Hannah Swensen/Chronology

## Hannah Swensen Articles

Hannah Swensen by PhantasmMarquesses at deviantart.com

* Hannah's Biography
* Hannah's Relationships
* **Novel Chronology**
* Movies Chronology

**Please Be Warned, Spoilers are on this page!**

## Chronology by Novel

### Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Hannah's life is typical. She works hard at the Cookie Jar with her asistant, Lisa Herman while trying to fend off her pushy mother, Delores, who believes she needs to settle down with a husband. As Hannah notices something is off, she is asked to babysit her niece while her sister is busy with work. It is in this time Hannah stumbles upon Ron LaSalle's corpse and makes a call to the police and over time, her curiousity gets the better of her when she begins to accidentally learn more than she intended during work.

Eventually Hannah ends up working alongside Bill after realizing how helpful she is after she finds out during his morning routine, Ron had a female with him. They manage to track down the owner of the lipstick on the cup and the girl confesses to being with him- but not for the reason they expected, and with her lead, Hannah manages to mark off a few more suspects. In this time, she also gets to know the recent man her mother was setting her up with, Norman Rhodes, and prepares for the annual, upcoming Woodley party. She agrees to go with Norman as friends to get both of their mothers off of their backs, then returnes to her sleuthing- with Andrea tagging along as they go to investigate the *Cozy Cow Dairy* when they are informed nobody had seen Ron's boss, Max Turner in a while.

The girls' fear is confirmed after they find Max's car and items he planned to take with him still in his garage, and they head into his office to find various documents among Max's corpse. After informing the police and spending a good few hours trying to calm down Andrea, Hannah gets to know a new detective coming to Lake Eden- the handsome Mike Kingston who makes quite the impression on her.

With further deduction Hannah is finally led onto something and goes to speak to Judith Woodley, worried that her husband, Del Woodley might be seen as a suspect, although she believes he is innocent. She asks for some proof to prove he is, and reveals what she knows to Judith- who shocks her by revealing it was her who killed Max and Ron. She makes plans to take out Hannah know that she knows the truth, but with a distraction Hannah momentarily blinds her with the recently made tea and grabs her gun, keeping her out of harms way until the police can arrive to arrest her.

### Strawberry Shortcake Murder

The first annual Hartland Flour Dessert Bake-Off is held at Lake Eden and Hannah is the senior judge out of five.
The Hartland Flour owner, Mr. Hart suggested that Hannah bake a dessert on TV each night of the contest. Her baking is used as a background to the nightly news and then she serves the finished dessert to the anchors at the end of the show.

When coach Boyd Watson is murdered right after he returns home from judging the bake-off, his wife  Danielle calls Hannah first. Hannah tells her she will be right over, but to call 911.

Mike puts Danielle high on the list of suspects, Hannah needs to clear her friend’s. Lucy Richards is killed and she finds out from Norman that Lucy is blackmailing him. Hannah suspects that there are a few other people being blackmailed. With the help of Andrea they break into Lucy’s apartment and find her secret hiding place. With the blackmail evidence, there is an undeveloped role of film that Hannah takes to Norman. The pictures were not very clear but they capture Boyd’s murder and an image of a cuff-link that the murderer is wearing. The cuff link is an antique that Hannah recognizes the type so is on the hunt for who wore them.

She returns Norman’s unopened letter that Lucy had and Norman tells her that he would tell her what was in it before he ever asks her to marry him.

Hannah puts the clues together and eventually finds out who the murderer is. But the murderer figured out that Hannah was close to identifying him, so he sets a trap for her. Mike arrives in time to save Hannah, but Hannah has already saved herself, by hitting the culprit over the head with a spider (cast iron pan).

### Blueberry Muffin Murder

Mike and Hannah continue to occasionally date with Andrea and Bill throwing them together, while Delores and Carrie continue to push Norman at her.

Hannah runs into her old school chum, Greg Canfield who is staying with his Grandmother in the same complex that Hannah lives in.
Lake Eden’s effort to bring tourist to town during the usually dead winter months, they hold a winter festival with contests and celebrity guest hostess. Connie Mac, is getting ready to open up one of her signature kitchen boutique stores in the Tri-County Mall so was planning on being in the area for the grand opening. After Connie Mac arrives in Lake Eden she starts pushing everyone to change things around to better suit her.

When Hannah is asked by Mayor Bascomb to take Connie Mac on a tour of the venues where the events are to be held, Andrea begs to be included. It doesn’t take long for Hannah to have enough of the prima donna and for her to leave Andrea to finish the tour. Hannah has her hands full with running The Cookie Jar.

The cake that Connie Mac made for the Banquet is involved in an accident, Hannah is begged to let Connie Mac use her kitchen to make a new one. With misgivings Hannah agrees, but the next morning when she arrives, she finds a huge mess and the cakes in the oven charred to blacken coals. Hannah also finds Connie Mac murdered in her pantry.

