Cinnamon Roll Murder is a Hannah Swensen mystery written by Joanne Fluke. If you aren’t familiar with the series, Hannah is a baker who owns the Cookie Jar. As she bakes up real treats, she inadvertently finds trouble in the form of murder victims. With friends and family to help her, discovering the murderer is as important as getting the deliveries to the customers on time.
In this book, a cinnamon roll delivery is headed for the Lake End Inn. However, driving conditions aren’t so hot. The roads are covered in a layer of black ice. As Hannah’s delivery truck manages to avoid an accident, another vehicle is not so lucky. The band headed to the jazz festival at the inn is in a ditch full of snow. The driver is dead but the others have survived. Unfortunately, the “Cinnamon Roll Six” suddenly becomes the “Cinnamon Roll Five” as one of its band members has been stabbed.
It is Hannah’s mother, Delores, who stumbles upon this very grisly murder scene, thus drawing Hannah into another mystery. With friends and family, she has to uncover the murder, unravel her feelings about one of her love interests marrying another woman, and still deliver the sweet treats demanded by customers. Hannah may not become your favorite fictional detective, but she will find a way to your stomach through her sweet treats.
This book is a light and fun murder mystery designed for those times when you are at the beach or want to relax. The potential side effect of reading this series is that you will likely find yourself with a craving for cinnamon rolls. Fortunately, the cinnamon roll recipe and other sweet and savory recipes are included in the book chapters and at the end for those cravings.
The recipes are pretty straightforward. There are one or two of those recipes that are a bit complicated to execute or require special ingredients. The more complicated desserts do need some special equipment so they might be out of reach for the home chef.
Overall, if you are looking for a easy read with some very mouth-watering recipes, this is definitely a book you should look at.
