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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
mysterious
relaxing
I couldn't give this book a fair chance since I saw the movie adaptation on the Hallmark Channel. If I hadn't seen that, I might have given this cute cookie baker cozy four stars.
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
This is just not good. This isn't the first time I've been annoyed with people trying to solve crimes who have no business doing so. I know it's the whole premise of the cozy mystery. Sometimes it's worse than other times, though, and this book is the worst. The main character's brother-in-law is a police officer. What in the world is he doing while Hannah is investigating crime scenes, calling suspects, etc.? Seriously, what is he doing to solve the case? Nothing that I could see. It's just so unbelievable and annoying that I got tired of reading and had to give up about 60% into the book. I don't even care who the murderer is.
I have dabbled in a few cozy mysteries lately, so I thought I would try Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series. I absolutely love desserts and figured I couldn’t go wrong with her books…especially when recipes are included! Hannah is definitely a likeable character with her cat and bakery business. This book is the first in the series. (Anytime I start a new-to-me author with a series, I prefer to start with book #1.) Hannah turns detective when she discovers the delivery man from the local dairy dead in the alley behind her bakery. She agrees to help her brother in law who is a police officer trying to get experience solving crimes so he can be promoted to detective. The story is engaging and interesting. I did find it humorous that a baker does more leg work to solve a murder than the police officer hired for the job! Overall, an entertaining book. I intend to pick up book #2 in the future.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think cosy mysteries might just not be my genre, despite my love of British detective shows. The small town setting where everyone knows everyone is a little stale when there aren't actors breathing a little life into the characters and the main character who investigates because they can't keep their nose out of trouble is a bit too samey across authors. (Though I know that's the point of the cosy mystery genre.)
Also there were far too many names to keep track of in this series starter and not enough appellations to remind me who was who and how they knew each other.
It also peeves me that the recipes use volume, not weight measurements and sometimes the flour is packed, but seriously? How packed is packed, because that can be up to a ⅓ cup again worth of flour and this is why professional bakers use weight measurements. (I did appreciate the note about how brown sugar is made though.)
Also there were far too many names to keep track of in this series starter and not enough appellations to remind me who was who and how they knew each other.
It also peeves me that the recipes use volume, not weight measurements and sometimes the flour is packed, but seriously? How packed is packed, because that can be up to a ⅓ cup again worth of flour and this is why professional bakers use weight measurements. (I did appreciate the note about how brown sugar is made though.)
The character of Hannah is meant to be 28. The narrator sounds like Betty White in the Golden Girls. I might read it because the story sounded interesting but I just couldn’t deal with the dissonance.