Hannah Swensen Mystery #25
Bakery owner Hannah Swensen is leaving Lake Eden to help a friend in sunny California. But an unexpected phone call swiftly brings her back to a cold Minnesota winter . . . and murder . . .
When Hannah learns that her sister Michelle’s boyfriend, Detective Lonnie Murphy, is the prime suspect in a murder case, she flies straight home from a Los Angeles movie sound stage to frigid Minnesota. But proving Lonnie’s innocence will be harder than figuring out what went wrong with a recipe, especially with Lonnie’s hazy memory of the night in question. Hannah doesn’t know what to believe. Before everything comes crashing down on Lonnie like a heaping slice of coconut layer cake, it’ll be up to Hannah to rack up enough clues to toast a flaky killer . . .
Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!
CHAPTER 1
Hannah Swensen was just taking the last pan of Cocoa Crisp Cookies out of her industrial oven when her partner, Lisa Beeseman, pushed open the swinging door that separated The Cookie Jar coffee shop from the kitchen. “There’s a phone call for you, Hannah. It’s Doc Knight, and he says he needs to talk to you.”
“Thanks, Lisa.” Hannah shoved the pan of cookies on a shelf in the bakers rack and hurried across the kitchen to grab the phone. Her heart was pounding hard, and it wasn’t from her dash across the floor. She’d been waiting for Doc’s call for two days now, and he was finally ready to give her the results of her test.
“Hello?” she said breathlessly.
“Hi, honey.” Doc’s voice was warm and Hannah wondered what that meant. “Can you come out to the hospital now? I need to see you.”
“I . . . yes, of course I can. But . . .”
“I just got the results of your tests,” Doc interrupted what was bound to be a question from his stepdaughter. “I’ll see you in a few minutes, then. When you get to the hospital, come straight to my office. I’ll be waiting for you.”
There was a click as Doc ended the call. It was clear he wouldn’t answer any of her questions over the phone. Hannah was frowning as she replaced the receiver in the cradle. Couldn’t Doc just tell her what she wanted to know? All she needed was a simple yes or no answer . . . unless there was something else wrong that he’d discovered from her lab test results.
You don’t need any new worries, her rational mind told her.
Of course you don’t, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing else wrong, her suspicious mind insisted. It could be anything. Hepatitis, a blood infection, an incurable disease that you picked up from traveling on your honeymoon . . .
The only way she’d find out was to see Doc in person and Hannah knew it. She hurried across the kitchen and grabbed her parka from the rack by the back door. She didn’t want to speculate about any more dire possibilities. They were endless. She’d just tell Lisa that she was leaving, get in her cookie truck, and drive to the hospital to hear what Doc had to tell her.
During her uneventful drive to Doc’s Lake Eden Hospital, Hannah did her best to think positive thoughts. She pulled into the parking lot, parked in the visitors’ section, and rushed in without taking advantage of the electric sockets on the posts in front of each parking spot to plug in the block heater in her truck.
“Hi, Hannah,” the volunteer at the receptionist’s desk greeted her as she came in. “Doc’s waiting for you in his office.”
“Thank you.” Hannah signed the visitors book and hoped she didn’t look as anxious as she felt as she walked down the hall. When she reached Doc’s office, she took a deep breath for courage and opened the door.
“Hello, Hannah. He’s in the inner office,” Doc’s secretary, Vonnie, told her. “Go right in.”
Hannah thanked her and opened the door. She found Doc sitting at his desk, riffling through a stack of medical journals.
“Sit down, Hannah,” Doc said, gesturing toward the chair in front of his desk. “No, you’re not pregnant.”
The news hit her like a blow between the eyes. “I’m not?” she managed a response.
“No, the sample we took was conclusive.”
Hannah leaned back in the chair and grasped the arms tightly. “I . . . I don’t know if I’m supposed to be devastated or relieved.”
“Of course you don’t. If I had to guess, I think you’re a little bit of both.”
“Yes,” Hannah said past the lump that was forming in her throat. “But, Doc . . . something’s wrong.”
“Yes, it is. It’s stress.”
“Stress?” Hannah stared at him in shock.
“Yes, stress can take a toll on the human body, and you’ve been under extreme stress ever since Ross left Lake Eden. Stress throws off your body clock, plays havoc with your nervous system, and mimics symptoms of diseases you never believed you could contract. Every day someone comes in here believing that they’re having a coronary event and it turns out to be a panic attack.”
“But, Doc . . . I don’t feel that stressed.”
“Perhaps you don’t think so, but believe me, you’re stressed. And eventually, extreme stress will manifest itself in actual disease. That’s why your mother and I have decided that you’re going to take a little vacation.”
