Customer Reviews

Plum Pudding Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The book starts out with a murder, and then backtracks to the day before a man was shot to a scene at The Cookie Jar. Hannah is selling cookies to the local Christmas tree lot for the holidays, and she and her partner, Lisa, are busy baking cookies, and preparing for the holidays. Hannah's Mom is wondering why her partner in the antique business has been cancelling so many social outings. Norman is helping Hannah put her first Christmas tree in the condo. Mike is worrying about some suspicions he has over local citizens at the tri-state mall. Andrea is selling houses and keeping her precocious daughter, Tracy, busy. The plot thickens when it becomes obvious that a local business owner may have been cheating several of the town's citizens. Norman is helpful, kind and sweet, and Mike shows up for handouts of food late at night. Mike's dalliances with other women are brought up by Hannah and then dismissed. Hannah continues to date both men, and I found myself wanting Norman to dump her. He deserves a woman who appreciates his care for her, and Hannah seems to be attracted to the bad boys. The end of the book brings yet another former suitor into the pictures. I like the myseteries, but Hannah's indecision in the romance department makes her look insensitive or not that bright.

Its 10 shopping days until Christmas, and things are hopping in The Cookie Jar. Hannah has her hands full keeping the shop's regular customers in cookies plus holiday party catering. To top it off, the shop is providing the cookies for the Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot. Located in the center of town, it not only sells trees, but stand, ornaments, and toys. Heck, it even has some rides for all to enjoy.

But when Hannah stops by one night to pick up a check, she finds Larry Jaeger, the owner, shot dead in Elf Headquarters (aka the trailer he was living in on site). And the secrets begin pouring out as Hannah finds motives in some surprising places. Who actually committed the murder?

We've got another entry that will please fans. The early part is a little heavy on the sub-plots, but once the murder plot gets going, all three blend together quite well. I had the killer figured out before Hannah did, but only a chapter or two. And the ending will definitely have you coming back to see what happens next.

The characters continue to be their charming selves. I love spending time with them and get excited as each new book comes out.

Can't leave out the delicious recipes, either. There are a ton of them this time, including recipes for a complete Christmas Eve dinner.

Yes, the series is extremely light and cozy. But that is part of the charm for me. If you are looking for an enjoyable Christmas mystery, this one will be perfect for you.

Hannah is at it again solving the mystery of Larry the Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot with lots of twist and turns. Along the way with great recipes to try. she still has the two men in her life and can not or won't make a discusion on them put the ending leaving you wondering...is there a bigger picture. You won't be unhappy with this newest in the series.

I would have bought one. There were more recipes in this book than there was mystery. I've read all the Hannah Swensen books and the series seems to be going down hill. What little mystery there was ended very abruptly, I guess there had to be more room for the recipes. The relationship with Norman/Mike is getting way beyond believable. Choose for goodness sakes! By the way, if I had to get up at 4 am and one of my suitors showed up at 11 pm looking for something to eat, I don't think there would be much of a choice. If you must read this series, get it from the library. Don't waste your money.

I really liked this series when it began. I didn't even mind the whole Norman/Mike thing in the beginning....but that was 12 books ago, enough already!!! I couldn't even finish this book. The dialog has become beyond weird. It is forced and stiff. I can't stand the Norman/Mike thing now. How old is Hannah exactly? Grown enough to know what love is and that she should pick one of these men, or not. I mean really what 40yr old woman actually wants to sleep alone at night?? The cat isn't keeping her that warm ;)

I wish this series to be over. I understand light and cozy but you are reading the same book over and over again! Just changing who/where and with what in which the murder took place!! PLEASE DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTER A LITTLE MORE MS.FLUKE. At least the other characters are a bit more entertaining and even more realistic. Maybe Hannah should be hit by a bus. Then Mike and Norman could mourn their loss while Andrea steps in to take over the cookie shop.

This series is going nowhere. I really thought after the last book that Hannah would drop Mike after finding out about his relationship with another woman. I cannot get past the fact that she has no self respect. Any man or woman who is not honnest about their extracuricular activities is bad enough but what is pitiful is the person who takes them back and pretends nothing has changed in their relationship.

