Apple Turnover Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 13)

Joanne Fluke has done it again....Apple Turnover goodness just like I like it! A must read! Add this book to your collection now....and to help you get started with this book or others of Joanne Fluke visit the store today....they always have what you are looking for and affordable prices too....what are you waiting for? Think the store.....and enjoy the goodness of all their offers.

I begin a book by reading the back-cover blurb: "June in Lake Eden brings plenty of work for Hannah Swensen, including a three-day fundraiser. Hannah's business partner, Lisa, suggests setting up an apple turnover stand. Hannah agrees to be a magician's assistant in the event's talent show. The only snag is the show's host, Bradford Ramsey. Hannah had an unfortunate romantic relationship with Ramsey, and when he comes sniffing around between acts, Hannah tells him off. When the curtain doesn't go up, she discovers Ramsey dead --with a turnover in his hand. . . . "

When it's Joanne's Fluke's latest, I look at the recipes. I am not a good cook. Ilove easy, hint-filled dishes: Imperial Cereal, Wacky Cake, Too Easy Hot Dish, Aggression Cookies (Funny comments), all promise success.

Like her recipes, Fluke's story line is sprinkled with sweetness and humor: A wedding for Carrie Rhodes and Earl Flensburg; a cooking lesson for Tracey Todd; the donkey baseball game played by Gus York, Doug Greerson and Richard Bascomb (I think this is the first mention of the Mayor's given name); kitty sleep-overs for Moishe and Cuddles; a new police puppy for Herb Beeseman. (His name is Dillon); and, alas, the same old purple dress for Hannah, who is Amazing Herb's assistant.

But, Joanne Fluke continues to educate us as well, with insights into Jack Herman's Alzheimer's Disease and orphans and child abuse as seen through the eyes of new characters, Perry and Sherri Connors.

To me, Joanne Fluke is special. I save her until I "need a little Christmas, right this very minute." She always delivers. We are lucky. This title is number thirteen in the Hannah Swensen series, with more to come, including a cook book. Start with:Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries).

The stories are quite similar in all her books, but I enjoy the characters (like most series they expand) and I love the recipes in them. They are so easy to follow. My niece and I share the book and whenever she comes I try to make one of the recipes or when friends come over -I almost always have a good response to the recipes. The apple turnovers were great and easy to make! a fast read and always fun to try and guess who done it.

This adventure of Hannah's is exciting. The recipes are awesome. The ending is a surprise and I can't wait for the next book. I took this book to a local signing and Joanne Fluke is a sweet, intelligent lady and I love her books.

Joanne Fluke as usual delivers in the "Apple Turnover Murder". There are twists and turns throughout the book. Even on the last page you can hardly wait until her next book. The recipes as usual are easy and great! A must read!

I'm a committed Joanne Fluke & Hannah Swensen fan. I love the cozy mystery and these novels just have such a calming and positive effect on me. I'm giving 3.5 stars to Apple Turnover Murder, the 13th in this series. It was good and hit all the right spots, but left room for growth and more complexity. With 20+ books in the series, I can't give them all a 5, and even a 4 is sometimes too high. It doesn't mean I don't adore them. I just think it wasn't one of the top ones in the series. I like re-visiting all the characters and seeing the wonderful relationships between Hannah, her sisters, and her mothers. And I was even excited that there's quite an interesting turn-of-events in Hannah's relationships with her two suitors, Mike and Norman. Perhaps it's finally moving in the right direction. That said... not enough time was spent exploring the possible culprits or the depth of the victim who was murdered. I think there was more history to be told... I've already got books 14 and 15 from the series in my queue, and I was awarded the most current (22?) on NetGalley, so I have to catch up soon!

Awful. What year is this woman living in? Still dating 2 men in her 30s and blushes at thinking of anything more than kissing? Get real. No one uses names in every sentence when speaking to another either. And as someone who's lived in Minnesota for 41 years I can tell you that what the author thinks is normal for Minnesotan's is not! Also, I get that these books are a work of fiction but a normal civilian would not be able to be involved in a murder investigation like this broad is in all these books. I can't believe these books are still being published.

The Hannah Swensen mysteries are something I have followed since they were first published and I have read them all. This is the thirteenth installment and I think they are definitely losing steam. Side note: I truly enjoyed the holiday mystery, "Plum Pudding Murder", since a slow-paced comfort read is what I look for during that busy season, and it delivered.

I look forward each spring to settling in with Hannah and her friends and family as well as having a bit of intrigue mixed in. I was fairly disappointed with "Cream Puff Murder" which is the previous, non-holiday mystery and I felt the same way about this one. I could almost cut and paste my review from that book since I had many of the same reactions.

The mystery is a bit stronger in this story, but it is still more "cozy" than mystery. The body isn't discovered until almost half way into the book leaving the first 125 pages to ramble on about what is happening with Hannah and her family. With that many pages dedicated to the relationships and atmosphere, I would have hoped for more. While we catch up with our friends in Lake Eden, largely Hannah bakes, complains about not getting enough sleep, and drinks copious amounts of coffee to recharge after not getting sleep. As a 30-something adult, you think she would figure out just to go to bed. The Mike/Norman/Hannah triangle that appeared to begin being resolved in the last books has taken a step backward and Hannah is in full blown confusion about what to do regarding that situation. I am in totally agreement with other reviewers that this storyline has worn itself out and has reached the point of being nothing other than irritating. Hannah just is coming across as a nitwit at this point.

