Review.- Coconut Layer Cake Murder

Title:    Coconut Layer Cake Murder

Author:  Joanne Fluke
Series:  Hannah Swensen #25

Genre:   Cozy Mystery

Publisher:   Kensington

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  418

Date of Publication: February 25, 2020

My Rating: 4  Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Bakery owner Hannah Swensen is leaving Lake Eden to help a friend in sunny California. But an unexpected phone call swiftly brings her back to a cold Minnesota winter . . . and murder . . .

When Hannah learns that her sister Michelle’s boyfriend, Detective Lonnie Murphy, is the prime suspect in a murder case, she goes straight from a movie studio sound stage to the Los Angeles airport.

Back in frigid Minnesota, she discovers that proving Lonnie’s innocence will be harder than figuring out what went wrong with a recipe. Lonnie remembers only parts of the night he went out to a local bar and ended up driving a very impaired woman home. He knows he helped her to her bedroom, but he doesn’t recall anything else until he woke up on her couch the following morning. When he went to the bedroom to check on her, he was shocked to discover she was dead.

Hannah doesn’t know what to believe—only that exonerating a suspect who can’t remember is almost impossible, especially since Lonnie’s brother, Detective Rick Murphy, and Lonnie’s partner, Chief Detective Mike Kingston, have been taken off the case. Before everything comes crashing down on Lonnie like a heaping slice of coconut layer cake, it’ll be up to Hannah to rack up enough clues to toast a flaky killer . . .

Link to purchase the series

MY THOUGHTS:

Hannah Swensen has become an excellent amateur sleuth. When she discovers that her sister Michelle’s boyfriend, Detective Lonnie Murphy, is being charged with murder, she changes her earlier plans to help Lonnie out. Not only does she plan on proving Lonnie’s innocence in a case of murder, she plans on finding the killer.

Quite naturally, Hannah begins by asking Lonnie questions. No doubt, some of the same questions that were asked by other members of the very police force he is on. Curiously, Lonnie’s memory is hazy. This is suspect, especially when it comes to Lonnie’s unclear alibi and where the victim was found.

A couple of Lonnie’s fellow officers are immediately taken off of the case. No doubt due to conflict of interest. This makes exonerating Lonnie even more challenging for Hannah. But, try she will, so she continues onward.

There is a personal element to this cozy mystery as well. Hannah has recently lost her husband, Ross, and is still dealing with that trauma. Lastly, another fun element in this 25th book in the series is more delectable recipes.

This is an exceptional series, and if you have access to your online library, I highly recommend borrowing the first book and reading this series in its entirety. The series maintains a strong continuity between Hannah and the other characters, which will undoubtedly delight fans of the genre.

Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke grew up in a small town in rural Minnesota where her neighbors were friendly, the winters were fierce, and the biggest scandal was the spotting of unidentified male undergarments on a young widow's clothesline. She insists that there really are 10,000 lakes and the mosquito is NOT the state bird.

While pursuing her writing career, Joanne has worked as: a public school teacher, a psychologist, a musician, a private detective's assistant, a corporate, legal, and pharmaceutical secretary, a short order cook, a florist's assistant, a caterer and party planner, a computer consultant on a now-defunct operating system, a production assistant on a TV quiz show, half of a screenwriting team with her husband, and a mother, wife, and homemaker. 

She now lives in Southern California with her husband, her kids, his kids, their three dogs, one elderly tabby, and several noisy rats in the attic.  

Joanne Fluke has baked over 500,000 chocolate chip cookies for fans of her Hannah Swensen mysteries since the series debuted in 2000, not to mention countless pies, cakes, muffins and other sweets.  However, it’s not just the desserts that keep readers clamoring for her next novel.  Reviewers have long praised Fluke’s work, with Kirkus Reviews calling her novel PEACH COBBLER MURDER, “her tastiest yet.”  Publishers Weekly said her holiday Hannah Swensen Mystery, SUGAR COOKIE MURDER, is “a delectable culinary romp…[with] wacky and delightful characters.”

Fluke’s CHERRY CHEESECAKE MURDER marked her debut onto The New York Times bestseller list in March 2006, and she followed up that success again a year later in March 2007 with her second New York Timesbestseller, KEY LIME PIE MURDER, praised by Publishers Weekly as “Yummy…Fluke has developed a charming supporting cast—all feel like friends by the time the murder is solved.”

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