Christmas Dessert Murder - (Hannah Swensen Mystery) by Joanne Fluke (Paperback)

This book has two Christmas Hannah Swensen stories for you. In the first, Christmas Caramel Murder, Hannah gets involved when her business partner is accused of killing her husband’s new secretary, who just happened to be playing Mrs. Claus to Herb’s Santa in the community theater. This book borrows a bit from A Christmas Carol, and that makes it a little weird for fans of the series, but it is still enjoyable, with a good wrap up and cameos if not large parts for the regular characters. The second story is Christmas Cake Murder, which flashes back to Hannah’s first Christmas after her father passed away. In an effort to get her mother out of her grief, Hannah agrees to help put on a Christmas ball filled with cakes. The mystery doesn’t really kick in until late in the story, although there are bread crumbs early on. What is most fun for fans of the series is watching Hannah build the life we are already familiar with. Between the two stories, there are lots of recipes for you to try at Christmas. Obviously, if you already have the two books, you’ll be fine skipping this collection. But if you’ve missed them, you might want to consider this way to get the stories.

Christmas Dessert Murder by Joanne Fluke contains Christmas Caramel Murder (Book 20) and Christmas Cake Murder (Book 23). These are not new Hannah Swensen tales but reprints. While I wish they were new stories, I still enjoyed reading these two holiday tales. All our favorite characters are back: Hannah, Delores, Michelle, Mike, Norman, Andrea, and Lisa. The stories move along at a quick pace. The are lighthearted stories with plenty of cozy moments. Hannah spends time baking (of course), cooking, eating, and with her friends and family. There are plenty of recipes for readers to try as well. I thought it was amusing that in Christmas Caramel Murder, Hannah is visited by her father who acts as the ghosts of past, present, and future. In Christmas Caramel Murder, Hannah is telling the story to Ross while they enjoy dessert at the Lake Eden Inn. Christmas Cake Murder takes us back to when Hannah was in college and her father had recently passed away. Hannah is worried about her mother who has not been the same since Lars passed away. Recreating the Christmas Ball for Essie gets Delores up and out of the house. Hannah is enlisted to make the cakes for the cake parade at the ball. I liked that we get to learn more about the Swensen women as well as Lisa. There is a story within a story in this book. Hannah reads Essie’s notebooks which contains a story she was writing. I liked this tale. The mystery was simple but interesting. I did find the dialogue to be off. It was awkward at times. I do wish that the recipes were put at the end of the book instead of between the chapters. They interrupt the flow of the story. It was great to visit Lake Eden, Minnesota so I could check in with Hannah and the gang. There are mouthwatering recipes that will have you heading to the kitchen for a bake-a-thon. Christmas Dessert Murder contains two A Hannah Swensen Mysteries that will get you in the mood for the holidays.

This is an anthology of two previously published Hannah Swenson books. Please check your bookcase before purchasing this one!! Book one in this anthology, Christmas Caramel Murder, is one of my least favorite, but that's just my opinion. Kind of a different look at a Santa Claus murder, since this time it's his Mrs.! Not difficult to follow, but then cozies are kind of like that. Enjoyable all the same, and the recipes never disappoint! Book two, Christmas Cake Murder is one of my favorites! This is kind of a mystery within a mystery. Hannah is young and wondering what to do with her life. This book gives you a bit more about Hannah's background and how she begins her bakery empire! This mystery was a little more involved and a ton of fun. The recipes...the high points of this book too! I've been a Joanne Fluke/Hannah Swenson fan since her first book! I got it as a birthday present and was hooked. I love the recipes that are included and in these books they're always so yummy. I have tried MANY of them. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Kensington Books, for a free review copy. The review is my own.