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Peach Cobbler Murder
Автор: Joanne Fluke
Текст читает Suzanne Toren
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Nationally best-selling author Joanne Fluke’s popular Hannah Swensen mysteries have received heaping measures of praise from critics and mystery fans alike. In Peach Cobbler Murder, Fluke returns to the charming town of Lake Eden, Minnesota—only to find her beloved heroine embroiled in her stickiest situation yet. Georgia transplants Shawna Lee and Vanessa have opened a bakery to rival Hannah’s own, but when one of the Southern belles is murdered, Hannah must find the killer before she herself becomes a suspect.
Активность, связанная с книгой
Начать прослушиваниеСведения о книге
Peach Cobbler Murder
Автор: Joanne Fluke
Текст читает Suzanne Toren
Описание
Nationally best-selling author Joanne Fluke’s popular Hannah Swensen mysteries have received heaping measures of praise from critics and mystery fans alike. In Peach Cobbler Murder, Fluke returns to the charming town of Lake Eden, Minnesota—only to find her beloved heroine embroiled in her stickiest situation yet. Georgia transplants Shawna Lee and Vanessa have opened a bakery to rival Hannah’s own, but when one of the Southern belles is murdered, Hannah must find the killer before she herself becomes a suspect.
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So, my experience with the Hannah Swensen Mysteries series continues to dip in a negative way, as I am finding certain aspects of the stories are starting (or continue) to wear thin with me. This review is going to be a bit of a rant... apologies in advance. I don’t mind protagonists that tend to unwittingly and repeatedly expose themselves to dangerous situations. Some authors tend to write the stories this way on purpose to add suspense to the story, but Hannah’s hypocrisy is really starting to grate on me. I am growing very tired of Hannah’s “grammar policing”, correcting everyone’s grammar at a drop of a hat. *cue eyeroll* Also annoying is the whole love triangle. You cannot have a long term love triangle on the go and then get all uppity and complaining because one of your boyfriends might be seeing someone else. No Hannah, you can't have your cake and eat it too. No spoilers, but the ending to this one was just plain garbage IMO, as we have Hannah proving that she really is clueless and self-serving when it comes to personal (love) relationships. Yes, when push comes to shove, Hannah still doesn’t get her act together. Suffice to say, this type of contemporary romance drama does not appeal to me. Here is hoping it resolves in the next installment or I may just have to give up on the series. On the mystery front, the mystery/murder cases continue to be predictable but I will give Fluke credit for tidy murder mystery details that, while somewhat implausible, still work. Too bad she didn’t pay closer attention to some of the non-mystery elements as some irregularities do crop up (kind of like continuity blunders that crop up in some movie scenes). I do like how this story picks up nicely from the previous installment and closes the loop on some unfinished business. You really do need to read this series in publication order to fully understand some of the character drama! Lake Eden residents continue to charm, but I am waiting for the day when Hannah pushes things too far with interfering in police business (she really came close to the mark in this installment, IMO, even if the chief of police is her BIL). I guess there wouldn’t be much of a series left if that did happen and she could only make inconsequential inquiries. Overall, never a good sign when the protagonist starts to get on a reader’s nerves, so calling this one just a ‘meh’ read.
A change in business has come to Hannah and The Cookie Jar. Magnolia Blossom Bakery has opened up across the street and everyone is flocking to it for their bakery goods and a taste of the bakery’s southern charm.As if that isn't bad enough, the owners are Vanessa Quinn and Shawna Lee: Shawna Lee who competes for the attention of Mike Kingston. Hannah has double competition.Lisa, Hannah’s business partner, is getting married and The Cookie Jar is handling the catering. This looks to be a big boost for Hannah until she finds that Shawna Lee has wiggled her way into supplying Magnolia Blossom Bakery’s peach cobbler for the wedding and will be coming with Mike Kingston.When Lee and Kingston don’t show up, and later Hannah sees lights on at the Magnolia Blossom Bakery, things take a deadly turn. Shawna Lee is found dead in the bakery kitchen and Hannah is the top suspect.Hannah and her ‘assistants’ take on digging into this mystery and along the way they dig up some interesting information about Vanessa Quinn and Shawna Lee and their business.Hannah has created her own group of ‘Baker Street Irregulars’ from among her family and friends. Each seems to have their specialty in getting information to help solve each case. Meanwhile, Hannah’s love life is still bouncing between her two suitors.Another fun read in this series; and I must say I am enjoying reading it in sequence!