Bottom line: I usually read one of these books in about two days. This one took me four since I found I didn't particularly care anymore. I will probably try one more after this since the holiday book was so enjoyable, but other than that, the series has two strikes in the last two books. Three strikes and you are out. It may just have run its course - it's feeling very worn out to me.

Apple Turnover Murder is the 13th book in the series if you don't count Candy Cane Murder #11 as a whole book since it was about 110 pages but with two other stores after it, if you count Candy then it's #14 which is my count so I'm keeping it.

Anyways, this is a cozy murder mystery series, and even though it has progressed into double digits the schematics are still the same. This is a total getaway from modern things and stress, well other than all those murders, so if you expect Hannah to drop one of her two boyfriends or to stop acting like she's stuck in the fifties you might as well pick something else. I love the series, when I'm in the mood for it I always find it a nice way to spend time, there is eating galore in here and there are recipes which tie into the story, I made the Mocha Nut Butterballs as I read it and they were tasty little morsels to heave with tea. I supposed to me this is a cozy read because it feels like full blown nostalgia. Everything is so much simpler, Lake Eden feels like a place that time has forgotten but it sure has a lot of festivals and events which makes it the perfect back drop for getting more characters killed off and then the whole thing investigated.

Summer weather seems to bring out whacky things in Lake Eden, this time Hannah has her hands full baking hundreds of dozens of cookies and apple turnovers for a huge charity event happening in her little town, unfortunately for her the host of that event is Bradford Ramsey, her old college professor who has burned her in the past. Apparently Hannah had a fling with him, which in Hannah terms probably means some hot and passionate hand holding, I doubt he got as far with her as he did with every other female in the area because no one is surprised when he is discovered dead, of course eating one of her pastries. Revenge was sure sweet for someone in Lake Eden that day! The suspect line is a mile long, even Hannah finds herself shuddering at the thought that she could have been counted as one because of the way that Ramsey acted, but duty calls and snooping is her favorite past time so off she goes!

I have noticed the patterns, what is mentioned in beginning and when and then how it ties in the ending and it doesn't bother me, it's hardly a mystery you can solve the way you'd solve an Agatha Christie, which is usually way trickier, here you sort of learn who is the suspect versus connect the dots. This was one of the better plots for me, and it kept my curiosity high so that's a plus. Most of the time the characters that are being investigated have nothing to do with the crime which is pretty funny.. But I do appreciate the consistency and the ending here, whoa... call me curious! Has Norman finally grown a pair? I want the details, I want the details!!

- Kasia S.

When we last saw main character Hannah Swenson in Plum Pudding Murder, she had just been surprised by the re-appearance of her old college flame, Bradford Ramsey, into her life. In this latest offering from series author Joanne Fluke, Hannah of course winds up discovering yet another body, and this time, the victim is none other than the man who broke her heart, Bradford Ramsey himself! This time, the murder is set against the backdrop of Lake Eden's Combined Charities Drive (they sure have A LOT of events in that small town, don't they?).

The festivities follow fast on the heels of the wedding of Norman's mother, Carrie. Norman drops Carrie and her new husband off for their honeymoon trip and uses the opportunity to take a trip of his own, leaving town for several days to catch up with old friends. Because of this, most of APPLE TURNOVER MURDER focuses on the relationship between Hannah and Mike, who is both attentive and repentant for his past indiscretions. Although Hannah basks in Mike's new-found devotion, she also finds herself missing Norman, as even when he returns to town, he remains distant as he struggles to work through "a personal problem." This is an interesting twist that finally adds a bit of complexity to the standard Mike-Hannah-Norm love triangle that has been pretty much on auto-pilot through the previous half-dozen books or so.

Because the events of this book take place over the summer, Hannah's youngest, college-aged sister Michelle is also featured; she always adds a nice, more level-headed addition to the standard characters. A few new faces are introduced as well, and although some may find it easy to guess the identity of the murder, I admit, it didn't dawn on me until close to the end.

As always, Fluke includes plenty of recipes in this book (over 20). Unlike some of her previous books, in which she has started to feature more savory dishes, almost all of the recipes here are for sweets/desserts (a few of the exceptions include Sausage and Cheese Pancakes, Breakfast in a Muffin, and Too Easy Hotdish). I was a little disappointed to see a few recipes that are pretty commonly known, such as the ones for Wacky Cake and Chocolate Crack (aka Cracker Cookies). However, several others sounded interested and different to me, including Mocha Nut Butterballs, Sesame Seed Tea Cookies, and Cottage Cheese Cookies (a chocolate-based cookie).

Overall, I felt that this was a pretty good continuation of the series and better than the last few books by Fluke that I have read.

RECIPE UPDATE, 12/28/12:
I have now made a couple of the cookies from this book. The Sesame Seed Tea Cookies were a nice, not too sweet cookie that definitely go well with tea, but I have two recommendations: 1) toasting the sesame seeds first, and 2) rolling the TOPS of the cookies only in the seeds. I also made the Cottage Cheese Cookies for Christmas: these are a soft, chocolate brownie-like cookie, and you'd NEVER know that they are made with cottage cheese! For these I would definitely recommend cutting the recipe in half; you will still get several dozen cookies.

