Hannah is called to help her sister’s boyfriend, Lonnie, prove his innocence when a high school friend is murdered. In this 25th installment, there is no longer question that Hannah is smarter than all of the police officers in Lake Eden. Even Mike, who warned Hannah off investigating in the early books, is now deferring to her expertise.

It is fun to revisit the residents of Lake Eden, but this late in the series there is not much more to develop. Which means, many of the actions of the characters are repetitive. Mike always shows up when food is served, Moishe jumps into Hannah’s arms in greeting, Andrea is a terrible cook except for one type of cookie, and so on.

I would love the series to continue, but maybe with some added surprises about the characters to give the series a little refresh.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. It was nice going back to Eden Lake and the Swensen family. Joanne Fluke's series is like a nice cup of cocoa on a cold day: familiar and comforting. It was nice to go back to this series, even though I had not read some of the previous installments. The characters are still their familiar selves, and it was easy for me to catch up on previous developments. Bewcomers to the series will appreciate the story, although it helps to have read the previous books. I look forward to the next book, and some of the recipes are definitely worth trying.

Coconut Layer Cake Murder is the 25th book in Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen Mystery series. Multiple recipes and some lengthy recipe preparation references seemed tedious to me and took up more pages than the mystery and investigation did. This book can’t be read as a standalone, as there are too many references to people and events with no background information provided. That said, the mystery was interesting and kept me guessing until the reveal.

Hannah Swensen and her partner, Lisa Beeseman, own The Cookie Jar, a bakery and coffee shop, in Lake Eden, Minnesota. Hannah is in Los Angeles with Delores, her mother, helping Lynne Larchmont, a friend, pack for her move back to Lake Eden when Michelle, her sister, calls Hannah in a panic needing her to come home right away because Michelle’s boyfriend, Detective Lonnie Murphy, is the prime suspect in the murder of Darcy Hicks. Hannah’s brother-in-law and chief of police, takes Lonnie’s brother, Detective Rick Murphy, and Lonnie’s partner, Chief Detective Mike Kingston, off the case due to conflicts of interest. With everyone looking to her to solve the murder, Hannah teams up with Mike (unofficially), Norman, and Andrea to Lonnie’s name and, once again, places herself in harm’s way.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Hannah it turns out isn’t pregnant; it’s stress. Doc prescribed a trip out to California with her mother, which doesn’t sound relaxing to me. Hannah and Delores help her friend Lyn pack up to move to Lake Eden. While there a frantic call comes in from Michelle. Lonnie is the main suspect in a murder that occurred. Hannah flies home and starts investigating. Mike is supporting because Lonnie is his partner and he has been removed from the case.
I enjoyed the story. I had a fairly good idea of the murderer from Lonnie’s account of the night. I was right. It’s a good story and a nice continuation of the Hannah Swensen mysteries.
There seemed to be quite a few more recipes included that in past books.
Norman welcomes Hannah into his home because she doesn’t want to stay in the condo where Ross was murdered. The triangle between Norman, Mike and Hannah is getting a little old. I wish Joanna Fluke would write a decision between them sometime soon. This is book 25, I think it’s overdue.

Coconut Layer Cake murder by Joanne Fluke follows the same outline as previous books but this one had a little bit of a twist. The book is, of course, filled with the mouth-watering recipes as well as the characters constantly eating cookies and drinking coffee. I really wish I lived in Lake Eden sometimes! In this story, we find Hannah trying to recover from her failed marriage and the after-effects. Naturally, there is a murder and Hannah is left to try to find the culprit. This time Hannah is basically on her own because the main suspect is Lonnie, her sister's boyfriend who is on the police department. Almost everyone, including her sometimes, maybe, possible boyfriend Mike, has been pulled from the case. So Hannah is on her own to figure out the case. But she never really is on her own in anything. Her family and friends step up to offer support and to take over the running of the Cookie Jar while she devote her time to clearing Lonnie of this murder.
I'm only giving the book 3 stars. I felt like the recipes were too long and detailed and interrupted the flow of the story. I think it would be better if the recipes were all listed at the end. I found myself flipping through until I got to the next chapter. The other problem is the surprise of who committed the murder. Usually there are clues along the way. We can usually follow along with Hannah and sometimes figure out who did it. Without giving anything away the ending was a surprise. Typically, I would like that. But the fun part a reading about Hannah and her adventures is figuring out along with her who did it! So I was a little disappointed. Coconut Layer Cake is still a fun read.