Blocked from using the kitchens at “The Cookie Jar” and her business closed, Hannah and gang investigate so her business can be cleared. Hannah talks to Connie Mac’s entourage staying at the Lake Eden Inn, while Lisa use Sally’s kitchen to bake the cookies that they need to fulfill their agreements. When Hannah discovers several secrets from those closest to the celebrity hostess, but nothing she thinks caused Connie Mac’s death she pursues other avenues.

When Hannah discovers that the story that Greg Canfield had told her was all lies, she starts looking into the rental agreement for Connie Mac’s boutique. Late one night while she is at the boutique with Andrea, going through their paperwork looking for more information, Greg comes in and attempts to stop Hannah from uncovering the truth. Hannah has Andrea hide and call 911, the sheriff’s deputies arrive in time to arrest Greg and to save Hannah.

### Lemon Meringue Murder

Norman and Hannah won first place in the Dream House contest and Hannah uses the money to make some improvements at the store.
Hannah goes with Delores and Norman to see what was left behind in the house that he bought.
When Delores finds Rhonda’s body and partially buried in the basement, Hannah has no plans to get involved in the investigation. Delores insists that she will investigate as she thinks that she owes it to Rhonda.

With Norman, Lisa and Andrea’s urging she gives in and starts to investigate Rhonda’s last few days as she did see what was in the garbage can just before it was collected and dumped so she had a clue that the Sheriff’s department doesn’t have.

Hannah discovers from Rhonda’s cleaning lady that Rhonda often used the cabin for overnight guests, so she uncovers just who Rhonda was having an affair with.

Hannah also discovers that Rhonda’s vacation plans weren’t exactly what she had said, instead her travel itinerary was for a one-way ticket to Zurich.

During the investigation, a new old bill from the 1970’s was received at The Cookie Jar and Hannah visits the bank to make sure it wasn’t counterfeit. She finds out that the bill was from a robbery in Redwing in 1974. The bank arranges to notify all the business holders to be on the look-out for the bills.

Hannah is increasing doubtful about the influence that Jed has over his cousin Freddy. She agrees to hiding something for Freddy.

After Hannah and Michelle find Freddy near death at the lake, during the Fourth of July Fireworks, Hannah talks with Jed to let him know that Freddy was taken to the hospital.

Later, Jed locks Hannah inside her walk-in freezer and blocks the air vents and breaks the override switch that opens the freezer from the inside. Hannah was able to figure out how to short-out the electricity so that the store’s alarm goes off. Herb Beeseman lets Hannah out of the freezer and radios the Sheriff’s office explaining that Jed was on his way to the hospital to finish killing Freddy.

Rhonda had discovered the money from the bank robbery, hidden in her Great Aunt’s basement. Jed got wind of where the money was and murdered Rhonda for it, but unlike Rhonda, he starts spending it which is what alerted everyone that the old bank robbery money had been found.

### Fudge Cupcake Murder

Beatrice Koester wants to include her mother-in-law’s recipe for Fudge Cupcakes but there is a secret ingredient that is missing. Alma Koester would never share what the missing ingredient is and told one of her friends that she would take it to the grave with her, and she did.

Hannah keeps experimenting with batches of the Fudge Cupcakes, Beatrice and Ted taste her results to see if she is got it.

Hannah is organizing a “Lake Eden Cookbook” and the recipes have to be tested. She enlists the help of her students at night school when she substitutes for Pam Baxter.

After one of her classes, Hannah discovers the body of Sheriff Grant. Since Mike is teaching in the next class, she tells him and he takes over. As senior Deputy he becomes the acting Sheriff, he suspends Bill Todd from the investigation because Bill is running against the Sheriff in the upcoming elections, so is a prime candidate for the murderer.
With Bill at home instead of working, Andrea begs Hannah to help her investigate Sheriff Grants murder. Hannah discovers that the Sheriff was not well liked by anyone, including those that worked for him. Just before an election the sheriff would take over a high-profile case and investigate it himself, so that he could get the credit for solving it. Hannah digs deep to find out what the sheriff was working on and while digging she finds out other people’s secrets too.

And what is up with Mike? Does Mike have a new love interest? Or is he as innocent as he claims. Norman is there as solidly as ever and Hannah knows that she would never have to worry about him.

When Hannah finally finds the missing ingredient to the Fudge Cupcakes and takes her latest batch out to the Lake Eden Salvage Yard for Beatrice to taste, she stumbles on the answer to a few of her questions. When Beatrice must leave to help her granddaughter, Hannah offers to mind the desk until Ted returns. While waiting for Ted a few more questions are answered. But when Ted returns, he sees that Hannah has figured out that he killed the Sheriff and why.