Apple Turnover Murder is the 13th book in the series if you don't count Candy Cane Murder #11 as a whole book since it was about 110 pages but with two other stores after it, if you count Candy then it's #14 which is my count so I'm keeping it.

Anyways, this is a cozy murder mystery series, and even though it has progressed into double digits the schematics are still the same. This is a total getaway from modern things and stress, well other than all those murders, so if you expect Hannah to drop one of her two boyfriends or to stop acting like she's stuck in the fifties you might as well pick something else. I love the series, when I'm in the mood for it I always find it a nice way to spend time, there is eating galore in here and there are recipes which tie into the story, I made the Mocha Nut Butterballs as I read it and they were tasty little morsels to heave with tea. I supposed to me this is a cozy read because it feels like full blown nostalgia. Everything is so much simpler, Lake Eden feels like a place that time has forgotten but it sure has a lot of festivals and events which makes it the perfect back drop for getting more characters killed off and then the whole thing investigated.

Summer weather seems to bring out whacky things in Lake Eden, this time Hannah has her hands full baking hundreds of dozens of cookies and apple turnovers for a huge charity event happening in her little town, unfortunately for her the host of that event is Bradford Ramsey, her old college professor who has burned her in the past. Apparently Hannah had a fling with him, which in Hannah terms probably means some hot and passionate hand holding, I doubt he got as far with her as he did with every other female in the area because no one is surprised when he is discovered dead, of course eating one of her pastries. Revenge was sure sweet for someone in Lake Eden that day! The suspect line is a mile long, even Hannah finds herself shuddering at the thought that she could have been counted as one because of the way that Ramsey acted, but duty calls and snooping is her favorite past time so off she goes!

I have noticed the patterns, what is mentioned in beginning and when and then how it ties in the ending and it doesn't bother me, it's hardly a mystery you can solve the way you'd solve an Agatha Christie, which is usually way trickier, here you sort of learn who is the suspect versus connect the dots. This was one of the better plots for me, and it kept my curiosity high so that's a plus. Most of the time the characters that are being investigated have nothing to do with the crime which is pretty funny.. But I do appreciate the consistency and the ending here, whoa... call me curious! Has Norman finally grown a pair? I want the details, I want the details!!

- Kasia S.

When we last saw main character Hannah Swenson in Plum Pudding Murder, she had just been surprised by the re-appearance of her old college flame, Bradford Ramsey, into her life. In this latest offering from series author Joanne Fluke, Hannah of course winds up discovering yet another body, and this time, the victim is none other than the man who broke her heart, Bradford Ramsey himself! This time, the murder is set against the backdrop of Lake Eden's Combined Charities Drive (they sure have A LOT of events in that small town, don't they?).

The festivities follow fast on the heels of the wedding of Norman's mother, Carrie. Norman drops Carrie and her new husband off for their honeymoon trip and uses the opportunity to take a trip of his own, leaving town for several days to catch up with old friends. Because of this, most of APPLE TURNOVER MURDER focuses on the relationship between Hannah and Mike, who is both attentive and repentant for his past indiscretions. Although Hannah basks in Mike's new-found devotion, she also finds herself missing Norman, as even when he returns to town, he remains distant as he struggles to work through "a personal problem." This is an interesting twist that finally adds a bit of complexity to the standard Mike-Hannah-Norm love triangle that has been pretty much on auto-pilot through the previous half-dozen books or so.

Because the events of this book take place over the summer, Hannah's youngest, college-aged sister Michelle is also featured; she always adds a nice, more level-headed addition to the standard characters. A few new faces are introduced as well, and although some may find it easy to guess the identity of the murder, I admit, it didn't dawn on me until close to the end.

As always, Fluke includes plenty of recipes in this book (over 20). Unlike some of her previous books, in which she has started to feature more savory dishes, almost all of the recipes here are for sweets/desserts (a few of the exceptions include Sausage and Cheese Pancakes, Breakfast in a Muffin, and Too Easy Hotdish). I was a little disappointed to see a few recipes that are pretty commonly known, such as the ones for Wacky Cake and Chocolate Crack (aka Cracker Cookies). However, several others sounded interested and different to me, including Mocha Nut Butterballs, Sesame Seed Tea Cookies, and Cottage Cheese Cookies (a chocolate-based cookie).

Overall, I felt that this was a pretty good continuation of the series and better than the last few books by Fluke that I have read.

RECIPE UPDATE, 12/28/12:
I have now made a couple of the cookies from this book. The Sesame Seed Tea Cookies were a nice, not too sweet cookie that definitely go well with tea, but I have two recommendations: 1) toasting the sesame seeds first, and 2) rolling the TOPS of the cookies only in the seeds. I also made the Cottage Cheese Cookies for Christmas: these are a soft, chocolate brownie-like cookie, and you'd NEVER know that they are made with cottage cheese! For these I would definitely recommend cutting the recipe in half; you will still get several dozen cookies.

