This is my first read of the series and I honestly didn't find it a very good book. Cute, but not all that great. Maybe I should have not jumped in so late, but became interested from past reviews of so many other books in the series, that I requested it from NetGalley and was accepted.

A homeless man shows up at the bakery and has amnesia. Later he is found in bad shape, practically dead and rushed to a hospital. Once he comes around the amnesia is still there. Pieces comes back to him as time goes on. Ok, so with him not passing away the murder must happen later, but it doesn't. I was quite confused with the title since there was no murder in book at all. The characters seemed cute enough, but a little wishy washy for me.

Maybe if I went and started from book one my view may be different. I appreciate both NetGalley and Kensington for giving me the opportunity to read the book for my honest review

Hannah gives a homeless man some food in exchange for work only to find him later passed out and having amnesia. Hannah and her friends go about trying to figure out who the homeless guy is and what happened to him. Lots of Christmas spirit in this one. Lots of delicious recipes as well. It seems about a quarter of the book is dedicated to them. But that is what we expect from Joanne Fluke isn't it. LOL. Another winner as well as an uplifting story.

I first learned about the Hannah Swenson mysteries from the Hallmark Channel series and fell in love. I then started reading a few of the books but not necessarily in order. I was thrilled with Christmas Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke, and I read it in an afternoon.

This story takes place before the other books in the series do, which I thought was an interesting choice. (Although, I usually like when things get changed up a bit.) I found the story compelling, and I could not put it down. It was well paced, and I enjoyed hanging with the gang in Minnesota. I thought the ending was awkward, hilarious, wonderful, and perfect. What an ending! The only "issue" with this book is that I wanted to bake at the end of every chapter with all the delicious recipes! I cannot wait to return to my kitchen a bake a bunch of these up for Christmas! As usual, this book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series.

This story reminded me why I have loved this series in the past, and I cannot wait to read more in the series. (I actually started another one before writing this review.) While there are so many cozy mysteries out there, the Hannah Swenson mystery series always stands out above all the others. I also find other cozy mysteries feel repetitive, but I find Fluke always keeps new ideas baking.

I received an eARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

I love this series! Pretty much every book in this series has been 5 stars. I also love the tv series! Can not wait for next book and set of recipes.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This was a great mystery I could not put down until finished I highly recommend.

This is a sweet Christmas themed cozy. Not the typical cozy since there was no murder. However, there is still a mystery to solve and a few twists and turns along the way. The one thing that still bothers me about this series is the recipes between the chapters. I would rather they were all at the end of the book. I know that's just my preference and I can skip over them which I usually.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

This book went back to an earlier time with Hannah, but just doesn't fit the timeline. I expected a continuation of the series where it left off, not a recipe book with a storyline that just wasn't interesting at all. Not like the other books in the series at all.

Christmas Cupcake Murder was another fun cozy mystery in the Hannah Swensen series. As this story is set in the past, each of the favorite characters are in different places in the lives. I honestly enjoy getting to go back in time in Lake Eden to learn more about each of the characters.



Joanne Fluke gives her readers their annual Christmas mystery with Christmas Cupcake Murder. Generally, the Christmas mystery is a shorter story than her full-length books that come out in late winter/early spring. Christmas Cupcake Murder is definitely filled with lots of yummy recipes, but the mystery was much lighter than usual. I enjoy getting to spend time with so many of my favorite characters, but will say I felt like the timeline didn't quite fit based upon previous books. While it wasn't my favorite book in the series by far, I did enjoy the book overall.



The Hannah Swensen books were some of the first cozy mysteries I found and fell in love with when they were first published, and I still enjoy the books with each new release. While I didn't feel that Christmas Cupcake Murder was the strongest book in the series, I look forward to where Ms. Fluke takes her readers with future books.





Rating: 3 Stars (B-)

I love a good Christmas book anytime of the year. Joanne Fluke definitely know how to deliver a great Christmas read that will leave you hungry and longing to try her recipes in this book!

Hannah Swenson is a busy lady trying to get all the Christmas orders done before their deadline. Hannah's sister, Andrea, comes to help her during the holiday rush. When a man is found in an abandoned building just down from Hannah's store, she is disturbed by the finding because she had offered him food and coffee a few days before. Why had he not come back and asked for help?

The even crazier think about the finding of this man is that he can't remember who he is or anything about where he comes from. All he knows is how to refinish antique furniture. What a coincidence since Hannah's mom is getting ready to look at a place to house her old antiques. Will this Joe Doe (he doesn't want to be John Doe) be able to find out his connection to Lake Eden? With the help of the community he begins to piece things together.

This is a great read that will leave you in the mood to cook some cupcakes for sure. With all the great recipes in this read, you will have a great selection to try from, or try all of them! I enjoyed this read from Joanne Fluke and can't wait for more from her.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an advanced copy of this book!

This book jumps back in time to before the first book, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. Christmas is in full swing at Hannah's bakery, The Cookie Jar, when she happens upon a man near death just two doors down from the bakery. He has been attacked viciously and has no memory of the attack or even who he is! Hannah sets about discovering the man's identity and tries to find out who almost killed him. Even though there is no actual murder, Hannah hones her investigative skills as she follows the clues to lead her to the culprit.