I had a brief moment of weakness when I read what was written at the end, and I wanted to double the book's score. Then I remembered how numb I felt going through the endless boring and mundane chapters that make up this quite curious book. Like other books in the series, this one especially is too long and it does outstay its welcome. I thought that if the author had to tarry and dally it should have been at the wedding. But that didn't happen.Peach Cobbler Murder felt different because minor characters in past books were given larger roles, so there was both unfamiliarity and continuity. Both murderer and murdered were familiar. The victim was one for whom I cared maybe too much and I was sorry that it was her who had been offed. I was even more concerned when I knew at the book's revelation time that it was all for naught. In a way the most important characters were those that stayed in the background. Winthrop, Vanessa, and her sister Shawna. That triangle of mysterious connotation could have provided some fateful pathos but I felt the author didn't rise to the occasion and didn't improve what I feel was a weak effort.But I cared about the raw potential of this book, and now that we're into the third paragraph proves it that I did care. I couldn't solve the murder but I feel the police really should have. They checked only the alibi of the wedding guests between the wedding and the reception. I thought it beggared belief that both law breakers and enforcers didn't equip themselves with cleverness in their respective crime related activities.I didn't like the protracted role of Dolores. It looks like I'm competing with Moishe for being the person who dislikes Dolores the most. Which is ironic as I don't like the ingrate Moishe either. I wish we were in medieval times when cats were flamed alive for the entertainment of fair goers. Hey, they didn't have Disney (-world, -land, Pixar, Lucasfilm etc) back then. I won't get into what the interaction between Moishe and Hannah means, as we could all guess and be right. It probably symbolizes the struggle of daily contacts between one human and another. But I could do without these tiresome protraction and waste of time whenever that dratted cat is mentioned. That's not going to happen as there is surely a market for these type of scenes. I just don't want Hannah to appear like a delusional pet owner who's already under the yoke and is a slave to that cat. I even don't know who is the bigger pussy here.I'm alarmed, and the score reflects this, but I am dismayed by the lack of Andrea in the book. She's my favorite character here, and though from Hannah's point of view Andrea is the superficial one, I think it's the other way round. True, Hannah is the cleverer and shabby one, but Andrea is the one with more generosity and is the virtuous one. It adds to the character arc that Hannah now possesses more tact. But her romantic life, which supposedly is an ongoing progress, lacks life and realism. It felt jarring how Mike, Norman and Hannah went from acquaintances to...well you'll see. Next chapter of next book!
Another fun book by Fluke in which Hannah solves the murder of her competitor, a woman who opens a bakery right across from the Cookie Jar, and who specialises in heating up frozen peach cobbler but is somehow stealing all of Hannah's cookie business.
The Magnolia Blossom Bakery is the new business in town . . . and competition for the Cookie Jar. With Hannah Swensen’s business floundering, and Shawna Lee pushing for a relationship with Detective Mike Kingston, it’s no wonder that Hannah’s the prime suspect when Shawna Lee turns up dead. And Hannah is determined to track down the culprit.In this, the seventh book in the series, all the expected characters are in place, joined by newcomers Shawna Lee and Vanessa Quinn. The new duo, sisters from Georgia, become Hannah’s competition at the Magnolia Blossom Bakery. One of the highlights of the story is the “bake-off” comparison of a peach cobbler from the sisters’ bakery and one from the Cookie Jar. When Hannah finds the body of her business rival, she suddenly finds herself in a devastating predicament. As long-held secrets come to light, the plot takes an unexpected twist or two before its surprising denouement.Once again, it is Eden Lake’s strong sense of place and the camaraderie of the townspeople that keeps the story from drifting into what has become an annoying Norman/Hannah/Mike triangle. There’s a sense of relief at the final twist in this story, but readers may suffer extreme frustration at the cliffhanger designed to leave them breathless. As always, count on several yummy recipes [including the peach cobbler, of course, and a delectable-sounding Chocolate Cookie Overload] designed to send readers rushing into the kitchen to whip up a delicious confection.Recommended.
The good news is that Lisa is getting married. The bad news is that a competing bakeshop has opened near Hannah’s shop and stolen most of her customers. Hannah is fearful that if her regulars don’t return, she will have to close. But there is worse news to come. A deceitful person is out to scam someone close to Hannah, and she puts herself in harm’s way. While the plot may be predictable - readers know that Hannah won’t die no matter what fix she finds herself in - the book does end with a bit of a surprise. Still, readers of this series who like the characters and the recipes will certainly enjoy this installment.
Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne FlukeThis cozy murder mystery starts with Hannah at the Cookie Jar with Lisa, her assistant and they are discussingthe new baker in town, right across the street. Herb, Lisa's fiance told her that Mike, the cop had spent at least an hour in her bedroom the night before.They notice 20+ patrons go to the new shop and their shop has no customers. Andrea shows up and tells them of her gym class, loses of baby weight and back to work selling housesand she agrees to go to the new bakery and order one of everything so they can compare with their shop.Always good to catch up with the people I've followed over for 10 years now. Norman is the dentist and he did not abandon the cookie jar...Lisa's dad has invited Shaunna from the new bakery shop to her wedding..So many suspects and alias names in this book, twists and turns even after that...Great book, very fast paced action investigations.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
I don't believe in guilty pleasures. If you like something, you like it, regardless of how the rest of the world or your own little circle views it. I watch Beverly Hills, 90210 with pleasure and not a hint of ironic detachment. I love Mark Wahlberg's Rock Star. And any novel featuring fairies, werewolves, wizards, or vampires? Bring it on; I may not like it, but I certainly won't feel any guilt if I do. However, if I did believe in guilty pleasures, the novels of Joanne Fluke would fall firmly in that category for me. They're not at all well-written, the plots aren't original, the dialog is wooden, and yet...every now and then, when Ms. Fluke comes out with a new one or, as with Peach Cobbler Murder, I happen to notice it while browsing in the library, I feel an overwhelming urge to visit Lake Eden, Minnesota, where all the adults drink gallons of coffee, all the sex is missionary position, and the worst the bad girls ever do--or at least, the worst we ever know about--is to kiss someone else's boyfriend.As Peach Cobbler Murder opens one of these bad girls, transplanted southern belle Shawna Lee Quinn, has opened a rival bakery in Lake Eden right across the street from the Cookie Jar. What? I hate her already. As always, the first hundred pages or so set up small town life, reintroducing the reader to the regular characters and their routines and establishing motive for the crime that is to come. And then, finally, there is a murder. And the victim is hardly ever a surprise.Poor Shawna Lee, nobody much liked her anyway. Certainly not any of the women. And especially not Hannah, since not only has the Magnolia Blossom Bakery been undercutting her business dramatically since it opened, but Shawna Lee has set her sights on Sheriff Mike, as well. If we didn't know better we might think it was Hannah who shot Shawna Lee through the window of her bakery!But it wasn't, and Hannah and her team of crack amateurs set out to solve the crime--which they do, while eating their way through dozens upon dozens of outrageously delicious sounding cookies. As always, read the recipe names and weep: Desperation Cookies, Chocolate Overload Cookie Bars, German Chocolate Cake Cookies, Rhubarb Custard Cake...and if you ever try any of these recipes, do let me know if they're as delicious as they sound, won't you?
A couple of sisters (Shawna Lee and Vanessa) opened a bakery right across from Hannah's cookie shop. It's definitely cutting into Hannah's profits as the locals all try it out. After returning to the cookie shop from Lisa's wedding, Hannah notices there is a light still on at the bakery. Shawna Lee was supposed to have come to the wedding with some of her Southern peach cobbler, but never showed up. After calls fail to get Shawna Lee to the door, Hannah decides to see if it appears there has been a burglary. She finds a body. Hannah and her friends certainly have an unconventional manner of tag-teaming an investigation that should be left to the police even after she's been cleared as a suspect. It's an interesting piece of brain candy with a somewhat predictable outcome. I liked her desperation cookie recipe because I did something similar recently when I thought I had more chocolate chips on hand than I did. I used mixed chips.
Hannah and Shawna Lee might just get things straight with Mike yet, until someone one gets themselves killed and Hannah starts her sleuthing again. Who's Peach cobbler will everyone like better? Will Mike or Norman finally pop the question?
This is a wonderful series, and Ms. Fluke just keeps getting better. I really enjoy Hannah and her friends, and they get up to a lot of things in this book. They recipes keep getting better too. The book is set in early February in Lake Eden, and it's cold and snowy. Lisa is getting married, and Hannah is busy with preparations for that. It's a good thing that she has that because her business is not doing well because Hananah's nemesis Shawna Lee has opened a bakery right across the street. This enterprise is being financed by Shawna Lee's sister Vanessa who seems to have unlimited funds. When one of these Southern sisters gets murdered, Hannah is on the trail of another killer. The ending is truly surprising, and the mystery is a good one, but it is Hannah and her friends that keep me coming back.
I complained in my review of the previous Fluke novel, "Sugar Cookie Murder" because the mystery was far too short and the recipes too numerous. I said I wasn't going to say the series was plummeting for me until I read the next one. Well now I have, and I can honestly say this is the one I have enjoyed most in the series to this point. This was a relatively well padded volume. The murder didn't happen until over a hundred pages in but I still enjoyed reading about Hannah, her friends, her cat, and Lisa's wedding. Again, sinking into a Hannah Swensen book is like re-visiting old friends. The murder never truly became the sole hightlight of the story though. Hannah seemed more intent on the mystery of Mike's nightly routines than she did on proving who was a murderer. But it worked, I flew through the book and immediately ordered the next one. Also, as I approach the 'current' end of the series in just a couple of short books, I lement on the fact that my visits with Hannah are soon to be limited to once a year when a new book is released. Four stars for a fun book that is among the best (if not THE best) of the series.
I really loved how this book ended and I can not wait to read the next in the series!! I'm still annoyed with the whole back and forth Mike/Norman relationship that just to me seems unrealistic, but I still really love the series and all the baking makes me hungry lolJoanne Fluke really does a great job with the likable characters and great mysteries :)
A cute little cozy mystery with recipes. The story line revolves around a cookie shop. My favority line from the book: "in Minnesota, you can warm up your hands by putting them in your freezer". How true, how true!