This cozy is one in a series about Hannah Swensen, cookie store owner in Minnesota. When she gets stressed, she bakes a new cookie recipe which she shares with you in the book. I've never made any of the recipes, but they sound good! Hannah has been involved with two men for awhile. They are as different as night and day and they both want to marry her. I wish she would make up her mind and move on with that part of her life. Hannah also has a strange tendency to stumble across dead bodies and is better at solving murders than the local police department. In this installment, Hannah and her business partner agree to make hundreds of apple turnovers for a big, multi-day fundraiser. Hannah also agrees to fill in as a magician assistant in the fundraiser talent show. She is not happy that the show's host is an old flame of hers. He was her professor in college and is not a nice man. They hadn't seen each other in years and she doesn't think he recognized her, but now her sister is interested in him and Hannah realizes it is just a matter of time before he remembers her. I don't want to give away the story, so suffice it to say a murder takes place and Hannah is a likely suspect but she is also determined to find the real killer. This is a fun, light-weight cozy, but the author seems to be getting lazy. The characters and their relationships are getting old and stagnant and the plot is very predictable. Time to shake it up a bit, Ms. Fluke.

Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke
Have enjoyed this series and not sure if it'll ever end as I've read of Hannah getting married in the last book.
This one starts out with Hannah baking for a 3 day event. Brad, an old professor comes for the event and he is murdered. Hannah and others in town help to gather the clues.
A local was using the professor, an ex wife and you'll never guess who actually killed him.
Recipes every other chapter round this book out.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Hannah is back and not far behind is the assistant professor who broke her heart in college Bradford Ramsey. In this book Lake Eden is gearing up for a three day charity event. Lisa has the genius idea to make apple turnovers but of course mayhem follows when Bradford is found dead back stage at the talent show by Hannah with one of her apple turnovers it is a caper of who did what where and to whom. I absolutely loved the allusions that formed in my mind with Stephanie Bascomb the wife to the mayor. I missed Carrie in this book but it was nice to see everyone again!

This is another one of the tasty Hannah Swenson mysteries by Joanne Fluke.

I enjoy cozy mysteries and while I haven't tried any of the recipes all appear to be mouth watering. As expected in a cozy mystery there is no excessive gore nor bad language nor bad behavior. I can normally solve the mystery well before the end and this was no exception.

The only negative is with the Kindle edition having a number of incorrect hyphenations in the middle of lines and several of the recipes not properly formatted (2 ingredients on the same line). Another annoyance was the recipe list was not hyperlinked back to the recipes as in previous books in the series.

I do recommend the book for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries though I suggest they be read in order as part of the fun is watching the characters grow thru mysteries. They are fully stand alone though and can be enjoyed individually.

Bradford Ramsey broke Hannah's heart years ago and has resurfaced back in town. Now he seems to be doing the same to Michelle. Thankfully, he doesn't appear to remember Hannah. Hannah's kept busy with wedding showers and parties to cater with her cookie shop, The Cookie Jar. As if she wasn't busy enough, they agree to provide apple turnovers for a fundraiser and Hannah agrees to be Herb's assistant in a magic act for a talent show to help him out. When Hannah stumbles over Bradford's body backstage, she worries her past with him will surface. She sets out to find out who killed him before the whole town finds out.

I love this series, but I sure wish Hannah would pick Mike or Norman. That said, I love Hannah and the various other characters in Lake Eden. It's always a fast read, and the food sounds scrumptious. Someday I have to try some of her recipes. I recommend this book and series.

This latest installment in the Hannah Swensen series is about on par with the others. Part of the allure of cozies is that so much stays the same from book to book and Fluke follows the formula. This time around Hannah and her merry band of bakers and sleuths wind up investigating the death of a local college professor. What makes this sticky for Hannah is that this is the same man that broke her heart in college. Hannah is compelled to investigate, not only for her own sake, but because it seems her ex has been extremely busy charming the women of Eden Lake and several of them are suspects.

Also on par with the rest of the series both Norman and Mike appear as Hannah's polar opposite suitors. Hannah appears to be leaning heavily in favor of Normal as she is still stung by Mike's past dalliances, but just when it would seem the question is settled, Fluke throws in a surprise.

Hannah's sister, Michelle plays a larger part in this book and it would be good to see more of her. Andrea is also growing as character and is not as much of a caricature as before. There are some pretty unbelievable things in this story, not the least of which is that Hannah's ex spends Christmas in her condo and she thinks he doesn't recognize her. Hannah continues to cling to that crazy idea until the prof tells her otherwise. The killer is easily identified in the first one third of the book but then the point of these books is not to stump the readers but rather to draw them into this comfortable, cozy world of sweets and murder.

I’ve only recently been introduced to this series and at this point I’ve read about 6 of them. Sad to say, but this may be my last. They were a nice break from the more hard-core murder mysteries I usually read. Initially, I enjoyed the recipes, didn’t mind the cat and was okay with the light flirtations. Now, while the recipes are still good, I’m tired of the cat stories and although I’m not looking for X-rated romance, I need at least a PG/PG-13.

I have been reading this series since the beginning and still love the characters and always come back for more, but it needs a jumpstart at this point. No love triangle could go on this way for this long without someone changing their feelings. I think the author needs to steer one of these men as being the obvious choice and string along the love story from there. Mike does not seem the obvious choice for Hannah unless the goal is to take this from light hearted mystery to heavy hearted mystery. Maybe revealing something scandalous from his past is in order (ie. cheating on his former wife or something along those lines), and then promoting him to sheriff in another county. Just an idea. Then Michelle could become serious with Lonnie again and he could fill in Mike's old detective boots and be Hannah's source of inside information for the murders. As far as the mystery side of this I truly hope the next book involves at least 2 or 3 suspects without "air tight alibis" so we don't come to an obvious conclusion too soon. The author still has room to redeem herself with the next book as far as I'm concerned, but I hope to be pleasantly suprised and not skimming over pages looking for something worth reading about.

