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From Leprosy to Lorca — Strange Inspiration

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   The Return

   Victoria Hislop

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Linda Shelnutt, May 25, 2006 (view all comments by Linda Shelnutt)
Pick, pick, pick. Push, push, push. ?Make your choice, Hannah!? All the characters were snapping down their two cents and hooting like owls, ?who, who, who.?

Hannah-the-carrot-top showed her colors and lassoed me into the story by the brilliant way she turned off the tension of making an immediate decision about Mike and Norm?s dual marriage proposals. And their response to her ?proposal? (in my book) was perfect, as was their response to Ross, Hannah?s new love interest, before and after Ross garnered his rivals? friendship by giving them parts in the movie ?scene.?

The scene of needing an emergency entre for a brunch being catered for the movie cast and crew was handled with lip-smacking panache, and sugar-glued me into the story for keeps. After the planned entre had been literally ?dumped,? Hannah stepped in with grandma Ingrid?s fruit-pocket-french-toast-casserole, drawing out the prep process in drooling detail as Edna and several of the women pitched in around Hannah to save the brunch. That culinary drama gave a reading enthrallment factor on par with Goldilocks Catering?s extensive in-plot kitchen machinations.

I was intrigued by the complex (and juicy) weaving of the title confection (cherry cheesecake) into the story, prior to the prologue murder scene being plopped into the ongoing action. As I did in SUGAR COOKIE MURDER, I enjoyed the half-book build-up to the murder event. This allowed the development of the sweet and tangy scenes of the small town percolation to seat nicely before the character warmth went entertainingly sour as suspects were contemplated and death chilled the mood. Also, in this half-book murder-pop plot-timing, the clues have been brought in with a subtle, sneaky hand, and the reader has the option to lay back and enjoy the small town maneuvering instead of applying a magnifying glass to every scene in the early parts of the book. I did the lay back read first, then reviewed the first half of the book after finishing the read, to catch the clues which I had ignored while soaking up the purity of fun prior to the dark descent of human perversion.

Genius has a way of weaving through even the lightest, most entertaining art. Yet, Fluke is smart enough to fuel her growing audience by keeping the Knapp light and bright, with dark and dreary used with a balsamic touch. This way she fully satisfies the cozy audience while giving a richer flavor for those whose magnifying glasses are humongous and heavy. Ugh. Where?s my hydraulic crane?

CHERRY CHEESECAKE MURDER is the first of Joanne Fluke?s Hannah Swensen series to hit the New York Times Bestseller list. Congratulations, Joanne!!

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780758202949

Author:

Fluke, Joanne

Publisher:

Kensington Publishing Corporation

Subject:

Motion pictures

Subject:

Minnesota

Subject:

Mystery & Detective - General

Subject:

Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths

Subject:

Women detectives

Subject:

Bakers and bakeries

Subject:

Mystery fiction

Subject:

Swensen, Hannah (Fictitious character)

Edition Description:

Hardcover

Series:

Hannah Swensen Mysteries

Publication Date:

March 2006

Binding:

Hardcover

Grade Level:

General/trade

Language:

English

Pages:

356

Dimensions:

770x548x124 112