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Lucy Stone #13.5 - Candy Canes of Christmas
Candy Cane Murder
`Tis the season for trimming the tree, caroling, baking cookies, and curling up by the Yuletide waiting for Santa to drop down the chimney. But in this festive collection of holiday whodunits, murder is also paying a visit...
"Candy Cane Murder" by Joanne Fluke
Bakery owner Hannah Swensen feels a little stuffed in her elf costume--but it's too late to count calories. Lake Eden's annual Christmas gala is upon her and eager children are waiting. Wayne Bergstrom, owner of Bergstrom's Department Store, happily ho-ho-hos his way through the festivities in his Santa suit. But when a trail of candy canes leads to his corpse in a snow bank, Hannah must find Kris Kringle's killer.
"The Dangers of Candy Canes" by Laura Levine
When a wealthy suburbanite takes a lethal tumble off his roof while installing a giant candy cane, the roofing contractor being held responsible for murder asks freelance writer Jaine Austen to investigate. But solving this untimely holiday death means delving into the cutthroat Christmas decorating wars among scheming neighbors with dirty secrets in their stocking. It takes a fruitcake hiding a weapon and a stunning confrontation to expose the mastermind of this holiday murder.
"Candy Canes of Christmas Past" by Leslie Meier
Twenty-some years ago, Lucy Stone arrived in Tinker Cove, Maine, and discovered her knack for solving mysteries when she met Miss Tilly, the town librarian, whose mother took a fatal fall down the basement stairs one Christmas Eve. The "accident" left a cloud of suspicion on Miss Tilly's father and a slew of other suspects. The only clue was a glass candy cane found smashed to bits by the victim's body. Now Lucy must learn the mystery of the glass candy cane as she unlocks the doors of Christmas past, exposing secrets, scandal, and a killer who got away with murder.
Whether a gift for yourself or that special someone on your list, there's no better way to spend the holidays than with these tantalizing mysteries of murder...
Includes over 15 scrumptious holiday recipes!
Santa gets bludgeoned, neighbors knock neighbors off their light-festooned roofs and householders nearly blow themselves into next year cooking Yule dinner in this triple-decker helping of holiday cheer.
Fluke gives her regular sleuth the starring role in the saga of Santa's sad demise. Hannah Swenson finds skinflint department-store magnate Wayne Bergstrom with his neck broken after playing St. Nick at the Lake Eden Inn's gala. Even her boyfriend, Detective Mike Kingston, knows Hannah's going to investigate, although he tells her for the record to leave it to the professionals. Levine's Jaine Austen, a freelance writer who can resist anything but temptation, is in a holiday tizzy trying to clear Seymour Fiedler, proud proprietor of "Fiedler on the Roof Roofers," of the charge that he doctored the roofing tiles that led to irascible Garth Janken's untimely demise. And Meier takes Lucy Stone back in time, as Christmas with her grandson Patrick reminds her of her first Christmas in Tinker's Cove. Their house on Red Top Road was a mess, she was pregnant with her second child and her husband Bill tried to fix the pilot light on their cantankerous stove, causing an explosion that burned his arms. When librarian Julia Tilley comes to her rescue, Lucy in return tackles the mysterious death of Miss Tilley's mother.
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
608 people are currently reading
7753 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Fluke
121books8,304followersLike Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke grew up in a small town in rural Minnesota where her neighbors were friendly, the winters were fierce, and the biggest scandal was the spotting of unidentified male undergarments on a young widow's clothesline. She insists that there really are 10,000 lakes and the mosquito is NOT the state bird.
While pursuing her writing career, Joanne has worked as: a public school teacher, a psychologist, a musician, a private detective's assistant, a corporate, legal, and pharmaceutical secretary, a short order cook, a florist's assistant, a caterer and party planner, a computer consultant on a now-defunct operating system, a production assistant on a TV quiz show, half of a screenwriting team with her husband, and a mother, wife, and homemaker.
She now lives in Southern California with her husband, her kids, his kids, their three dogs, one elderly tabby, and several noisy rats in the attic.
Series:
*
While pursuing her writing career, Joanne has worked as: a public school teacher, a psychologist, a musician, a private detective's assistant, a corporate, legal, and pharmaceutical secretary, a short order cook, a florist's assistant, a caterer and party planner, a computer consultant on a now-defunct operating system, a production assistant on a TV quiz show, half of a screenwriting team with her husband, and a mother, wife, and homemaker.
She now lives in Southern California with her husband, her kids, his kids, their three dogs, one elderly tabby, and several noisy rats in the attic.
Series:
*
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 760 reviews
October 18, 2023
Joanne Fluke is one of my favorite cozy mystery writers for a reason and this hilarious tale of Hannah at Christmastime was a real treat that I thoroughly enjoyed. We start off with a hilarious scene of Hannah dressing up as Santa’s elf, which of course would come with a horrendous costume and Hannah despairing over her weight. Who can’t relate? Joanne Fluke just has such a knack for humor. As she flings candy canes to the crowd gathered at the Lake Eden Inn, all are merry, but soon, there’s a murder to solve� I really enjoyed this one!
