Blueberry Muffin Murder

Written by Joanne Fluke

Narrated by Suzanne Toren

Bakery owner Hannah Swensen is back—and the cookies are crumbling—as acclaimed author Joanne Fluke serves readers another helping of murder, mayhem, and mouthwatering mystery …

Preparations are underway for Lake Eden, Minnesota’s annual Winter Carnival—and Hannah Swensen is set to bake up a storm at her popular shop, The Cookie Jar. Too bad the honor of creating the official Winter Carnival cake went to famous lifestyle maven Connie Mac—a half-baked
idea, in Hannah’s opinion. She suspects Connie Mac is a lot like the confections she whips up on her cable TV cooking show—sweet, light, and scrumptious-looking, but likely to leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

Hannah’s suspicions are confirmed when Connie Mac’s limo rolls into town. Turns out America’s “Cooking Sweetheart” is bossy, bad-tempered, and downright domineering. Things finally boil over when Hannah arrives at The Cookie Jar to find the Winter Carnival cake burnt to a crisp—and
Connie Mac lying dead in her pantry, struck down while eating one of Hannah’s famous blueberry muffins.

Next thing Hannah knows, the police have declared The Cookie Jar’s kitchen crime scene off-limits. She’s a baker without an oven—and the Carnival is right around the corner. Hannah’s only alternative is to cook up a plan to save her business—by finding the killer herself …

Includes seven original cookie and dessert recipes for you to try!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 4, 2008
• ISBN: 9781436128971

Joanne Fluke

JOANNE FLUKE is the New York Times bestselling author of the Hannah Swensen mysteries, which include Chocolate Cream Pie Murder, Raspberry Danish 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.

Reviews for Blueberry Muffin Murder

[Amy Okpaku · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The twists and turns,Mike and Norman and her sister drama

[hanneri_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In her third culinary cozy, Hannah Swensen once again faces murder and mayhem with good cheer. To fight the late February doldrums, Lake Eden is about to celebrate its first winter carnival with ice sports on the lake, activities for children and Hannah's delicious cookies from the Cookie Jar. The whole town is involved, and even Hannah's mother, who usually spends her time trying to get Hannah married, has found a new interest in recreating the home of one of Lake Eden's founding fathers. Connie MacIntyre, bestselling cook book author and star of a popular cable TV cooking show, has agreed to make the cake for the carnival banquet. But when Hannah discovers Connie's dead body in the pantry of the Cookie Jar, Hannah and her sister Andrea join forces to track down the killer, despite warnings to stay out of the investigation. Since everyone who had contact with the abusive Connie disliked her, the sisters have plenty of suspects. Delicious food descriptions and recipes, warm and familiar characters who grow into real people, a vivid picture of the small lake town and a well-crafted mystery provide the ingredients for yet another tempting feast that should satisfy all.

[apsing01 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is third in the Hannah Swenson series. It's a nice, light mystery perfect for those days when you don't want to have to think very hard. They are predictible but very entertaining anyway. In this one, Lake Eden is gearing up for the Winter Carnival. They have brought in TV chef Connie-Mac to prepare the special cake. All goes well, until Hannah finds Connie-Mac dead in the cooler at the Cookie Jar. Add in a missing assistant, ticked off lawyer, and scores of other people Connie-Mac has ticked off and you've got a ton of suspects and not much time to solve this mystery.

[Martika175 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful writing style. Fun story. Easy to read and listen to.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's been a while since I'd read a Hannah Swensen mystery. They're fun ... and have great cookie recipes!

[Cathy H · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love the Hannah Swansen series. I am super excited to continue listening to the audiobook.

