Blueberry Muffin Murder

**Blueberry Muffin Murder** is the third book in the *Hannah Swensen Mystery* series. It was originally released in 2002.

## Short Summary

Preparations are underway for Lake Eden, Minnesota's annual Winter Carnival--and Hannah Swensen is set to bake up a storm at her popular shop, The Cookie Jar.

Too bad the honor of creating the official Winter Carnival cake went to famous lifestyle maven Connie Mac--a half-baked idea, in Hannah's opinion. She suspects Connie Mac is a lot like the confections she whips up on her cable TV cooking show--sweet, light, and scrumptious-looking, but likely to leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

Hannah's suspicions are confirmed when Connie Mac's limo rolls into town. Turns out America's "Cooking Sweetheart" is bossy, bad-tempered, and downright domineering. Things finally boil over when Hannah arrives at The Cookie Jar to find the Winter Carnival cake burnt to a crisp--and Connie Mac lying dead in her pantry, struck down while eating one of Hannah's famous blueberry muffins.

Next thing Hannah knows, the police have declared The Cookie Jar's kitchen crime scene off-limits. She's a baker without an oven--and the Carnival is right around the corner. Hannah's only alternative is to cook up a plan to save her business--by finding the killer herself.

*Includes seven original cookie and dessert recipes for you to try!*

## Characters

* Andrea Todd
* Lisa Herman
* Mayor Bascomb
* Stephanie Bascomb
* Bill Todd
* Connie Mac
* Norman Rhodes
* Mike Kingston
* Alan Carpenter
* Janie Burkholtz
* Tracey Todd
* Delores Swensen
* Sally Laughlin
* Doc Knight
* Edna Ferguson
* F.E. Laughlin
* E.J. Ghost
* Francine
* Greg Canfield
* Mrs. Canfield
* Kurt Howe
* Jack Herman
* Phil Plotnik
* Sue Plotnik

### Minor Characters

* **Hattie** - Edna’s sister who lives on a farm.
* **Jerry Larson** - Dropped out of race after his sled up-ended.
* **Lilia Meiers** - Might buy Roger’s house.
* **Miss Parry** - Hannah’s 6th grade grammar teacher.
* **Otis & Eleanor** - Lead dog-sled mushers in the race. He and wife take in stray dogs and train them. *Eleanor* - sewed leather doggie booties.
* **Patsy Berringer** - Local restaurant patron.
* **Pete Nunke** - Likes to ice fish from his converted *mobile-on-ice-car.*
* **Roger** - Eleanor’s cousin who is selling house due to his job relocation.
* **Ronni Ward** - Won Lake Eden’s Bikini Contest 3 years in a row! Single. Has crush on Norman.
* **Sara Thompson** - Local restaurant patron.
* **Al Perry** - His uncle donated a shuttle sleigh for the
* *Prince & Princess of the Winter Carnival* as mode of transportation. '
* *Beatrice & Ted Koester'* - Sat for portraits for Norman at the Ezekiel Jordan House grand opening.
* **Beulah Walker** - Her *place* was claimed to be haunted with a ghost.
* **Charlie Jessup** -Disqualified for sled-runners too wide to participate in the dog sled race in the winter carnival.
* **Ehrenbergs** - Sold their Lake Eden summer cabin.

### Businesses

* The Cooke Jar
* Lake Eden Winter Carnival
* Connie Mac Enterprises
* Jordan High School
* Lake Eden Historical Society
* Ezekiel Jordan House
* Lake Eden Inn
* Lake Eden Library
* REMCO
* Savory Publishing
* Lake Eden Bait and Tackle Shop
* Helping Hands Thrift Shop
* The Banquet Room
* New York Barbershop
* Quick Stop

## Quotes

* “'Hannah! You've simply got to stop finding bodies. I swear you attract them like a magnet. If you're not careful, everyone's going to get the wrong impression of you.'" (Delores Swensen, Chapter Seven)
* “For the life of her, she couldn't understand how such an obstinate, boneheaded chauvinist could make her pulse race and her insides turn to jelly.” (Chapter Eleven)
* “Whenever someone told her not to think about something, it had quite the opposite effect. Once she knew she shouldn’t dwell on something, it took on even more importance in her mind.” (Chapter Twenty-Six)
* Hannah explains to Delores "Most women who had Springerle rolling pins like to show them off by hanging them on the kitchen wall. They were handed down from generation to generation, and sometimes the carvings were personalized.” (Chapter Three)

## Cover Gags

* On a few covers, a muffin is cut open to reveal blueberries making up a skull shape.
* An aroma wafting from baked muffins is shaped like a skull.
* The middle muffin on the audio book cover resembles a frowning face.

## Trivia

* *Illegitami non carborundum* - Illegitimi non carborundum is a mock-Latin aphorism, often translated as "Don't let the bastards grind you down". The phrase itself has no meaning in Latin and can only be mock-translated.

* This is the only book with a Muffin on the cover.
* This is the first book that has a Hollywood celebrity visit and participate in the Lake Eden Winter Carnival.
* The notable Minnesota Ice Palace is mentioned in Chapter One.
* This novel has over 100 characters. Mostly minor but makes for interesting amusement and fun; especially when Sam Pietre is disqualified from the dog sled race due to his *special home-made bottle holder* on his sled which is proudly displayed.

## References

1. ↑ Amazon US
2. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Blueberry Muffin Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 3) (p. 249). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.