This book is too predictable. There are few possible suspects, most have good alibis, and Hannah decides two others must be innocent. Hmmm, that leaves the only other NEW CHARACTER! It does nothing to advance the series-- will she pick between Mike and Norman, already? I used to live in a small town in Minnesota, and there is no WAY she could date two men at the same time and not cause a total scandal in town. And have them be friends, on top of it! Her relationship with Mike seems forced. Just kill him in the line of duty, or have him transfer to another jurisdiction, and have her marry Norman, for cripe's sake. On the other had-- the recipe for jeweled pork loin looks to die for! (And yes, we Minnesotans really do refer to bread from the grocery as "store-boughten." But frankly, the rest of her dialogue could be set anywhere.)

I have to agree with Mark Baker. This book was wonderful.
It makes me wish her store was close to where I live.
Obviously, this book revolves around Christmas time.
Everyone is running around getting last minute gifts,
picking out Christmas trees, and ordering cookies galore for the holiday season.
Hannah has her hands full of orders and a murder to solve too.
Never fear, she has her Mom and friends helping her out through it all.
A nice cozy mystery indeed.
Joanne Fluke always has a great plot and wonderful recipes too.
I might have to try one or two of them soon.
She has about 28 recipes in her book.
I am leaning toward making her "Triple Threat Chocolate Cheesecake Pie"
and the "Frosted Ginger Snaps". They all seem tasty to me.
You never can go wrong when Hannah, Mike and Norman,
are on the case. Plus, don't forget about Moishe either.
As Hannah says," Have a cookie.
A little chocolate will make you feel much better about everything".
This works for me too !

I really want to give glowing 5 star reviews to all of the books in the series, but I am so beyond bored with it all. I keep buying the books and keep reading them because I feel a real connection to the characters and the town but I feel like Mrs. Fluke is having trouble coming up with a real plot so she uses useless fluff to take up space. There are so many mundane things that are explained in excruciating detail that have absolutely no baring on anything in the book, yet it happens over and over again. I am really tired of Hannah's physical appearance being thrown in over and over again. Ok I get it, she's a little chubby, less than graceful and has frizzy hair. Why oh why does this need to be shoved in our faces over and over? Obviously she has some redeeming qualities to have 2 men fighting over her. And really she needs to just get on with picking one. I get that everyone wants her to be with Mike the exciting bad boy cop and that Norman is boring but sweet but really? Get on with it! I really dislike that it seems that Hannah is never good enough for her mother or sister or even sometimes boyfriend Mike until she is needed to solve yet another murder. In a town that small, how many people can die and no one really find and issue with it? Sadly, I may have to really pass on any more books in the series.

Christmas has nearly come to Lake Eden, MN. The townspeople are all busily getting ready for the Big Day, many stopping in at the Crazy Elf's to pick up trees and other Christmas items. The Cookie Jar is doing a booming business too keeping Hannah Swensen and her business partner Lisa hopping filling all their orders. Putting in long hours at work though does not stop Hannah from taking on side projects, including some amateur sleuthing. Just why is her mother's business partner and friend Carrie acting so oddly? And is the new business man in town, Larry the Crazy Elf, a savvy entrepreneur or a soon-to-be bankrupt? When Larry is found dead in his trailer who did the deed? his fiancee/business partner? his not-so ex-wife? a disenchanted investor? Hannah is hot on the trail, aided as always by her extended family and of course her two ever hopeful beaus.

This is the 13th in this series of (very) lightweight cozy mysteries. It is also the first of this series that this reviewer has read. There are numerous references to previous events but it is still not difficult to follow the plot in this one even with no knowledge of past actions. Cozy mysteries are rarely known for their complexities but this one is superficial in the extreme. This however, reminded this reviewer of the Nancy Drew series. Like the Nancy Drew stories, the vast majority of the novel involves non-mystery material, including fashion commentary, automotive information and tips on business practices. And like Nancy, Hannah is popular with the 'boys' but seems to remain chaste.

And then there are the recipes. Over and over we see Hannah quickly whip up a tasty treat at a moments notice, usually to entertain one or the other (or both) of her two suitors. While it is not unusual for the mystery aspect of a cozy to be secondary to the backstory in this series it seems as though the mystery also takes a back seat to the recipes. There is far more space in this novel devoted to baking than to solving the crime.

Any one looking for a few good recipes with a little mystery woven in would do well to pick up this series.