In this irresistible mystery from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joanne Fluke, Hannah Swensen is at the center of a lively summer fest with fun for everyone in Lake Eden, Minnesota—including a cold-blooded murderer … The Tri-County Summer Solstice Celebration has come to town, and even among local artisans, athletes, and marching bands, Hannah attracts fans of her own while serving lip-smacking pink lemonade desserts. But the mood sours when a body turns up, leading revelers to wonder if the festivities mark both the longestday of the year and the deadliest … A retired professional MLB player has met a terrifying end—and, considering the rumors swirling about his past, the list of suspects could fill a small stadium. Among them could soon be Delores, Hannah’s mother, who publicly held a grudge against the victim after he infamously dunked her in the tank at a previous county fair … Now, with her mother’s innocence on the line, a life-changing announcement at The Cookie Jar, and a plethora of desserts to bake, Hannah can’t afford to strike out as she begins a dangerous investigation into the ruthless killer who’s truly in a league of their own … Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!
Release date:
July 25, 2023
Publisher:
Kensington Cozies
Print pages:
304
Reader says this book is...: escapist/easy read (1) witty (1)
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Hannah removed a sheet of cookies from her industrial oven and slid them onto a shelf in her bakers rack. They smelled marvelous and she hoped that they’d taste just as wonderful as they smelled! Just then there was a knock on the kitchen door.
“Coming!” Hannah called out, heading for the back door of her Lake Eden, Minnesota, bakery and coffee shop. Just in time, she remembered to look through the peephole that Mike Kingston and Lonnie Murphy had installed in the door, and she was surprised to see that her early-morning visitor was her sister Andrea.
“Andrea!” she said, pulling open the door. “I thought you weren’t coming in until ten this morning.”
“I wasn’t, but Bill called me from the sheriff’s station. Do you have any coffee?”
“Of course I do.” Hannah gestured toward the kitchen coffeepot. “Help yourself.”
“Thank you!” Andrea said, heading toward the coffee machine immediately. “Will you call Bill at the station? He’s got an emergency on his hands.”
“Of course.” Hannah hurried to the phone on the wall and dialed Bill’s number. It took only one ring and Bill answered.
“Winnetka County Sheriff’s Station. This is Bill speaking.”
“Hi, Bill. It’s Hannah. Andrea said you had an emergency?”
“Yes. Mike’s here. He was waiting for me when I unlocked the door. He wants out.”
Hannah sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, Bill. Perhaps I should have warned you, but I didn’t think he’d actually do it.”
“He’s outside, filling out the paperwork right now. What do you think I should do? Mike’s the best detective I have and I can’t afford to lose him. He seems to think that Lonnie and Rick Murphy can handle his job, but . . . they can’t.”
“Are you in your office alone?” she asked.
“Yes. Can you think of some way to help?”
“Maybe. Do you have Mike’s personnel file?”
“It’s right here in my file cabinet.”
“Get it out and tell me if Mike has listed Stella’s cell phone number or her home number.”
As Hannah listened, she heard a drawer being pulled out, and a moment later she heard papers rustling.
“I’ve got both numbers,” Bill confirmed.
“Give them to me. I want to try to call Stella. She’s the one who recommended Mike to Sheriff Graff, and she might be able to help us.”
“Good idea!”
Bill read off the numbers, and Hannah scrawled them down on the shorthand notebook she always kept by the phone. “Okay. Let me see what I can do. There’s one other thing, Bill.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you think that Mike is independently wealthy?”
It took a moment for Bill to answer. “No, at least I don’t think so. Why do you want to know?”
“It’s just an idea, but can you tell Mike that you’ll have to get the permission of the Winnetka County Board before he can get his retirement money?”
“I can say that. It’s true, Hannah. If the board doesn’t approve Mike’s application, he won’t get his retirement.”
“Good! That should give us a little time. One more thing, Bill.”
“What’s that?”
“Can you stall Mike a little? And then can you bring him down to The Cookie Jar when he’s through with the paperwork?”