Mike and Bill arrive in time to save Hannah from being compacted along with the car she is hiding in.
Bill won the election and is the new Sheriff.

### Sugar Cookie Murder

It is the big community Buffet dinner where all the recipes for the “Lake Eden Cookbook” will be final tested and served.
When one of the members from the community brings his new, surprised bride, a Los Vegas showgirl and Delores brings her new love interest, [[Winthrop Harrington II| Winthrop], Hannah is in a tizzy. Top it all off with everyone being snowed in at the community center due to a raging snow blizzard and Mike not there because he is taking Shawna Lee Quinn to the airport.
Delores insisted that Hannah use a valuable antique silver cake knife, incrusted with real gems, to cut her cake. Norman takes pictures for the cookbook and her publisher came to town to experience the Buffet.

When the valuable knife comes up missing along with the new Los Vegas showgirl bride Hannah and the gang are on the hunt. Hannah discovers the missing bride, murdered with the cake knife, in the parking lot. Mike arrives back just in time to take over the scene of the crime and starts the questioning. While people that know about the murder are keeping it quiet so that everyone else doesn’t panic Hannah and friends are looking for clues. But every time Hannah tries to talk to Mike or pass on information to him, he is short and abrupt with her and tells her to stay out of his business.

When Hannah finally finds out what really happens thanks to some clues that she found in Norman’s pictures, she has the accidental culprit go to Mike and tell him what happens.

### Peach Cobbler Murder

Shawna Lee Quinn is back in Lake Eden and opens the Magnolia Blossom Bakery right across the street from The Cookie Jar. Along with her sister Vanessa they are undercutting Hannah’s prices and the towns people have deserted her. Mike is spending more time at Shawna Lee’s bakery then at Hannah’s shop and even her mother is going over to the enemy.

When Hannah starts to mention that she is going to have to close “The Cookie Jar” at the end of the month her friends and family get into gear to bring back her business. But it isn’t until Shawna Lee is shot, the day of Lisa’s wedding, that the towns people return to “The Cookie Jar”.

Hannah is the main suspect, until she provides an iron clad alibi. For part of the time in question she was in full view at the wedding and for the rest of the time she was driving the limo taking the bride and groom to the Lake Eden Inn where the reception was held.
Then there is the problem with  Winthrop, her mother’s new love interest. When Delores finds a picture of Shawna Lee and Winthrop she asks Hannah and Andrea to find out why.

With Norman’s help she tracks down the photographer and eventually finds out Winthrop’s real name. With that information she discovers that he is a con artist and an escape prisoner. He shot Shawna Lee, thinking she was Vanessa who he as a long history with.

At the end both Mike and Norman propose, but she doesn’t give either one an answer.

### Cherry Cheesecake Murder

Everyone in town is noising in Hannah’s personal life, demanding that she tells one of her suiters yes and the other no. After six phone calls from various people, including Bill Todd, the new Sheriff, and the Mayor, Hannah is steaming. Hannah discovers that both Norman and Mike are at Hal & Rose's Cafe downing cups of coffee, she storms in and discovers that Hal is running a betting pool on her decision. She tells both of them “No” and that when she is ready to get married, she will do the asking. They both ask her if she will still go out with them and she tells them yes.

A movie production is coming to Lake Eden, Michelle is the production assistant and when she goes to introduce the producer-writer to Hannah, she discovers that they already know each. Ross Barton, known to Hannah as Ross Bartonovich, from her college days. Along with Linda who is now Lynne with a new look and the leading lady of the movie, they were known as the Three musketeers.

Hannah is hired to provide the Director with a Cherry Cheesecake every morning. The director likes it so much that he tells her he wants two a day, one in the morning and one after lunch. Besides providing the cheesecakes, The Cookie Jar is being used by the major staff of the movie as a break and lunch room, so Lisa and Hannah must keep the store stocked with coffee, cookies and other delights. Sack lunches are provided by Sally at the Lake Eden Inn where the stars are staying.

When the prop gun is switched with a live gun and the director, acting out the suicide scene kills himself in front of everyone on set, Hannah must discover who did it and how they hid the prop gun before they were searched.

While investigating she uncovers long buried secrets held by a member of the community.

While Ross is wining and dining Hannah, Norman and Mike make their presence known and try to prevent Ross and Hannah from spending any alone time.

Just before Ross leaves town he gives her a pendant, with red stones in miniature cherries.

### Key Lime Pie Murder

It is the Tri-County Fair and Hannah is busy. She is one of the judges for the “Baked Goods” category at the fair and so must be there every evening. While during the day she is running The Cookie Jar which is practically empty and baking cookies for the Lake Eden booth at the fair.