Hannah is back, and better than ever. After a few slow books, things are getting back to normal-until,of course, someone is murdered. Michelle's (Hannah's sister) deputy boyfriend is the suspect this time, though the entire Swensen family is convinced that he is innocent. Will Hannah figure out whodunit before her cookie gets crunched? Read to find out!

Hannah Swenson's back on the case...the 25th case to be exact. Everything you love about the series from light mystery to beloved characters to delicious recipes is present in full force. Reading these books reminds me of eating a delicious piece of candy, satisfying but no lasting value. At the book's start, Hannah and her mother are in LA helping a friend pack up to move back to Eden Park. Quickly, however, Hannah is called home by her sister to help her boyfriend be cleared of a murder. The mystery in this book was more compelling and interesting than those in several other of the latest books in the series. Lighthearted and a quick read (much of the book is recipes), it's the perfect antidote to February doldrums.

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley for my honest review.*

Hannah needs a vacation so she goes to California with her mother to help Lynne pack to move to Lake Eden. And then she gets a call from Michelle that there has been a murder and no one on the police force can investigate so she is the only one who can find out who the murderer is.

I rounded up from 2.5 stars for this review. The recipes seem good, but all of the fluff in each one feels like the author had a word count to get to and the fluff is how that happens. I feel like this has gotten worse with each book. There are several instances throughout the book where things are repeated between the characters and sometimes it is on the same page. I sometimes get the feeling that I am reading a young adult novel. After the murder in the last book, Hannah is already looking at Norman and Mike to see how she feels about each and who would be good to settle down with. That feels a little too soon. Lastly, I have read a lot of books since Chocolate Cream Pie Murder and there were some references to a bedroom renovation in the condo, but I don't remember exactly what happened that would require a full renovation. Also, who is Lynne? She Ross' first wife or just a college roommate? Sometimes a bit of a recap is needed, especially for characters who haven't been in every installment in the series.

I did like that the Ross story line isn't completely dying with what was revealed towards the end. I am guessing that it will continue into the next book in the series. I was also half expecting another announcement of sorts by Andrea by the end of the novel and was a little surprised that it didn't happen. Keeping me on my toes, Ms. Fluke!

Posted on blog (link attached), twitter (@jillquilts), goodreads and will add to Amazon after release.

Hannah is back in full stride, hunting down murderers and debating between Norman and Mike. Just like the good ol' days! Well, and coming up with half a dozen new cookie recipes. I feel bad for her customers. They taste a cookie they really like and then it is probably never on the menu again! (But my favorite recipe was for the crockpot chicken dish using lemonade concentrate!) I was a bit surprised at how Hannah pursued her investigation this time. People that should have been interviewed first were put off until the end, or not at all. Has Hannah lost her touch or was it simply to help set up the story? Either way, it was nice to see Hannah and Lake Eden back to expected form.

This is the 25th in the Hannah Swensen series. I’ve been reading it since the first book and find them enjoyable. Hannah is off for a prescribed vacation to California with her mother? to help Lynne pack up her house. Suddenly Hannah is called back to solve a murder in Lake Eden. The suspect is Lonnie and most of the police detectives are related to him in some way and have been removed from the case.

I enjoy these books; however, there is a lot of recipe vs mystery. More than I remember in the older books. Of course, you can just skip over them. I do look forward to the next book and maybe the answer to solving Hannah’s dream at the end of the book.

