Stars turn out for the movie Get Low at TIFF 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is a context of the late 1980′s and women taking mens jobs. Then comes sexual harassment in a dangerous heavy industrial site.The plot is compelling and engaging ,good entertainment and storytelling, and since it is based on a true experience it looks like effort has been made not to spare what things can develop in a small one resource industry town.

Human drama from rape, to school bravado and to nightlife in a challenged social setting  drives the plot.

This film for a sence of empathy rates ***** excellent

In honor of Cozy Mystery Week- December 1-8, a different cozy author will be discussed.

Joanne Fluke, author of Hannah Swensen Mysteries, has 17 books in the series (the 18th will be released Feb 2013). Joanne Fluke has also written a cookbook of Hannah’s recipes.

In the debut book, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, the reader meets Hannah Swensen and the cast of characters of Lake Eden, Minnesota. Hannah is the oldest Swensen daughter and owns a a shop in town called The Cookie Jar.  Other characters: Delores (mother), Andrea (Hannah’s sister), Bill (Andrea’s husband & local law), Norman (son of Carrie- Delores’s best friend), Mike ( newly transferred local law).

In Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, Hannah discovers the body of Ron Lasalle- a delivery man for Cozy Cow Dairy (also a beloved local legend for his football days) in an alley- Hannah is dismayed for 2 reasons: finding the body and the fact that her cookies were scattered around the crime scene. Hannah decides to investigate, partly to keep the reputation of her cookies intact, partly to help Bill get a promotion, and partly because Hannah wants to know what happened to her friend Ron.

Through the “invisible coffee server”trick, Delores’s gossip line, and other connections- Hannah finds suspects and eliminates some as well. Will Hannah find a suspect that can’t be eliminated? Will Bill get the promotion he’s been wanting?  To find out, read the book!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder is a charming debut. Hannah and the town of Lake Eden, Minnesota make the reader feel warm and happy. The way a cozy should feel.

As the books progress in the series, Hannah is pursued (and begins to date) two men: Norman and Mike. Over the last few books, there has not been much progress with either relationship- and the cozy series has lost some of it’s initial charm. If new to the series, do begin with the first book (Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder) and work from there.

Publisher’s Summary: Hannah Swensen already has her hands full, between dodging her mother’s attempts to marry her off, and running Lake Eden, Minnesota’s most popular bakery, The Cookie Jar. But when the Cozy Cow Dairy’s beloved deliveryman is found murdered behind Hannah’s bakery with her famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, Hannah sets out to track down a killer. The more Hannah snoops, the more suspects turn up. This is one murder that’s starting to leave a very bad taste in Hannah’s mouth, and if she doesn’t watch her back, her sweet life may get burned to a crisp.

Our Review: I’ve been reading lots of first-in-a-series this year. There are so many new-to-me mystery series that I haven’t read, and I’m enjoying checking them all out. One series I’ve heard a lot about was the Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke.

Hannah Swensen has returned to her hometown and is all settled in running The Cookie Jar, and trying to dodge her mother’s matchmaking, when a murder lands in her lap. Who killed the much-loved delivery boy, Ron LaSalle, and will she able to solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again?

I really enjoyed this first book in the series. It nicely sets up the peaceful town of Lake Eden, and a host of interesting characters. I really enjoyed Hannah as the sleuth. She wasn’t ditzy or silly (which really turns me away from a female sleuth that is) and she managed to solve the murder before I did!

The end of Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder shows promise for Hannah’s love life in the future (either with the new detective Mike, or the sweet dentist Norman) and I’m looking forward to reading more of her adventures.

Overall this was a good mystery, and I’m glad that I have the second book sitting in my tbr waiting to be read. If you like your cozies will a good dose of culinary style, then check this series out. The cookie and slice recipes throughout the book are worth the cost of the book alone! I can’t wait to try some of them.

Buy from Amazon

The ebook of The Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery was a double edition – or at least included a novella at the end – so when it read 47% finished the ebook, it really meant 90% finished the real story.
With that in mind, there really is not much I can add to my original review.

But, I shall just do my best. 

Well, from what I last wrote there still was not that much description, even during the biggest action scene – when the murderer is revealed – but no one should be really surprised at that. Why would she be descriptive that out of the blue; it is not like she was at any other point in the novel.

To add insult to injury, Hannah’s love interest – in future novels – did not make an appearance until near the end. True, it sets this book up as a series, but it was quite discerning to me. Given the bad placement, this book would have been better situated as a prequel rather than as the opening to the series.

The series would have started stronger with Hannah established -albeit even if it was only one, but she more or less solved the murder herself – civilian detective, as opposed to just a fledging. Plus, Fluke could have slyly made allusions to this murder. Her character could have been and would have started considerably stronger than as she exists in the first book.