With her sisters and nieces entered pageants and contests she has to support them, then there is the shift that her mother signed her up for at the Lake Eden Historical Society dunk tank.

Hannah finds one of her fellow judges, Willa Sunquist murdered. Hannah digs deeper into the workings of the fair and the Rodeo. With the help of Norman and the rest of her posse they find out what secrets that Willa was hiding.

When Norman and Hannah are followed late one night, Norman shows his driving skills and Hannah is amazed. When asked Norman admits that he was a race car driver for a few years while attending college. Hannah realizes that she doesn’t really know Norman after all.

At the end of the book, Hannah is wearing earrings that match the Pendant that Ross Barton gave her before he left town.

### Carrot Cake Murder

Hannah is helping her business partner, Lisa with the Beeseman-Herman Family Reunion. But then one of the relatives is murdered, Hannah can’t help but get involved, especially when it looked like Lisa’s father, Jack Herman may have been the murderer.

Mike offers to share information with Hannah, if she does the same. But Hannah soon realizes that Mike isn’t sharing everything. Then she sees Mike and Ronni Ward having Pizza together and she wonders if it is going to be a repeat of the same things that happened with Shawna Lee Quinn?

But Norman is helping with the investigations and goes to Atlantic City to find out about the victim, Gus Kleins‎‎, Norman calls her to tell her what he finds, that everything Gus told them about his life was a lie. Norman also explains all about what happened to him in Seattle that he was being blackmailed by Lucy Richards in Strawberry Shortcake Murder. Hannah didn’t find it as shocking or upsetting as Norman had expected.

At the end of the book, during the usual celebratory dinner at the Lake Eden Inn, Delores finally tells everyone why she had been acting mysteriously. She has written her first “Regency Romance” novel and a major publisher bought it. She also tells everyone that they were her inspirations for the characters in the book and now Hannah is thinking she needs to sell her business and move far, far away.

After leaving the dinner, she invites both Norman and Mike to her condo to watch a movie, but they both turn her down. Just as she was feeling rejected, Ross calls her and lets her know that he is in Minneapolis for an 8-hour layover before he continues to New York. He invites Hannah to come for dinner and she agrees.

### Cream Puff Murder

Hannah’s mother’s book launch party is just two weeks away and when she goes to Clare’s to try on the custom dress that Delores had ordered for her, she can’t get it buttoned. Andrea is there trying on her dress which was a perfect fit, and when they learn that there isn’t anything Clare can do about the dress in time for the party, Andrea goes into action, dragging Hannah to the “Heavenly Body” fitness center as her guest.

Hannah must lose about twenty pounds in two weeks and she hates exercise and dieting, but she is willing to give it a try so that her mother won’t be disappointed.

Her mother changes her mind about the special dessert, so when one of The Cookie Jar customers reminds Delores about the tiny cream puffs that were served at her second-grade birthday party, Delores decides that she must have them for her book launch party. Tiny Cream puffs with an assortment of fillings. Hannah has never made cream puffs before, but finds a basic recipe that she experiments with and adjusts after each failure. She then makes an assortment of fillings. One of her successful batches is going to be served to her customers for a taste test, but Mike sees them and talks Hannah into giving them to him for a birthday party. He never mentions who’s.

Andrea and Hannah head to the fitness center each morning, then stay for body sculpturing classes. When their class instructor breaks his arm, Ronni Ward takes over the class and procedures to insult all the women until Hannah steps in.

Early one morning after Hannah is finished exercising, she heads to the jacuzzi before the class and finds the cream puffs that she gave Mike, scattered and smashed in the Snack Shack. She also finds Ronni, dead in the jacuzzi.

Four of the detectives at the Sheriff’s department, including the Sheriff are excused from the investigation because of their involvement with the victim. All four of them offer lists of instructions to Hannah about investigating procedures. Mike sends Norman with books and lists for Hannah. Norman, Andrea, Michelle, Delores and Carrie all want to help Hannah. Hannah ignores the investigation procedures that the detectives gave her and continues the way she has always worked. As suspect after suspect is cleared, she starts looking at unlikely possibilities and then Michelle remembers why one of the mall security guards seem familiar. She remembers that Tad Newberg was a security guard at her college and left after it was discovered that he was a stalker.

Working on everything including her exercise program for long hours and being short of sleep, Hannah finally succumbs and stays over at Normans one night, platonically, because she was just too tired to drive home. Norman has been very helpful and supportive of her diet and even helping to create interesting dishes for her that are very low calorie but scrumptiously tasty. Hannah realizes just how much thought Norman has put into their dream house, including monogramed towels with her initial and a new sleep shirt waiting for her.

Hannah is closing on the culprit but is slightly off, when the real murder ambushes her and locks her in the sauna. She remembers Herb’s discussion with her about alarms and that the fitness center uses smoke alarms that are directly wired into the fire department. She was able to set off that alarm and Mike was there to help rescue her and send the deputies after the real culprit.

The day of Delores’ launch party arrives and Hannah tries on her custom dress, and it is slightly too big.
At the party as she is serving her cream puffs, many people pull Hannah aside to mention how they thought that the hero or heroine was based on them, as they read the passages to her that they though was proof, she just comments, “Amazing”.

### Plum Pudding Murder

Delores and Carrie had signed up for Miss Whiting class for Small Business at the Lake Eden Community College. When Carrie cancelled out, Delores talked Hannah in attending. Just before class Hannah and Delores ran into Bradford Ramsey, he didn’t recognize Hannah but she recognized him. Delores was confused over Hannah’s reaction, but Hannah refused to explain.

Norman was waiting for Hannah in the parking lot, to drive her home as he wanted to talk to her about his mother cancelling their weekly dinner for three weeks in a row.

Hannah didn’t really want to go anywhere for dinner so she invited him back for dinner at her condo. Just as they finished their dessert of Hot Fudge Sundae Cakes when Mike knocks on her door.

When Andrea Todd|Andrea]] calls in a panic because Tracey volunteered her mother to get the Christmas Tree for her class and it was due the next morning. Hannah agrees to meet her at the Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot in an hour, Mike and Norman volunteer to go with. Norman drove Hannah and Mike arrived in his squad car. While Norman is helping Andrea with picking out a tree, Mike and Hannah look up Larry Jaeger , the owner of the lot. Larry doubled his cookie order with Hannah because they were running out of cookies by late afternoon and the evening crowd was disappointed. Larry wants a dessert type of goodies besides the cookies so she agrees to make a plum pudding, that isn’t like the usual fruit cake kind, but one with real plums in it. They also went on a Farris Wheel ride and Mike almost invited her to go with him on his winter vacation to the tropics, but he changed the subject before he finished that thought. Hannah realized that he stopped himself and she was disappointed in him.

Norman and Hannah are out for dinner when the found a clue to what is going on with Carrie that is causing her to cancel out on everyone. On their way to the Christmas tree lot so Hannah could pick up a check from Larry, Norman asks her if she wants to go away for a weekend in Palm Springs, but she said she couldn’t go during the Christmas season and wanted to table the discussion until February. When they arrived at the lot, they found that Larry had been shot.

Hannah and Norman solve the mystery of what Carrie is up to. And Hannah figures out that the teacher, Miss Whiting, for “Best Business Practices” class that her mother was taking, was the daughter of “Salvatore Bianco”, the man that committed suicide over losing his entire savings to one of Larry’s scams was the murderer.

At the end of the book, Hannah hosts a big Christmas Eve dinner. Michelle had ask her if she could invites some of her friends over for dessert. Hannah is shocked that Michelle’s friend is Bradford Ramsey and relieved that he doesn’t seem to remember her.

### Apple Turnover Murder

Norman is in Minneapolis visiting friends from his past. When he calls Hannah he is acting strange with her, but he never explains what is going on and Hannah is concerned. With Norman away she is missing part of her crew to help solve the murder.

The Mayor and Mrs. Bascomb drop in on Lisa and Hannah to enlist their last minute help with the Combined Charities fund raiser which Mrs. Bascomb is chairing. It seems that their chocolatier has cancelled their order and they want The Cookie Jar to provide 1200 frosted sugar cookies in just a few days. While Hannah is struggling to come up with a diplomatic way of telling them they can’t do it, Mrs. Bascomb offers to pay for the ingredients, which Hannah is even more upset over as this is their busiest time providing treats for weddings, graduations, reunions and other events.

Lisa finally speaks up and tells the mayor and wife that they can’t do it, that frosting the cookies is to labor intensive to be able to provide them, but they could provide 1200 chocolate sugar cookies at cost and then she suggests that they set up an Apple Turnover stand that is staffed with volunteers to reheat the turnovers, and sell them. That they would donate 50% of their profits to the charities.

Hannah is panicking and hoping that Lisa knows what she is doing, after the Mayor and wife leave, Lisa reassures Hannah that yes she has the recipe for chocolate sugar cookies, which she has made before and people love them. She hasn’t made apple turnovers before but her mother-in-law, Marge has and that she has an easy recipe for them. Lisa also says that she can enlist Marge’s sister  Patsy’s help and probably others.

Then Herb’s magician assistant comes down with the flue and he asks Hannah to reprise her role as his assistant one more time for the amateur contest at the charity fund raiser.

While at the mandatory review the day before the amateur talent contest, they sit next to twins Perry and Sherri Connors, that are on the cusp of national fame as a dance team. They aren’t competing but planning on doing a demonstration dance, with Perry giving a little speech about being raised at the Children’s Home and how much they need the donations. But Sherri is sick and Hannah assists her, finally convincing Perry to take Sherri to the doctor.