“I can do that.”
“Good. If I can get in touch with Stella, I’ll have her here, waiting for you and Mike.”
“Thanks, Hannah!” Bill sounded very relieved. “Are you going to try to talk Mike out of retiring?”
“I’ll try, and with any luck, Stella will be here to try, too. All I want you to do is delay Mike as long as you can.”
“Will do. Any ideas on how to do that?”
Hannah took a moment to think about that. “Yes. Have Mike write a letter to the Winnetka County Board, in detail, listing his reasons for wanting to retire early.”
“Okay. I’ll do it. Anything else?”
“Not that I can think of off the top of my head. Just delay bringing him here for as long as you can.”
“You got it.”
Hannah hung up the phone and turned to Andrea. “I have to call Stella. Pour me a cup of coffee, please, will you?”
“No problem. Do you want me to dish up some of those cookies?”
“Of course! When have you ever seen me turn down cookies?”
Hannah had the urge to cross her fingers as she dialed the phone, but she resisted, half-afraid she’d dial a wrong number. She punched in Stella’s home number first, hoping she could contact Stella before she left for work at the Minneapolis Police Station.
“Hello?” a female voice answered after the third ring.
“Stella?” Hannah held her breath, hoping it was Mike’s mentor and trainer.
“Who’s calling, please?”
“It’s Hannah Swensen at The Cookie Jar in Lake Eden.”
“Hannah!” The voice suddenly became much friendlier. “What’s going on at my favorite bakery and coffee shop?”
“Trouble,” Hannah said, getting right to the crux of the matter. “Mike Kingston is in Bill’s office right now, filling out the paperwork to resign.”
“Oh my gosh! How did this happen? Last I heard, he was happy there in Lake Eden!”
“He was! Then all of a sudden, after the fishing tournament. . . Boom!”
“Exactly what do you mean when you say Boom, Hannah?” Stella asked.
“Stella, it was like flipping a switch. Mike was fine one minute, and then the next minute he wanted out.”
“So there wasn’t any lead-up to this? No ominous black skies above, or flashing danger signs before this life-changing proclamation?”
“Not really. Although he did say something to me right after the fishing tournament.”
“What?”
“He said he was worried that he was losing his humanity, and that he felt as if he was browbeating the suspects he interviewed into confessing because all he was interested in was closing cases.”
“Uh-oh. That sounds like classic cop burnout to me!”
“Do you think that you can talk Mike into staying with the department?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll certainly try. Tell me one thing, Hannah . . . has Mike ever taken a vacation?”
Hannah thought for a moment. “I don’t think so.”
“Okay. I’ll call Bill and then I’ll get on the road. I hope you have cookies because I won’t have time to stop for breakfast.”
Hannah laughed. “Of course I have cookies! I always have cookies.”
“Good. I’ll be there soon.”
“Thank you, Stella! In the meantime, do you want me to assemble the troops?”
“The troops? What troops?”
“Everyone in Lake Eden who wants Mike to stay here. There’s my mother, Norman, Doc Knight, Grandma Knudson at the church and . . . and a bunch of other people.”
“Good idea, but can you fit them all in your kitchen?”
“No, but Lisa will be here in a couple of minutes, and we’ll push some tables together. We can all sit in the back of the coffee shop. Maybe, if Mike sees all the people that want him to stay here, he’ll change his mind.”
“I doubt that, but it can’t hurt. Go ahead, Hannah. I’ll see you soon.”
There was a click on the line, and Hannah reached up to replace the receiver. “Oh, boy!” Hannah sighed. “What a mess.”
“Is Stella coming?” Andrea asked, when Hannah came back to the work station.
“Yes, but I’m going to need some help. Stella agreed we should assemble the troops.”
“What troops?”
“All the people in Lake Eden who might help us convince Mike to stay here.”
Andrea took a moment to digest this. “Okay,” she said, accepting the steno pad that Hannah handed her and turning to a blank page. “How about Grandma Knudson?”
“Write down her name in your notebook. Do you think that you can convince her to come down here and help us?”
