*received for free from netgalley for honest review* First off I do not think ive ever read any other books from this seires but ive really wanted to because I love books like this! I really loved the book even though I didn't understand all the characters backstories but im really anzious to read the other books now too lol the only thing is I wish I would have been home when I read this so I could have tried some of the recipes while I was reading lmao

I received a free copy of this via NetGalley, in return for an unbiased review. Upfront, I’ll say that I did enjoy this series for a long time. Though it would be fair to say it’s incredibly repetitive - you could almost make a checklist of things that will get mentioned... recipes will always mention using your immaculately clean hands. Hannah will always brace herself for Moishe launching himself at her when she opens the door. People will beg Hannah to investigate because only she can solve it, which does a gross disservice to the police - especially when Hannah inevitably stumbles onto the killer alone and needs the police to rescue her. Moishe will have salmon fish treats, there’ll be lots of sitting at the work table eating cookies, and Hannah will string along two men even more.

This started out a bit differently, and I realised I must have missed the previous book as I had no idea who Ross was! It started out interesting - Lonnie framed for murder. But as others have said, it doesn’t really have a long mystery. If you take out all the recipes, it would be a short novel. Take out all the sitting around the work table, eating cookies and recognising knocks, and it would be a novella. For someone who’s solving her 25th murder, it’s staggering that Hannah doesn’t interview the people who drank with Lonnie until the end, after speaking to everyone else.

I think, though I hate to say it, it’s time to wrap this series up.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45454098-coconut-layer-cake-murder

I really enjoyed this book. I am not completely caught up on this series but I did not feel lost. I love how fast paced it was and all the recipes. Definitely going to be trying some of those out. The characters are great and I can’t wait to go back to Lake Eden.

I really love this series! After 25 books, I am definitely invested in Hannah's life. I do wish she would just commit to Norman. That storyline is getting old fast. I wasn't as annoyed with the spelling out of each of Hannah's actions as I was in the last book. I liked this mystery and felt it moved along nicely. Looking forward to the next book!

I think this is the coziest cozy mystery in the genre, and this book delivers on all the points that made the other 24 books in this series a joy to snuggle up and read. There’s plenty of recipes, dinners with the whole gang, doling out of cookies in the back room of the cookie jar and brainstorming theories with Norman and Mike. I only wish this series would give Hannah more forward progression, after 25 books its time for her life to shake up a bit and she needs to make some decisions. #teamnorman. Thank you Kensington for the arc.

Book 25 of the Hannah Swenson series by Joann Fluke, Coconut Layer Cake Murder, begins when Hannah and her mother travel to California to help one of Hannah’s friends move to Lake Eden. Hannah’s vacation is cut short when she gets a phone call from Michelle telling her that Lonnie, her boyfriend, is the prime suspect in the murder of one of their old friends. Hannah rushes home to be with Michelle and to, of course, investigate the murder. Book 24 left readers with a cliffhanger, and it’s a given that fans will be picking up this soon-to- be bestseller immediately. The cliffhanger isn’t even mentioned until the very end, so this one keeps readers on edge wanting more information. As is Fluke’s style in telling the story, Hannah and the other characters, who have become part of our hearts, spend all their days drinking coffee, baking and eating cookies (never gaining an ounce), and investigating. Nobody in this make-believe town ever seems to need to do housework, take out the garbage, go to meetings, or be busy. It’s fun, though to put ourselves in this make-believe world. We think of these characters as ageless, never seeing the effects of drinking 20+ cups of coffee a day and the leathery skin that comes from it, or being unhealthy from a diet mostly of cookies and sweets.

Because there are dozens of books in this series, readers are aware that Hannah, et al, are naive as to the outside world, since Lake Eden is such a small town, but Fluke should do a little research to keep up with the times. At the beginning of the novel, Hannah and her mother travel to California for a vacation and to help one of Hannah’s college friends move. While on the plane they talk about the “stewardess” and show the world that they are definitely country bumpkins. Having personally been a “flight attendant” for over 20 years, that term is not only outdated, but it is absolutely Neanderthal. And the “stewardesses” certainly don’t serve coffee on descent (an FAA thing). Even in the tiny town of Lake Eden, people go on vacation (Hannah did it on her honeymoon) and should know about airline travel since it’s been around for some time (the Wright brothers started it back in 1903); our beloved Hannah isn’t stupid. One of the charms of this series is the innocence and make-believe life in Lake Eden and the fact that Hannah and her family aren’t of the real world, but “stewardess” takes it a little far. The recipes are also written for anyone who has never seen a kitchen before or even boiled water, which is an insult to those who possess even an ounce of intelligence or cooking experience.

