Christmas Cake Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery)

Ok, I tried. I really, truly did....I have faithfully read every single one of the Hannah Swenson mysteries. This current one is just a sad little prequel to a series I used to love, until the author took it completely off the rails.Yes, I would get annoyed with the interactions between Hannah and her intrusive, domineering family, Hannah's vacillation between Mike & Norman, Dolores's constant use of the word 'dear,' the endless descriptions of baking, and the salmon-flavored, fish-shaped kitty treats.And like many readers I was extremely distressed over the turn the books took when Hannah suddenly married Ross. But I have faithfully forged on anyway, and just recently purchased the newest book. I kid you not, I literally had to go back about six books and speed read through them to try to refresh my memory about what all has taken place. Everything is just so disjointed and out of order that it took me about two hours to sort them all out: when did Hannah first see Ross again? When did they fall in love? When were they married and why was Hannah covered in trash? Will she ever remember she owns a cell phone and remember how to use it? Will her friends and family stop eating Hannah's profits at the Cookie Jar, and expecting her to make them dinner on three hours of sleep?? What did she tell Norman and Mike about Ross?Did they have a honeymoon and if so was her family on it with them?? When did Ross leave and why? Did he and Hannah ever spend more than two days together after the honeymoon? How many more varieties of whippersnapper cookies are Andrea and Hannah going to create?Where is Ross now and is Hannah even married?I think I could probably continue to handle even all of that, but while reading through Banana Cream Pie, the conversation between Ross and Hannah regarding whether her pie was present at the murder finally tipped me over the edge. A woman has been brutally murdered and they are discussing in excruciating detail whether her pie was on the scene?? I am sorry Ms. Fluke, but I am truly finished. I worked in mental health for many years and we used to say that if someone made you start feeling crazy, they probably were. That is how these books have started to make me feel. My head is spinning, and I am, finally, finished.

I saved this book for a long plane ride. I was sure it would be outstanding, like the rest of the series. It’s not. I agree with others who have said that the dialogue is stiff and unnatural. But mostly, it’s just incredibly boring. There are several pages regarding gas fireplace. At least three paragraphs are devoted to a new reading lamp. The Christmas cake parade is described over and over again. It was a chore to get through this book.

From the beginning, the dialogue seemed stiff. It doesn't have the natural flow that the previous books had. I ended up putting it aside for a day when I have no other books to read. It's just not that good.

This is a prequel to when Hannah's father died and the start of her business. I enjoyed learning about her past and how she got her start in her business. The murder mystery part of the book is similar to the other mysteries if you have read her other books, but has a different twist. This book left with a lot of unanswered questions. Immediately after the mystery was solved I was like "that's it? the book is over?". It ended very fast and felt like a fake fairytale ending.This is a typical Hannah story. I have read them and keep hoping they will get better, but they just are mediocre. I will continue to read the series because I feel committed and I do enjoy the cozy storyline.

This is actually the beginning of the Cookie Jar stories and how Hannah started her new business. It's also a lovely story of a woman who did all she could to protect her baby from people who were going to kill her. Hannah and family solve the mystery and come together to overcome the grief of losing their father and figuring out their future...and they find the Rose of Sharon in the end.

I must say I am very disappointed in this book -- no romance, a plot that's a little hard to accept and doesn't seem to hold together under much scrutiny. I am a huge fan of Joanne Fluke and all the Hannah Swenson mysteries. I have read every single one and looked forward with happy anticipation to this one -- I even pre-ordered it on Amazon. But I was really let down.

I usually really like this series and feel like I am reading about friends. This book seemed more formal. While the characters were familiar, I felt like I was at my 20 year reunion, I was with people I knew but no longer had anything in common.

I have read all of Fluke's books, but I this one was so different in so many ways. First, the dialogue was written at a 4th grade level; every tidbit was included as opposed to carefully crafted words to move the story along. But then again, there wasn't a real storyline to move along.the idea was to give some backstory to Hannah's story, a task that could have been done in three books. Quite honestly,it was painful to read so I didn't. I simply skimmed through the last 60% just to get done. Do NOT waste your time or money I this!!!

As always with Fluke, a novella fleshed out to novel size with recipes and long descriptions of baking. However, this year's Christmas story is actually rather sweet, compelling & provides a good introduction to the Swenson family. Perhaps a little overpriced but worth reading if you're a fan.

Good story, nice to read about how the character started her shop. Came in time in good condition.

Very confusing as clearly a prequel to the rest of the series, without knowing. So seemed like the characters were out of place. Also very weak storyline, I felt.

A very enjoyable book thoroughly would recommend it.

Once you start one of Joanne Flukes books, you cannot stop reading until its done!!!