Also, readers would not be deceived or mislead by the hint of romance but the complete lack if any. How can a single, leading character not at least have one kiss or some romance – even if its just a kiss or a date-free from parents – during the course of an entire novel? I know Hannah is trying to solve a murder but there’s always time for one smooch – or at least there should be. Just saying….

My final complaint and annoyance may not just be directed at Fluke’s work, but just an observation from memory. All of the New Times Best-selling Authors, the only one that I enjoyed reading – not that I read NYTA for precisely the following reason – is Mitch Albom. I absolutely loved Tuesdays with Morrie in 8th grade and his 5 People You Meet in Heaven, which I read much later. But all of the other ones that I read that I can remember – with the obvious exception of JK Rowling who could write dirt, literally just the word, and I would love it – I absolutely could not stand or could not finish.

Being a New Yorker, I tend to consciously or not buck the trends and fashions of middle America,which really from my knowledge controls the best-selling lists. So, that might explain my automatic disgust. But over 20 million people can’t be wrong, Florida excluded – yes, Florida, I am still mad about 2000 and 2004 for that matter – right?

Well, I did give this one a chance, so that is something.

One thing I loved about this book are the recipes. It fact, it may be the saving grace of the entire novel and make me interested in the next book in the series – sorry, Borders but I will be using a Barnes and Noble gift card next time, you are still my favorite though – are the cookies recipes every few chapters. I personally can’t wait to try them out and I hope they are as good as they sound.

Summary
Overall, decent story-telling, but there needs to be description – of scenes, people, etc – because the story just sounds flat and two dimensional. I prefer characters and worlds with depth, which unfortunately doesn’t seem present.

I am not particularly interested in reading more, except just to learn.more how Hannah and her love interest goes. Otherwise, though, I could live without it.

I guess it 2 stars out of five for decent story-telling, the lack of suspense, details, strong characters, and romance. It’s a lazy beach or morning commute read, unfortunately.

But then I realized, I never have time to visit Borders this weekend, so I searched it’s ebook section and made the following 3 purchases:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger

Evermore by Alyson Noel

I hope some of these will eventually give me inspiration on Charlotte’s story, which is still only 1/2 finished (yesterday’s entry, I mean) but I promise to have that done and today’s before I go to bed. Even if it means a sleepless Thursday for me. That’s love…. lol

Synopsis: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Hannah Swensen already has her hands full, between dodging her mother’s attempts to marry her off, and running Lake Eden, Minnesota’s most popular bakery, The Cookie Jar. But when the Cozy Cow Dairy’s beloved deliveryman is found murdered behind Hannah’s bakery with her famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, Hannah sets out to track down a killer. The more Hannah snoops, the more suspects turn up. This is one murder that’s starting to leave a very bad taste in Hannah’s mouth, and if she doesn’t watch her back, her sweet life may get burned to a crisp.

Fluke’s writing style is really easy to read as it is informal and friendly, she also created a really likeable protagonist and believable small town setting in Minnesota.  The plot of  the murder mystery is fun, the characters are believable although somewhat sketchily drawn, but as this is the first book of a series that is totally understandable as we’re meeting a lot of new characters for the first time.

I found the ending a little irritating for reasons but I won’t go into it and spoil it for you, the denouement itself was fine from a character perspective but the situation was unsatisfactory and I felt it lacked progression through the book as clues for the reader weren’t properly planned. Fluke’s cosy trademark is the recipes. Hannah owns a bakery and somehow it doesn’t seem contrived that the book contains 7 biscuit (cookie) recipes. In fact it adds to the sense that Hannah is real, alive and well and living in Minnesota. Super. Highly recommended read.

And to finish, a nice vid from the lovely youtube. I had never heard of Duncan Hines before today, so I have no idea what these taste like, but the use of the ‘Love and Marriage’ melody combined with chronic lyrics must surely make this one of the naffist ads ever. “Crispy, cheeeeewwwwy, crispy cheeeeewwwwy…”

Isn’t that a perfect setting? Sun, cold drink, iPod, and a great book?

The books that I’m bringing with me, as in the ones not on my Kindle include:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

I’m going to try and post during the cruise but internet can be kind of expensive, but I will continue to read!!

This past semester for my senior English elective I decided to take mystery fiction, and ever since then I have been loving the thrill of reading as a mystery unfolds with its twists and turns. The unsuspecting killers and the crazy plot twists.

That is the reason I started reading Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke. I was looking through books one day at Barnes and Nobles and saw a brightly covered book with a chocolate chip cookie on it. What you will find is that I not only love reading, but I love food too, especially baked goods. I saw it, it was a reasonable price, so I had to have it. Ever since then I have been reading it.

I’m about to start a new murder mystery called Spying in High Heels by Gemma Halliday and it already sounds like it’s going to be amazing!