So why are these books bestsellers? Who knows? But they are, and I’m always at the front of the line to get the next one and read what is happening with Hannah next. And, of course, this novel is highly recommended albeit the fact that Hannah doesn’t live in a real world. The recipes, once one gets past the drivel and hyperbole, are also excellent.

It’s time to run out and pick up this latest book, which gets five stars from me and from most Hannah Swenson fans because that’s just the way it’s done.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Coconut Layer Cake Murder is the 25th installment in the Hannah Swensen series set in Lake Eden, MN and featuring Cookie Jar owner, Hannah, her family and friends. Hannah has accompanied her mother to California to help their friend Lynne pack up her house and move back to Lake Eden. The house is almost buttoned up when Hannah gets a call from sister Michelle that her boyfriend Lonnie is the prime suspect in a murder.

Hannah's brother in law and chief of police, Bill has taken both Mike an Lonnie off the case due to conflict of interest and everyone is now looking to Hannah to solve the mystery. Hannah teams up with Mike, Norman and Andrea to identify the killer and clear Lonnie's name.

There really is no plot in this latest addition to the series. In fact, the actually mystery is only about 50 pages and the rest of the book is just filled with recipes and notes about the recipes. In the 50 pages of actual story over a third is spent at the work table in the Cookie Jar with the usual characters sampling cookies and commenting on the different knocks on the back door. Even Moishe was barely mentioned in the story. If you haven't read this series before I wouldn't start with this one as it does not read like a stand alone, you will have no idea who Lynne is or understand the casual references to why Hannah is not living at her condo or what happened to her husband. This series has become a true disappointment.

I received an advanced copy of Coconut Layer Cake Murder from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

Love this series. Hannah and her mother delores go to Los Angelo's to help her friend pack up to move. Hannah is called back to lake eden to help investigate murder. Hannah and the help from norman and the gang set out to find the murderer. Great read

Won't lie. My favorite part of this series is the recipes. But I was waiting to hear how this series would progress after the last book. I'm still not a fan of either Norman or Mike. This part of the story is rather like the Stephanie Plum books by Evanovich... eventually, you want the guys or the lead character to just move on already (which is why I was super-excited when it seemed like Hannah had.) All that said, I enjoyed the book, and look forward to the next one.

I love mystery books and baking so this series is perfect for me! Joanne Fluke is a wonderful writer who understands small towns and the people that live there.

Hannah is stressed out and the only answer is to take a vacation. She heads to California with her mother but when she finds out that her sister's boyfriend is a prime suspect in a murder she rushes home to solve the mystery.

As usual there is drama and laughter but in the end Hannah always gets her man!

For many years, I loved this series because the mysteries were well-written and the guilty party was not obvious. However, the past few books haven’t been on par with the previous ones. Like other recent books, Coconut Layer Cake Murder was a surface-level story, with quite a few more pages dedicated to recipes than earlier books in the series. The mystery part of this book was okay, but could have been so much more development.

Thanks go to NetGalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

There are as many recipe pages as cozy mystery in the latest Hannah Swensen mystery.

Hannah accompanies her mother to California to help a friend close up house for her move to lake Eden. Andre's in a panic when she calls Hannah for help. Lonnie is under suspicion in the death of their friend Darcy. The police chief welcomes Hannah's help when his senior officers conflict of interest hinders the investigation.

Unraveling what really happened during Darcy's last day is aided by Norman whose love for Hannah hasn't wavered in spite of the past year of Hannah's life choices.

A lot of cookie eating goes on and family and friends gather for meals keeping this a cozy mystery with humorous scenes when pets are added.

A great long-running cozy mystery where in this episode Hannah is moving on with life.

This is the 25th book in the Hannah Swenson series. Hannah and her mother go to California to help a friend pack up her house so she can move to Lake Eden. Hannah cuts her trip short when her sister, Michelle calls her for help. Michelle's boyfriend, Lonnie is accused of murder and Michelle needs Hannah's help to clear his name.
Hannah works with the ususal crew of Norman, Mike, her sisters, and her mother to solve the case. I always love visiting with these characters. I am glad to see that the writing and plotlines have gotten better than the last few books. I will continue to read this series.

This series is consistently good, and this latest book was no different. Although it seems like even during the worst of times, the characters solve everything with eating, for some reason it really doesn’t detract too much from the story. It’s always a nice bonus when there are recipes too!