“Vacation?” Hannah repeated the word. Her mind was spinning and she couldn’t seem to think of anything else to say.
“That’s right. Your mother got a call from Lynne Larchmont yesterday. Lynne made an offer on Tori Bascomb’s condo, and the mayor and Stephanie accepted it.”
Hannah blinked several times, trying to process this new, surprising information. “That’s . . . great.”
“Exactly what your mother said. And once she told me about it, I urged her to call Lynne back and tell her that you two will fly out to Los Angeles to help Lynne get things packed up for the movers.”
“You mean . . . Mother and me?”
Doc nodded. “Precisely. I made the plane reservations for both of you last night. You’ll be at Lynne’s house by the end of the week.”
“But . . .” Hannah stopped talking when Doc held up his hand.
“I know that Friday is Valentine’s Day, but I’ve already talked to Marge and Nancy, and they’d promised to fill in for you at The Cookie Jar. Lisa assures me that they can handle anything that might come up, Michelle has agreed to stay at your condo with Moishe to oversee the work that’s being done there, and Cyril will drive you to the airport in one of his limos.”
Hannah just stared at him blankly. It seemed that Doc had thought of everything.
“Here,” Doc said, handing her a prescription blank. “I’ve prescribed a vacation and you will go. I won’t listen to any objections. You’re my patient and you’ll follow my recommendation. And besides, I love you, Hannah.”
Tears sprang to Hannah’s eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that Doc loved her. She gave a little nod, and then she managed a smile.
“Good!” Doc got up and walked around his desk to give her a hug. “There’s another factor, too.”
Hannah stared at him with some trepidation. “What’s that?”
“You’re not the only one who needs a vacation.”
Hannah took a moment to digest that comment. “You mean . . . you’re going to Los Angeles with us?”
“No, but your mother’s going. And that means I get a vacation. You’re doing me a big favor, Hannah.”
Hannah couldn’t help it. She burst into laughter. This wasn’t the first time she’d been delighted that her mother had married Doc.
Doc smiled, and then his expression sobered. “You have no idea how worried your mother has been about you. It’ll do her a world of good to spend some time in California with you and Lynne. And, to be perfectly honest, it’s going to be a lot less stressful around here with both of you gone.”
“Mother’s been that worried?”
“Yes. You’ll go, won’t you, Hannah?”
“I . . .” Hannah dipped her head in a nod. “Yes, if you really think I should.”
"I do. Helping Lynne pack will give you something else to think about, not to mention that your mother will be fascinated with the lifestyle in California. Lynne told her that she lives in a place called Brentwood and quite a few celebrities live there. Your mother doesn’t think I know, but she has several subscriptions to those celebrity, tell-all magazines. And that’s our secret, okay?”
“Okay,” Hannah agreed. Perhaps it would be best to get away and gain a new perspective.
“Lynne’s very excited about moving here to Lake Eden, Hannah. She said she’s looking forward to being around real friends.”
Hannah began to smile. “Well . . . in that case . . . What time do we leave?”
“On Friday morning. Get things settled with your crew at The Cookie Jar and then meet with Michelle. She can bring you whatever you need from the condo.”
Quite unexpectedly, Hannah felt a surge of excitement. The world suddenly seemed less dreary, even though the skies were gray and overcast and snow was predicted. “Thank you, Doc,” she said. “I’m going to drive over to Mother’s and ask her advice on what I should pack.”
Release Date: October 4, 2024
Release Time: 84 minutes
Director: Kevin Leslie
Cast:
Alison Sweeney as Hannah Swensen
Victor Webster as Chad
Barbara Niven as Delores
Tess Atkins as Michelle
Mike Dopud as Sheriff Ron Ealing
Lisa Durupt as Andrea
Daylin Willis as Lonny
Brittany Mitchell as Darcy
Juliana Wimbles as Lisa
Brendon Zub as David Vaughn Patrick
Joanne Fluke is the multi-book New York Times bestselling Cozy Mystery author of over 20 novels in the Hannah Swensen Mysteries series. Like Hannah Swensen, she was born and raised in a small town in rural Minnesota, but now lives in sunny Southern California. She is currently working on her next Hannah Swensen mystery, "Coconut Layer Cake Murder" ( available on Amazon.com for pre-order NOW!) Readers are welcome to contact her at the following e-mail address: Gr8Cles@joannefluke.com, or by visiting her website.
EMAIL: Gr8Cles@joannefluke.com
Coconut Layer Cake Murder #25
Series
Film
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👀Films 1-5 under Murder, She Baked
6-current under Hannah Swensen not linked to these except Wiki👀
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