Pink Lemonade Cake Murder

June 1, 2023
Hannah Swensen, owner of The Cookie Jar, swings into investigative mode when the arrogant retired pitcher Bernie "No-No" Fulton arrives in Lake Eden, Minnesota, to pitch in the Winnetka County All-Star Baseball Tournament and is later found dead by Hannah's mother, Dolores, who had recently threatened him. Other suspects include the angry fathers, grandfathers, and boyfriends of the young women he was toying with as well as another baseball player whose career he ruined. Since Mike, the lead Lake Eden police detective, is on leave, Hannah is asked by the sheriff, her brother-in-law, to sit in on the suspect interviews, and she agrees. Hannah and Norman also investigate on their own, and soon Hannah is put in mortal danger. Series fans will love the familiar sympathetic Lake Eden characters, the baking frame, and the many delicious-sounding food and drink recipes peppered throughout the story, though Hannah being asked to attend suspect interviews held in The Cookie Jar kitchen defies belief. The story concludes with a cliffhanger.

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July 1, 2023
The Lake Eden, Minnesota, gang plots to keep their favorite detective on the job. Hannah Swensen is just getting the coffee brewing at The Cookie Jar, her bakery and cafe, when her sister Andrea rushes in with a frantic message from her husband, Bill, the local sheriff. Mike Kingston is down at the station filling out his retirement papers, and Bill hopes that Hannah can persuade his ace crime solver to stay on the job. Since Mike remains determined, Hannah calls Stella, Mike's mentor, to intervene. Stella thinks a fishing trip might get Mike to settle down and rethink his decision. While he and Stella angle for bass, Hannah assembles the troops--her mom, Delores; Delores' husband, Doc Knight; her best friend, Norman; and even Grandma Knudson--to plan their strategy. Fortunately, a case soon falls in their lap that's juicy enough to tempt Mike to return. Former major league pitcher Bernie "No-No" Fulton arrives in town and immediately starts pissing people off. He drives his Cadillac down the main drag with a bunch of scantily clad high school girls hanging out the back seat, leaving a crowd of angry parents and boyfriends in his wake. It isn't long before No-No is killed, and Mike wants in on the investigation. Now, however, Hannah and her crew won't hear of it, insisting that they can crack the case on their own. Fluke's study in reverse psychology has its humorous side, but the amateur sleuths wear out so much shoe leather chasing down suspects that readers may well wonder how they're going to get Mike back home if they accidentally solve the murder themselves. Some gentle humor and a staggering number of recipes but not much mystery.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.