Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder (Hannah Swensen #27) by Joanne Fluke

 

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder

(Hannah Swensen #27)

by Joanne Fluke 

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published February 23rd 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Goodreads synopsis: 

Spring has sprung in Lake Eden, Minnesota, but Hannah Swensen doesn’t have time to stop and smell the roses—not with hot cross buns to make, treats to bake, and a sister to exonerate!

Hannah’s up to her ears with Easter orders rushing in at The Cookie Jar, plus a festive meal to prepare for a dinner party at her mother’s penthouse. But everything comes crashing to a halt when Hannah receives a panicked call from her sister Andrea—Mayor Richard Bascomb has been murdered . . . and Andrea is the prime suspect.

Even with his reputation for being a bully, Mayor Bascomb—or “Ricky Ticky,” as Hannah’s mother likes to call him—had been unusually testy in the days leading up to his death, leaving Hannah to wonder if he knew he was in danger. Meanwhile, folks with a motive for mayoral murder are popping up in Lake Eden. Was it a beleaguered colleague? A political rival? A jealous wife? Or a scorned mistress?

As orders pile up at The Cookie Jar—and children line up for Easter egg hunts—Hannah must spring into investigation mode and identify the real killer . . . before another murder happens!

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4.5 stars This is the twenty-seventh book in  the Hannah Swensen mystery series by Joanne Fluke. I am a big fan of this series and read every book I can get my hands on. That being said, I was a little disappointed with the murder of Mayor Bascomb. It wasn’t front burner like most of the mysteries are. I did like seeing  more of his backstory and getting to know him better. Most of this story was focused on the food and what they were making. This is the first story I can think of where Hannah was catering an event.  That was’t the only new thing. Andrea wasn’t the normal Andrea and she was trying to channel Hannah’s baking abilities during the story. Lisa was just a backdrop, Bill didn’t even make an appearance and Mike showed up but not to the extent he normally does. This story mostly had Norman front and center and Hannah couldn’t fathom going back to her condo where Ross died. So she was staying with Norman at his newly built house. I wanted to see more of the community in this one but I think the story kept that from coming to fruition. I loved the storyline and the setting but it is the people that keep me coming back. I wish there were less recipes and more story. The author likes to put the recipes inbetween chapters but that always seems to block the flow when reading. I would like to see them all at the end in a little appendix or something. Loved so much about it. If you like cozy mysteries, 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.