[lkernagh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another fun installment in this cozy mystery series. We get to see things slowly heating up on the romance front for Hannah (can anyone say “love triangle”) , but the story is still focused on the murder mystery and quaint small town living that drew me into the series in the first place. The mystery is a decent one in that I didn’t figure out who the suspect was right away. With a town full of visitors for the local Winter Carnival and a celebrity chef with a reputation for making more enemies than friends, the potential list of suspects (and motives) is high, leading me to make multiple guesses as to the identity of the murderer as clues are revealed. Hannah’s stylish real estate agent sister Andrea is an eager accomplice as Hannah snoops around for clues and yes, their on-going sibling banter adds to the charm this story holds for me. As for Hannah’s poised and polished mother Delores, I love that woman. When she is not trying to angle for a husband for Hannah, she is aghast at Hannah’s love for casual wear, wild hair and her habit of continuing to be the one to discover dead bodies in Lake Eden. Delores doesn’t pull any punches when she makes her opinion known through comments like this one: “Hannah! You've simply got to stop finding bodies. I swear you attract them like a magnet. If you're not careful, everyone's going to get the wrong impression of you." Just the kind of comment I would expect to come out of Delores' mouth, and brings a smile to my face.Overall, another delightful, mystery romp filled with tantalizing goodie recipes.

[chazzifrazz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A friend has loaned me her collection of the Hannah Swensen mysteries and I am enjoying reading them in sequence. Something I don't usually do.In this book Hanna is faced with her shop, The Cookie Jar, being the scene of the murder of America's "Cooking Sweetheart," a misnomer for Connie Mac. Not only is Hanna supposed to keep from finding the murderer, she also has to find somewhere else to bake the huge orders of cookies that have been ordered for the Winter Carnival! A quantity that cannot be done in the average kitchen.While investigating the murder, Hanna also finds that the "Cooking Sweetheart" is a domineering, demanding demon of a person to work with, but she just puts on the sweet act for her public. Her staff are in fear of losing their jobs and are just plain miserable.Hannah also is finding that she has two interested men in her life, which can be good or not. If only her mother would stop pushing her to settle down and marry!This cozy series is a fun read, and the recipes are a nice addition. I may have to try my hand at one and see how it turns out. Cookies can always be a good thing to go along with a good read!

[jbarr5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Blueberry muffin murder by Joanne Fluke Hannah is in charge of the sweets for the winter carnival. Connie is in charge of the cake-she runs a cable TV cooking show.She bad tempered and wants everyone to do her work and get the credit. She's found dead at the Cookie Jar and Hannah has to investigate with help of her family and friends.Others are at the top of the list: the disgruntled employees of Connie's.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[karenduff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like this series, it is undemanding fluff and sometimes that is just what you need. I really like the recipes.

[robin.d..green · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When I first started this series, I wasn't enjoying it as much as some of the other mystery series I follow. And I started not to continue reading this series. But with this book, I am starting to enjoy them more. I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the other books. I am liking the characters more and I am finding myself fully involved in the story before I realize it.

[tututhefirst_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

They" say hope springs eternal. And when you're talking about Hannah Swenson, owner of the Cookie Jar Bakery in Lake Eden Minnesota, the hope is usually on the part of the reader. Will she choose Mike the cop or Norman the dentist? Will she actually be able to get through a whole volume without being entwined in a murder investigation? Or without becoming a possible murder target herself? Will these books ever change the formula, or ever resolve the slight (very slight) sexual tension between Hannah and her two beaux?This is actually the third book in this very popular series that has been around since 2001. Blueberry Muffin was originally published in 2002. If you enjoy lots of sweets with your cozy reading, if you like goodie goodie people with no true villains, if you like being able to read along without engaging very many brain cells, while at the same time, not having to scream about poor sentence structure, unconnected plot elements, or slightly developed characters this series is for you. There are actually about 18 of these sweet-tooth specials, complete with well documented recipes for all the treats mentioned. I read about one every 20-30 months. That's more than enough brain candy for me. They're fun, but a steady diet is not what I can handle.

[weisser4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love the quirkiness on the main character, Hannah. It is nice to have a normal, average-looking woman as the heroine.