Are you hungry? In my effort to try more "local" authors I perused the mystery section of my local library and "discovered" a Minnesota series by Joanne Fluke. Going through my cozy checklist I find all the elements present - lovable heroine who is smarter than people think, quirky family, multiple love interests that she can't quite commit to, a small town filled with interesting characters, and a murder rate on par with Deadwood. But this book added a relatively new element (for me) found in a lot of modern cozies - a overall twist found throughout the series. In Fluke's case her heroine is a baker, and as such she takes every opportunity to work though her problems by baking a variety of desserts. All recipes are found throughout the book complete with cooking instructions.

The more cynical side of me thinks she just does this as space filler because the books are too short, but the recipes are worked into the narrative quite well (no clunky segues) and you find yourself getting hungry reading them. Though I would like to see if she ever makes a treat and have the characters in the book go "God that was just awful." The mystery proper was okay and this happens to be the number 13 in a series of 15 so far. Once you are familiar with the basic format of a cozy, it was no problem to step in that far into the series and no what was going on. That said if I revisit this series I will definitely start back at book one because that is how I am.

So if you like cozy or like to bake desserts this series will do you proud. If you like doing both, then these books should be canonized right next to your Bible. Most of the location plot could have taken place in any small town and was not very Minnesota specific (i.e. the reason I picked up the book to begin with). For a stronger Minnesota experience be sure to read John Sandford or Julie Kramer.

What's wrong with this book: 1. The triangle - so its shame on Mike for being attracted to other women, he's not good enough for Hannah because, after all, Hannah is steadfast and faithful to him. NOT. She's as attracted to Norman as she is to Mike and that doesn't seem to bother either one of these poor fools. I live in continuing hope that both of these guys will dump her for other women. 2. The mystery. I knew who the murder was even before the murder took place. As far as Ms. Fluke's stories go, mystery-wise, this was the worst one yet for predictability. And, speaking of predictable, was there any reader who didn't know that a mausoleum would work its way into the plot. 3. Hannah's treatment of others. For example, everyone gets corrected on their grammar. Is it really so awful to use the phrase "Can I..." and what was up with her indiscretion and interference with that poor girl Sherry. She wants to help her. Obviously the woman wanted her privacy respected but that's not good enough for Hannah. She almost deserved to find herself in harm's way since she's such a busybody. I might understand her desire to help if it were one of her sisters or Lisa in Sherry's situation but having read all the books I'm pretty sure that Sherry isn't Hannah's best friend so you would think she [Sherry] would be free to decide if she wanted Hannah's help or not.

I never give these books just one star because I really like Andrea and Michele and the poor saps and even Hannah's mother but Hannah, uhh, can't help wishing she wasn't always the star of the show.

First, I should say I like whimsical mysteries. The only thing I ask of them is that they not be stupid, especially the lead character you are supposed to be rooting for. Although this isn't the first in the series, it is the first one I encountered. If they could have inserted a neon sign they couldn't have made it more obvious who the victim was, who the killer was and why the victim was killed. The lead character is an idiot - serious laps of common sense in the final scene with the killer. And really, if she is so stupid you have to assume she is heavily insured or else why would friends and family ask her to 'investigate'. But the worst part of this book is that the mystery plays second to the authors need to include recipes. If these people all cook as much as this book suggests, there wouldn't be any murders because no one would be fit enough to get out of a chair and commit one. I didn't try any of the recipes - maybe they are good, maybe they are not - but if they are that important to the author she ought to write a cookbook and have it reviewed as such.

Ms. Fluke really needs to move the story line along lest this series become unreadable. I have read all of the books, but with each one I grow increasingly weary and wonder why I bother. The love triangle is as frustrating and asinine as ever and had the audacity to end with a ridiculous cliff hanger. The mystery seemed to be an afterthought, and there was much more in the way of unrealistic dialogue and recipes than substance. I would like to see Hannah make a decision for once and for all with regard to Norman and Mike and let the story move in a new direction. This series needs some new life. I am giving Ms. Fluke one more chance before I find another recipe murder mystery series. If you are a long time reader of the series, don't waste your money buying this books. Check it out from the library. In fact, you can probably just read the last 10 pages and you will be all set for the next book.

Arrrrgggggg........three steps forward, two steps back. All of the progress that seemed to be made in "Cream Puff Murder" has been undone in the last two books,the series has reverted to the same old beyond-belief love triangle. As referenced in prior reviews, it seems so out of character for Hannah to put up with Mike's hound dog behavior, yet she is totally over it without even calling him to task. To add insult to injury, this book portrays Mike as the good guy and now Norman is the bad guy. At this point, I could care less what the outcome of the cliff-hanger is in the next book. I won't be reading it. I wish I had read the reviews before buying this book; I gave the series a second chance after CPM, but that was obviously a mistake. I am so disappointed since this used to be one of my favorite, go-to, series.
PS- the mystery is blatantly obvious.

I've never written a review before, but this book was so bad, it was worth the effort.

I only finished listening (book on tape) to it because it was so mesmerizingly stupid - the auditory version of a train wreck. Was the author a Leave it to Beaver script writer who thinks adding comments about cell phones will modernize the storyline out of 1950's banality?

