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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
The characters were fairly boring, and kind of stall before the "has character growth" line. This mostly stood out to me because throughout the read I kept thinking about how the main character is set up to be fairly smart, but then in the climax she grabs the idiot ball and runs with it.
It was also a little hamfisted in the characterizations, mostly of the main character who's almost a caricature of the unfeminine-cat-lady. The plot itself was ok, and it wasn't too torturous a read. The writing was sort of repetitive/overly wordy for my taste.
The inclusion of the recipes (at least in my edition, which I think may have been a special version) was pretty cool, though I didn't try any. And the novella, Candy's Christmas or something, was also a cute addition, but pure fluff and suffering from many of the same problems as the actual novel. I'd only read this if you're totally bored or a voracious mystery reader.
It was also a little hamfisted in the characterizations, mostly of the main character who's almost a caricature of the unfeminine-cat-lady. The plot itself was ok, and it wasn't too torturous a read. The writing was sort of repetitive/overly wordy for my taste.
The inclusion of the recipes (at least in my edition, which I think may have been a special version) was pretty cool, though I didn't try any. And the novella, Candy's Christmas or something, was also a cute addition, but pure fluff and suffering from many of the same problems as the actual novel. I'd only read this if you're totally bored or a voracious mystery reader.
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(3.5 rounded down to a 3)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke is a the first book in the long-running Hannah Swenson cozy mystery series. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at nine and a half hours and is narrated by Suzanne Toren.
Hannah Swenson runs The Cookie Jar, the most popular bakery in Lake Eden, Minnesota. One morning, she finds a murder victim in the alley behind her shop, with one of her famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies in his hand.
Big head's up that this book has very outdated and hurtful language: the r-word is mentioned at least once. It feels dated in general (it was first published in 2000) and mentions payphones and pagers and a few other things.
Overall, it was a fun listen and I may continue with the series when I need a brain break.
Tropes in this book include: cozy mystery, small town
CW: slur (r-word), gambling, murder, gun violence, domestic violence (off-page, referenced)
If you want to see more from me, check out my blog and my bookstagram!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke is a the first book in the long-running Hannah Swenson cozy mystery series. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at nine and a half hours and is narrated by Suzanne Toren.
Hannah Swenson runs The Cookie Jar, the most popular bakery in Lake Eden, Minnesota. One morning, she finds a murder victim in the alley behind her shop, with one of her famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies in his hand.
Big head's up that this book has very outdated and hurtful language: the r-word is mentioned at least once. It feels dated in general (it was first published in 2000) and mentions payphones and pagers and a few other things.
Overall, it was a fun listen and I may continue with the series when I need a brain break.
Tropes in this book include: cozy mystery, small town
CW: slur (r-word), gambling, murder, gun violence, domestic violence (off-page, referenced)
If you want to see more from me, check out my blog and my bookstagram!
Great mystery.
This is the first book I have read by Joanne Fluke. I positively LOVED every bit of it. I was completely surprised by who the killer was. I can't wait to see what is in Hannah's future. I am glad I purchased several more of the books in the series. I can't wait to read them all.
This is the first book I have read by Joanne Fluke. I positively LOVED every bit of it. I was completely surprised by who the killer was. I can't wait to see what is in Hannah's future. I am glad I purchased several more of the books in the series. I can't wait to read them all.
3.5 stars.
The introduction to the characters was great.
The murder mystery was good and not obvious.
Only thing I found strange was how much of a busybody Hannah is (the whole town really) and how much info she gets out of people. It was almost rude sometimes. Did it feel like she was more useful than her brother-in-law, who’s a cop? Yes. But at the same time, it wouldn’t be much of a murder mystery if she was only finding clues out of sheer luck.
Maybe I’m complaining to complain, I don’t know.
It was entertaining and that is all that matters!
The introduction to the characters was great.
The murder mystery was good and not obvious.
Only thing I found strange was how much of a busybody Hannah is (the whole town really) and how much info she gets out of people. It was almost rude sometimes. Did it feel like she was more useful than her brother-in-law, who’s a cop? Yes. But at the same time, it wouldn’t be much of a murder mystery if she was only finding clues out of sheer luck.
Maybe I’m complaining to complain, I don’t know.
It was entertaining and that is all that matters!
lighthearted
mysterious
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It was advertised as a cozy murder mystery, and I did get a cozy murder mystery. I thought the story was fine and entertaining enough, and Hannah is a decent protagonist. She's smart and I like her dry sense of humor, but she did give off a bit of an NLOG vibe, which I didn't like as much. The other characters are also nice, if a bit shallow at times. It's a bit ridiculous how a baker did most of the work and how mostly useless the detective had been, but I'm willing to overlook it. The ending was kind of cute too.
Honestly, my main gripe with this book is the way the dialogues are written. It's very stilted. They keep saying each other's names in the same conversation and the flow feels so unnatural. I don't think real people talk like this, and it throws me off at times.
Regardless, if you want a book to read to pass the time and not use too much of your brain cells, this is a decent choice. I still want to try the other books in the series and hope it only gets better from there!
Honestly, my main gripe with this book is the way the dialogues are written. It's very stilted. They keep saying each other's names in the same conversation and the flow feels so unnatural. I don't think real people talk like this, and it throws me off at times.
Regardless, if you want a book to read to pass the time and not use too much of your brain cells, this is a decent choice. I still want to try the other books in the series and hope it only gets better from there!
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
My first cozy mystery book, and it bored and amused me at other times. Comes with recipes too, and if I have an oven I would've tried them!