Review of "Raspberry Danish Murder: A Hannah Swenson Mystery with Recipes!" by Joanne Fluke

In this 22nd book in the 'Hannah Swensen' series, Hannah investigates the death of a television station employee. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus. Warning: If you haven't kept up with the series this review will contain a minor spoiler. ***** Hannah Swenson, owner of 'The Cookie Jar' confectionary in Lake Eden, Minnesota, is a talented baker and experienced amateur detective. As the story opens, Hannah's new husband, Ross Barton, has disappeared, taking nothing but his condominium keys. The police - and Hannah - are looking for Ross, but have no clues as to why he left or where he went. The mystery only deepens when Hannah pays a routine visit to the bank and makes a startling discovery. Shortly after Ross vanishes, his assistant at KCOW-TV, P.K. Aylesworth, is poisoned by chocolates left on Ross's desk....which P.K. has been using. The police don't know whether Ross or P.K. was the intended victim, but P.K. is dead - so the official investigation centers on him. Hannah and her sister Michelle take up the cudgel as well, and make inquiries about P.K.'s co-workers, family, girlfriend, etc.....to see who might have wanted him dead. In between her sleuthing activities, Hannah is running her bakery; testing new recipes with Michelle..... .....having her former boyfriends (and current best buddies) dentist Norman..... .....and police detective Mike over to dinner; going to restaurants with Norman and Michelle; worrying about her cat Moishe - who's sleeping more than usual; getting Michelle a reliable used car; manning a cookie booth at the 'Holiday Gift Convention'; and more. That's the gist of the story, which takes up about half the book. The other half of the book is composed of recipes - for cookies, pastries, and savory foods (see below). I like recipes in novels, but this book has too many.....and it feels like serious padding. I have other issues with the book as well: much of the dialogue is stilted and unnatural; there are excessive descriptions of common things - like traveler's checks, yearbooks, and safe deposit boxes - that most people are familiar with; and Hannah and Michelle would have to be in the gym for half their lives to work off all the cookies they eat. Cookies for breakfast; cookies for snacks; cookies for dessert; and frequent cookie-tasting to try out new recipes. This would put the average person into sugar shock! And anyone who drank as much coffee as these folks would never fall asleep. My biggest problem, however, is with Hannah's demeanor. Considering that her husband Ross is missing, Hannah is unusually cheerful, happy, and busy.....when I would expect her to be sad, depressed and worried. One could almost imagine that Hannah is happy Ross is gone (and maybe she is 😉). This book seems out of sync with previous novels in the series, and I wonder if a ghostwriter was involved. Still, I'd recommend the book to devoted Hannah Swenson fans, and to people interested in the recipes, which sound yummy.

Partial list of recipes in the book:
Raspberry Danish
Cherry Chocolate Bar Cookies
Pineapple Crunch Cookies
Light Fandango Cookies
Mixed Berry Muffins
Blueberry Shortbread Bar Cookies
Pineapple Raisin Whippersnapper Cookies
Ultimate Fudgy Chocolate Bundt Cake
Upside Down Pear Coffee Cake
Maple Crunch Cookies
Sweet and Salty Strawberry Bar Cookies
Chocolate Cashew Bar Cookies
Butterscotch Marshmallow Bar Cookies
Chocolate Caramel Bar Cookies
Piccadilly Mini Cheese Muffins
Omelet Squares
Jambalaya
Pizza Dip (appetizer)
Asparagus Rolls


Raspberry Danish


Pineapple Crunch Cookies


Mixed Berry Muffins


Ultimate Fudgy Chocolate Bundt Cake


Maple Crunch Cookies


Chocolate Cashew Bar Cookies


Piccadilly Mini Cheese Muffins 


Omelet Squares


Pizza Dip (appetizer)


Asparagus Rolls

Rating: 3 stars