The characters all sound and act as if they are WWII baby boomers with social-nerd-syndrome, and a guy named Norman who worships his cat Cuddles is supposed to be heterosexual. Even the recipes are annoyingly cutesy-wootsey.

At least the reader gave the characters the falsetto vapidness they were due.

Frankly, I'm disappointed. I was so excited at the end of "Plum Pudding Murder" to find out just how Hannah was going to tell off that sleazy Bradford Ramsey. I was *sure* she was going to throw him out of her apartment. So I was totally surprised to find that "Apple Turnover Murder" started 6 months later. Turns out that not only did Hannah NOT tell Ramsey off, she endured his presence in her home for the remainder of Christmas Eve dinner! Even more disappointing is that Hannah was too embarrassed of her own mistake with Ramsey to warn her baby sister Michelle that Ramsey was a lying womanizer! I was astonished that Hannah couldn't suck it up and find the courage to drop a word in Michelle's ear to protect her. And Michelle didn't even say "why didn't you tell me you knew he was a louse???" when Michelle found out Hannah had been taken in by the guy years back. Hannah let her pride get in the way and Michelle got hurt by the guy. Hannah was so focused on keeping other people from finding out she had had a love affair with Ramsey the jerk that it didn't matter who else he hurt as long as no one knew she'd been fooled by him.

Like many others, I'm getting tired of the Mike vs. Norman angle. Mike may be hot, but he's right when he tells Hannah he wouldn't be good for her. She'd never be number one in his life while he's a cop. Norman meets some old friends and develops some kind of issue that is not fully explained. He's got something heavy on his mind. Then right at the end of the book he shows up with a good looking woman who is going to be his partner in his dental practice. Is there that much need for dentists in Lake Eden? Maybe the jealousy Hannah feels will finally wake her up enough to how much she counts on and values Norman. She'll find out how much he means to her if he's not there for her to lean on all the time.

Both of the above issues are complaints about Hannah and her behavior. I understand that there is only so much an author can do and sometimes characters behave in surprising and stupid ways that the author may not care much for, so I'm annoyed with Hannah much more than Fluke for Hannah letting down her sister, and waffling on her men. But I do have a big gripe with the author for the cliffhangers.

The last book ended on a cliffhanger (Hannah's ex-lover shows up at her house as her sister's date), and now this book ends on a cliffhanger (who is this new woman in Norman's life and what does she mean to him?). I can excuse doing that to us readers once, but twice is really irritating to me. Part of the beauty of reading mysteries, I think, is that the story arc feels like it ends at the conclusion of the book. Running the risk of having important story elements unresolved is something I am used to and know to expect when reading fantasy, but I've never encountered it before in mysteries, and honestly I do not care for it. It's off-putting.

So, in sum, the mystery part of the story wasn't bad, but it wasn't good enough to make up for Hannah's foolishness or the rude surprise of the cliffhanger ending, so I give "Apple Turnover Murder" only 3 stars. I'm glad I borrowed it from the library instead of buying it.

Readers looking for predictability and reliability in a world packed with turmoil can find an escape in Joanne Fluke's novel, Apple Turnover Mystery. Each of the novels in this series features baker Hannah Swensen whose baking and relationships have a wholesomeness and predictability that can be comforting. The mystery doesn't require much mental engagement from the reader, and the many recipes provide transitions to put the novel aside and nibble on something sweet.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)

Oh Hannah, Hannah, Hannah... What a disappointment! I generally adore these books and recipes but this one went a whole lot of nowhere. The Mike/Norman triangle is completely played out!! I am tired of our smart heroine being treated like a doormat! I mean, who actually makes dinner for someone who has the nerve to show up in the middle of the night knowing full well she has to wake up early for work the next morning?? This one lacked the warm, homey, Lake Eden fun community feel. The mystery was overshadowed with painfully descriptive cooking scenes, and some unexciting suspect hunting. I had the murderer figured out in the first 1/3 of the book. I read through the rest hoping for that warm "just visited some old friends" feeling that I get from years of following this series but I had a hard time even finding that. I'm hoping for a new, exciting directon for Hannah and the whole series in the next book

I like this series even though the stories are all similar. It's a quick read with good recipes if you like to bake. I would like to see something new happen in this series. I enjoy the movies alot more than the books, the mystery moves along faster.

I have enjoyed the Hannah Swensen books in the past for a fast light hearted mystery read and enjoyed them. I liked this one, but the plot was a bit obvious. Still a fun fast read, but not as good as her previous books

That said, I loved her recipes and had the most fun reading the book for all the food descriptions and recipes that were in the book. Very easy creative recipes that I am anxious to get in the kitchen and give a try.

The mystery itself was well plotted with discretely placed clues, all of which were pertinent to the solution. One did not come away feeling "cheated" by a last minute plot manipulation to achieve an improbable dénouement. That said, I was still a little disappointed overall. There were few surprises except that Michelle had actually had had a relationship with Hannah's old flame. Quite frankly I doubted whether that would actually have happened. Having listened to a young woman speak in scorn of thirty-something suitors recently, I strongly suspect that Hanna's "attractive older guy," which is probably what he was to the infatuated Hannah at the time, would have been just an "old guy" to her much younger sister when she came across him. His Byronic approach certainly didn't seem to carry any weight with all of the female characters.

