by Joanne Fluke
Part of Hannah Swensen, book 16
First published 2013
Hannah Swensen reluctantly attends the Grand Opening of Lake Eden's renovated Albion Hotel on a sweltering summer evening. Her Red Velvet cupcakes are featured in the hotel's new lounge, making her presence necessary despite the heat and formal dress code. The celebration takes an unexpected turn when Doctor Bev arrives with a wealthy investor. Bev is a local legend who fled town years earlier after cheating on her fiancé repeatedly. The evening grows darker when Barbara Donnelly, the sheriff's secretary, plunges from the rooftop garden and fights for her life. While police investigate whether Barbara fell or was pushed, Doctor Bev meddles with Hannah's boyfriend Norman. Soon after, someone discovers Bev's body at Miller's Pond. The only evidence is a Red Velvet cupcake laced with tranquilizers that Bev consumed before dying. Police suspect Hannah of murder, putting the baker in the most dangerous situation of her life.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary-romance, cozy-mystery
Vibes: cozy, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, enemies-to-lovers
Setting: Lake Eden, Albion Hotel, Miller's Pond
Period: Summer
325 pages · Hardcover · Kensington Books