Although the cliffhanger from the previous book didn't quite happen the way I'd imagined I was still entertained, as usual, by an interesting mystery. I've yet to be disappointed by a Hannah Swenson story.

I was kind of bummed that the cliffhanger at the end of the previous book didn't come true. Hannah needs something else going on in her life besides just baking and her cat. The mystery in the book was good, I didn't have it figured out.

I always love Joanne Fluke’s books about Hannah, her family, her bakery, and her town. This book is about helping Lonnie (her sister’s boyfriend and a cop) fight a possible murder charge since he was the last known contact with the victim. The book also continues the back story about Hannah and her personal issues, so it is always nice to hear more about her. I keep crossing my fingers she chooses the right guy for her, who loves her the most!

I'm a huge fan of Hannah Swenson and I could not wait for this next installment in the saga! The plot was very fast-moving, but felt a little flat for me.

I enjoyed this newest Hannan Swensen mystery, as I usually do. There were definitely some parts of the book that were drawn out and unnecessary. I won't post spoilers, but the fact that Hannah waited as long as she did to do the last thing she did was beyond me. I had it nearly figured out from the get go, which is unusual for me. All in all, it was a good 'ol usual from Fluke, but she's drawing this series out way further than it needs to be.

I have been reading the Hannah Swensen series ever since the first book, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, came out in 2000! I love the setting, the characters, the recipes, and the light mysteries. Each time a new book comes out, I nab it as quickly as possible and binge read it to find out what's going on in good ol' Lake Eden, MN.

Coconut Layer Cake Murder is the 25th book in the series. I happily curled up with this newest book, a cup of tea and my chihuahua for a long night of happy reading. The last book ended on a bit of a cliff hanger of sorts and I just HAD to find out what was going on..... I waited an entire year to find out! :)

I enjoyed this newest book. About 3 books ago, there were some major writing problems with this series, but it's HANNAH....I can't do without my Hannah-fix each year. The writing seems to have smoothed itself out for the most part, as have some plot developments that left long-time Hannah fans upset (the evil R...boooo hisssss). But, I still see differences in these later books when compared to earlier books in the series. The mystery portion of the plot is much lighter, and the recipes are much longer (instead of just recipes and cooking instructions, they include cute comments from story characters and other things. And each one can be 3 pages long or more). After reading a series this long, I'm ok with the books being shorter, but it does make me think that the series might be winding down. Maybe when Hannah finally makes The Decision, the series will have a final book? I read through this entire book in less than 2 hours....I'm a fast reader, but a lot of this book is recipes. I'm ok with that -- some of them really sound YUMMY this time! I'm going to do a bit of experimenting and see if I can't change over some of the cookie recipes to a diabetic version my hubby can enjoy. :) There are several savory recipes as well -- a mushroom rice dish as well as other non-dessert goodies.

All in all, a fun entertaining read as usual. I'm definitely in line for my next visit with my book friends from Lake Eden! And maybe......The Decision???? It's been 20 years....we need The Decision.ha ha Full stars from me..... 'cause it's Hannah. :)

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Reading a new Joanne Fluke book is like a family reunion! I love finding out what is going on in Hannah's life.
Hannah and her Mother have gone to California to help a friend pack and prepare to move back to Minnesota. While there, Hannah gets a phone call from younger sister Michelle asking her to come home because Lonnie, Michelle's boyfriend and a Sheriff deputy has been accused of murder. Hannah is on the next plane home and the entire family gets busy trying to clear Lonnie's name and bring the real killer to justice. As always, Norman and Mike are assisting and letting Hannah know how important she is to them. And the many recipes included in this book will have you gaining 10 pounds just from reading them! Another wonderful book in this series.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of Coconut Layer Cake Murder.

Wow, this story is filled with a great mystery that really kept me guessing until the end.
I have been a big fan of this series for years, and I am so happy to see that Hannah is getting back to her old self after the disaster that came along with her marriage to Ross.
This book really brought all of the characters together and I appreciated the easy going relationship between Hannah and Norman.
Working together to prove Lonnie innocent made for a great story and I am looking forward to seeing what’s in store for everyone next.

Thank you NetGalley for my arc. I cannot believe this is the 25th book in this series. I always enjoy the combo of Hannah baking and solving a murder and this one didn’t disappoint. Usually I can figure out mid book who the murderer is but this one I couldn’t piece everything together until the end. This series is my guilty pleasure and I definitely loved this title!

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Kensington Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

When Hannah’s sister Detective boyfriend is prime suspect in a murder case she rushes to investigate. The major problem is that the main suspect does not remember much just having a few drnks at a bar and waking up the next morning on the couch.

His partner at work and brother are both thrown off working the case. Things do not look good for him as Hannah will eventually figure who the real killer is.

Enjoyable light hearted read for fans.

As did the 24 books in the Hannah Swenson series before this one, this mystery did not disappoint. I admit to the occasional twinge of frustration over some of the books and there have been a couple of missteps along the way but this one seems to be getting us back on track and hopefully some ongoing issues will be resolved in the next book. The plot here is solid, lots of great recipes and we got a little more insight into some characters we don't hear a lot about. All in all this series pretty much always satisfies and if you aren't reading Hannah you should be. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy for review.

As always this Hannah Swensen mystery did not disappoint. I was left with a cliff-hanger on the last one so I was glad to get this as an ARC and be able to dive back into this world. I love that Fluke shares recipes. I do find these stories a bit repetitive but I like the family dynamic and I just can't seem to stop being hooked on this family, this town, and this cookie shop!

