Saturday, February 21, 2009

Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

I absolutely love reading culinary mysteries. Once upon a time, I didn't even know there was such a thing. Imagine my surprise the first time I opened one of my beloved mysteries and found RECIPES in it! I love mysteries. I've always loved mysteries ever since I read my first Encyclopedia Brown! lol And I love collecting recipes. I don't cook a whole lot, but I love collecting those recipes! I think it was a Diane Davidson Mott book. Don't quote me on it! Thereafter, I sought out all her books and started noting other books that would have recipes - books that would have food in the title. Then I started looking up other authors that would have books with recipes. I didn't know that there would be a whole genre of culinary mysteries. Ingenious! lol Joanne Fluke was one of those authors that I have discovered. Love her! Probaby because she has recipes. Not that I make any of them. Anyway, Joanne Fluke is the author of the Hannah Swenson mysteries. I have since read ALL her books.

Hannah Swenson is a owner of the Cookie Jar and has a penchant for finding dead bodies. In Carrot Cake Murder, a murder puts a damper on her partner's big family reunion. A long lost uncle, who apparently was not sorely missed, meets his demise while eating Hannah's carrot cake. Hannah is called upon to help solve the murder before it totally ruins the reunion. There are a bunch of suspects, of course. Those who were jilted by him, those who gyped by him, those who hated him when he left town thirty years before. Hannah solves the mystery with the help of her sisters, Andrea and Michelle, and boyfriend, Norman. One of her boyfriends, anyway. Hannah is caught between the affections of two men, Norman and Mike. Joanne Fluke throws us for a loop when at the end of the book, yet another man, a former flame, enters the picture.

Speaking of too many men, this is an seemingly unending love triangle - what is it now? a rectangle? - is a bit ridiculous. I was reminded of this as I read reviews complaining about it. Readers were having difficulty believing that this woman was able to have these two men vying for her love, and apparently get along so well. I guess I can see their point. Hmmm... I guess I'd say I'm rooting for Norman. He's my kind of guy.

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