Andrea laughed. “Of course. You know how Grandma Knudson always wants to be a part of the action. What do you think about asking Reverend Bob and Claire?”
“They’ll come and they’ll bring Grandma Knudson with them. I’m almost sure of that.”
“I’ll call Mother and Doc. They’ll help us.” Andrea looked pleased. “Do you think we should invite Aunt Nancy and Heiti?”
“Definitely!”
“Will do! How soon will Stella be here?”
“She said she was going to climb in the car, and drive straight here. She asked me if I had any cookies.”
Andrea laughed. “I heard you say that. Do you want me to put some on a plate for Stella?”
“Yes, and for anyone else we can think of that’ll help us convince Mike to stay.”
“Do you think we should call Sally and Dick?”
Hannah thought about that for a moment. “I’m not sure. I know Mike likes them, but it was right after the fishing tournament that Mike told me he was having a problem. Write down their names, but I’d better ask Stella about that.”
“You’re going to call Norman, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Doc Bennett is filling in for him today so that Norman can do some paperwork, so I know he’s free. And he’s one of the best friends that Mike has here in Lake Eden.”
“Even though they’re rivals for your affection?”
“Yes. They both know how I feel about them. I’ve told them that if they were somehow rolled into one person, I’d be rushing right down the aisle.”
Andrea laughed. “I believe you. You’ve always had a soft spot for both of them. How about asking Earl and Carrie to help us?”
“That’s a good idea.”
Andrea made her way over to the bakers rack and, using oven mitts, pulled a large cookie sheet off the rack and carried it over to the work station where Hannah was sitting. Placing the cookie sheet down on the surface of the table, Andrea next found a large, round cookie platter and placed it on the work surface as well. Opening one of the large drawers in the work station, she took out a bright metal spatula and began to use it to transfer the cookies from the sheet to the cookie platter.
“What a lovely shade of pink these cookies are. Which ingredient did you use to get them that color? Was it grenadine by any chance?”
“Yes. You know how I feel about using food coloring, especially if there’s something natural that I can use as an alternative. Try one, Andrea. I want to know what you think of them.”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Andrea said with a laugh, as she eagerly reached out for a cookie.
Hannah watched her sister’s face. Andrea loved cookies and she was a good judge of what they should taste like.
“Wow!” Andrea began to smile. “They’re great! These are some of the best cookies that you’ve ever made!”
“Thank you.” Hannah was pleased at Andrea’s reaction. “Do you think that I should sell these cookies at the baseball fields in the Snack Shack?”
“Yes.”
Andrea took another bite of her cookie. “I’m pretty sure I heard you say before that grenadine is made of pomegranate juice, and I know that’s extracted from pomegranate seeds. But what do pomegranate seeds taste like?”
“They’re sweetish, but a bit tart, a little like the cookies.”
Andrea glanced at the clock. “I’d better put on another pot of coffee.”
“Yes, and both of us had better help Lisa move some tables together in the coffee shop. Then we’ll think of anyone else we should call, and we’ll do that.”
Hannah made a couple of calls on her own, then got up to remove the Pink Lemonade Cakes, which she’d baked earlier, from their pans on the bakers rack to the top of the work station for decorating. Once that was done, she poured herself a fresh mug of coffee and sat down on her favorite stool. “Do you have any ideas about decorating the Pink Lemonade Cakes for the banquet at the community center?” she asked her sister.
“I do,” Andrea responded quickly, looking pleased that Hannah had asked her. “I gave some thought to edible flowers, but I decided to try my hand at the pastry bag instead.”
“Really?” Hannah was surprised. She knew that Andrea had been experimenting with various frostings in the pastry bag, but she hadn’t known that her sister felt that confident about her ability to use those frostings to decorate.
Andrea looked amused. “I think I’ve got it nailed. The pastry bag isn’t that difficult if you practice. And I’ve been practicing all week.”
Hannah smiled. “That’s good. What do you have in mind?”