Coconut Layer Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke is the latest installment featuring my all-time favorite female sleuth extraordinaire: Hannah Swensen. This time Lonnie takes center stage as the prime suspect in a murder case and it is up to Hannah and her family and friends of Lake Eden to exonerate Lonnie and find the killer.

I enjoyed this mystery and it threw a few curve balls into the mix so that I was not sure of the culprit until the end. I liked the flow and pace of the plot and best of all: I loved the subplots!!!!! I can’t talk more about both of them, but boy am I now excited to see where this goes. I feel like things are heating up again.

I have always loved Hannah Swensen and have read every one of the books in this series. This one did not disappoint!!!!

I have also already tried out the Meaty Minestrone soup recipe (although removing the Meaty part) and it is delicious. I can’t wait to try out the new version of Andrea’s whippersnapper cookies that were described in this book. It sounds right up my alley.

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this awesome ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I have read all the books in this series, and every one is better than the last, and this book was no exception. Hannah and her mother go to California to help a friend pack to move back to Lake Eden, Minnesota. Hannah returns early after she finds out her sister’s boyfriend is a prime suspect in a murder back home. As she investigates she is able to eliminate most of the obvious suspects. I usually am able to figure out who the murderer is in this series, but this story had me stymied until almost the end. All the books in this series are well worth reading. While they can all stand alone, I suggest reading them in order. Anyone who likes cozy mysteries will enjoy this series. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I have read this series from the very beginning. I have such a love-hate relationship with this series. Some of the books have been outstanding and others not so much. This one was one of the better ones. There was more Andrea in this book and included a scene with Tracy and Bethie. Bethie talks now! And she called Hannah "Antanna" which was adorable. There was less Lisa, Marge & Aunt Nancy, who are the true heroes because they keep The Cookie Jar running. Also, alot of recipes which all looked great. This book seemed like we MIGHT finally be getting a conclusion to the love triangle. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and will be waiting patiently for the next one. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 Stars

This is the twenty-fifth book in the Hannah Swensen Cookie Jar series by Joanne Fluke.

Wow! Can you believe we have hit the twenty-fifth book? So much yummy goodness in this banner foodie cozy mystery series. It is the forerunner in my mind that helped the cozy genre take off to new heights.

This book feels a little different than the rest. There is a whole section or two where Lonnie is the main character and we are seeing the action through his eyes. That seemed a new feature to me. Plus, we got to see Norman in a whole new light. We see his house and we get a feel for who he is and what he wants in his future. We all know both Mike and Norman love Hannah but here we get to see into their minds and know more about what they truly are thinking. I liked that aspect. Gave me a whole new aspect for the series and what I’d like to see more of in the future.

I was sorry to see Michelle taking a step back but having Angela back and helping Hannah was great! And then Delores being starstruck in California was just a hoot and a half.

As I followed along the mystery I kept fearing Lonnie may have done it after all. Of course, I didn’t want to believe it but as Hannah investigated and cleared so many suspects, I began to think the worse.

I am not going to tell you whodunit because that would ruin the entire story. So dive in and read this for yourself. Great book that I loved getting to know again.

Love this series. It is one of my guilty pleasure reads, for sure!

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Fans of the author will adore this new book in the long-running Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke.
Sorry to say that I came to this book without any prior knowledge of the characters and the town and found it impossible to:
* work out the relationships between the characters who came onto the page without any indication of who they were and why they mattered
* the family dynamics and whose sister was dating who and where etc.
* work backwards about Hannah Swensen's husband? Who is no longer on the scene.
* why Hannah's family are so whining and needy.
I did have to read several chapters twice to try and work out what was going on through the very long passages of detailed descriptions which appeared to be padding around a flimsy mystery which was very easy to work out who was responsible.
The recipes which were added into the middle of the text looked excellent but would be much better at the end of the book.
I know how hard it is to write a crime novel and the story world was very cleverly done, but this book was not a stand alone novel. So not for me.

Another delicious recipe filled cozy mystery. Love these characters and Hannah’s knack for baking and solving crimes.

Coconut Layer Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
This book starts out with other works by the author and acknowledgements.
Hannah finds out what's wrong with her from the blood test done in the last book and the doctor writes her a prescription.
She and her mother head to CA to help her friend pack up her house and move to MN as she's bought a mansion there.
Hannah and Lynne had gone to college in their younger years and have stayed in contact with one another. Lynne had made her money from being an actress and staring in commercials.
Just what the doctor ordered, rest and relaxation...
So fun to hear about the industry of making shows and movies. Love the trip around town with the butler/chauffeur.
Events occur that leaves Delores starring in a commercial with Lynne and they have so much fun with it...
Michelle, her sister calls with an emergency, a death has occurred and Loonie is devastated, his classmate has died and he's the first suspect.
Just Hannah will return home to help with the investigation leaving Delores in CA to help Lynne.
While work is being done at her condo, to erase traces of Ross living there she settles in at Norman's guest room and attends the meeting of the friends who are trying to find out who had killed Loonie's friend.
Loonie is able to give them a lot of information about what happened to Darcy and they have their work cut out for them to prove he's innocent. Surprise of finding her ex's items in storage...
Love information on baking secrets and tips. Irish blessings are a treasure to find! So many involved and you never would've thought who found Hannah on her last day alive.
Recipes index at the end. Recipes throughout the book. Baking conversion charts included. Other books highlighted at the end, Cold Judgement.
I received this review copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#CoconutLayerCakeMurder #NetGalley

Love Joanna Fluke and this series!!! The Coconut Layer Cake Murder definitely didn't disappoint. Another great addition to her amazing series. This was the perfect cozy mystery.