by Joanne Fluke
Part of Hannah Swensen, book 10
First published 2008
Hannah Swensen runs The Cookie Jar bakery in Lake Eden, Minnesota, where summer brings lazy days and family gatherings. Her business partner Lisa prepares for a big family reunion, excited when her long-lost Uncle Gus appears after twenty-five years away. Gus charms everyone with stories of success and displays of wealth. He becomes the star of the reunion, second only to Hannah's popular carrot cake, which happens to be his favorite treat. The next morning, the family gathers for their group photo, but Uncle Gus never shows up. Hannah volunteers to find him and makes a grisly discovery at the pavilion bar. She finds two slices of her carrot cake smashed on the floor and Gus dead with an ice pick through his chest. Hannah learns that not everyone welcomed Gus back home. She digs into his past and uncovers secrets that give multiple people motives for murder. Now she must work through a growing list of suspects to catch the killer, even though her investigation puts her own life at risk.
Genres: fiction, mystery, contemporary, cozy-mystery
Vibes: cozy, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family
Setting: Lake Eden, Minnesota
Period: summer
324 pages · Hardcover · Kensington