Cookie-monger Hannah Swenson (Lemon Meringue Pie Murder, 2003, etc.) continues to juggle one career, two suitors, and assorted corpses in Fluke's latest confection. When the owner of The Cookie Jar is tapped to edit the Lake Eden potluck cookbook, one recipe she definitely wants to exclude is Shawna Lee Quinn's brownie recipe--cute detective Mike Kingston just likes those brownies too much. So on her way to the community Christmas party, she delivers a pan of jalapeno-laced brownies to the Winnetka County sheriff's office to see if she can jolt Mike to his senses. At the party, though, it's Hannah who gets jolted. After judging the appetizers and entrees, she loses track of her mother's prized Regency cake cutter, only to find it plunged into the ample bosom of Brandi, Martin Dubinski's brand-new Vegas showgirl wife. Once again, Mike warns her to leave investigating to the professionals. But with the help of alternate boyfriend Norman Rhoades, Hannah quickly discovers that the murder isn't what it appears to be. Now if she can only get out of the snowbound community center before her sister Andrea delivers her baby on the dessert table--and, more important, before Mike tastes those doctored brownies. The 81 appended recipes (a record for the genre?) run the gamut from radish soup to candied pecans. The mystery is plainer fare, though Hannah still proves she's smarter than Mike gives her credit for. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Residents of little Lake Eden, MN, and Hannah Swensen's bakery prepare for a much-anticipated Christmas dinner party. Unfortunately, Hannah discovers her mother's missing antique cake knife--in a freshly murdered corpse. A great story, and enough recipes are included for this to double as a cookbook. A native of Minnesota, Fluke now lives in southern California. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.