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| Carrot Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries) | 
 enlarge | Author: Joanne Fluke
Publisher: Kensington
Category: Book
List Price: $22.00
Buy Used: $6.72
You Save: $15.28 (69%)
New (42) Used (35) Collectible (9) from $6.72
Avg. Customer Rating:  30 reviews
Sales Rank: 75812
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0758210205
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780758210203
ASIN: 0758210205
Publication Date: March 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Good - Free shipping confirmation & tracking. 100% of your purchase helps Goodwill create jobs and change lives. A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (the dust cover may be missing). May have usage wear, reading creases, writing inside, bent pages, notes, highlighting, stains, light damage, exposure to water and/or stickers. If CD/DVD: shows external signs of wear, has not been tested but appears playable. The item, inclusions, box or jewel case may be missing, damaged or marked but what is included remains complete and legible.
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Product Description
Summertime has finally arrived in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and Hannah Swensen, owner of The Cookie Jar bakery, is looking forward to warm, lazy days, eating ice cream, and sharing picnics with friends. But when a family reunion takes a deadly turn, it's up to Hannah to find a killer... Between baking up a storm for The Cookie Jar and unraveling the mystery of her cat Moishe's recent strange behavior, Hannah Swensen has a lot on her plate. But she'll always make time for her business partner, Lisa, who's in the midst of preparing for a big family reunion. Everyone is delighted when Lisa's long-lost uncle makes a surprise appearance. No one has heard from Gus in twenty-five years--and his arrival has everyone buzzing with excitement. Uncle Gus is immediately the hit of the reunion, telling tales of his great success and flashing money for all to see. He's almost as popular as Hannah's scrumptious carrot cake, which is also Gus's favorite dessert. But the next morning, as the whole family gathers for the group photo, one person is missing. Hannah offers to track down Uncle Gus, but her search leads to a shocking find. Over by the bar at the pavilion, she spots two slices of her infamous carrot cake, frosting-side down on the floor--and Gus's corpse with an ice pick jutting out of his chest! A little snooping reveals that not everyone was celebrating Gus's return. And when Hannah unearths more secrets from Gus's past, she discovers even more people with an axe to grind. Now Hannah's got to sift through a long list of suspects to find a killer--even if it could mean a recipe for her own demise... Includes 12 original dessert recipes for you to try!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
 Enough Is Enough! April 13, 2008
24 out of 30 found this review helpful
I cannot believe I actually made it through to the end of this book. I justified checking it out from the library by telling myself this newest installment should finally wrap up the Norman/Mike triangle. But no such luck. Except for the victim, the scenario is the same in each book - a new dessert, a person found dead with the new dessert nearby, Hannah solving the murder, Hannah in danger, Hannah being rescued by Mike & Norman...DESSERT, MURDER, RESCUE, OH MY, (sing along with me now). The only good thing about this one is that Hannah is less condescending to the people not quite as intelligent as she.
I think the Hannah character is quickly becoming unlikeable. Is she really that much smarter than the entire Lake Eden Police Department? So much so that people beg her to investigate?! She's always just one step ahead of Mike. Another thing I find totally unrealistic (in this book & the previous ones) is that Norman & Mike seem to be fine with Hannah dating both of them at the same time - sitting between them at dinners, having them both walk her to the van. Seriously, are they going to take turns kissing her goodnight? I am also getting tired of the way recipe talk is thrown in so awkwardly (pg 105 & 106 Sunny Vegetable Salad), especially when Hannah is talking to her sisters who don't cook.
I think the author needs to re-evaluate where she is going with this series & wind it up fast before she loses all her fans. If she decides to keep it going, she needs to shake it up a bit.
 Average Continuation March 1, 2008
18 out of 22 found this review helpful
I've read all of the Hannah Swensen mysteries, and generally I enjoy them. They are very light fare - I typically finish them in a day or two. That said, some of the story lines are getting old. This particular mystery did not have very much depth and I figured out who the murderer was about halfway through the book. I am getting really sick of the Norman/Mike storyline - it has been dragging on for book after book. It is wholly unrealistic as no men would be waiting around for a woman who is self-described as average at best to decide between the two of them. The story needs to go somewhere fast. I vote for Norman as I just do not see it working out between the arrogant, egotistical Mike and Hannah. This is an okay continuation of the Hannah Swensen mysteries, but the author needs to tighten up the mysteries and resolve the love triangle. If you like the series, you will most likely enjoy this book, but you will probably feel like me - ready for some story lines to be tied up.
 Family Reunions Are Murder March 19, 2008
15 out of 19 found this review helpful
Lisa and Herb have put lots of work into putting together a reunion of both their families. And all that work is about to pay off as relatives start pouring into Lake Eden from all over the United States. But the talk of the reunion is Herb's uncle Gus. No one has heard from Gus since he left Lake Eden in the middle of the night 30 years ago. His surprise appearance makes several people happy, but it also stirs up lots of old hurt and gossip.
As everyone gathers for the group picture the next afternoon, no one can find Gus. Hannah is enlisted to find him. And find him she does, dead. Was someone carrying a grudge for 30 years? Can Hannah solve the mystery before the reunion ends?
This is a strong entry sure to please long time fans. The mystery is given more prominence then it has in the last few books, with plenty of clues and red herrings. There are quite a few funny scenes as well. The climax is terrific. While I did figure out the killer before Hannah, it wasn't that long before. Some of the series regulars don't have as much page time as in previous books, but that allows more time for the mystery to take center stage. There is plenty of cooking in this book as well with 10 new dessert recipes and 5 other recipes to enjoy. I've tried three of them and just think about them makes my mouth water.
It's always a joy to spend time in Lake Eden. Hannah's many fans will welcome this latest entry with open arms.
Well Written and Delicious March 31, 2008
15 out of 19 found this review helpful
This was a great book. I have read all the others. I thought this was far superior.
An appearance by Herb's long lost uncle at the family reunion was too good to be true. He had left in the middle of the night 30 years before. Unfortunately for Gus, the uncle, he became murdered. It became apparent why he left and why he was murdered.
Hannah methodically investigates and solves the murder.
I liked the way Joanne ended this one. Hannah didn't have to decide between Norman or Mike.
Three and a Half Stars March 3, 2008
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
Let me first say that I did purchase this book since I think these books are worth owning for the recipes even if you don't plan on re-reading the stories. I will definitely be making the S'Mores Bars!
I really had high hopes for this book since I had read on the author's website that Norman's "secret" finally comes out and I assumed that might result in a conclusion to the silly Mike/Norman/Hannah love triangle. Not so much. I thought the "secret" was irrelevant and didn't add anything to the series, and the love triangle was in the same exact place is has been for the past ten books. I am always hopeful that authors will read these reviews and consider readers' suggestions. I don't understand why Ms. Fluke does not wrap-up this story-line that virtually every review complains about. It does not add anything to the serries, in fact, it detracts from it since it has become so annoying. It is an unpleasant distraction from the characters and the story. Worst of all, resurrecting yet a THIRD love interest from the past is downright ridiculous.
I love catching up with the rest of the characters and as always, the author's descriptions of this small town made me want to book a summer get-away at Lake Eden. Hence, I still enjoyed the book enough to give it three and half stars. If the stupid "love triangle" is not resolved in the next book, I will give-up on this series.
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