Lisa Herman

**Father**: Jack Herman**Mother**: Emily - *deceased*

**Brother**: Tim Herman, ...**Sisters**: Iris Herman Staples and two unnamed

**Aunt**: Heather - *deceased***Mother-in-Law**: Marge Beeseman

## Books

All Complete Series

**Lisa Herman** is a major character in the *Hannah Swensen Mystery* series*.*

## Bio

She is the daughter of Jack Herman and started as an employee and assistant baker at the Cookie Jar. She is also dating Herb Beeseman. Her older brother is Tim Herman and is mentioned in Blueberry Muffin Murder.

By the time she graduated from High School, her mother had passed away and her father, Jack Herman, was showing signs of Alzheimer. She had won a full ride scholarship to college for pre-med, but gave it up to take care of her father. Even though she had always wanted to be a doctor she has taken satisfaction in the curve her life has given her.

### Personality

Lisa is an efficient and smart young girl with a calm nature and warm, friendly personality. She is considered to be a "godsend" by Hannah, for all of the work she does at The Cookie Jar, on top of having to tend to her dad. She shares Hannah's creative streak, and they get along very well - leading Hannah to upgrade her role at work as her official partner. She is also very humble.

### Appearance

As a nineteen year old, Lisa is said to have a petite frame, but no further information is disclosed.

## Chronology by Novel

### Christmas Cake Murder

Lisa is a Junior in High School and a close friend with Michelle who's father just passed away. Lisa's mother is in long term care at the hospital. Hannah has just rented the old Bakery that was closed and she is committed to making the cakes for the "Christmas Cake Parade" and the Dessert buffet at the "Christmas Ball" to be reenacted at the old Albion Hotel. Michelle and Lisa both offer their help after schools and weekends to make the "Christmas Ball" a success.

### Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Lisa is working for Hannah at the cookie jar and ends up by taking over the shop when Hannah leaves to investigate the murder.

### Strawberry Shortcake Murder

Lisa handles everything at the shop while Hannah is investigating. Hannah starts to consider offering Lisa a partnership interest in the shop.

### Blueberry Muffin Murder

After talking it over with her accountant and lawyer, Hannah offers Lisa a third partnership in The Cookie Jar. Once again Lisa holds down the fort while Hannah investigates.
Lisa is dating Herb Beeseman and introduces her recipe Lisa's White Chocolate Supremes.

### Lemon Meringue Pie Murder

When Hannah is dieting, one morning she makes breakfast for Hannah introducing her Aunt Kitty's Cottage Cheese Pancakes (Poor Man's Blintzes) recipe. She also creates the recipe Praline Charlottes.
Lisa has taken over the decorating of special orders and creates the ice cream cone cupcakes for the 4th of July picnic.
At the end of the story, Lisa becomes engaged to Herb.

### Fudge Cupcake Murder

Lisa overhears a conversation at The Cookie Jar that leads to information that clears one of the suspects that Hannah is investigating.

### Sugar Cookie Murder

At the beginning of the book Lisa tells Hannah that her wedding to Herb is off. Hannah is surprised and after questioning Lisa discovers that it is just postponed until after her father goes through the new medical trials. Lisa would really like to get married on Valentine’s Day but she doesn’t have time to plan a wedding and take care of everything else. Hannah suggests that she allow Andrea to plan and take care of everything for the wedding and Lisa thinks that is a great idea, all she wants to do is to show up for it.

### Peach Cobbler Murder

A new bakery opens, right across the street from The Cookie Jar, the Magnolia Blossom Bakery, owned by Shawna Lee Quinn and her sister, Vanessa. Hannah and Lisa’s customers are deserting them for the new bakery.
Valentine day arrives along with Lisa and Herb’s wedding, which everything almost goes without a hitch.
Despite being on her honeymoon, Lisa shows up at work when she learns that Shawna Lee Quinn was murdered, so that Hannah is freed up to investigate.

