Book Review: Strawberry Shortcake Murder

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Strawberry Shortcake Murder     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Joanne Fluke
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Amateur Sleuth   Woman Main Character   Cozy
Series: Hannah Swensen # 2
Kensington, Mar 2001, $22.00, 304 pp.

The citizens of Lake Eden, Minnesota are very proud of hosting the first annual Hartland Flour Dessert Bake-off. Bakery owner, Hannah Swensen is the head judge and even makes it on the evening news, showing how to bake strawberry shortcake. The first day of judging is not quite as smooth as the pre-event setup. Showing no tact, last minute replacement judge, Coach Boyd Watson accurately but viciously rips the desserts of four of the contestants, irritating everyone.

That night Boyd's wife Danielle calls Hannah pleading with her to come over quickly. Hannah does only to find someone murdered Boyd in his garage. All the circumstantial evidence points towards Hannah. She was a battered spouse and even now sports a black eye. Her fingerprints are on the murder weapon, a hammer. Finally the victim's blood is all over her clothing. Hannah believes Danielle did not kill Boyd, but she worries that even her best friend, police detective Mike Kensington, thinks the wife killed the abusive husband. Having solved a previous homicide (see CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE MURDER), Hannah decides to investigate because she also realizes that in this election year, the sheriff, re-running for office, will want a fast solution.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE MURDER is an entertaining amateur sleuth tale starring a person who seems more like a neighbor than a character in a book. The story line is fun and Chef Joanne Fluke, who proves with this tale that she is not a one-book fluke, bakes the who-done-it to a tasty morsel.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner