Hannah belives that a visit from the president of Hartlands will bring media attention to her bakery, The Cookie Jar, but when Boyd Watson is found dead in Hannah's celebrated Strawberry Shortcake her ride to fame turns sour.
I was fairly pleased with this second book in the Hannah Swensen series. I like Hannah, even if she does have a knack for finding dead bodies. In this book, some of Hannah’s friends are acting a bit mysterious after the murder of the high school basketball coach, and she’s having a hard time figuring out what’s going on while juggling judging duties at the baking contest and keeping things going at her cookie shop. Secrets are in the air, and one person’s attempt at blackmail has serious consequences. There are elements to this series that I enjoy besides Hannah’s snooping around — I like her burgeoning relationship with her sister, Andrea, and her kinda romances with Mike and Norman. It’s a little refreshing to have a female main character who isn’t rushing to be in a relationship with the first guy who shows her a little interest. Hannah knows she has options, and she’s considering them! I used to be pretty heavily in favor of Detective Mike, but Dentist Norman is starting to grow on me. The recipes scattered throughout the book are a nice bonus, and I can’t wait to try a few. I did have one problem with the plot (spoiler ahead). The crime ends up being rooted in steroid use on the basketball team, and that part of it wasn’t especially believable for me. Steroids aren’t generally a problem in basketball, because in basketball, while strength is good, bulk is bad. But that might just be me being picky.