Leslie Meier’s was a trip back in time to Lucy, Bill and Toby’s first days in Tinker’s Cover, when their farmhouse was falling apart and Bill wasn’t sure he was going to succeed as a carpenter. This was a fun one as Lucy Stone works to solve a mystery from decades ago, and we see how she originally met some of her longtime friends in her Maine small town. And I loved the candy cane connection in all three books!
Leslie Meier’s was a trip back in time to Lucy, Bill and Toby’s first days in Tinker’s Cover, when their farmhouse was falling apart and Bill wasn’t sure he was going to succeed as a carpenter. This was a fun one as Lucy Stone works to solve a mystery from decades ago, and we see how she originally met some of her longtime friends in her Maine small town. And I loved the candy cane connection in all three books!
April 9, 2020
3 stars to Joanne Fluke‘s Candy Cane Murder, a short novella edition for the holidays between books 9 and 10 of the “Hannah Swensen� mystery series. Given this is only 100 pages, and just a teaser in between full-length books, I adjusted my expectations, but it still fell a little short for me. I’ll keep reading the series, but nothing really changes in the overall series with this book, so if you skip it, not a huge deal.
Story
Hannah’s preparing for Christmas in Lake Eden by volunteering as an elf to help the local department store owner who is playing Santa Claus this season. Unfortunately, he’s a bit of a tightwad who rubs some of his employees and the villagers the wrong way. After the mall’s Christmas party, Hannah finds him face down on the corner of the street in his Santa suit. It’s the tenth body she’s found in about two years (yikes, stay away from her!), but still gives her the frights. Is it his new younger wife? Her friendly brother? An angry employee? Or someone else with a grudge? Hannah dives into the investigation behind Mike’s back and finds herself right in the middle of mayhem. Of course she survives, but the fun along the way keeps readers in suspense in between her normal shenanigans.
Strengths
By keeping the count of characters smaller, we are treated to more in-depth relationships among Hannah’s sisters and boyfriends (yes, she has a few). The plot has subtle humor and it gives readers readers something to noodle over among the villagers we’ve come to know and love. And there are good recipes!
Suggestions
It was rushed and Hannah didn’t even pretend to let the police track the killer. It felt too much like writing a long short story to keep fans entertained rather than release a full-length complex story that would make them wait a few extra months. It took me less than 90 minutes and while I was entertained, it was too basic.
Final Thoughts
If you’re just looking to read more about Hannah and don’t need a lot of substance in your mystery, then jump on in� but if you want intrigue and complexity and a big ole� candy cane to chew on, don’t expect much. Worth the read because Hannah is just a fun character, but go in with your eyes open.
Story
Hannah’s preparing for Christmas in Lake Eden by volunteering as an elf to help the local department store owner who is playing Santa Claus this season. Unfortunately, he’s a bit of a tightwad who rubs some of his employees and the villagers the wrong way. After the mall’s Christmas party, Hannah finds him face down on the corner of the street in his Santa suit. It’s the tenth body she’s found in about two years (yikes, stay away from her!), but still gives her the frights. Is it his new younger wife? Her friendly brother? An angry employee? Or someone else with a grudge? Hannah dives into the investigation behind Mike’s back and finds herself right in the middle of mayhem. Of course she survives, but the fun along the way keeps readers in suspense in between her normal shenanigans.
Strengths
By keeping the count of characters smaller, we are treated to more in-depth relationships among Hannah’s sisters and boyfriends (yes, she has a few). The plot has subtle humor and it gives readers readers something to noodle over among the villagers we’ve come to know and love. And there are good recipes!
Suggestions
It was rushed and Hannah didn’t even pretend to let the police track the killer. It felt too much like writing a long short story to keep fans entertained rather than release a full-length complex story that would make them wait a few extra months. It took me less than 90 minutes and while I was entertained, it was too basic.
Final Thoughts
If you’re just looking to read more about Hannah and don’t need a lot of substance in your mystery, then jump on in� but if you want intrigue and complexity and a big ole� candy cane to chew on, don’t expect much. Worth the read because Hannah is just a fun character, but go in with your eyes open.
January 11, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Audiobook
This book has three short stories:
CANDY CANE MURDER by Joanne Fluke (Book #9.5 in the Hannah Swensen Series)
When a trail of candy canes leads to a corpse outfitted in a Santa suit on a snowy bank, Hannah Swensen sets out to discover who killed Kris Kringle.
THE DANGERS OF CANDY CANES by Laura Levine
(Book #6.5 in the Jaine Austen Series)
A wealthy suburbanite takes a lethal tumble off his roof while installing a giant candy cane. Now it’s up to Jaine Austen to sift through a long list of scheming neighbors with dirty secrets in their stockings to expose a murderer.
CANDY CANES OF CHRISTMAS PAST by Leslie Meier
(Book #13.5 in the Lucy Stone Series)
Lucy Stone must learn the mystery of a glass candy cane that was found smashed to bits by a corpse’s body to unlock the doors of Christmas past-and find a killer who got away with murder.
I’m reading the Hannah Swensen books and this was next in that series. I enjoyed the Hannah Swensen and Lucy Stone stories, they were both great cozy mysteries that kept me interested. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the second story. I haven’t read anything from that author, but I definitely will after reading her story. I absolutely loved it!! She’s got a cat named Prozac, (who shits on the Christmas hat she’s trying to get him to wear! 😂) and anyone with a cat will be charmed by his antics. I laughed throughout the story. She has given her character, Jaine Austen, so many real life problems and experiences that you can imagine yourself in her shoes. I highly recommend this book, which in my opinion could be read as a standalone even if you haven’t read the series.
This book has three short stories:
CANDY CANE MURDER by Joanne Fluke (Book #9.5 in the Hannah Swensen Series)
When a trail of candy canes leads to a corpse outfitted in a Santa suit on a snowy bank, Hannah Swensen sets out to discover who killed Kris Kringle.
THE DANGERS OF CANDY CANES by Laura Levine
(Book #6.5 in the Jaine Austen Series)
A wealthy suburbanite takes a lethal tumble off his roof while installing a giant candy cane. Now it’s up to Jaine Austen to sift through a long list of scheming neighbors with dirty secrets in their stockings to expose a murderer.
CANDY CANES OF CHRISTMAS PAST by Leslie Meier
(Book #13.5 in the Lucy Stone Series)
Lucy Stone must learn the mystery of a glass candy cane that was found smashed to bits by a corpse’s body to unlock the doors of Christmas past-and find a killer who got away with murder.
I’m reading the Hannah Swensen books and this was next in that series. I enjoyed the Hannah Swensen and Lucy Stone stories, they were both great cozy mysteries that kept me interested. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the second story. I haven’t read anything from that author, but I definitely will after reading her story. I absolutely loved it!! She’s got a cat named Prozac, (who shits on the Christmas hat she’s trying to get him to wear! 😂) and anyone with a cat will be charmed by his antics. I laughed throughout the story. She has given her character, Jaine Austen, so many real life problems and experiences that you can imagine yourself in her shoes. I highly recommend this book, which in my opinion could be read as a standalone even if you haven’t read the series.
December 8, 2008
I read the Joanne Fluke's christmas novella because I'm an addict and a completist. In this short novella, Hannah is still torn between her two suitors (it's time Fluke puts an end to this triangle), solves who murdered Santa, captures and nets the murderer all under 130 pages. There are way too much recipes for such a short novella but they sound yummy especially the candy cane bars but yummy recipes do not make a plot. This relied too much on the telling and well known "tricks" of the series, like the early, early morning phone call from Dolores (Hannah's mother) and Moishe's (her cat) to the call. The overweight inner monologue, the snooping into bathrooms. Nothing original, nothing new. This series has almost jumped the shark for me. I have the last published one "Carrot Cake murder" in my to read pile. We'll see if I keep with it.
August 10, 2015
I love Christmas, cookies, and candy canes! This book was so much fun. I only read the Hannah Swensen story since I'm read them in order, but it was great and it was one of the best mysteries that Hannah has been tied up in! Dead Santa, a trail of candy canes, and delicious cookie recipes makes for a great novel!
May 16, 2013
This book is actually three stories. The first, 'Candy Cane Murder,' was typical Joanne Fluke. Hannah Swensen murder mystery. Good but not great. Not a lot to say about it.
The second, 'The Dangers of Candy Canes,' was horrible. HORRIBLE. Jaine may be the least likable character of any book I've ever read. (1)Elastic waist jeans. (2)Self-deprecating humor. (3)No regard for ethics or law. (4)Immature beyond belief. (5)Unbelievable cat character with stupid name. If you read this book, I'd recommend skipping this story. HORRIBLE.
The third story, 'Candy Canes of Christmas Past,' was screaming "Hallmark movie of the week." It was a sweet little story but the mystery aspect was very disappointing. It's like the author eliminated the majority of suspects and then thought, "crap, who did it?" so she quickly made up a solution that really felt like a cop-out to me.
The second, 'The Dangers of Candy Canes,' was horrible. HORRIBLE. Jaine may be the least likable character of any book I've ever read. (1)Elastic waist jeans. (2)Self-deprecating humor. (3)No regard for ethics or law. (4)Immature beyond belief. (5)Unbelievable cat character with stupid name. If you read this book, I'd recommend skipping this story. HORRIBLE.
The third story, 'Candy Canes of Christmas Past,' was screaming "Hallmark movie of the week." It was a sweet little story but the mystery aspect was very disappointing. It's like the author eliminated the majority of suspects and then thought, "crap, who did it?" so she quickly made up a solution that really felt like a cop-out to me.
September 25, 2023
Entertaining holiday listening 🎶🔰
This is an kindle e-book from the local library.
Three will written novella holiday season murder mystery family and friends relationships adventure thrillers by three different authors. Each story is different with interesting well developed characters lots of action, misdirection, and violence leading to each conclusion. I would recommend this holiday season novel and authors to readers looking for a holiday season murder mystery novel 👍🔰. 2023 👒😀😡🏡🎅
This is an kindle e-book from the local library.
Three will written novella holiday season murder mystery family and friends relationships adventure thrillers by three different authors. Each story is different with interesting well developed characters lots of action, misdirection, and violence leading to each conclusion. I would recommend this holiday season novel and authors to readers looking for a holiday season murder mystery novel 👍🔰. 2023 👒😀😡🏡🎅
January 12, 2013
I picked up this book to read as it was the next book in the Hannah Swensen series. That is not the story that got the rating.
This book is a collection of 3 shortish stories. The first is the Hannah Swensen story that I choose it for. The story is good but if you have read any of the other stories in the series I need say no more. I enjoyed it and would have given it 3 stars. Great continuation but nothing that I did not expect.
The second story which is part of the Janie Austen series I did not enjoy at all. I just could not connect with it at all.
The third story I really enjoyed. I loved the characters and felt the situations were very realistic. I found Candy Canes of Christmas Past by Leslie Meier to be a fantastic introduction to her series. I did not feel lost by not knowing any of the characters and loved the progression of the story. The murder mystery of the story was an interesting twist and the end was fantastic. This series is going on my tbr list right near the top.
This book is a collection of 3 shortish stories. The first is the Hannah Swensen story that I choose it for. The story is good but if you have read any of the other stories in the series I need say no more. I enjoyed it and would have given it 3 stars. Great continuation but nothing that I did not expect.
The second story which is part of the Janie Austen series I did not enjoy at all. I just could not connect with it at all.
The third story I really enjoyed. I loved the characters and felt the situations were very realistic. I found Candy Canes of Christmas Past by Leslie Meier to be a fantastic introduction to her series. I did not feel lost by not knowing any of the characters and loved the progression of the story. The murder mystery of the story was an interesting twist and the end was fantastic. This series is going on my tbr list right near the top.
November 30, 2018
Candy Cane Murder was another enjoyable holiday read that I found hard to put down. Fluke delivers another delightful tale full of mentions of delicious desserts, a good mystery, and another holiday adventure for Hannah Swensen. I find myself really enjoying this series the more of them I read, and "Candy Cane Murder" was another wonderful addition to the series. "The Danger of Candy Canes" was another great read that had me laughing out loud in some parts because Jaine gets herself into quite a few odd situations. I am going to definitely have to check out more books in this series. "Candy Canes of Christmas Past" took the unusual road by telling the story of a Christmas past when Lucy, Bill, and little Toby spent their first Christmas in Tinker's Cove. I really enjoyed reading how Lucy met her neighbors and friends as well as how the true meaning of Christmas was felt just when Lucy and Bill were at their wit's end. The Lucy Stone mysteries are becoming a favorite series of mine, and I am looking forward to reading more of them. Overall Candy Cane Murder was a great holiday read that I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an enjoyable holiday cozy to check out.
January 16, 2021
Has 3 short stories
1. Hanna Swenson - "CANDY CANE MURDER" by Joanne Fluke - a murdered Wayne Bergstrom playing “Santa� at Lake Eden Inn - founded dead with a trail of candy canes leading on a snowy bank, Hannah finds who killed Kris Kringle...
2. Jane Austen - "THE DANGERS OF CANDY CANES" by Laura Levine - Garth Janken falls & dies off his newly shingled roof while installing a “giant candy cane� on his roof. Jane posing as a insurance agent finds neighbors with dirty secrets in their “stockings�...
3. Lucy Stone - "CANDY CANES OF CHRISTMAS PAST" by Leslie Meier - Lucy follows a smashed glass candy cane killing Mrs. Tilley - investigates past residents of Maine’s hidden village of Tinker Cove - Lucy's new home town - to track find the killer...
Merry Christmas
1. Hanna Swenson - "CANDY CANE MURDER" by Joanne Fluke - a murdered Wayne Bergstrom playing “Santa� at Lake Eden Inn - founded dead with a trail of candy canes leading on a snowy bank, Hannah finds who killed Kris Kringle...
2. Jane Austen - "THE DANGERS OF CANDY CANES" by Laura Levine - Garth Janken falls & dies off his newly shingled roof while installing a “giant candy cane� on his roof. Jane posing as a insurance agent finds neighbors with dirty secrets in their “stockings�...
3. Lucy Stone - "CANDY CANES OF CHRISTMAS PAST" by Leslie Meier - Lucy follows a smashed glass candy cane killing Mrs. Tilley - investigates past residents of Maine’s hidden village of Tinker Cove - Lucy's new home town - to track find the killer...
Merry Christmas
October 4, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. I love Hannah Swenson and her whole family. The stories are quick and the characters enjoyable!!
June 17, 2020
Three candy cane themed Christmas Cozy mystery novellas.
1. Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke - 3 Stars
2. The Dangers of Candy Canes by Laura Levine - 3 Stars
3. Candy Canes of Christmas Past by Leslie Meier -4 Stars
Although books #1 and #2 rated 3 Stars for a cozy mystery this reader has to rate the lead characters in both books lower (1 Star for Hannah and 2 Stars for Jaine). Both whine and grumble about their weight while they keep shoveling very fattening food in their mouths. For goodness sakes this constant emphasis on weight is a little disconcerting. We get enough about Americans being overweight in the media we don't need our protagonists in cozies constantly bemoaning about it while doing nothing to correct it. As a reader I don't care what size they wear but what I dislike is that they constantly moan about being overwight and especially in Hannah's case I do mean constantly.
1. Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke - 3 Stars
2. The Dangers of Candy Canes by Laura Levine - 3 Stars
3. Candy Canes of Christmas Past by Leslie Meier -4 Stars
Although books #1 and #2 rated 3 Stars for a cozy mystery this reader has to rate the lead characters in both books lower (1 Star for Hannah and 2 Stars for Jaine). Both whine and grumble about their weight while they keep shoveling very fattening food in their mouths. For goodness sakes this constant emphasis on weight is a little disconcerting. We get enough about Americans being overweight in the media we don't need our protagonists in cozies constantly bemoaning about it while doing nothing to correct it. As a reader I don't care what size they wear but what I dislike is that they constantly moan about being overwight and especially in Hannah's case I do mean constantly.
December 11, 2019
Second Reading: December 2019:
When I first read this book in the fall of 2018, it was just shortly before I discovered the Lucy Stone mysteries so I only read the Hannah Swensen mystery from this book. Thanks to a friend's recent review of this entire book- I realized there was a Lucy Stone mystery in this so I checked it out again and thoroughly enjoyed the Lucy Stone mystery bringing my review from 4 stars to 5.
I wish this hadn't been such a short Lucy Stone mystery, for I so enjoyed travelling back to 1983 when Lucy and Bill and baby Toby first moved to Tinker's Cove and celebrated their first Christmas in their very unfinished farm house on Red Top Road!
I also thoroughly enjoyed the mystery which involved a younger but still quite elderly Miss Tilley, the town librarian, and the mystery surrounding her mother's death. After a fall down the cellar stairs, her body was found near an old glass candy cane....
It was fun to see how Lucy meets her future neighbors and also her best friends Sue and Rachel. It was funny that all three of their husbands had read the same article about Maine in the Mother Earth News and decided to move there!
I'm now going back into these little collections of Christmas mystery novellas to make sure I read the Lucy Stone mysteries contained therein- and also the Barbara Ross mysteries since I now enjoy her mysteries as well! I should not have just breezed through them specifically for the Hannah Swensen mysteries when I did read them :-/ Also these books when read as a whole are indeed delightful because the way the authors use the theme that ties them all together is quite creative.
***
This is another in between novella in the Hannah Swensen mysteries. It comes between numbers nine and ten in the series.
This was a Christmas mystery and for such a short mystery- it was very cleverly done!
I was thinking this morning that I have not been this excited about and loved a series this much since I read the "Babysitter's Club" books as a kid :-)
When I first read this book in the fall of 2018, it was just shortly before I discovered the Lucy Stone mysteries so I only read the Hannah Swensen mystery from this book. Thanks to a friend's recent review of this entire book- I realized there was a Lucy Stone mystery in this so I checked it out again and thoroughly enjoyed the Lucy Stone mystery bringing my review from 4 stars to 5.
I wish this hadn't been such a short Lucy Stone mystery, for I so enjoyed travelling back to 1983 when Lucy and Bill and baby Toby first moved to Tinker's Cove and celebrated their first Christmas in their very unfinished farm house on Red Top Road!
I also thoroughly enjoyed the mystery which involved a younger but still quite elderly Miss Tilley, the town librarian, and the mystery surrounding her mother's death. After a fall down the cellar stairs, her body was found near an old glass candy cane....
It was fun to see how Lucy meets her future neighbors and also her best friends Sue and Rachel. It was funny that all three of their husbands had read the same article about Maine in the Mother Earth News and decided to move there!
I'm now going back into these little collections of Christmas mystery novellas to make sure I read the Lucy Stone mysteries contained therein- and also the Barbara Ross mysteries since I now enjoy her mysteries as well! I should not have just breezed through them specifically for the Hannah Swensen mysteries when I did read them :-/ Also these books when read as a whole are indeed delightful because the way the authors use the theme that ties them all together is quite creative.
***
This is another in between novella in the Hannah Swensen mysteries. It comes between numbers nine and ten in the series.
