Strawberry Shortcake Murder

Title: Strawberry Shortcake Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke

Date Finished: August 27, 2011

Personal Book Count: 30 out of 75

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: mystery (cozy)

First Line: The sound of a crash startled Hannah Swensen awake.

Why did I pick this book?: it is the second in the series. I loved the first, so wanted to try the second.

Summary and Review: taken from the author's website-

“When the president of Hartland Flour chooses cozy Lake Eden, Minnesota, as the spot for their first annual Dessert Bake-Off, Hannah is thrilled to serve as the head judge. But when a fellow judge, Coach Boyd Watson, is found stone-cold dead, facedown in Hannah's celebrated strawberry shortcake, Lake Eden's sweet ride to fame turns very sour indeed.

Between perfecting her Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie and Chocolate Crunches, Hannah's snooping into the coach's private life and not coming up short on suspects. And could Watson's harsh criticism during the judging have given one of the contestants a license to kill? The stakes are rising faster than dough, and Hannah will have to be very careful, because somebody is cooking up a recipe for murder...with Hannah landing on the "necessary ingredients" list.“

Well, I didn't love this one as much as the first, but it was still an enjoyable read. I like that Hannah has her sister Andrea with her this time. It is a pet peeve of mine when the main character in a second novel seems to either have learned nothing from their experience in the first, or it makes them a seasoned expert. This wasn't the case with Hannah. I like that she was jumpy, and appropriately scared in the beginning when she heard a crash, and thought there was someone in her apartment. With, that said, I’m not sure how believable her motivations were, jumping right back into a murder investigation, despite everyone telling her to stay out of it. The more I read, the girls started to come across as false. They felt gooey and dippy and overly sweet. It felt a little contrived and started to irritate me. No, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I hoped, but there was still a fun, light, easy to read feel, and enough twist, turns and characters to keep me reading (and finish). Well worth the time or a rainy afternoon, or a sick day.

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D