From Publishers Weekly
In her first holiday mystery, Fluke (Fudge Cupcake Murder, etc.) takes her series heroine, Hannah Swensen, amateur sleuth and owner of the Cookie Jar bakery in Lake Eden, Minn., through a delectable culinary romp. Hannah has compiled a cookbook of the locals' favorite recipes, which are to be featured at the Christmas party at Lake Eden's community center. All the residents gather for a festive evening, including Martin Dubinski and his wife of two days, Brandi Wyen, a Las Vegas dancer who's decked out in a new fur coat and antique emerald ring. The couple provide much food for thought and speculation, especially for Martin's mother, ex-mother-in-law and ex-wife. Cleaning up after the dinner, Hannah notices her mother's silver cake knife is missing; soon after, she finds the knife stuck in the chest of the new Mrs. Dubinski, who's lying dead in the parking lot. With her sisters and friends, she goes into action to help Det. Mike Kingston solve the case. Wacky and delightful characters, plus tempting recipes from appetizers to desserts, make this lighthearted offering sure to please the palate of any cozy fan. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Joanna Fluke has put together a terrific recipe for a holiday-themed whodunit in this Hannah Swenson culinary mystery.

Bakery owner Hannah knows everyone has special plans and traditions for the holidays, so she's planned a grand seasonal pot-luck dinner to test the recipes the residents of Lake Eden, Minnesota, have offered to share in the cookbook she's compiling. With all that delicious food bringing so many people together, there's sure to be plenty of gossip to spice up the party -- from the showgirl Martin Dubinski brought home from Las Vegas as his new bride to Hannah's mom's lordly British beau to the mayor's latest indiscretion. Even getting snowed in at the community center can't put a damper on the festive occasion￯﾿ﾽat least until Hannah puts the crowd's holiday mood on ice by discovering the showgirl's dead body in the snow-covered parking lot. To add insult to injury (and complicate Hannah's dessert plan as well), the killer had the poor taste to use Hannah's mother's jeweled antique cake knife as the murder weapon.

To keep her beloved community from crumbling, Hannah uses all the ingredients at her disposal -- from digital photography to small-town memories -- to whip up a speedy solution to this culinary crime. And readers will find their appetites tempted by the author's wonderful descriptions of the items on the menu. You'll find more than 80 delectable holiday recipes, for everything from soups and appetizers to entrees and side dishes to drinks and desserts -- including the Cookie Jar bakery's own special Christmas Sugar Cookies. Sue Stone

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The holidays are the icing on the cake for bakery owner Hannah Swensen. Surrounded by her loved ones, she has all the ingredients for a perfect Christmas￯﾿ﾽuntil murder is added to the mix...

When it comes to holidays, Minnesotans rise to the occasion￯﾿ﾽand the little town of Lake Eden is baking up a storm with Hannah leading the way. The annual Christmas Buffet is the final test of the recipes Hannah has collected for the Lake Eden Holiday Buffet Cookbook. While Hannah is baking the day￯﾿ﾽs goodies at The Cookie Jar, the evening￯﾿ﾽs plans begin to jell. Start with the best Lake Eden culinary creations, add two of Hannah￯﾿ﾽs ￯﾿ﾽsometime￯﾿ﾽ boyfriends, a pinch of her ready-to-pop pregnant sister, and a dash of her mother and new significant other, an actual British lord, and what do you get? A recipe for disaster, but the juiciest ingredient is yet to come...

The recently divorced Martin Dubinski arrives at the buffet with his new Vegas showgirl wife￯﾿ﾽall wrapped up in glitter and fur. His ex-wife, however, seems as cool as chilled eggnog. And when Hannah￯﾿ﾽs mother￯﾿ﾽs antique Christmas cake knife disappears, its discovery in the d￯﾿ﾽcolletage of the new￯﾿ﾽand now late￯﾿ﾽMrs. Dubinski puts the festivities on ice.

With everyone stranded at the community center by a blizzard, Hannah puts her investigative skills to the test, using the ingredients at hand: half the town of Lake Eden￯﾿ﾽand a killer. Now, as the snowdrifts get higher, it￯﾿ﾽs up to Hannah to dig out all the clues￯﾿ﾽand make sure that this white Christmas doesn￯﾿ﾽt bring any more deadly tidings￯﾿ﾽ

Includes over twenty-five original recipes for you to try!

About the Author
Like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke was born and raised in a small town in rural Minnesota, but now lives in sunny Southern California. She is currently working on her next Hannah Swensen mystery and readers are welcome to contact her at the following e-mail address: Gr8Clues@aol.com, or by visiting her Web site, murdershebaked.com

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In her first holiday mystery, Fluke (Fudge Cupcake Murder, etc.) takes her series heroine, Hannah Swensen, amateur sleuth and owner of the Cookie Jar bakery in Lake Eden, Minn., through a delectable culinary romp. Hannah has compiled a cookbook of the locals' favorite recipes, which are to be featured at the Christmas party at Lake Eden's community center. All the residents gather for a festive evening, including Martin Dubinski and his wife of two days, Brandi Wyen, a Las Vegas dancer who's decked out in a new fur coat and antique emerald ring. The couple provide much food for thought and speculation, especially for Martin's mother, ex-mother-in-law and ex-wife. Cleaning up after the dinner, Hannah notices her mother's silver cake knife is missing; soon after, she finds the knife stuck in the chest of the new Mrs. Dubinski, who's lying dead in the parking lot. With her sisters and friends, she goes into action to help Det. Mike Kingston solve the case. Wacky and delightful characters, plus tempting recipes from appetizers to desserts, make this lighthearted offering sure to please the palate of any cozy fan. (Oct. 5) FYI: The book's last half consists of recipes, including an index. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews