Barbara Donnelly

## Relations

**Mother**: Theresa**Father**: Patrick Donnelly

**Granddaughter**: Krista Donnelly

## Books

* Fudge Cupcake Murder
* Gingerbread Cookie Murder
* Sugar Cookie Murder
* Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

**Barbara Donnelly** Head secretary at the Winnetka County Sheriff’s office in Lake Eden.

## Biography

* Mother: Theresa Donnelly
* Father: Patrick Donnelly
* Biological Father: Warren Dalworth
* Half Brother: Roger Dalworth

There are major differences regarding her previous married and children's status. In Fudge Cupcake Murder she is watching her granddaughter at dance practice. And in Red Velvet Cupcake Murder it is stated that she probably never married.

## Chronology by Novel

### Fudge Cupcake Murder

{{quote|“Barbara’s going to be at Danielle Watson’s dance studio at three today. She’ll be watching her granddaughter’s dance practice.”|narrative|]]

She makes her first appearance in Fudge Cupcake Murder. After the Sheriff is murdered, she takes a leave of absences from the Sheriff's office. While watching her granddaughter at dance rehearsal, Hannah interviews her to get more details on what Sheriff Grant was up to in the week prior to his death and to beg Barbara to postpone her retirement for a few months and come back to work.

She passes on to Hannah the first clue that leads her to the identity of the murderer.

### Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

While attending the celebration for the completion of the renovations of the Albion Hotel in downtown Lake Eden, Barbara falls from the penthouse gardens 3 stories down to the ground which she survived.

Doc’s examination of her injuries show that her broken teeth are not consistent with a fall, but with her being hit several times. Also, that the trajectory of her fall shows that she jumped from the roof. It is suspected that she jumped to get away from her assailant. Doc believes that she will make a full recovery, but it is slow progress. Barbara is easily confused for a few weeks and has a problem remember people’s name. She knows it is her brother that attacked her on the roof but no one knows that she has a half-brother or her connection with Warren so she doesn’t seem to be making any sense.

She also keeps telling everyone that there is a while monster that comes into her room every night. She begs Hannah to bring Moishe to visit her. With Doc’s approval Hannah brings Moishe to the hospital and they visit Barbara, but Barbara wants Moishe to spend the night with her at the Hospital. When Hannah doesn’t come back that night, Barbara becomes very agitated until Hannah is called and she returns with Moishe. During the night Hannah wakes up from her cot in Barbara’s room, to see a smallish white shadow and then Moishe attacks. She sees the animal as it leaves through the window and realizes that it is an albino weasel that is getting in through the torn window screen. Once Hannah realizes that the “monster” was real, she starts to believe in the “brother” too.

## Trivia

* She likes to get her teeth lightened by Dr. Norman Rhodes.
* In Fudge Cupcake Murder she is watching her granddaughter’s dance rehearsal.
* In Red Velvet Cupcake Murder it is stated that she has never married and had no children.

## References

1. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Fudge Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 5) (p. 150). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
2. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 16) (p. 52). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.