Title:	Christmas Cupcake Murder
	Author:	Joanne Fluke
	Published:	September 29, 2020, Kensington
	No. of Pages:	368
	Cover Price:	$22.95 Hardcover, $10.99 Kindle

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Joanne Fluke is the author of the bestselling Hannah Swenson series, and sometimes releases holiday books that are a bit different from the regular novels in the series. Christmas Cupcake Murder is her 2020 offering, and is different because it doesn’t actually have a murder; rather a man is found close to death in an abandoned building down the street from the Cookie Jar, and doesn’t remember much of anything about his life. As he is nursed back to health, it is discovered that he knows a lot about refinishing furniture, and Hannah, as usual, follows the clues. Time is ticking, and Hannah feels like it’s necessary to quickly find this man’s identity, why he was in the town, and why he was injured. Of course the main characters are featured, and they all interact and accomplish all of their regular duties while at the same time they consume gallons of coffee and dozens of cookies (without gaining an ounce), there are subplots that help move the story along.

Anyone who follows Hannah Swenson enjoys the break from reality and problems that come up in real life; Hannah’s problems can be solved with a cup of coffee, homemade cookies, and a dose of make-believe. While there are mysterious happenings in the books, they are mostly of the “feel-good” variety (albeit a few murders here and there) and readers end up happy and satisfied when the mysteries are solved. Hannah, et al are real persons in the mind of her fans, and there is nothing untoward – sex, violence, or profanity - in the world of Lake Eden and The Cookie Jar.

Fluke is a good storyteller; the books, including this one, are well-written, and almost everyone will love to take a break and read this as soon as it’s released. The bonus is the recipes, which always work out and are always delicious, although they are hard to follow due to all of Hannah’s comments. Highly recommended for culinary mystery lovers.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.