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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
More "cozy" than mystery,
By
This review is from: Cream Puff Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries) (Hardcover)
I have been a fan of this series since the beginning and have faithfully read each and every one of them as they are published. It's one of my favorites and I look forward to settling in with Hannah and her friends and family as well as having a mystery mixed in for good measure.This one was different for me. The first 100 pages or so I was really enjoying the book. Definitely a "cozy" story since no murder had been committed yet. I was appreciating getting caught up with the characters from the previous novels and zipped right along. Around page 110 things started deteriorating. The mystery portion was introduced and I thought it was fairly weak. Lots of unrealistic situations occur to the point of spoiling it. All cozies have bits of reality that you have to ignore, but this one pushed it past acceptable. All of the police department's detectives are unable to work the case for some reason or another, so they decide to have a cookie shop owner run the police investigation? It's one thing for a mystery to revolve around a person sticking their nose in where it doesn't belong, its another thing to have us all swallow that four different police officers recruit an amateur and let her solve the mystery. A detective is brought in from the big city and even she lets Hannah take the lead and do all the investigation. Just too over the top for me. By the time the last 100 pages came around, I was finding it hard to stay with the book. I wasn't motivated to finish other than out of loyalty to the series and a personal desire to finish every book I read. I did like the Mike/Norman/Hannah situation and was glad to see some movement in that story line. I also got a real kick out of Moise (Hannah's cat) and the mystery of the disappearing food. I actually liked that mystery better than the main murder in the novel. I'll keep reading these since they have been so good so far, but I am hoping for better in the future. If you have never read this series, I would recommend going back and starting with the very first one. Since so much of this book is dependent upon characters, it would be really helpful to have all the previous background -- won't stand alone very well.
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hannah Tries to Lose Weight and Gain Clues,
By Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Cream Puff Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries) (Hardcover)
Hannah has two weeks to lose enough weight to fit into the dress that her mother bought her to wear for a book launch party. That means a strict diet and joining Heavenly Bodies, the new gym out at the mall. With Andrea cheering her on, Hannah might actually make her goal.On the down side, membership at Heavenly Bodies means interacting even more with Ronni Ward. One of the instructors at the gym, Ronni has made enemies out of every woman in town with her constant flirting. Still, Hannah is shocked to find Ronni floating face down in the gym's Jacuzzi. To make matters worse, sometimes boyfriend Mike is a suspect in the case. Since Mike is suspended until things are resolved, he is becoming irritating. Can she solve the case before Mike drives her completely crazy? Let's be honest, there are a couple of things in this series that are highly unrealistic. And this book does nothing to change that. Mike and other police officers are actually trying to run their investigation through Hannah. Realistic? No. But it does provide for some very funny scenes. As in Murder, She Wrote, I ignore it and move on. The Mike/Norman triangle certainly doesn't seem to be going anywhere either, although this book makes it very clear who she should chose. Now that I've noted those items, I must confess I still enjoy these books. The cast of series regulars always makes me smile. This is another great visit with old friends. For that reason alone I will keep reading the series. The mystery could have been stronger earlier, but it still captured my interest and kept me guessing until the end. I count something in the neighborhood of 20 recipes that made my mouth water as I was reading. Like the chocolate Hannah is always prescribing, this series is a cure for any problem. This is another light, fun read.
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Please just stop,
By
This review is from: Cream Puff Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries) (Hardcover)
Joanne Fluke needs to just stop - her books are all exactly the same. I am so disappointed in how this series has turned out. Hannah doesn't act like a 30 year old, but like a celibate 50 year old. Not making up her mind about Mike or Norman is completely annoying and both men have ceased to be fleshed out characters and are now just caricatures.After reading the last book and finding it dull, I decided to give her one more chance with this novel. I am now finished with this series. It doesn't go anywhere, it's boring, and it is completely unrealistic (even by cozy standards)
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