Author: Joanne Fluke
Publisher: Kensington
Series: Hannah Swensen #18
Pages: 356
Format: iBooks e-book
Source: Purchase
Description:
Life in tiny Lake Eden, Minnesota, is usually pleasantly uneventful. Lately, though, it seems everyone has more than their fair share of drama--especially the Swensen family. With so much on her plate, Hannah Swensen can hardly find the time to think about her bakery--let alone the town's most recent murder. . .
Hannah is nervous about the upcoming trial for her involvement in a tragic accident. She's eager to clear her name once and for all, but her troubles only double when she finds the judge bludgeoned to death with his own gavel--and Hannah is the number one suspect. Now on trial in the court of public opinion, she sets out in search of the culprit and discovers that the judge made more than a few enemies during his career. With time running out, Hannah will have to whip up her most clever recipe yet to find a killer more elusive than the perfect brownie. . . .
My Thoughts:
In this book Hannah is about to go on trial for her charges in the previous book where she hit someone purely on accident, but before that happens Hannah and her sisters are whisked away by Doc Knight to marry Hannah's mother in Vegas. While in Vegas Hannah meets up with Doc's best man Ross who Hannah knew in College and had a huge crush on. She finds they are both feeling an attraction that hasn't diminished.
When Hannah arrives back in Lake Eden she is all set to go to trail when Hannah and her lawyer Howie get called into the judges chambers, while waiting to meet with the judge Howie is busy with a phone call and Hannah finds herself stumbling on another body. What she didn't know was that her case was tossed out.
Who had it out for Judge Colfax, was it a ex-wife determined to screw her ex-husband? Was it his son angry about the divorce? Or his mistress he left for his second wife? Or the illegitimate daughter he had with his mistress? Or his crazy nephew whose was the one to send Hannah's case right into his hands to begin with? Hannah and Michelle are determined to get to the bottom of it and especially with a cat burglar running loose without leaving the apartment?
I have been following this series since the beginning and while I was all fed up with Team Mike vs Team Norman at this point Hannah meeting up with Ross is very hard to swallow I find it hard that these three guys are ok with each other and the roles in Hannah's life. No one is jealous like ever I have never met a guy that passive especially when one is a cop I mean I get the whole Hannah is very indecisive. There has to be some kind of broken hearted or anger or something. In that sense the characters feel flat like they are 1 sided or maybe 2 sided. Too much lovey dovey to convince me that they are all ok with fawning over Hannah.
The mystery in this story seemed to play second fiddle to the romance angle. It seemed like a forced mystery, kind of like it needed some sort of mystery and I noticed Hannah spent less time at the The Cookie Jar in this book I hope Lisa got a big raise or paycheck to make up for double duty. I think the past couple of books since Dr. Bev the stories have been falling short, I remember the jealousy Hannah felt when Dr. Bev tried to take Norman away and how hurt she was for everyone to be so understanding just irked me the wrong way. I will continue this series to see how it plays out I just hope Ms. Fluke bounces back from this and back to the mysteries that we come to love.
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