After Herb’s act is finished, Bradford corners Hannah and makes it clear that he now remembers her and expects her to fall back into his bed, if she doesn’t he will persuade Michelle. Hannah threatens Bradford to leave Michelle alone or she will kill him and Herb over hears the threat. Hannah doesn’t want to risk running into Bradofrd again, so she stays in the dressing room through intermission, waiting to hear his voice back on state as the MC. When intermission is over she heads out, but she finds Bradford, dead behind the stage curtains.

Later, she tells Mike about threatening Bradford and the whole story about their history.

While Lisa is running their Apple Turnover assembly line back at the Cookie Jar, Andrea and Hannah dig up clues about the murder. While they are searching his apartment, Andrea discovers a very distinct valuable earring that Hannah recognizes. But while they are in the apartment someone else enters and the sisters hide. By peeking through the cracks in the closet door, Hannah sees Stephanie Bascomb who she knows is the owner of the earring. Hannah emerges from hiding to confront the mayor’s wife, holding out the earring. She gets the answers to her questions about an alibi and returns the earring.

When she has some questions for Perry, who is working on grounds maintenance, she tracks him down. He claims he is too busy to stop and chat with her, but that she can ride with him to the Spring Brook Cemetery and talk with him while he is taking measurements for the new lights. During their talk, Hannah realizes that Perry is the one that killed Bradford and he confessors, but decides that he has to kill Hannah. Hannah escapes and hides in the Henderson family crypt, remembering that Winnie had placed objects in there. Perry locks Hannah in and she can’t escape. Then she remembers that Herb is patrolling the cemetery every two hours so is waiting for his rounds. She also finds a dog whistle among the memorabilia for one of Winnie’s husband’s interment. When she hears Herb’s car, she blows the special signal for his dog, Dillon to come running. Dillon jumps out of the car and runs to the crypt that Hannah is locked in. When Herb follows the dog Hannah yells through the door and Herb rescues her. He calls in the information Hannah gives him and Perry is arrested by the Sheriff’s deputies.

At the celebratory dinner at the end of the book, Delores announces that Tracey and her are going to Rome to spend the last week of Carrie’s and Earl’s honeymoon with them.

Then Norman arrives with a guest:
“*I’d like you all to meet my new partner at Rhodes Dental Clinic, Doctor Beverly Thorndike*.”

### The Twelve Desserts of Christmas

Andrea’s old school friend, Jill is now a teacher at near local boarding school, just 45 minutes from Lake Eden. When Jill has to stay at the school over Christmas to help supervise the 6 children that aren’t going home for the holidays, she discovers that the schools cook didn’t leave any desserts for them. Jill is much like Andrea in that she can’t cook, but she remembers Hannah always providing treats for them. Jill calls Andrea for help with Christmas Desserts and Andrea goes to Hannah. Both Hannah and Lisa are on board with providing desserts to the children.

Hannah also arranges for all the people that usually attends her Christmas Eve dinner plus a few more, to have the dinner at the boarding school instead. The guests arrive with a huge Christmas Tree, presents and snowmobiles for activities to entertain the children. The cooks prepare the meal and the children had the best of time at the party.

### Devil's Food Cake Murder

Hannah investigates the death of a visiting minster at the Lutheran church, while Reverend Knudson and Claire Rodgers are on their honeymoon.

But which minister is the real one? Was the first one that was murdered Mathew or Paul?
With the help of Grandma Knudson and her usual crew, including Norman she digs deep into the mystery.
But then Norman abruptly stops helping her and is seen having dinner with Dr. Bev when he said that there was a dental emergency.

Once again Norman is shutting her out and not telling her what is really going on with him.

When Hannah finally figures out that the minister claiming to be Matthew is really his cousin Paul and Paul killed Matthew because he was preparing to turn Paul in for the Minneapolis jewelry heist, Paull is prepared to silence Hannah. Grandma Knudson helps to save Hannah and calls the sheriff to arrest Paul and recover the jewelry.

At the launch party for Delores’ second book Norman asks Hannah to keep Cuddles until he can find a new home for the cat. Hannah agrees to take the cat and give her a new home, but she is confused and wants an explanation. Norman finally tells her ...

If I don’t marry her, she won’t let me be a part of Diana’s life.” Hold it! What was going on here?! Hannah’s mind asked, and she couldn’t even begin to answer.
Who’s Diana?
Norman sighed heavily. “Bev was pregnant when she broke off our engagement, and she chose not to tell me. Diana is my daughter.”

### Cinnamon Roll Murder

Hannah and Michelle just miss being in a chain reaction accident while driving out to the Lake Eden Inn where Sally is hosting a jazz festival. They discover that the accident was caused by the buss of the headliner jazz group Cinnamon Roll Six also on their way to the Inn. They immediately call it in and then make their way to the bus to lend help. The people in the bus weren’t hurt except some minor sprains and bruises, except the bus dirver who was dead. They all go off to the hospital where someone kills Buddy, the keyboard player.

During their investigation into his murder, Hannah’s mother and sister stage an intervention with Hannah over her passivity concerning Norman’s upcoming wedding to Dr. Bev.

Andrea sets up a scheme to get Dr. Bev’s daughter’s DNA from where she is living in Minneapolis with Dr. Bev’s mother, Judy Thorndike.
When they got the results back it proved that Norman couldn’t be the father, but Norman had his own DNA test ran and he told Hannah the result before she confessed to everything. Norman found out all of the lies that Beverly had told him and the wedding was cancelled.

### Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

Beverly Thorndike is back with a new look and a new fiancé, Roger Dalworth. Roger’s father, Warren’s company "Dalworth Enterprises" just finished renovating Lake Eden’s rundown Albion Hotel into seven upscale luxury condos and it is opening night celebration. The Cookie Jar was hired to make Red Velvet Cupcakes for the event.

The celebration had barely started when they heard a screen and someone was seen falling from the roof. With everyone rushing to the windows and outside, Barbara Donnelly was soon found on the ground, barely alive.

When Hannah finally sees Barbara, she is dismayed about her appearance and that she is rambling and talking what sounds like nonsense to her and Delores.

Hannah arrives with Moishe, she tells Jenny that she will sleep there and Moishe sleeps with Barbara. During the night, Hannah wakes up and sees the monster’s shadow and Moishe streaks after a small animal. Hannah saw it go out the window from a tear at the bottom where it had been getting into the room, so she recognized it as an “Albino Weasel” and tells her mother and Doc about it. Freddy Sawyer fixes the window screen to keep wild animals out of the hospital.
(Note: many varieties of weasels do have a winter white coat, so it may not have been an albino, depends on the eyes if they were pink or black.)
Once Hannah figured out that the white monster was true, she starts believing Barbara about her brother.

In the meantime, Hannah has several conversations with the new Nurse, Jenny and she discovers that Jenny was a friend of Clay,  Cinnamon Roll Six’s bus driver that died at the wheel causing a massive chain reaction accident in Cinnamon Roll Murder. Hannah also discovers how Clay made the mistake of taking an overdose of his heart medicine. She reported the information to Mike who was then able to re-open the investigation and get the cause of death changed.
When Hannah is driving on Old Lake Road, she notices what looks like someone went off the road near Miller’s Pond. She pulls over to see if someone needs help and then sees that there is a car at the bottom of the small lake. As she gets closer, she recognizes the car and the driver still strapped in the seat. She dives in to rescue the driver in case they are still alive. She pulls Beverly out of her seat belt and attempts resuscitation before calling the authorities. The resuscitation was unsuccessful and Beverly was pronounced dead.

Hannah becomes the chief suspect in her murder as the only contents of was a Red Velvet Cupcake that was special ordered earlier that day from “The Cookie Jar”. Hannah eventually remembers that there was a thermos in her car and Mike sends down a diver to search for the thermos. Once the Thermos was retrieved, it was determined that the tranquilizers that killed Beverly was in the coffee. Hannah is cleared of suspicion.

The next day Hannah receives a very distinctive button in the mail with no note included. Hannah recognizes the button as belonging to Barbara. Norman recognizes the hand writing as Beverly’s. Hannah and Andrea search the Penthouse but don’t find any other clues.
While searching they hear the elevator and Hannah sends Andrea away down the stairs and to get help, while Hannah confronts Roger.

In the last chapter, Delores Swensen announces that her and Doc Knight are getting married and that they want the three sisters to plan the wedding and make all of the arrangements. That whatever they come up with will be fine with them. Hannah doesn’t believe it for a minute that Delores will stay out of the planning.

### Blackberry Pie Murder

Hannah is accused of Vehicular Homicide and the assistant DA is going to see her convicted. When he issues a warrant for Hannah’s arrest, Sheriff Bill Todd has to serve it because Mike refused. Because of Mike’s refusal he is suspended without pay. Michelle and Lonnie have plans to risk Hannah away before Bill arrests her and Andrea is furious at Bill. The entire drama is acted out at the Lake Eden Inn where Hannah and Norman were having dinner.