“Pink roses. I’ve got the right tip to make those. And then I’m going to write Summer Solstice in fancy lettering.”
“That sounds wonderful. Anything you can do will be appreciated. You know how hopeless I am at decorating cakes.”
Andrea laughed. “I know. I watched you try once. It was . . .”
“Painful?”
“Yes, that’s the word. I felt so sorry for you. You’re such a great baker, but decorating is . . . or maybe I should say seems to be . . . uh . . .”
“Beyond me?” Hannah supplied the phrase that Andrea seemed to be searching for.
“Exactly!”
“That’s why I’m so glad you’re here, Andrea. You’ve always been so much better at things like that.”
“And you’ve always been a better baker than I am,” Andrea responded loyally, but Hannah noticed that her sister looked quite proud of her new talent. “Did you get a chance to call Michelle?”
“Not yet, but I’m sure she’ll come. She can always get someone to fill in for her this morning.”
“I’d better plate some more cookies, just in case,” Andrea said, heading for the bakers rack. “I think you’ve got enough for everyone who’s coming.”
“Are you sure?”
“Not entirely. I called Mother first and she said she was going to activate the Lake Eden Gossip Hotline.”
“Good heavens!”
“I know. And that means we may have a big crowd. Did you bake any more cookies?”
“I did. I was here early. I’ve got Molasses Crinkles, Black and Whites, Chocolate Chip Crunch, and Cashew Chips in.”
“We should be all right then.”
“I think so, but I can always run back here and make more if we need them.” Hannah paused and looked slightly worried. “Maybe I’d better do that right now.”
“I’ll do it. I know how to make Black and White Cookies. I’ve been practicing at home. Grandma McCann says I’m getting very good at it.”
“That’s a real compliment, Andrea, especially from someone like Grandma McCann.”
Hannah looked up when she heard a knock on her back kitchen door.
“I’ll get it,” Andrea volunteered. “Maybe it’s Stella.”
Hannah watched while her sister went to the door, looked through the peephole, and laughed out loud.
“It’s Stella,” Andrea reported, “and she’s standing there holding out her coffee cup like a beggar asking for a coin. I’ll let her in, fill up her cup, and you two can talk strategy. I think I heard Lisa unlock the front door. I’ll go help her and Aunt Nancy.”
Andrea let Stella in from the back door, and gestured toward a stool at the work station. “Have a seat, Stella. I’ll get coffee for you. How about some fresh baked cookies?”
“Thanks. I could use them!”
“Great to see you again, Stella,” Hannah said. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Andrea delivered Stella’s coffee and brought a plate of cookies. “Try these, Stella. I think these are some of Hannah’s best yet!”
Stella took a bite of the cookie and smiled. “Wonderful, and they taste delicious.”
“I’m glad you like the cookies.” Hannah accepted the compliment. “What’s our strategy for this morning, Stella?”
“I’m not sure what the final strategy will be. For right now, I think it’s a good thing to show Mike that we’re all behind him and we want him to stay. Then we’ll play it by ear.”
“Do you think it’ll help if he knows how many people really want him here?”
“It’s worth a shot, Hannah. Did Mike say anything more to you about why he wanted to leave?”
“Not really.”
“Then it probably is a case of classic cop burnout. It happens, sometimes, even to the best cops.”
“You mean it happens to everyone?”
“Not everyone, but it happens to a lot of cops, yes. It’s the stress of the job. Even bad cops burn out occasionally.”
“But Mike is a good cop, isn’t he?”
“Of course. No question about it. I think he’s just frustrated. Maybe he needs some time away to relax and to think about what he really wants.”
“Do you think you can help him?”
“I’m certainly going to do my best. I called Bill, and he said that Mike hasn’t had a vacation since he joined the department. I’m going to take him out to my parents’ cabin on Long Lake. We can go out on the lake and fish, or just sit in a boat, or paddle a canoe, and watch the sun on the waves. There’s something very soothing about being on the water.”
“That’s what my mother always says. She still owns my grandparents’ cabin . . .
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