Give it up for Hannah, who is finally called on by the Lake Eden police to investigate a murder. She's on vacation in California, which is supposed to be stress relieving but it's not, really. What's stress relieving for her is trying to figure out what really happened when Lonnie drove a woman home, put her to bed, and then found her dead. This series rises and falls on your affection for Hannah and her friends because there are often little oddities (who carries butter in their purse?). It would be hard to read this without having read a few of the earlier books because there are a lot of characters with long standing relationships. The basic mystery, however, is a good one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of the series.

I used to read Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen books, but lost track of them at some point, so it was nice to have the opportunity to catch up on the latest in Hannah's world.

Coming in a few books on from where I last read, my first question was: what happened with Ross? It was alluded to throughout the book but never explained, relying on readers to have read the previous book.

I found the novel as a whole a bit too perfect; everyone was so agreeable and considerate, and it lacked depth, drama and momentum. Although Hannah has solved many mysteries, this is the first one where her complete disregard for the police (most who are in her social circle) actually was slightly appropriate and was the most amusing thing in the novel. And I found things like Norman creating things because Hannah once mentioned them just a tad creepy. But I did like that the Mike vs Norman element has reduced.

There was also a lot of pages filled up with recipes and while I enjoy having some recipes in the book, I prefer a few at the end as oppose to one at the end of nearly every chapter. it makes it harder to find them again when they are not all clumped together at the end.

So the question is, would I go back to reading Hannah Swensen's adventures? I'd definitely check in with her again when there's been a bit more character development, I however am a little sceptical about Fluke ever letting her settle down, if the Ross storyline is any indication and I'd really like for her to settle down and move on.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I've read this series from the very first book and I truly believe each one gets better than the last. I feel like I'm part of the Lake Eden community when I sit down to read; coming home to visit friends and family and, of course, help solve a murder! These books are extremely well written with fabulous characters. I highly recommend this book to everyone! Enjoy!

This is the first book I’ve read in this series (even though I own others). I probably should have read them in order because there were things that were referred to in the book that I didn’t really understand. Despite that, I still really loved this book. It’s a great cozy mystery and easy read and just fun to curl up with! Now I have to go buy the first book in this series so I can start reading them in order!!!

I love Hannah! That being said, I'm behind in the series so....this was a fun read. I don't have the angst that other reviewers seem to have regarding the love triangle/rectangle? I do think it has gone on for way too long and cannot fathom any real man hanging around and sharing a woman for that long. And then to allow another man to enter the fray, NOPE, not happening in real life. The murder was kind of an afterthought but it was still fun. A visit with Hannah and the gang is always a good time as far as I'm concerned.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

Hannah accompanies her mother to California to visit a relative. Doc prescribed the vacation for her when he diagnosed her with stress. It isn't long until she receives a message the police need her help in an investigation in which Lonnie's presence makes him a suspect. Mike can't investigate because Lonnie is his partner. Only a newly minted detective and the chief himself can investigate, so even the chief wants Hannah to meddle this time. The victim's personality made her unpopular so several persons held motives. A remains of a coconut layer cake plays into the investigation, thus giving the installment its title. The book contains lots of recipes. The premise of this one does not really hold up that well as the police would have called in the state to conduct the investigation. However, it was fun. The love triangle between Hannah, Norman, and Mike continues. I received an electronic advance copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 stars)

Hannah Swanson is back. She leaves the cold of Lake Eden for the sunny California weather per her doctor. Oh, also to help a friend move. However, with one phone call, Hannah is back to the cold of Minnesota. When her sister's boyfriend is accused of murder, Hannah knows that she must clear his name not matter what the cost. This is going to be difficult though because all Lonnie remembers about that night is helping the impaired woman into her bedroom and waking up on her couch. Without the help of two lead investigators, Hannah isn't sure if she will be able to find the real murderer.
I always love the people of Tinker's Cove, It is a pleasant series of books that one can sit, enjoy, and disappear into for a few hours. I was glad to have our old Hannah character back. I was also glad to see that maybe Hannah was finally ready to decide her future. This is such a fun series with recipes included that I love to try. I am not sure that I do them justice but they always sound so delicious in the story. I received a copy through Netgalley. A positive review was not required.

