Joanne Fluke

On a hot, muggy evening, the last thing Hannah Swensen wants to do is squeeze into pantyhose for the Grand Opening of the refurbished Albion Hotel. But with her famous Red Velvet cupcakes being served in the hotel's new Red Velvet Lounge, she can't back out. The party starts off with a bang with the unexpected arrival of Doctor Bev on the arm of a wealthy investor - and comes to a screeching halt when a partygoer takes a dive off the rooftop garden....

Hannah has felt as bitter as November in Minnesota since Ross vanished without a trace and left their marriage in limbo. Still, she throws herself into a baking frenzy for the sake of pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving-themed treats while endless holiday orders pour into The Cookie Jar. Hannah even introduces a raspberry Danish pastry to the menu, and P.K., her husband's assistant at KCOW-TV, will be one of the first to sample it. But instead of taking...

After her best friend Claire and her new husband, the Reverend Bob Knudson, leave for their long-awaited honeymoon, Hannah Swensen stumbles upon the body of Bob's substitute, Matthew Walters, a Lutheran minister with a sweet tooth and a penchant for robbery, in the rectory.

"Embracing a sweet escape from her usual routine at The Cookie Jar, Hannah gets asked for her help in baking pastries at the local inn for a flashy fishing competition with big prizes and even bigger names. But the fun stops when she spots a runaway boat on the water and, on board, the lifeless body of the event's renowned celebrity spokesperson...Famed TV show host Sonny Bowman wasn't humble about his ability to reel in winning catches, and no one...

It's summer time in Lake Eden, Minnesota, which means picnics aplenty for bakery proprietress and amateur sleuth Hannah. Then Uncle Gus is murdered following a big family reunion, and the only clues to be found at the crime scene are two slices of Hannah's infamous carrot cake.

Hannah has excellent reasons to despise the caddish Bradford Ramsey, as do many other women. Nevertheless, she'd rather not expose her youthful indiscretions, especially to her policeman beau. Hannah is very busy with the mayor's wife Lake Eden, Minn. charity event at which Ramsey is host. So what should she say when she stumbles upon his murdered corpse?

"Not even Lake Eden's nosiest residents suspected Hannah Swensen would go from idealistic newlywed to betrayed wife in a matter of weeks. But as a deadly mystery unfolds in town, the proof is in the pudding. When The Cookie Jar becomes the setting of a star-studded TV special about movies filmed in Minnesota, Hannah hopes to shine the spotlight on her bakery--not the unsavory scandal swirling around her personal life. But that's practically impossible...

"As she sits in her nearly empty bakery on Groundhog Day, Hannah Swensen can only hope that spring is just around the corner--and that the popularity of the new Magnolia Blossom Bakery is just a passing fad. The southern hospitality of Lake Eden's two Georgia transplants, Shawna Lee and Vanessa Quinn, is grating on Hannah's nerves--and cutting into her profits--at The Cookie Jar. At least Hannah has her business partner Lisa's wedding to look forward...

"While Hannah speeds through a lengthy holiday checklist, drama in town grows like Santa's waistline on Christmas Eve. Her sister Andrea wants to stave off the blues by helping out at The Cookie Jar, Michele's love life is becoming complicated, Lisa needs Hannah's advice, and Delores has a Christmas secret she's not willing to share. But nothing dampens the holiday mood more than the chilling mystery surrounding the man found near death in an abandoned...

The holidays have arrived, and Hannah and her good pal Lisa have agreed to provide all the goodies for the town's annual production of A Christmas Carol. But before anyone can say "Bah, humbug!" a Santa-sized sackful of trouble ensues. Like the fact that Lisa's husband will be playing Mr. Claus to his ex-girlfriend Phyllis Bates' Mrs. Claus. Or that before the curtains even go up Phyllis is found dead in the snow - wearing a costume that the real...