Christmas Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen Series #26)

by Joanne Fluke

Overview

Queen of culinary capers, Joanne Fluke, cooks up the most delicious gift of all: a recipe-filled holiday mystery in the beloved Hannah Swensen Mystery series! As December turns Lake Eden into the North Pole, the heat is on in Hannah Swensen's kitchen to honor two Christmas promises: baking irresistible holiday cupcakes and preventing a person who attempted murder from succeeding the second time around...

While Hannah speeds through a lengthy holiday checklist, drama in town grows like Santa's waistline on Christmas Eve. Her sister Andrea wants to stave off the blues by helping out at The Cookie Jar, Michele's love life is becoming complicated, Lisa needs Hannah's advice, and Delores has a Christmas secret she's not willing to share. But nothing dampens the holiday mood more than the chilling mystery surrounding the man found near death in an abandoned storefront two doors down from Hannah's bakery...

The befuddled John Doe can't recall a thing about himself—except for his unusual knowledge of restoring antique furniture. With a smattering of clues and barely enough time to frost Christmas cookies, Hannah must solve a deadly puzzle that could leave her dashing through the snow for her life!

"Dripping with sweet desserts and mystery!" —Popsugar


"Fun characters, delicious treats and a dash of danger abound in this super-sweet whodunit." —Woman's World

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496729132
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	09/28/2021
Series:	Hannah Swensen Series , #26
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	61,648
Product dimensions:	4.70(w) x 6.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Joanne Fluke is the New York Times bestselling author of the Hannah Swensen mysteries, which include Double Fudge Brownie Murder, Blackberry Pie Murder, Cinnamon Roll Murder, and the book that started it all, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. That first installment in the series premiered as Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery on the Hallmark Movies’ Mysteries Channel. Like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke was born and raised in a small town in rural Minnesota, but now lives in Southern California. Please visit her online at www.JoanneFluke.com.

Editorial Reviews

08/03/2020

Recipes dominate bestseller Fluke’s amiable 26th Hannah Swenson mystery (after Coconut Layer Cake Murder). Early one December morning, Hannah Swensen, owner of the Cookie Jar bakery in Lake Eden, Minn., is baking German chocolate cupcakes when she hears a knock at the door. Outside is a stranger asking for work. Hannah invites the man in, and over coffee the two discover a mutual love of German chocolate cake. The stranger reminisces about how his mother always used to give him an orange when she made him one for his birthday. Recipes follow for German chocolate cake and frosting. The man leaves after doing a few odd chores for Hannah, who later that day finds him lying unconscious in her mother’s storage shed. The doctor who treats the man diagnoses that he has amnesia brought about by a blow to the head. After many more recipes and discussions of food, the stranger’s fondness for oranges provides Hannah with a clue to his fate. Fluke’s easygoing style compensates for the minimal sleuthing. Cozy fans with a sweet tooth will be more than satisfied. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for CHRISTMAS CUPCAKE MURDER

“Fans of Fluke's wildly popular cozy series featuring cookie baker Hannah Swensen and her family in Lake Eden, Minnesota, will be thrilled with this twenty-sixth entry, which offers a kind of origin story…At the end of nearly every chapter of this fun story, there is a delicious holiday recipe. There is also a handy index of recipes at the back. Don't miss this charming mystery, which will also satisfy your sweet tooth.”
—Booklist STARRED REVIEW

“Dripping with sweet desserts and mystery!”
—Popsugar

“Fun characters, delicious treats and a dash of danger abound in this super-sweet whodunit.” 
—Woman’s World

INDULGE IN JOANNE FLUKE’S CRIMINALLY DELICIOUS HANNAH SWENSEN MYSTERIES!
 
CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE MURDER
“Hannah’s fans will relish following Hannah’s journey as she heals and becomes stronger, surrounded by the love of family and the many familiar, quirky residents of Lake Eden. Many delicious-sounding recipes are woven through the story, and Fluke ends this cozy mystery with another cliff-hanger, which will have readers eagerly awaiting the next installment.”
—Booklist
 
CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER
“This is a lovely, frothy treat, a perfect no-hassle Christmas read.”
—Mystery Scene

“Christmas Cake Murder is, at its heart, a story within a story, and both tales engage you and carry you along as the stories unfold. For those who are already Hannah fans, it’s nice to go back in time and understand the beginnings of The Cookie Jar, seeing it with fresh eyes and a new appreciation for Hannah and her family.”
—The Food Channel
 
DOUBLE FUDGE BROWNIE MURDER
“Lively…Add the big surprise ending, and fans will be more than satisfied.”
—Publishers Weekly
 
RED VELVET CUPCAKE MURDER
“Culinary cozies don’t get any tastier than this winning series.”
—Library Journal

From the Publisher