Devil's Food Murder [Book Review]

Stats:
#14 in Hannah Swensen series

Paperback, 322 pages

Published March 1st 2011 by Kensington Books (first published January 1st 2011)

ISBN:  075826593XFind on Goodreads

Synopsis:
These days, everyone in Lake Eden, Minnesota, is buzzing with activity, and Hannah Swensen is no exception. But no matter how busy she may be, Hannah can always find time to help a friend in need--especially when he's been murdered. . .


Hannah Swensen has to admit that her life is pretty sweet. Things are going well in the romance department, and her bakery's delectable confections are selling almost as fast as she can bake them. Even her good friend Claire is on Cloud Nine, head over heels with her new husband, Reverend Bob Knudson. If only they could find time to take their honeymoon!

When Bob's childhood friend, Matthew Walters, comes to town, it seems like divine intervention. Matthew, like Bob, is a Lutheran minister with a stubborn sweet tooth. Since he's on sabbatical, Matthew is happy to fill in for Bob while he and Claire take that long-awaited honeymoon. It sounds like the perfect plan--until Hannah finds Matthew in the rectory, face-down in a plate full of Devil's Food Cake, a single bullet in his head.

Determined to find out who killed Matthew, Hannah starts asking questions--and discovers that the good Reverend wasn't quite the saintly fellow he appeared to be. But could the gold Sacagawea coins in Sunday's collection plate hold the key to solving the crime? Or is the murder connected to that big jewel heist out in Minneapolis? Is it possible that Matthew's love of chocolate somehow led to his downfall? It will take some more digging to find out, but Hannah is sure of one thing: even the most half-baked murder plot can be oh so deadly. . .



My Thoughts:
Lately, I had been getting really bummed out about where the Hannah Swensen series has been going. The love triangle is so old. The murders weren't happening until nearly the end of the book. They have been too full of recipes and that's basically all they talk about during the book.

This one was like the older Hannah books, but there was a bit of a shake up with the love triangle. I still DO NOT like Mike and I'm bummed with the situation with Norman. It's horrible that he's in that situation at all :( I'm hoping Cinnamon Roll Murder will be a good like this one was. There were lots of twists and turns - although not enough Moishe, IMO.

Recipes include: Apricot-Chocolate Bread Pudding, Big Soft Chewy Molasses Cookies, Brisket and Veggies, Butterscotch Bonanza Bars, Carrot-Oatmeal Muffins, Chicken Soup (Janelle's Quick and Easy), Chocolate Euphoria Cookie Bars, Chocolate-Covered Raisin Cookies, Fudgy Frosting, Good Doggy Cake, Good Kittie Cake, Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk, Lemon or Orange Cream, Mini Mac Cookies, Mocha Trifle (Death by Caffeine), Nutmeg Snaps, Papaya Mac Cookies, Pear Crunch Pie, Pineapple Casserole, Raspberry Vinegar Cookies, Red Devil's Food Cake, Sally's Apricot Bread, Sally's Cinnamon Supreme Coffee, Strawberry Shortbread Bar Cookies, Substitute for Sweetened Condensed Milk, and Welsh Rarebit.


Previous Review:
Override by Heather Anastasiu [here]

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