This was a Christmas mystery and for such a short mystery- it was very cleverly done!
I was thinking this morning that I have not been this excited about and loved a series this much since I read the "Babysitter's Club" books as a kid :-)
February 22, 2014
I'm bereft of criticism regarding this curious book. There are three stories that make up the book, and all of them are pretty good. The best one is Laura Levine's. She has mastered her storytelling and she has mastered her heroine. This resulted in a perfectly frantic and well paced story. Whatever the assignment, Laura Levine can and does deliver. Joanne Fluke's Candy Cane story was quite clever, although the nature of the murder itself was improbable. Leslie Meier's tale was solid and slightly better than Fluke's. I felt spoiled with so much quality. Three of my most beloved authors coming together like this, it's utter bliss.
December 21, 2020
There are 3 stories by 3 different authors in this book. I only listened to the first story. It was Nancy Drew-ish and felt old school and cheesy to me so I didn’t want to finish the rest of the stories. Joanne Fluke has a few movies made based off her mystery series so obviously people like it but it’s just not for me.
May 1, 2013
Dear cozy mystery writers:
The fact that something is not serious literature does not mean it has to be stupid.
So stop it
Thanks.
The fact that something is not serious literature does not mean it has to be stupid.
So stop it
Thanks.
December 13, 2018
3.5 Christmas fluff.
The perfect book for this time of year, with stories from three cozy writers: Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier. The first time I read this book, I remember liking the stories enough to buy books from Levine's and Meier's cozy series, but sadly, they didn't have the same charm. Maybe there's just something about Christmas.
Fluke's offering is as familiar as that snuggly old sweater. Mike, the cop, is always coming around to Hannah's apartment at night expecting to be fed; Norman is pretty much at her beck and call and way too good for her, and her mother, sisters, and niece are as annoying as usual. Once again, Fluke uses a dude's death as an excuse to abandon her business entirely, and try a bunch of recipes which she gives away for free. It's Christmas, people. Suspension of disbelief is key.
Levine's story is fun and mildly amusing. The tale of an underemployed freelance writer who finds herself writing jingles for plumbers and solving mysteries on the side to make ends meet--when she's not eating everything in sight.
Meier's, which I remember loving when I first read it, has plot holes big enough for Santa to drive his Cadillac through. On the second read, this incredibly farfetched scenario almost completely ruined the story for me, along with some of the caricature-like characters, like the elderly twins who dress alike and say everything in unison. But the small-town nostalgia is really sweet.
The perfect book for this time of year, with stories from three cozy writers: Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier. The first time I read this book, I remember liking the stories enough to buy books from Levine's and Meier's cozy series, but sadly, they didn't have the same charm. Maybe there's just something about Christmas.
Fluke's offering is as familiar as that snuggly old sweater. Mike, the cop, is always coming around to Hannah's apartment at night expecting to be fed; Norman is pretty much at her beck and call and way too good for her, and her mother, sisters, and niece are as annoying as usual. Once again, Fluke uses a dude's death as an excuse to abandon her business entirely, and try a bunch of recipes which she gives away for free. It's Christmas, people. Suspension of disbelief is key.
Levine's story is fun and mildly amusing. The tale of an underemployed freelance writer who finds herself writing jingles for plumbers and solving mysteries on the side to make ends meet--when she's not eating everything in sight.
Meier's, which I remember loving when I first read it, has plot holes big enough for Santa to drive his Cadillac through. On the second read, this incredibly farfetched scenario almost completely ruined the story for me, along with some of the caricature-like characters, like the elderly twins who dress alike and say everything in unison. But the small-town nostalgia is really sweet.
March 8, 2019
Usually I'm not all that excited by the short stories/novellas in the Hannah Swensen universe, but this one worked. It felt more like a real story rather. Where some of the short stories don't have real murders, this one did. And the killer made sense and it was someone I'd thought of as a possible suspect (though the method was a bit of a surprise!).
December 6, 2020
My rating is just for the Hannah Swensen story, which is an enjoyable short cosy Christmas tale featuring the regular characters. Although the ending is rather predictable, it has some surprising festive trimmings! I didn't read the two stories by other authors - I did give them a try but they were not for me.
July 5, 2020
Read this as my library book club have chosen crime as the genre this month. I don't normally read crime and found this on my library app. It was a bit cheesy, I suppose you can tell from the title and it was just ok. If I am going to read another crime book I think I will need to consult with my book club friends as to good crime authors.
December 23, 2020
A cute cozy mystery!
January 5, 2023
Three fun books by a favorite cozy authors.
June 24, 2024
This is a short Christmas novella, and it has more depth than almost any other novella that I have read! It helps that I am very familiar with the usual characters and have already grown to love them. In addition, it contains a murder mystery that held my interest up until the end when secrets were revealed. My hat is off to the Joanne Fluke, the author!
January 7, 2023
Well this was bad, I couldn't even get past half of it. The amount of fat jokes/diet culture jokes is insane. I started keeping track in my notes from the first Chapter and do you wanna know how many there were? 35! And that's just half way!