Rick Murphy is on duty at the jail and gives Hannah the larger holding cell to herself and she has a stream of visitors. Everyone brings her things to make the cell more comfortable because her arrest was on Friday evening and her arraignment won’t be until Monday Morning. Deloris calls Howie to meet Hannah at the jail, and Howie’s wife, Kitty, sends a care package to Hannah that included books. Howie tells Hannah that the Judge that will preside at her arraignment isn’t very sharp and is known for sleeping through the afternoon cases, but Howie got her on the docket for first thing Monday morning and he plans on sweetening the Judge up with a large coffee, just the way he likes it. Hannah is granted a very low bail and her mother said that she would post the bond. But when it comes time to post the bond, Delores is prepared to write a check, except they refuse to take personal checks. Delores and Andrea augur with the clerk about not taking the check when Normal arrives with the proper bank drafts and bails Hannah out.

Hannah goes into overdrive to find out who the stranger is and why he was standing on the shoulder of a country road during a lightning storm. It appears that the strange had stolen a blackberry pie that was cooling on the Winnie’s window and Connor caught up with him just moments before the storm hit. Connor saw that he was dragging a young woman from the forests and hit him a couple of times, knocking him out. The women escaped and ran away.

The trail to his identity leads back to the streets of Minneapolis where they find out he was a pimp and Winnie recognizes him as a very temporary worker for her one summer about ten years before, he disappeared about the same time a 14-year-old neighbor girl ran away, Jennifer Richardson.

Hannah, with the help of her friends, resolve the mystery of what he was doing in Lake Eden, but she is still guilty of vehicular homicide and her trial is set for early September with Judge Colfax.

### Double Fudge Brownie Murder

Delores and Doc are finally getting married, Hannah, Andrea and Michelle join them on the private jet to Los Vegas, where Hannah is surprised by Doc’s bestman Ross Barton.
Ross sweeps Hannah off of her feet and tells her that he is coming to Lake Eden to interview for a job at KCOW.
After Ross is offered and accepts the job at KCOW, he has to go back to California to pack up everything, while at the airport to leave, he proposes to Hannah and she accepts.
During all the upheaval in her life, Hannah’s trial for the death of Keith Branson is moved up and starts. But on the first day, Hannah and her lawyer are requested to visit the Judge in his chamber before the start of the trial. While waiting Howie steps out in the hall to take a phone call and Hannah hears a loud crash from the judges office. She goes to investigates and finds Judge Geoffrey Colfax dead.
Once again she is the prime suspect because at the time of his death, Hannah did not know that he had signed the order to dismiss her case. Hannah and her family investigate to clear her name.

At the end, Michelle tells Hannah that she entered her in the Food Channel’s National Dessert Baking competition and her entry was accepted as one of the five to compete.

### Wedding Cake Murder

Hannah is getting married! She wants to have the wedding before she goes to New York for a National Dessert Baking competition that Michelle entered her in. Her plan is to have a small family only wedding but her mother wants a big one and the towns people want to be invited. Grandma Knudson has a counselling season with Hannah and pulls no punches. She explains to Hannah how she is hurting Norman and Mike by having a small wedding. Hannah sees her points but she doesn’t have time to plan a large wedding, Grandma Knudson as the solution, Delores, Andrea and Michelle will do all of the planning, all she has to do is pick out her wedding dress and Claire Rodgers has ordered a selection for her to chose from.

Then the competition is moved up, but luckily it will be over with in time for Hannah to make her wedding date.

When she wins the “Hometown” challenge the competition moves to Lake Eden, specifically the Lake Eden Inn where Sally is delight with the national exposure and arranges with the “Food Channel” that they will film and air commercials for her Inn for three months.

The next morning after the Cake Challenge, Michelle and Hannah discover the body of Alain Duquesne, the head judge, in the walk in cooler.

Hannah has insider information with this murder investigation as she, Michelle and Ross put together the clues and come up with the killer. But when Hannah confronts the killer, she has to hide in a dumpster that is picked up and she is trapped just moments before her wedding. She is able to text Mike with the information of who the killer is and where she is at. Mike arranges for deputies to arrest the murderer and he rescues Hannah from the dumpster then rushes her to the church for her wedding. She is already late, but everyone is willing to wait for her as Grandma Knudson leads them all down to the basement to have cookies and coffee while Hannah gets cleaned up and dressed to be a bride.

### Banana Cream Pie Murder

Victoria Bascomb, the Mayor’s sister and a reknown stage actress is murdered in her condo at the Albion Hotel. Delores hears the gun shot and investigates, where she finds her friend Tori, dead.
At the end of the book, Hannah arrives home with Mike. Mike discovers the door unlocked and makes Hannah wait outside. When she enters the apartment Mike shows her the bedroom where there is clothes and suitcases strung around. Then on the dresser is Ross’ phone, billfold, and keys, but no Ross.
Ross has left and disappeared, after just two weeks of marriage.

## References

1. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Key Lime Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 9) (p. 351). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
2. ↑ Apple Turnover Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 13) (pp. 290-291). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fluke, Joanne. Devil's Food Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 14) (p. 332). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.