If you are here for my review of the latest Hannah Swensen Mystery, it is likely you are already familiar with the series. This is the 25th Hannah Swensen Mystery. You would expect the murder victim would be important, right? Michelle, Hannah’s youngest sister’s boyfriend Lonnie, who is a Lake Eden detective, finds himself accused of murder. As usual, Hannah must solve the murder, except this time she has Mike’s blessing. You should know that it’s not the murder that matters in this installment. It is the subplots that matter most. Hannah’s relationships with the other characters are the actual heart of the story. It sets the tone for the next book in the series.

As usual recipes take up at least a quarter of the book. Making this Hannah Swensen Mystery a quick read compared to some longer books in the series. We all know adding Ross to the mix made a lot of longtime fans upset. I call it Rossgate as some readers liked a new love interest who was not Mike or Norman. It seems this volume is trying to correct that, but not the way longtime readers would like.

Let’s get a few of my gripes aside. When the book begins Dolores insinuates that Hannah is fat. Reminding us after a few books where Hannah did not complain about her hair or weight, that Dolores can be very hurtful towards Hannah.

Then it looks like the book will fix Rossgate and I have hope. I am a Norman and Hannah shipper myself, Mike has cheated, and he doesn't love her. Only to have that hope dashed further in the book.

This is the real tea Hannah Swensen Mystery fans want to hear. We do not care who dies. And we know Hannah will solve said murder. The readers want to know is Hannah getting back together with Norman or Mike? Well, this important subplot is left unresolved in the book. Though I feel like there is an indicator, she will end up with one of them.

The murder itself is stupid. It is no one Hannah knows. Hannah could have solved the murder sooner. Hannah should have questioned all witnesses who were there that night right away. But she didn’t for some unknown reason. Not to mention Hannah led herself into mortal peril on purpose. I wish Hannah would stop doing that.

Overall, I rated the book 3 out five stars on Goodreads. I hope that I am not being set up for a letdown. It feels like the books will go back to the love triangle that everyone hates. I felt a glimmer of hope it will not a few times. Hannah’s friend Lynn said something to her I think that may help her make the right choice.

If the victim hadn’t been a nobody to the series and Hannah had investigated better, I would have enjoyed the plot more. I was so happy that Ross was gone and if the love triangle wasn’t looming on the horizon, I would have rated the book 4 stars instead. Hopefully reader feedback will be taken into account before the next book and our beloved series will be back on track.

Cozy, quick read. Not much happens except a LOT of baking. I almost could read some notes of finality in the last chapter, and so I wonder if this series is winding to an end? #teamnorman all the way! Thanks, Netgalley, for this arc.

Murder - great. Recipes - even better. I've just have small things with this book (okay, probably the series) that irked me....

1) What stewardess knows the baggage claim carousel at LAX prior to landing?
2) To make the 15 mile circle between LAX, Paramount Studios and Brentwood it would take at least 2-3 hours... Traffic is really that bad...
3) Who in the Midwest doesn't already understand the concept of a crockpot and already have at least 1?
4) Why is Eden Lake so small that everyone knows the Swensens but Lonnie knows absolutely no gossip?
5) Can they just call it dinner or chicken instead of always saying the full and complete recipe name multiple times? That's why pronouns were invented..... Has she not seen School House Rock?
6) How does Hannah make money if she's constantly giving away cookies, pies and cakes? Why does she give away the recipes?????

But most importantly....

Who the heck would marry a man who wears INITIALED VELOUR SWEAT SUITS???????

And yet, I still eagerly crave a new Hannah Swensen book every February.....I'm addicted.....