### Cherry Cheesecake Murder

Lisa is upset when the director of the movie makes a pass at her. Hannah assures her that he makes passes at all of the women and to let her know if he doesn’t leave Lisa alone.

### Key Lime Pie Murder

When one of the Baked Goods judges at the Tri-County Fair is murdered, Lisa is asked to fill in as the replacement judge.

### Carrot Cake Murder

Lisa and Herb have planned a big joint Beeseman-Herman Family Reunion at the Lake. When Herb's missing Uncle Gus shows most of the family is thrilled, but his personality soon makes most of them doubt that it really is the missing Gus. Then he is murdered and one of the guests tell the police that they saw Lisa's father, Jack Herman near the place at the right time to have killed Gus. Lisa is upset and enlists Hannah's help in clearing Jack.

### Cream Puff Murder

Lisa decides that they need to raise their prices in the store and Hannah realizes that she isn’t very good at that aspect of the business so turns the financial end over to Lisa. Lisa promptly reevaluates their retail prices and raises most of them.
When the customers come in to the store wanting to hear the details of finding the body from Hannah, Hannah convinces Lisa to tell the story instead. Lisa is so good at it that many customers come back to hear it again. From then on Lisa becomes the official storyteller at The Cookie Jar

### Plum Pudding Murder

Herb is gone ice fishing with the mayor and Lisa is lonely. When she finds out that Bill Todd has puppies to give away, and only one left, she is very interested because Herb has been wanting a dog. It is a Jack Russell-Yellow Lab mix that they name Dillon.
Once Herb and the Mayor move the ice house in place, the mayor decides not to stay as he wants to keep and eye on his investment at the Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot.

Lisa tells The Cookie Jar customers that come in to find out about the murder, the story about how Hannah and Norman discovered Larry’s body. She is such a hit over the storytelling that many customers come back to hear the story again and they stay around buying cookies and coffee. She takes frequent brakes so it gives the customers time to replenish their coffee and desserts.

### Apple Turnover Murder

When the Mayor and the first lady of Lake Eden came into The Cookie Jar before they had even opened, Hannah knew they wanted something from them for the Combined Charities Event gala.

When they wanted 1200 frosted sugar cookies in just a few days, both Hannah and Lisa were trying to find a way to tell them no, because not only was that labor intensive, they didn’t want to pay for them. Finally Lisa presented an alternate plan for them by starting out point blank saying that they couldn’t do it, but they could make plain chocolate sugar cookies. Then she presented the idea of making and selling Apple Turnovers for all three days and that they would donate 50% of their profits to the combined charity fund. Hannah is quietly panicking because she had never made either one of them before, but she waited until the mayor and his wife left before asking Lisa what her plan is.

Lisa had it covered as she has made chocolate sugar cookies that everyone loved and her mother-in-law, Marge Beeseman makes a very easy apple turnover.

Lisa assembls a crew, Marge, Patsy, Herb and Jack to help out every evening leading up to the gala, pre-making over a thousand apple turnovers for volunteers to sell at the different events. Even Mike helps a time or two.

Marge, Patsy and Jack help out serving customers once Lisa starts telling her story about Hannah discovering the Professor’s body.

### Devil's Food Cake Murder

Once again, Lisa regals the customers with Hannah’s grim discoveries and business is soaring.

### Cinnamon Roll Murder

Lisa gets her own rescue puppy. Hannah rescued him from the bus accident and took him to Lisa until she was through at the hospital, but Lisa fell in love and wanted to keep him. Herb takes the puppy to vet and he checked out. She named him Sammy.

The vet said that he is a “Fox Terrier” and he will spend his days at The Cookie Jar, he is a service dog in training. Delores bought a roomy crate and bed for him to use at the store as well as a gazillion toys.

## Trivia

* Her family is Catholic, Herb's family is Lutheran. Since Herb's mother has married Jack, Lisa's father, the entire family alternates which church they attend. One week it is the Lutheran, the next week it is the Catholic church.

## References

1. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Key Lime Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 9) (p. 230). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.