I love returning to Lake Eden to visit with old friends like I do every time I read one of these books. The plot was creative and as always, I love all the characters and the creative ways the mystery unfolds. These stories have heart and warmth and are wonderful to read on a cold winter day with a nice cup of hot chocolate or tea. Oh, and don’t forget the cookies!

I thought this book was fun. "Coconut Layer Cake Murder" is about Hannah, who learns that her sister's boyfriend (Lonnie) is a prime suspect in a murder case. Hannah tries to prove Lonnie's innocence, racks up the clues, and finds some interesting facts. "Coconut Layer Cake Murder" is able to be red on a stand-alone status, even though it's #25 in a series. This book was fun to read, and had a little taste of mystery and murder, which I always enjoy.

Veteran cozy murder mystery writer Joanne Fluke seems to have tapped out on the stories she can tell in the Hannah Swenson series. There simply wasn’t much (any?) tension in the book nor real plot twists. At times Ms. Fluke would describe something prosaic in great detail just to up the word count. And it was odd to just drop in the scene at the storage center where they find Ross’s money, clothes and fake IDs. And who wears a single velour jogging suit these days much less several?

There just doesn’t seem to be anything creative left in this series. I would not recommend this book to my patrons.

The Coconut Layer Cake Murder
Joanne Fluke
February 25, 2020


Fluke is publishing her 25th Hannah Swensen novel. Each Fluke title in this series has to do with Hannah’s bakery and the treat is the new plot. In this journey, Hannah is still feeling herself overwhelmed with the death of her husband, Ross. The engagement, wedding and honeymoon plans all seemed too perfect. By the end of this story we find that Ross had lead others down the same path, one that conceals his money-making talents and underhanded lifestyle. Hannah of course was overwhelmed with grief. This plot brings her to us back in the bakery working with Lisa and Michelle helping out. Her sister, Michelle is now teaching at the high school and at the bakery part-time. She and Detective Lonnie Murphy are still an item. Both are trying to help Hannah get through the reconstruction of her condo so it doesn’t remind her of the life she might have had with Ross. Hannah is stressed out. Her father-in-law makes arrangements for she and her mother, Delores to help out a friend with moving arrangements as she comes back to Minnesota. Lynne lives in a large home in California and needs help with sorting and selling of her possessions while finishing up her job on a LA movie set. Doc feels that getting Hannah and ‘Lori’ out of town will help Hannah relax and Lori to put her mind on something else rather than plague him with her worries.
A short week after their arrival, Hannah receives a desperate call from Michelle. Lonnie has been arrested and charged with the murder of an old high school acquaintance. The small department doesn’t have the personnel to investigate properly. She feels that Hannah needs to come home and help to clear Lonnie. Hannah of course drops all and books an emergency flight home to help.
The story goes on with Hannah working with the help of Mike, Norman, and friends all trying to solve who took Darcy’s life. This was the first time in a few of Fluke’s novels that the mystery’s conclusion was not obvious. I have read all 25 of her Swensen books now and for the most part enjoyed reading them. Perhaps I pick up each new one to see what problems she and her friends and relatives get into next. Regardless, if you are a Cookie Jar fan, do read this one. Most are familiar with Hannah’s life through Hallmark movies. There have not been any recently so we all must continue reading to discover the next chapter for her.
The Coconut Layer Cake Mystery by Joanne Fluke will be published by Kensington Publishing Corporation on February 25, 2020. I am certain it will be a hit with readers who are fans of her stories. We know her family, friends, and hometown. It makes reading her novels comforting and enjoyable. I appreciate Kensington Publishing allowing me to read and review Fluke’s new novel. It was a pleasure for me to read and it gives me an opportunity to pass on the info of her new release.

I voluntarily read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I've read some of this series so was thrilled to be able to read this

I really enjoyed this

I loved that the mystery was woven with recipes - its a lovely way to set a book

Coconut Layer Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke 4 stars

This is Hannah Swensen Mystery #25... wow it has been 25 books (plus some short stories) and this series is still going strong. After the events of Chocolate Cream Pie Murder, we find Hannah stressed out and told to take a vacation to help a friend in Los Angeles. Everything is going fine until she receives a phone call from her sister Michelle calling for help.. Her boyfriend Lonnie is a suspect in a homicide and over half the detective staff has to recuse themselves. So Hannah to the rescue...

This is a decent mystery interwoven with lots of recipes. We are still seeing the impact that Ross's betrayal has on Hannah and more questions come forth. I look forward to the next Hannah Swensen mystery.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.