Joanne Fluke

During the Christmas party at Lake Eden's community center, Hannah Swensen stumbles upon a murder when Martin Dubinski's new wife, a former Las Vegas showgirl, is found dead with Hannah's mother's silver cake knife buried in her cleavage. Reprint.

A Hannah Swensen Holiday Mystery with Recipes

Sugar Cookie Murder

Annalissa Powner 

Probably the cutest book out of the series so far. Loved the Christmas small town feel, and the sisterly love throughout the whole story. Mike is starting to truly annoy me but other then that it was a great read. Very fast and short but super cute!

Jacalyn Boggs

I gave this book four stars after some debating. I finally decided that I liked the characters and the basic thought process behind the book itself a lot. Enough that I want to read the rest of the series sitting on my TBR shelf. However, if I was rating it on mystery alone, I'd definitely have to go lower.

For me, this book wasn't about the mystery so much as the quirky and fun characters. What can I say, small-town Minnesota pot luck? I mean how do you go wrong? I've been there, doing the church pot lucks. Especially the time I was activity chair for my tiny church in small-town Ohio where I planned many a pot luck.

Hannah Swensen is a fantastic character and I like her. I especially like that she ran around the pot luck telling everyone and their brother about the murdered Las Vegas "showgirl" out in the snowy parking lot. Who cares that her cop boyfriend(?) told her the murderer was most likely still there and to keep it under wraps. Obviously he hasn't been in Small Town very long. HA! 

Hannah's super pregnant, 20 dessert eating, sister as a sidekick? Priceless. Who doesn't like a lady playing detective while waddling around about to give birth in a blizzard?

And the food. Oh the food. Trust me. A swipe a lot of my recipes from these Hannah Swensen mysteries. (Part of why I've held off reading them. If I read them I have to give them back to mom, right? Hello, they are my cookbooks!)

The mystery surrounds a pot luck and the author included all the recipes for the various foods at the dinner. I like that. In character I might add. She even included Hannah's "Hot Brownies" made with jalepono peppers. (Genious way to get at your cop boyfriend(?) when he's talking about another woman's brownies. Let me tell you, my husband would be lucky if that's ALL I did to him. HA! Hannah, you are awesome in your diabolical baking!

It's a fun read to zip through but don't be prepared for a serious mystery. Curl up under your favourite quilt and a mug of cocoa and settle down for a good time.

--Lady O

Ley Stanton

I will have to be honest, this book only lost a star because its misleading. I thought it was a full 400 page book but only 200 pages (exactly) is the novel and the other 200+ pages are recipes. Don't get me wrong, she normally includes recipes in the books, that's part of the allure. But this one was a mini cookbook. I love the recipes and will probably try some but I don't think this was the right place for them. 
However, the story was very good. Campy as usual though always with an an unexpected twist or two. What can I say, I love my Hannah Swenson and all other cozy mysteries. They just have a certain enjoyability about them. This one was a Christmas special, if I had to guess. A quick read if you are looking to get in the Christmas spirit. You don't have to be caught up on the series to enjoy any of the books in the series which is one of the things I always enjoy about this series.

Kelsi Proulx

I struggled with deciding what to rate this one. It is probably about a 2.5. I found this book extremely unbalanced. There is less than 200 pages to the story since the last half of the book is filled with the recipes for Hannah's cookbook. The first 90 pages of that is filled with Hannah preparing for the potluck dinner and everyone in Lake Eden gathering at the community center and eating their meals. After the first 90 pages, the body is finally discovered and the rest of the book is about Hannah and her sisters solving the murder. I was extremely bored during the first half of the book. It felt like nothing was happening. If I am going to read a mystery, I don't want it to only make up half of the book. I don't consider that a mystery. This felt like the mystery was almost an afterthought to the recipes. I see the recipes as a bonus, they are not the main reason I read this series. Very disappointed since I have really enjoyed the series up to this point. I will still keep reading it in hopes that it improves though.

laura

One of the best in her series by far! great murder and great world building!

Sonia Grgas

Stephanie Denton

Jessica Deaner

Lisa Merriam

When it comes to holidays, Minnesotans rise to the occasion--and the little town of Lake Eden is baking up a storm with Hannah leading the way. The annual Christmas Buffet is the final test of the recipes Hannah has collected for the Lake Eden Holiday Buffet Cookbook. The recently divorced Martin Dubinski arrives at the buffet with his new Vegas showgirl wife--all wrapped up in glitter and fur. His ex-wife, however, seems as cool as chilled eggnog. And when Hannah's mother's antique Christmas cake knife disappears, its discovery in the decolletage of the new--and now late--Mrs. Dubinski puts the festivities on ice. With everyone stranded at the community center by a blizzard, Hannah puts her investigative skills to the test, using the ingredients at hand: half the town of Lake Eden--and a killer. Now, as the snowdrifts get higher, it's up to Hannah to dig out all the clues--and make sure that this white Christmas doesn't bring any more deadly tidings.

Sugar Cookie Murder A Hannah Swensen Holiday Mystery with Recipes

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