Loved this book!! Love the recipes that come with each book by Joanne Fluke. You never know what Hannah and the rest are going to be up against.. Cannot wait for the next book

This is by far one of my favorite holiday themed books in this series. Hannah has always been kindhearted but how she helped Joe in the beginning was so sweet. The mystery was a little lacking but the story made up for it. If you have not read any books in this series you will fall in love with Hannah and Lake Eden. Highly recommend this book

I have read a couple of books by Joanne Fluke and have enjoyed them. I believe Christmas Cupcake Murder is now my favorite that I have read by her to date. So very good. Fun and entertaining.

A charming, sweet Christmas story. While I did enjoy the story it wasn't the typical Hannah story. The mystery was a bit of stretch. For me this series is like the best feelings at Christmas. A place that is comfy, warm, and filled with sweet memories. I will also pick up a book in this series to visit with old friends and a feel good book.

This book should have been listed as a prequel to the series instead of a series continuation. The books blurb mentions that Michelle is having a problem with her love life and she isn't really actually in the story, Hannah just talks to her on the phone for a few paragraphs. There were way to many recipes for a book this long, I got really bored with having to skip so many pages for the recipes to continue the story. The title makes you think that a murder has happened but really there was no murder. There is too much time spent on reading about every piece of food that the characters are eating, going to eat, or have just eaten. For someone who has had her cat for years Hannah sure seemed surprised that her cat would knock something onto the floor during the night.

As a long time fan of the Hannah Swensen series, I enjoy the linear character storyline but this one gave us a sweet glimpse back in time to our cast of favorite characters and their life before as we know it.

If you are new to the Swensen series - know that you will close your book very hungry, this one was no exception filled with delicious sweet and savory recipes; perfect to get you in the holiday indulging mood. The murder portion is just a fun tidbit, its the characters that have most people coming back.

If you are a long time fan of the Swensen series - know that all your favorite characters are here and there is a the heart warming familiarity of family, baking, and the hilarity of our sweet Hannah.

I really enjoyed #26 in the series and recommend if for anyone looking to pick up a cozy mystery!

It's hard to believe that this is #26 in the Hannah Swensen cozy series. This book is actually a flashback to Hannah's first case. When a man with no memory knocks on the Cookie Jar door and asks to work for food, Hannah takes an interest in him. The town and Hannah's friends find him a room to live and he gets a job restoring antique furniture. (The beginnings of her mother's store.) It's fun to see these characters beginnings. As always the recipes are wonderful and since I read this around the holidays I've tried several of them. This story can be read as a stand alone. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book was a quick and easy read for the holiday season. I always enjoy the Hannah Swensen books, and this one didn't disappoint. I actually really enjoyed that this book was a flashback, as Joanne Fluke was able to flesh out the characters' backstories a little bit better!

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Christmas Cupcake Murder is the 26th addition to the Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke. In trying to get in the holiday mood this year, I of course thought of grabbing this Joanne Fluke cozy mystery as I had not read it yet.

This book is a bit different as Hannah does not have a murder to solve but she does have a mystery to solve. In the course of looking at commercial property for her mother’s antique shop endeavors they run across the John Doe that earlier in the day performed some extra tasks around The Cookie Jar for food and coffee. But now – he was not conscious and in need of some serious medical intervention. One would hope that once John Doe felt better he would remember who he is, where he is from, etc. It is a slow process though so Hannah takes it upon herself to dig up what she can on John Doe, to help fill in the gaps in his life

It was refreshing that this book was a mystery to solve and not a murder. I found the pace of the book good and it kept my interest. There were many facets for Hannah to discover. This title also included (naturally) some very interesting recipes. What I must say about that is that now that I am reading this book in .mobi format – I am definitely not a fan of recipes sprinkled throughout the book. It tends to interfere in my reading. Interesting as it did not bother me when I read physical paperbacks. Just one of those things.

One thing that did irritate me, about Hannah’s mom, was her attitude towards Hannah’s hair color:

“Your sister Andrea’s blond hair is so perfect, and Michelle’s hair is a lovely shade of golden brown. My dark hair would have been wonderful for your, too. Sometimes I blame myself, Hannah, but unruly red hair like yours doesn’t run in my family at all.” “It’s all right, Mother,” Hannah told her. “I really don’t mind having hair like dad’s. It was just luck of the draw, I guess.”

We also got a flavor of Andrea – my unease is about her lack of maternal instinct for her young child. I do suppose some people like older children as opposed to infants – but to leave the child without either parent providing that all important bonding so early on did bother me just a tad.

However, the unraveling of Joe Doe’s true identity and what happened to him provided me with a number of hours of reading pleasure – and for that I am thankful.

While not the strongest story in the series, if you have enjoyed Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series, then you should enjoy Christmas Cupcake Murder as well. A lighter tale to get you in the holiday spirit.

I am a huge Joanne Fluke fan. I love the Hannah Swensen series and have never had a miss-until now. Fluke has been doing some "throwbacks" lately in the series that date back to earlier in Hannah's life and this is one of those books. She did it effectively last Christmas, but this book fell flat to me. It seemed as though all the characters, especially Joe (around whom the mystery centers) seem a little daft. I get that Joe has lost his memory, but some of the most basic concepts seem difficult for him and also for some of the other characters. The only character this doesn't apply to is Freddy, who has intellectual disability. He actually comes off as more realistic.

This book seemed to lack the usual suspense that most of the Hannah books have, so it seems a little slow in the plot. There's a lot more than usual of the discussion of the recipes and spoon-feeding the plot to the reader.

I am still a big fan of Fluke's. I don't think any author can hit every book out of the park. I'll continue to read the series and recommend it. But this might be one you can skip without missing anything on the progression of the timeline.

Rating: 3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the review e-book copy of this work. All opinions are my own.