I was a little disappointed by the lack of ancillary character participation. It was almost as if the people of Lake Eden had gotten bored with solving murders, though it was good to see that they continued to live and enjoy their own lives. Both "love interests" of the main character seem to have gotten tired of Hannah's refusal to make a choice between them or to commit certainly to a permanent relationship of any kind in the future. Maybe they and she need to accept that she might not be the marrying kind. One can't help but feel they've decided to get on with their own lives.

In looking at this lengthy series and comparing it with other mysteries where romance is part of the theme, I wonder if it isn't a flaw in the genre itself. Romance lovers require a "happily ever after" sort of ending, but few romances are more than one novel in length. This genre simply starts with another Cinderella and another Prince Charming with new trials and tribulations to be overcome. The audience seems insatiable for the mood swings inherent to this type of literature and are totally indifferent to the actual lives of the lovers once the pair becomes a married couple. One has only to look at the classics like Austin's Pride And Prejudice or the Bonte sisters' Wuthering Heights (Norton Critical Editions) and Jane Eyre, let alone the legions of grocery check out romances, to know that.

The murder mystery genre tends to lend itself to series of novels peopled by characters with whom the reader becomes familiar and whose daily lives are a matter of interest to them. It is expected that they evolve over time. Certainly Ms Fluke's Swenson family is engaging in this manner. Each is an individual, each interacts in distinctive ways with the others, each has limitations and strengths that are unique to them. Adding a romance to a murder mystery that just goes on and on through the series without actually leading anywhere, gets to be boring and/or frustrating after a while. I'm left wondering, as I do with Inspector Jury mysteries, The Man with a Load of Mischief, and with the Morse mysteries, The First Inspector Morse Omnibus: The Dead of Jericho, Service of All the Dead, the Silent World of Nicholas Quinn, why the character doesn't "get a life" or at least seek psychological counseling. It's not even that it "can't be done," because Dorothy Sayers managed to bring Lord Peter and Harriet Vane Lord Peter : The Complete Lord Peter Wimsey Stories together, Ngaio Marsh brought Inspector Alleyn and Agatha Troy together, Enter A Murderer (Roderick Alleyn Mysteries), and Marjorie Allingham, after a first failed love (she died I believe), managed to bring Albert Campion and his lady love together, More Work for the Undertaker (Albert Campion Mystery). If these writers can do it, Ms Fluke can do it; just get on with it. There has to be life after marriage, otherwise why would anyone do it?

I enjoyed some of the recipes, but it seems to me that they have ceased to be a fun, unique little gift to the reader and have become almost all there is to the story. Like some other mystery series, especially M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin, The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin Mysteries, No. 1), and Lillian Jackson Braun's Cat Who... stories,The Cat Who Talked Turkey (Cat Who...), eating seems to be the only thing the characters do together. Admittedly in this instance eating might be expected to occur, after all the central character is the owner of a bakery coffee shop, but it's getting to be more and more of a preoccupation, almost an obsession. I felt like I was reading a cookbook with a bit of narrative about murder thrown in for good measure. If a reader skipped all the narrative involving baking, cooking, dining, and other eating references, he or she could probably read the book in about an hour and a half. Reading all of it took me about four hours. That's sad. Although the author is actually quite good at narrative description, she seems to be using food and its consumption as a way of avoiding other venues for information exchange but which would require more verbal effort. It seems as though other characters bring information they've discovered about the murder to the central character at this one already thoroughly described location, which admittedly eliminates the need for her to do all the sleuthing herself, but which over the course of the series, seems to have become the primary way of solving a mystery. In short it's a bit lazy.

Only some of the usual characters appear in the novel, Hannah's sisters and mother appear often, though Mike and Norman make a presence only very peripheral to the action, and when they do seem almost dispirited. It's as though they know they really aren't need. Unlike some of the earlier novels, few really eccentric characters are introduced and little of the levity and comedy these have introduced in the past are apparent in this book. The new character I enjoyed the most was little Dillon, a puppy. The best represented old character was precocious Tracy, Hannah's young niece. That's sad.

This series needs something to jump start it again.

I guess I'm suffering from Fluke indigestion, having read half a dozen in the past couple of weeks, they are a time passer rather than a must read, that said it was as good a read as the others, but you certainly don't need to read them in order, I enjoy the recipes and have tried one or two out, the apple turnovers were a big success, made with frozen blueberries rather than cranberries.

I really enjoyed these stories when I first started reading them, and have made a number of the recipes with excellent results. The books, though, in my opinion, are getting as stale as last week's cookies.

This is not the first time the murderer was introduced and skimpily developed, then not seen nor heard from again until Hannah realizes that he/she killed the victim. The murderer and motive were obvious before the murder even took place. And what was with all the drama over Bill changing jobs?

Hannah's love triangle is old, boring, and completely unbelieveable. It has reached the point where I want Norman and Mike to both fall in love with someone else! Mike is a hound dog, who deserves to wind up with some bimbo. Norm needs a nice, respectable woman who will appreciate his stability. Hannah needs to see them happy with SOMEONE ELSE.

Hannah doesn't "read" as a thirty something. If her age weren't mentioned a reader would assume she was in her mid-sixties or over. Her actions and reactions are not believable for a young woman, she's worried about leading Mike on by asking him into her apartment? Come on Hannah, you're a big girl, he's a cop, you've been dating the man for YEARS and he's never asked for more then a kiss, I would be more worried about why he's NEVER made a move. She is a cookie maker not an English teacher, her perpetual correction of grammar has become downright annoying. The character is reading as a pompous, self centered, know-it-all.

