Book Review: Lemon Meringue Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Hannah Swensen thought she'd finally discovered the recipe for a perfect life. But her sometime beau Norman Rhodes tosses a surprise ingredient into the mix when he phones to tell her he's just bought a house from local drugstore clerk Rhonda Scharf--which he plans to tear down in order to build the dream home he and Hannah designed. It seems the plan has been cooking for quite some time, and Hannah's shocked. Especially since her ring finger is still very much bare. . .

The good news is that the soon-to-be-torn-down house is full of antiques--and Norman has given Hannah and her mother first dibs. They uncover some gorgeous old furniture, a patchwork quilt. . .and Rhonda Scharf's dead body. A little more sleuthing turns up the half-eaten remains of a very special dinner for two--and one of The Cookie Jar's famous lemon meringue pies. Now it's up to Hannah to turn up the heat--and get busy tracking down clues. Starting in her very own kitchen. . .[summary from Amazon]

Another week and another delicious, scrumptious Hannah Swensen mystery to devour! This time with my favorite desert on the front cover, Lemon Meringue Pie!

In Lake Eden, Hannah is getting used to life dating both Norman and Mike, running The Cookie Jar and having her mother's new business right next door! Life is busy, but good for Hannah and her friends. Things start to get interesting, however, when Norman announces that he has bought a house, and the previous owner is found dead in the basement!! It's another murder mystery for Hannah to solve, with the help of not just her sister, Andrea, but her mother too!!

This is the fourth Hannah Swensen I've read as part of my read-along and I'm loving each and every one of them. With each book I'm developing a feeling of coming home, to visit family and friends, and in my opinion that is the mark of a good cozy mystery! Just like real estate it's "location, location, location" and I love visiting with all the folks at Lake Eden! 

I solved the mystery in Lemon Meringue Pie Murder about two-thirds of the way through the book but this didn't take any enjoyment away from the story. I enjoyed watching Hannah try to piece the story together. 

Lemon Meringue Pie Murder was another enjoyable visit to Lake Eden. It has all the thrills of a good adventure, romance and scrumptious recipes. I do warn readers though, after you finish reading you'll be rushing to the kitchen to bake some of these yummy recipes yourself!

Buy Lemon Meringue Pie Murder at Amazon.

Feature & Giveaway: The Cat, The Collector and the Killer by Leann Sweeney

As part of our double-feature today, we're featuring Leann Sweeney's new release, The Cat, the Collector & the Killer:

Jillian Hart and police chief Tom Stewart are enjoying peaceful, newly wedded bliss in Mercy, South Carolina, until a woman is found wandering the streets one night. She's in her night clothes, disoriented, and carrying a kitten in a tote bag. A search of the woman’s house reveals many more cats, a maze of cardboard boxes—and a dead man. 

Although the evidence suggests the frail woman is the killer, Jillian doesn’t believe she’s capable of such a crime. The dead man had many enemies in town, which means finding the real murderer may prove to be its own cat and mouse game...

Today we're giving away a paperback of The Cat, the Collector & the Killer:

GIVEAWAY: 

To enter:
1. Leave a comment with your email address or fill in this form.
2. Giveaway is open to US/Canada and ends August 3, 2016.

Feature & Giveaway: The Cat, the Sneak & the Secret by Leann Sweeney

Today we have a double-feature with two great books from Leann Sweeney, one that is out today!!

First we have book 7 of the Cats in Trouble Mysteries:

In the latest from the author of The Cat, the Vagabond and the Victim, a feline with a penchant for pilfering ends up unearthing a deadly mystery.… 

 Jillian Hart and Tom are finally tying the knot, but first they need to make sure Tom’s stepson, Finn, is as comfortable as possible in the lake house they will all call home. So when it becomes clear that Finn has fallen for a pretty cat from the Mercy Animal Sanctuary, Jillian and Tom readily agree to make room for one more—even though the tortoiseshell kitty is a notorious kleptomaniac. 

So far, the cat has sneaked out of the adoption center time after time, bringing back trinkets, shoelaces, and socks. But when she brings back an antique locket, Finn enlists Tom’s and Jillian’s sleuthing skills. They hope to return the treasured item to its owner, but their search for answers is sidetracked when a body is found. Still, their sneaky cat’s find may just lead them to a killer.…

Today we're giving away a paperback of The Cat, the Sneak & the Secret:

GIVEAWAY:

To enter:

1. Leave a comment with your email address or fill in this form.

2. Giveaway is open to US/Canada and ends August 3, 2016.

Book Review: Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke

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 honor 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 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...[summary via Goodreads]

Blueberry Muffin Murder is the third book the Hannah Swensen Mysteries, and for me was a re-read. I originally read Blueberry Muffin Murder in 2011 and I've now re-read it as part of my Hannah Swensen Mysteries readalong. It was just as delightful the second time around!!

Hannah is busy helping with the Winter Carnival. However her life gets a whole lot busier with the arrival of America's Cooking Sweetheart, Connie Mac, who is bossy and seems to get on the bad side of everyone! When Connie turns up dead, and one of Hannah's oldest friends is pinned for the murder, Hannah and her sister, Andrea, must try and find the killer.

Every Hannah Swensen mystery I've read so far has been a delicious read. Blueberry Muffin Murder is no different. The mystery itself was interesting, especially as it involved the empire of a cooking sweetheart, that certainly left enough suspects in her wake. It was interesting watching Hannah and Andrea hunt for clues and find the killer, especially with such a long list of suspects!

I enjoy every visit to Lake Eden. There is the eclectic mix of people in Lake Eden, especially their mother, Delores, who is determined to marry Hannah off!!! It's always fun watching Delores and her match-making. I especially enjoy the relationships in Lake Eden, watching Hannah and Andrea's sisterly bond growing and watching Hannah's romance with dentist, Norman, and police detective, Mike. It all made for an another enjoyable visit to Lake Eden!

If you haven't visited Lake Eden yet, what are you waiting for? Pickup The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder and enjoy this fabulous series.

Purchase Blueberry Muffin Murder at Amazon.

Feature & Giveaway: The Cat, the Vagabond & the Victim by Leann Sweeney

Today we're featuring the sixth book in the Cats in Trouble Mysteries, The Cat, the Vagabond & the Victim:

When Clyde the cat travels two hundred miles back home only to find his former owner dead, the story makes national news. While everyone seems eager to tell Clyde’s incredible tale, someone needs to step up to care for him. Because the media attention is creating chaos at the local shelter, cat quilter Jillian Hart agrees to foster the loyal orange tabby, hoping his location is kept secret. 

But while the media circus around Clyde continues, Jillian learns the real story behind his owner’s death—he was murdered. Why would an eldery man already dying from a serious illness become a murder victim? As the local police search for an answer, Clyde makes another escape. Jillian is drawn into the case when she finds Clyde has returned to his home again—and he’s found another body. When the motive behind these murders is finally revealed, Jillian understands Clyde is in danger of becoming the next victim, and she must help find the killer before the claws really come out.…[summary via Goodreads]

Have you read The Cat, the Vagabond & the Victim? Did you enjoy it as much as we did?

Time for a giveaway. Today we're giving away a paperback of The Cat, the Vagabond & the Victim.

GIVEAWAY: 

To enter: 

1. Leave a comment with your email address. 

2. Giveaway is open to everyone and ends on August 2, 2016 at midnight.