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Mystery Annotation



Christmas Caramel MurderBy: Joanne Fluke
Kensington Books
210 pages
ISBN 9781617732287

Synopsis: Hannah Swensen is baker with a "slaydar" or a knack for finding bodies. More specifically, Hannah Swensen has a knack for finding bodies of those who have been murdered. Christmas Caramel Murder is the latest story in the Hannah Swensen Mysteries. This mystery finds Hannah and her friend Lisa in quiet the conundrum when Lisa ends up on the suspect list for the latest murder. Phyllis Boyd, set to play Mrs. Claus to Lisa's husband Herb who is playing Mr. Claus, winds up dead in a snow bank just days before the town's Christmas play. The story unfolds with a bit of humor and a few seemingly tasty recipes. Hannah's efforts to find the killer and clear her friend make the story move along quickly.

Mystery Appeals: 

  • Crime, usually murder: Hannah investigates a murder.
  • Characters followed through long series: Over 20 Hannah Swensen mysteries.
  • Amateur Investigators Subgenre:
    • Investigator Has Other Career: Hannah Swensen is a baker by day.
    • Framing focuses on Amateur Investigators job or hobby: Book focuses on bakery and baking even listing real recipes.
    • Amateur has connection with police department: Hannah is good friends with detective Mike and even helps him with cases.
    • Less Violence - The only real violence were the two murders. This violence was not very detailed.
    • Amateur is usually unpaid/just curious: Hannah tends to want to solve the crime because she usually finds the body.
Read-Alikes:
List from NoveList Plus database accessed through IndyPL Ilibrary databases.

1. Keepsake Crimes by: Laura Childs
2. Thyme of Death by: Susan Wittig Albert
3. Catering to Nobody by: Diane Mott Davidson
4. Appetite for Murder by: Cecile Lamalle
5. A Slice of Murder by: Chris Cavender

Comments

  1. Erin CataldiFebruary 27, 2017 at 2:25 PM

    Excellent annotation. Full points. I've always wanted to read one in this series.

    ReplyDelete

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