[jiraiya_5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I can see some thought has gone into writing this book. Some of the products of this effort has been accessible to me. There's the elegant tone in the final few pages, which prevented the aftermath of the climax from being monotonous. I could appreciate the irony of Greg's prank with Hannah right at the beginning and what happens in the end. My problem is that there's a demand for some unimportant characters to gather into the spotlight. I didn't want to know about Lisa's afflicted dad. I also didn't want more of Tracey. She's got to be the most fake and faked character I've come across. But I suspect people have told the author to put her into her books, which is bad news for me, unless Tracey grows up. Then there's no problem.I found the storyline of the two suitors competing for Hannah's affection slightly unoriginal, and from the way things are going I say Mike's the front runner. Parts of the book was predictable soon as the author focused on these lines. I also detected the vibe of competitiveness between the two sisters. What they say. Sometimes they say some pretty mean stuff. Andrea calls her marriage without problems, yet a slight scratch at the surface yields competition between her and her co bread earner of a husband. I was sure the author might be telling us that she's bound to present cookie cutter characters but she's adding depth to her story. But the author might instead just be fine with what she's included and considers her characters pristine.The mystery is one which could have been solved by the police. It seems to me that the murderer was not very clever or cautious. There's no details of his crimes frankly. For most of the investigation carried out by Hannah a long winding false trail is tread, and the trail is the spine of the journey of the mystery. But the ending is out of the blue. Speaking of blue this book is like those old films where the title doesn't reflect the content. I'm slightly disappointed by the lack of development of Hannah's fortunes. She seems nastier. That may be because Andrea comes up with the most recurring help of the two, even if they were on the wrong track. Despite its many fault I rate this book quite highly. It would be less if there had been yet another energetic burglary plus frantic room search of some elusive artifact. Maybe that will happen next time. Till then and even after, I'll carry on reading this series.

[dukefan86 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was my first (audio)book in the Hannah Swensen series, and I had a hard time with it, since I'm on a low-carb diet! Seriously! The pastries (and the recipes for them) sounded way too good--I just can't listen to or read any more in this series right now! :/ Maybe I'll pick it back up later.

[grshppr215 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Like other Joanne Fluke mysteries, this was a fun, light read. Although I have to wonder if the main character has a little Jessica Fletcher in her because people always seem to murdered around her.

[prpl_reader_services · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a cozy story, which would appeal to those readers who enjoy a lighthearted whodunit story with little violence. The characters have ongoing storylines about their families, their careers, and, most of all, their relationships. Along with an enjoyable storyline, this book also provides recipes within each chapter, which further lightens the mood of this culinary caper.I would also recommend to fans of this book, Just Desserts, by Daheim, Sympathy for the Devil, by Jerrilyn Farmer, Murder, with Peacocks, by Donna Andrews, and, of course, any of the other titles in Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swenson mystery series. - MH

[sunfi_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The third in the series about a bakery owner (Hannah Swenson) in a small town that keeps stumbling upon dead bodies. All the clues and her detective skills work out and she's able to solve the crime before the police. The story was entertaining and kept moving quickly, while it is becoming a little predictable (you always know that Hannah will solve the crime). A slightly different ending would be nice, but I'll have to read through the rest of the series to see if the pattern changes.

[camethyste_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Unexpected ending, likeable characters. I enjoyed the book. I really enjoyed all the recipes, too!

[pacey1927 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the thrid Hannah Swenson novel I've read. I have learned to not expect complex characters, or unique plots. The books stay away from sex, unfriendly language, and the murders are never graphic. They remind me in a way of the old Nancy Drew/Hardy boys mysteries, in a sense. They are sweet and fairly innocent, but they provide enough of a mystery to keep you reasonably interested in finding out 'whodunit'. Blueberry Muffin Murder was actually the most enjoyable of the three that I've read so far. The 'bakery' mysteries are good for those times when you don't want something to read that takes a lot of effort. The word 'pleasant' keeps coming to mind as a type this. These books are a pleasant way to pass a few hours...just don't expect a big payoff.

[miamismartgirl09 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I picked up the first book (Chocolate Chip Muder Mystery) on a whim. And feel in love. Joanne's Hanna Swenson mysteries is the only series that I would want to have every single book.

[book_girl_14 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this one and all of the others before and after it!