Apple Turnover Murder

Apple Turnover Murder is the latest Hannah Swensen Mystery by Joanne Fluke. From the inside cover flap.~

It’s June in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and for Hannah Swensen, that means bridal showers galore, plus a massive fundraising event in need of confections-not to mention a killer who never learned that charity begins at home…

Early summer brings plenty of work for Hannah, even before Mayor Bascomb’s wife drops by The Cookie Jar to place an order…for eleven-hundred cookies! Stephanie Bascomb is organizing an elaborate three-day event to support local charities, and though it’s a worthy cause, Hannah almost flips when her business partner, Lisa, suggests setting up an apple turnover stand. Hannah’s never made a turnover-but, pushover that she is, she places her faith in Lisa’s mother-in-law’s recipe and agrees to be a magician’s assistant in the fundraiser’s talent show…

Dozens of pastries and one hideous purple dress later, Hannah has to admit that stepping out of her comfort zone has been fun as well as profitable. The only snag is the show’s host, community college professor Bradford Ramsey. Hannah and her younger sister Michelle each had unfortunate romantic relationships with Ramsey, and when the cad comes sniffing around between acts, Hannah tells him off. But when the curtain doesn’t go up, she discovers Ramsey backstage-dead as a doornail with a turnover in his hand…

Now, to protect her reputation and Michelle’s, Hannah must get to the bottom of the professor’s bitter end. There are plenty of scorned suspects, including an ex-wife who feels cheated in more ways than one, and a prominent local who may have been using Ramsey to avenger her own randy spouse. But who was unstable enough to snuff out Professor Love? A killer who’s flakier than puff pastry-and far more dangerous…

I always enjoy the Hannah Swensen mysteries. Every trip to Lake Eden feels a bit like a visit to a great vacation spot, only with a mystery thrown in for good measure. I love visiting with Hannah and all her friends and family. I’ve always enjoyed the love triangle between Hannah, Norman, and Mike, and we get a bit of a new twist in this book. I generally figure out who the “who-done-it” before the end of the book, and this book was no exception. I can recommend this series to anyone who enjoys light mysteries with humor. We are also given amazing cookie recipes in every book, and my two favorites in this book are the Vanilla Crack and the Chocolate Crack.