The ONLY reason 2 thirty something men would continue to date the same woman is because they didn't really love her but where waiting for someone better to come along. Obviously Norman HAD a thing for Hannah at one time, to the point of obsession (the house, towels etc..) But Mike? He keeps telling her he's not all that interested, Maybe the true romance in this series is between Norman and Mike and Hannah's the blind? Not really, but at least it would be interesting. This series has become deadly dull.

I think I enjoyed reading the wonderful 5-Star review's for Apple Turnover, more than any I'd read before. I heartily agree with all of these readers. I've read every book in the series,have given all of them 5 Star's,and this one is no exception. I don't have to outline the plot, because others have already done that even better than I could. But I want to congratulate Joanne for ANOTHER incredibly entertaining book. I can't play favorites, because every book in the series has it's own special plusses. But I have to say that this one was really dynamite! A change from what I expected. Even more mystery, twist's and turns, than usual. And a suprise "attitude" from our gal Hannah. I can't wait to read the next full-length offering, and in the meantime am bouncing up and down waiting for the release of Gingerbread Cookie Murder (a 3-author book with Mses. Fluke, Levine, and Meier.) I've Pre-Ordered on the store, and can't wait to get it. But I really need my next all-Hannah fix. This is a series that you can enter at any time. You'll immediately become acquainted with all of the Lake Eden characters. Read whatever you find first, and then treat yourself to start at the beginning with Book One: Chocolate Chip Murder, and collect every one forward. Joanne Fluke is an exceptional writer. and has fans aged from teen's to Twilight years. GREAT READING for all. I eagerly await the next one. What new surprises (and yummy recipe's) are in store?

Sometimes recipes can seem daunting or the idea of a certain dessert can seem impossible. Joanne Fluke, through Hannah makes them seem possible and make you want to try to make these things that all Hannah's friends and family love!

After reading this book I did something I have never done before, I emailed the author. This book was such a disappointment. Hannah was so condescending and meddling to just about everyone and the love triangle has just gotten to be too much. I have followed this series since the beginning, buying each book in hardback so I can read them over often and reference my favorite recipes. Like so many other reviewers I have come to feel like Hannah is an old friend, which being said, I wanted to let the author know how sad I was when I realized if the next book is this bad, I can no longer justify the expense of buying these books. In response I simply received a canned message thanking me for reading, which told me she just didn't care.

I've read the other reviews and I agree with many of the other negative aspects. However, am I the only one confused by the fact that it is never mentioned or discussed amongst Norman, Hannah and/or Mike WHY intimacy isn't an aspect? I'm just saying, I too am a single woman near my 30's and this is not the reality of the dating world after a relationship amongst adults has been ongoing for several YEARS. At this point I would say call the relationships friendships and Hannah can either be a spinster or move forward with a man who actually inspires her to be in a committed adult relatioship.

I am looking forward to Flukes cookbook, but perhaps she should just give up on the novels if she is that tired of writing them and no longer cares what her fans want to read or how they feel.

I can't imagine a more ridiculous conversation than Hannah's and Andrea's over the Sun moon cookies it was just unreal! The dialogue makes me crazy and I'm so sick of Hannah correcting other characters grammar I could scream. I think if I knew her personally I might slap her. I'm so done with this series. Could Sherry's pregnancy be any more obvious? I mean c'mon I just had a baby 6 months ago and the only thing I craved was Mexican food the whole portion with her dipping the Apple turnover in the mustard? Give me a break..

I now understand why some of my favorite mystery series seem to end too soon. After reading Apple Turnover Murder, I realize more than ever that characters in a series either have to grow and change or the books become a burden to read. It almost seems like the author has a template on her computer and fills in the blanks during many of the chapters. Hannah deserves to grow and have a real relationship, and Mike and Norman do not have to be her only choices for that special relationship. I would love to read the next book in this series and want to stay up all night trying to finish and solve the mystery. I hope Joanne Fluke will make an effort to surprise her readers if she writes another book about Hannah. Apple Turnover Murder is only worth reading if you are very attached to the characters in the book.

Although I have to say that the murder solution was quite easy, the book is still a fun read. The recipes are unique - Kool-Aid cookies!- and the characters are old friends. I also think that what is happening in the love triangle is believable: Hannah is hesitant to commit b/c of what happened with Bradford. Mike and Norman both love her and are trying to make things easier for her (or they are tired of waiting..). Hannah has her flaws and that's what makes her appealing. Since this is a cozy mystery, a bit of suspended disbelief is required.
The book is definitely worth the cost of a Kindle book.

Fluke's likeable cast chitchats and bakes up batches and batches of cookies (with recipes) for 150 pages before being confronted by any semblance of a plot. Then an obnoxious ladies man who has hit on just about every woman in town ends up dead at a community talent show; Hannah and her sisters ferret out the murderer. In this case, you might be successful in spotting the villian yourself. A tasty pastry easily digested.

Mediocre writing with persistently sloppy logic. E.g. the bad guy has been stabbed four times but is still sitting up in a chair, dead? No signs of struggle even though he saw it coming? And Hannah doesn't notice any blood at all, but wonders if it was the turnover? I'm very glad I didn't pay for this. I listened to it on CD in the car. Never again with this author. I wonder why many of the others complaining here continue to read her books.