact, his snide comments during last night's stint as a cooking contest judge earned him even more enemies. No one blames Danielle for offing her unpleasant husband, especially since he'd used her as a punching bag on more than one occasion, but the battered wife claims innocence. She says she took a large dose of cold medicine, went to bed, and woke up to find Boyd laying in a pool of blood in their garage. As to who else would have motive to kill him - well, really, who wouldn't?

Although the town cops - Mike (one of Hannah's steady dates) and Bill (her brother-in-law) -warn her to let the professionals handle this one, the cookie chef's not about to back down. While she's pondering how to clear Danielle's name, another mystery saunters right into her cookie shop: Lucy Richards, Lake Eden's sad excuse for a cub reporter, decked out in expensive clothes and driving a new Grand Am. The newspaper hardly pays enough to keep her in steno notepads, let alone her pricey new wheels and wardrobe. She hints at an upcoming book deal, but Hannah knows Lucy can barely write her own name. What kind of publisher pays big bucks for an expose by an unknown, and not very talented writer? Hannah smells a lie. But, if Lucy's not collecting a big advance, where did she get the money?

With her sister playing Watson to her Sherlock Holmes, Hannah uncovers some disturbing truths about Lucy. The more she investigates, the more she realizes that Lucy's windfall and Boyd Watson's murder might be connected. But, just when she's about to confront the reporter, she finds that Lucy's up and skipped town. Desperate to free Danielle from suspicion, Hannah chases down clues until she knows exacty what happened to Boyd Watson. The trouble is she needs to confront an absent Lucy (the reporter's nowhere to be found), share her evidence with the police (which would mean admitting she broke into Lucy's apartment), and keep her own neck out of harm's way (which is getting increasingly difficult since she knows who the killer is and the killer knows she knows). Can Hannah expose Boyd's murderer in time? Or will hers be the next body to make an appearance at the town morgue? With Hannah on the case, one thing's for sure - it's bound to be one interesting (and delicious) investigation.

Everything I said about the first book in this series is basically true for Strawberry Shortcake Murder - it's light, fun, and pretty predictable. Ah well, Hannah's a likeable character, who keeps me coming back for more. Plus, these "light & fluffy" provide a nice counterpoint to my more serious reading. And did I mention how delish the recipes look? Stay tuned as I try out Chocolate Highlander Cookie Bars - chocolate, shortbread crust, two kinds of sugar - what's not to love?

Grade: B

Note:
Remember to comment on this post to be entered into my first Light & Fluffy Fluke-A-Thon giveaway. If you've already commented on my review of Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, then you're already entered. Only one comment counts per giveaway, but don't let that stop you from speaking your mind about Joanne Fluke, Hannah Swensen, culinary mysteries, etc. I always love to hear from my readers.

Want more entries? Just blog about the Fluke-A-Thon, and send me the link. Presto! An extra entry.

2 comments:

Unknown22 June, 2009 10:14
I can't wait to see what you think of the Highlander Bars. I love this series, but have never tried any of the recipes.
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Replies
Alison22 June, 2009 21:18
what a fun series to try with my daughters. love the giveaway...
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2. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan* [audio] (Jan)
3. Graysen Foxx and the Treasure of Principal Redbeard by J. Scott Savage (Jan)
4. The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor by Aubrey Hartman* (Jan)
5. Ditch the Glitch by Camille Smithson (Jan)
6. Zeke Zooter and the Eye of Balor by Bruce Jacobs (Jan)
7. Never Lore: Journey to Mt. Smolder by Taya and Nathan Okerlund (Jan)
8. God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney [audio] (Jan)
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10. The Last One by Will Dean (Jan)
11. Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire (Jan)
12. My Plain Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Jan)
13. Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong (Jan)
14. Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda* (Jan)
15. The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant (Jan)
16. Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity by Elizabeth C. Bunce* (Jan)
17. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson* (Jan)
18. More Than a Body by Lindsay and Lexie Kite (Feb)
19. All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay (Feb)
20. Slayed on the Slopes by Kate Dyer-Seeley (Feb)
21. My Imaginary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Feb)
22. Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee (Feb)
23. Artifice by Sharon Cameron* (Feb)
24. Something About Sophie by Mary Kay McComas (Feb)
25. Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chow (Feb)
26. My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Feb)
27. Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt (Feb)
28. Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead (Feb)
29. Murder on Millionaires' Row by Erin Lindsey (Feb)
30. Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson (Mar)
31. End of Story by A.J. Finn (Mar)
32. None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (Mar)
33. My Contrary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Mar)
34. Where There's Smoke by E.B. Vickers (Mar)
35. Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong* (Mar)
36. The Kind to Kill by Tessa Wegert (Mar)
37. Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban (Apr)
38. Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor (Apr)
39. Swimming in a Sea of Stars by Julie Wright (Apr)
40. The Girl Who Wasn't There by Penny Joelson (Apr)
41. The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers [audio] (Apr)
42. The Secret of Rainy Days by Leslie Hooton (Apr)
43. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin (Apr)
44. The Nights the Lights Went Out by Karen White (Apr)
45. Flippin' Skaters by Teresa Richards (Apr)
46. Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch [audio] (Apr)
47. The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes* (Apr)
48. Dust by Dusti Bowling* (Apr)

49. Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie (Apr)

50. One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware (Apr)

51. Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest (Apr)

52. The Hunter by Tana French (May)

53. Murder at Rough Point by Alyssa Maxwell (May)

54. The Hard Parts by Oksana Masters [audio] (May)

55. Watch It Burn by Kristen Bird (May)

56. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson* (May)

57. No Matter What by K.M. Frost (May)

58. Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen (May)

59. The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain [audio] (May)

60. Candy Cane Crime by Amanda Flower [novella] (May)

61. An Improbable Season by Rosalyn Eves (May)

62. Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs* (May)

63. Borrow My Heart by Kasie West (May)

64. Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham (May)

65. Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis (May)

66. The Weight of Everything by Marcia Argueta Mickelson (May)

67. Make the Fireflies Dance by Rachel Bateman (May)

68. The Lost Girls of Willow Brook by Ellen Marie Wiseman [audio] (May)

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70. Where They Lie by Claire Coughlan (Jun)

71. The Shift: 7 Powerful Mindset Changes for Lasting Weight Loss by Gary Foster [audio] (Jun)

72. The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan (Jun)

73. A Deadly Endeavor by Jenny Adams (Jun)

74. The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie (Jun)

75. Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen, and the Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn [audio] (Jun)

76. The Watchers by A.M. Shine (Jun)

77. Deep Water by Jamie Sumner (Jun)

78. First Victim by Debbie Babitt (Jun)

79. One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome* (Jun)

80. Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix [audio] (Jun)

81. When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer (Jun)

82. Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth (Jun)

83. The Great Trouble: A Story of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel by Deborah Hopkinson [audio] (Jun)

84. 49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards (Jun)

85. Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell (Jun)

86. Trouble Island by Sharon Short (Jun)

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89. Falling Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Jun)

90. Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey (Jun)

91. First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly* (Jun)

92. Homecoming by Kate Morton* (Jul)

93. The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King* [audio] (Jul)

94. Middle of the Night by Riley Sager* (Jul)

95. The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon (Jul)

96. The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave (Jul)

97. Operation: Happy by Jenni L. Walsh* (Jul)

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102. The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall by Ali Standish (Jul)

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106. Popcorn by Rob Harrell* (Jul)

107. Library Girl by Polly Horvath (Jul)

108. Such a Lovely Family by Aggie Blum Thompson (Jul)

109. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (Aug)

110. The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon (Aug)

111. Basket Case by Nancy Haddock (Aug)

112. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett* (Aug)

113. Front Country by Sara St. Antoine [audio] (Aug)

114. Stowaway by John David Anderson (Aug)

115. Consigned to Death by Jane K. Cleland (Aug)

116. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman* (Aug)

117. Louder Than Hunger by John Schu (Aug)

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119. Peanut Butter Panic by Amanda Flower (Aug)

120. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl (Aug)

121. Flight 171 by Amy Christine Parker (Aug)

122. Criminally Cocoa by Amanda Flower [novella] (Aug)

123. The Kaya Girl by Mamle Wolo (Aug)

124. The Last Word by Gerri Lewis (Aug)

125. The Last Kids On Earth by Max Brallier* (Aug)

126. Cruzita and the Mariacheros by Ashley Granillo (Aug)

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129. A Winter Grave by Peter May (Aug)

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136. Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler, ed. (Sep)

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175. Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino (Oct)

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177. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare* (Oct)

178. Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie (Oct)

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180. The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin (Nov)

181. Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales by Wendy S. Swore (Nov)

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183. Chadwick Boseman: King of Wakanda: A Hero On and Off the Screen by Chris Singleton (Nov)

184. The Legend of the Last Library by Frank L. Cole (Nov)

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190. Ruby, Who? by Jill Campbell (Nov)

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Fluke Bakes Up More Murder and Mayhem in Second Swensen Mystery

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