The first mystery was just meh but the recipes at the end of each chapter helped me get through it quicker. I stopped reading the second after she tried to break into a house to look for clues. The only bonus was the cat unironically named Prozac.
The first mystery was just meh but the recipes at the end of each chapter helped me get through it quicker. I stopped reading the second after she tried to break into a house to look for clues. The only bonus was the cat unironically named Prozac.
March 26, 2014
Like many people, I picked this up for the Joanne Fluke entry. The theme of this anthology is candy canes. All three stories must have candy canes as a central theme. In Fluke's story a stingy Santa leaves a trail of mini candy canes that only Hannah and her sisters can follow when Hannah stumbles over the Santa dead in the parking lot after a Christmas celebration. Add in some delicious recipes and you have a mini-mystery that has everything you've come to expect from a Hannah Swensen story.
The second story was by Laura Levine. Her heroine is Jaine Austen. Jaine has a disgruntled cat, Prozac, and she's a jack of all trades writer. In her spare time she investigates. One of her clients asks her to investigate the death of one of his clients since it appears as though it is his fault. Jaine is not particularly likable. She's a bit too self-absorbed. I kept hoping for recipes because she talks about food constantly. No such luck. But the mystery itself was well executed.
The third story, by Leslie Meier, was the stand-out. Lucy Stone takes us on a flashback to 1983 to when she and her her husband and son had recently moved to Maine. She made friends with the librarian and ended up giving her a give of a glass candy cane which in turn brought up the fact that the librarian's mother was found dead with a shattered glass candy cane. And thus begins Lucy's first case and as a result she got to really meet the town and vice versa.
The second story was by Laura Levine. Her heroine is Jaine Austen. Jaine has a disgruntled cat, Prozac, and she's a jack of all trades writer. In her spare time she investigates. One of her clients asks her to investigate the death of one of his clients since it appears as though it is his fault. Jaine is not particularly likable. She's a bit too self-absorbed. I kept hoping for recipes because she talks about food constantly. No such luck. But the mystery itself was well executed.
The third story, by Leslie Meier, was the stand-out. Lucy Stone takes us on a flashback to 1983 to when she and her her husband and son had recently moved to Maine. She made friends with the librarian and ended up giving her a give of a glass candy cane which in turn brought up the fact that the librarian's mother was found dead with a shattered glass candy cane. And thus begins Lucy's first case and as a result she got to really meet the town and vice versa.
May 17, 2022
This book is actually a collection of three novellas from different authors with a common Christmas theme.
The leadoff story is "Candy Cane Murder" by Joanna Fluke, and features her sleuth, Hannah Swenson. A man in a Santa suit has been killed, and Hannah finds the body, so she tracks down the killer. The puzzle isn't much, but the characters are entertaining, and the recipes looks good. It seems there are a great many caterer detectives.
The second story is "The Dangers of Candy Canes" by Laura Levine. I'm a bit of a fan of Levine's Jaine Austen series, and this is a pretty good entry in the series. One of Jaine's clients is charged with murder, and Jaine puts on her unofficial PI hat to find the real killer. Humorous, and the puzzle isn't too bad. I do wonder why the police never believe anything she brings them after solving so many murders, though.
The third story, "Candy Canes of Christmas Past" by Leslie Meier is the worst of the three in my opinion. It's an origin story of sorts, with Lucy Stone reminiscing about when she first moved to the tiny Maine town where she resides. Times are tough, but she still tries to solve a decades old mystery. The mystery isn't at all fair play, and it tries too hard with the It's a Wonderful Life tribute. There's also more misandry here than is usual even in these kinds of stories.
On the whole, a good collection, that doesn't wear out the welcome of its themes like so many of Otto Penzler's anthologies do.
The leadoff story is "Candy Cane Murder" by Joanna Fluke, and features her sleuth, Hannah Swenson. A man in a Santa suit has been killed, and Hannah finds the body, so she tracks down the killer. The puzzle isn't much, but the characters are entertaining, and the recipes looks good. It seems there are a great many caterer detectives.
The second story is "The Dangers of Candy Canes" by Laura Levine. I'm a bit of a fan of Levine's Jaine Austen series, and this is a pretty good entry in the series. One of Jaine's clients is charged with murder, and Jaine puts on her unofficial PI hat to find the real killer. Humorous, and the puzzle isn't too bad. I do wonder why the police never believe anything she brings them after solving so many murders, though.
The third story, "Candy Canes of Christmas Past" by Leslie Meier is the worst of the three in my opinion. It's an origin story of sorts, with Lucy Stone reminiscing about when she first moved to the tiny Maine town where she resides. Times are tough, but she still tries to solve a decades old mystery. The mystery isn't at all fair play, and it tries too hard with the It's a Wonderful Life tribute. There's also more misandry here than is usual even in these kinds of stories.
On the whole, a good collection, that doesn't wear out the welcome of its themes like so many of Otto Penzler's anthologies do.
January 15, 2021
I loved these cozy mysteries!
Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke
I always love the Hannah mysteries plus all of the recipes in the series too! Hannah had found herself in a conondrum. She is dressed like an elf when she stumbles upon Santa dead in the snow so she uses her clues to find out who killed him. She works with her family and friends to find out who killed him! It was a cute story!
The Dangers of Candy Canes by Laura Levine
Lets just say I love her cats name lol I wish i had been clever enough to name my cat Prozak! HA! Bit Jaine Austen finds herself helping solve a murder of a wealthy man falling off his roof and she finds herself getting involved with an organization that helps youth with out mothers. While volunteering with this organization she works hard to get into touch with her teen Angel and she works hard uncovering clues to find out who killed the wealthy man and she got to enjoy her Christmas!
Candy Canes of Christmas Past by Leslie Meier
This story brought tears to my eyes but i loved it! The realness of the whole scenario and it was amazing! When Lucy and her husband were barely starting a family and they were working on rennovating thier new house and everything. Lucy is making friends in town and is working on trying to solve a cold case in town when they find out the true meaning of christmas and she solves the mystery with a christmas present!
Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke
I always love the Hannah mysteries plus all of the recipes in the series too! Hannah had found herself in a conondrum. She is dressed like an elf when she stumbles upon Santa dead in the snow so she uses her clues to find out who killed him. She works with her family and friends to find out who killed him! It was a cute story!
The Dangers of Candy Canes by Laura Levine
Lets just say I love her cats name lol I wish i had been clever enough to name my cat Prozak! HA! Bit Jaine Austen finds herself helping solve a murder of a wealthy man falling off his roof and she finds herself getting involved with an organization that helps youth with out mothers. While volunteering with this organization she works hard to get into touch with her teen Angel and she works hard uncovering clues to find out who killed the wealthy man and she got to enjoy her Christmas!
Candy Canes of Christmas Past by Leslie Meier
This story brought tears to my eyes but i loved it! The realness of the whole scenario and it was amazing! When Lucy and her husband were barely starting a family and they were working on rennovating thier new house and everything. Lucy is making friends in town and is working on trying to solve a cold case in town when they find out the true meaning of christmas and she solves the mystery with a christmas present!
July 4, 2009
I love mystery "who dunnit" stories. I love good ones, I love cheesy ones, there's even a fine art to the really bad ones.
Joanne Fluke has created a series based upon the idea that a small Minnesota cookie baker solves crime in her spare time. Well, because...who doesn't? The other hook is that the books contain the recipes for whatever dessert are being discussed.
So I thought to myself..I like cooking. I like murder mysteries. Two great things...I wonder if they go great together?
Sadly, much like some of the recipes in the book...it is a bit discombobulated. Also, the recipes read like a "how-to" on product placement. "Use X brand." "I use brand Z"
I dunno, perhaps my high hopes were just too much for the delivered experience.
Joanne Fluke has created a series based upon the idea that a small Minnesota cookie baker solves crime in her spare time. Well, because...who doesn't? The other hook is that the books contain the recipes for whatever dessert are being discussed.
So I thought to myself..I like cooking. I like murder mysteries. Two great things...I wonder if they go great together?
Sadly, much like some of the recipes in the book...it is a bit discombobulated. Also, the recipes read like a "how-to" on product placement. "Use X brand." "I use brand Z"
I dunno, perhaps my high hopes were just too much for the delivered experience.
December 10, 2020
This book actually contains three Christmas-themed novellas and I love all three stories. I usually enjoy collections like this and I really like all three authors and enjoy their Christmas-themed stories. The book title takes its name from one of the stories, Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke. Cookie baker Hannah Swensen takes time out from her Christmas preparations to solve a murder. The second story is The Dangers of Candy Canes by Laura Levine. The situations the main character, freelance writer Jaine Austen, finds herself in are always laugh-out-loud funny. The third story isCandy Canes of Christmas Past by Leslie Meier takes the reader back to when Lucy Stone first moves to Tinker's Cove, Maine. All three stories are light, fun reads to get you ready for Christmas.
December 19, 2017
A delicious, hilarious romo. Jaine and I are food sisters.
Merged review:
A cosy, mindless mystery with a fascinating glimpse into Christmas in Maine in the early 80s. Very little in the terms of mystery but still a lovely story.
Merged review:
A short and sweet introduction to Hannah Swensen and her delicious cookies.
Though not the most ingenious mystery as I'd figured out the murderer even before the murder was committed 😂.
Merged review:
A cosy, mindless mystery with a fascinating glimpse into Christmas in Maine in the early 80s. Very little in the terms of mystery but still a lovely story.
Merged review:
A short and sweet introduction to Hannah Swensen and her delicious cookies.
Though not the most ingenious mystery as I'd figured out the murderer even before the murder was committed 😂.
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