Apple Turnover Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries)

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 used to love this series. Likeable characters, nice stories and great recipes. The recipes are still good, but that's about it. Hannah is becoming more & more unlikeable with each book, and I am SO beyond over this whole stupid "triangle". Ms. Fluke told me by e-mail that she can't make Hannah's mind up for her (which sounded a bit strange!), and it will be decided when it's decided. Well, there was a new character introduced at the very end of this book who might make a difference, but I doubt it. It seems these cliffhangers keep getting done and then there is still no resolution. This was the most boring book of the whole series. I knew who the killer was and what the motive was before the murder even took place. C'mon!! Make it a little more interesting for me! I won't lay out cash for these anymore, and if I decide to read the next one, a BIG IF!, I'll get it from the library.

I have read every book in this series, and find this one to be the worst of the bunch. I've actually been finding that each new release is worse than the one before. The romantic triangle between Hannah, Mike and Norman has gotten old and tired. I'm sick of reading about Hannah's inability to make a final decision between the two. I'm actually to the point where I wish they both would just dump her and get on with it already. I stopped buying the books and started taking them out of the library because I don't feel that they're worth the money. Even the recipes don't sound that good. As for the actual story; nothing happens until almost halfway in. There isn't any challenge in figuring out who the murderer is. Just knowing who the victim was I was able to figure out who the murderer was even before the murder occurred. This series has definitely gone on way too long. It's just like a bad TV show now. It may have been fun to read for a while, but it's way past its prime. I won't be reading any more books from this series.

Ms. Fluke you need to go back to the drawing board with this series! The series is now very dull and very boring. The "threesome" is way over the top - time to decide!

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..

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.

I totally agree with all the negative comments regarding this book and where this series has been going. This was by far the worst of them all. A mystery should keep your attention til the end. Sadly just about anyone who reads 1/3 of this book could finish writing it. The mystery and its resolution can be seen a mile away.

And the love triangle. Give it up. Who cares anymore. It might have lasted for two books, but not this far into the series. How dumb are these characters (and your audience) to follow such tripe for so long.

And one reviewer said it best. The book is now a recipe book with a short secondary mystery thrown in. What a waste of $$ this was. Never again. If I could rate it a '0' I would gladly.

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.

Wow, this is bad. Now I remember why I've skipped a few of the books. I took a chance on this one, and it was my own fault. The plot is simple, someone turns up dead, and Hannah has to find out to killed them. Booooring!!

The problem is that all of the books are all interchangeable. Same things happen over and over and over again. Let's take a look shall we? All of them have:

Recipes that sound really good, but there is to much talk of them. In this book, there is so much reference to "Vanilla Crack" and "Chocolate Crack". We're treated to many characters acting surprised by the name of the treat, and Hannah has to explain why she keeps the name. This happens more than once, and it's very boring and take away from the story.

Hannah hasn't picked Michael or Norman yet? Really?? This is another reason this series is being dragged down. Hannah has to pick one. This is getting as bad, if not worse, than Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum triangle with Stephanie, Morelli, and Ranger. That's one plot line that has to come to a conclusion. I'm at the point that I really don't care about it.

Another problem is that when we read a series, we want to see growth and development in characters. Sadly, there's no growth in any of the characters. All of the characters are flat and boring, and I don't really care about them, and what they're going through.

Normally, I'd say that this series has to end before the series gets stale, but it's far to late for that. I won't be reading any more of the series.

Hannah hasn't known how to handle the fact that Bradford Ramsey is back in town. The man used her and then broke her heart several years before, and appears to be doing the same to Michelle. Fortunately, he doesn't seem to remember Hannah, so that helps.

But Hannah doesn't have much time to dwell on this particular problem. It's the busy season at The Cookie Jar with wedding showers and other parties to cater. And that's before they agree to provide apple turnovers for a fundraiser and Hannah reprises her role as Herb's assistant in a magic act for a talent show. Backstage at the show, Hannah stumbles upon Bradford's body. The last thing she wants is her past with Bradford to surface. Can she solve the crime quickly before the entire town finds out?

Those who are familiar with the series pretty much already know what to expect, and this book won't disappoint. The mystery is light but interesting. I figured it out earlier than I would have liked, but several sub-plots and the wonderful characters kept me engaged while I waited to see if I was right. There is no resolution to the love triangle in sight, and this book further muddies the waters. There is plenty of talk about baking with approximately 17 new recipes for humans and even one for a dog.

If you haven't enjoyed the last few books, there will be nothing here to change your mind. But I continue to enjoy these trips to Lake Eden. This is another fun visit with old friends.