In a basement in Lake Eden stand two take-out dinners, one of them untouched. Beside them is a lemon meringue pie from The Cookie Jar. Two slices have been cut, and only one has been eaten. Next to them lies Rhonda Scharf, the drugstore clerk who has just sold her house. Hannah’s mother, Delores, finds her while looking for antiques. Kensington published this fourth Hannah Swensen book in March 2003.
What Is Lemon Meringue Pie Murder About?
It is nearly the Fourth of July. Norman Rhodes, the dentist, tells Hannah he has bought Rhonda’s house. He wants to tear it down and build the dream home the two of them once designed together. There is no ring, though, which leaves Hannah unsure what he means. She goes to look at the house with Delores, and the visit ends in the basement.
The pie is Hannah’s own, so she cannot stay out of it. Mike Kingston, the county detective, would like her to. The suspects come straight from small-town gossip. There is a pilot, a jilted lover and a school principal with two women in his life. There is even a reverend who likes to tango.
Norman’s Dream House and the Swensen Sisters
This installment moves the love triangle forward more than the first three. Norman’s house plan puts the relationship question on the table, and Mike, the county cop, is not ready to step aside. Hannah’s youngest sister, Michelle, is a character who gets a bigger part than before. Delores has new business of her own, an antique shop she runs with her friend Carrie. Andrea is expecting again.
Our Review: The Romance Wins This Round
Kirkus put it well: the question of who will propose to Hannah is bigger than the whodunit. We agree. The murder mystery is easy to read and fairly clued. The killer is not hard to figure out, though, and the ending is predictable. Publishers Weekly called the investigation unhurried, with plenty of time for cookies, coffee and gossip. That is a fair warning and also the main pleasure of the book.
The summer setting is a nice change after the winter of book 3. One thing bothered us: Hannah worries about a diet for much of the book, which sits oddly with her job. If you want a fast, twisty plot, this is not it. If you want to spend a warm weekend in Lake Eden, with food on every other page, you will enjoy it.
Nine Recipes, From Almond Kisses to Walnuttoes
The publisher counts nine recipes in the story, and Fluke’s own recipe list names them:
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Almond Kisses
- Cinnamon Crisps
- Cottage Cheese Pancakes, from Lisa’s Aunt Kitty
- Mystery Cookies
- Orange Snaps
- Pineapple Right-Side-Up Cookie Bars
- Praline Charlottes
- Walnuttoes
The food is not decoration. Hannah thinks while she bakes, and the pie at the scene is the first real clue.
Which Book Number Is Lemon Meringue Pie Murder?
It is book 4. The previous book is Blueberry Muffin Murder, and the next book is Fudge Cupcake Murder (2004). The case is solved within the book, so you can read it on its own. The family story, however, continues from one book to the next. The relationship with Norman and Mike starts in book 1, and later books give away what happens here. Publication order is the better way, so start with Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder.
The series has 29 novels so far. The newest is Pink Lemonade Cake Murder, from 2023. Book 30, Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Murder, was due in 2025 but has been postponed with no new date. Our Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder review lists all 29 in order.
A Zest for Death: The Hallmark Movie
Hallmark adapted this book as A Zest for Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, which premiered on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in October 2023. Alison Sweeney plays Hannah and Cameron Mathison plays Mike. Like most of the films, it keeps the idea of the case and changes many details. Reading the book after the movie still holds a few surprises.
Where to Buy Lemon Meringue Pie Murder
The current print edition is a Kensington trade paperback from 2018. You will also find an ebook and older mass-market paperbacks, new and used. The unabridged audiobook from Recorded Books is read by Suzanne Toren and runs just under ten hours. Bookshop, Barnes & Noble and Amazon all sell it, and libraries usually carry the ebook and the audio version.
Joanne Fluke’s Baking Family
The recipes have a family history. When Fluke was a child in Swanville, Minnesota, her grandmother and her mother baked almost every day in winter. Her grandmother had learned from a pastry chef in Duluth and never wrote her recipes down. At one point Fluke and her mother sat down to write them all out. Some of those family favorites later ended up in Hannah’s kitchen.
Quick Facts
| Author | Joanne Fluke |
|---|---|
| Series | Hannah Swensen Mysteries, book 4 |
| First published | March 2003, Kensington |
| Setting | Lake Eden, Minnesota, around the Fourth of July |
| Victim | Rhonda Scharf, a drugstore clerk |
| Recipes | Nine |
| Audiobook | Read by Suzanne Toren |
| Film | A Zest for Death (2023) |
| Next book | Fudge Cupcake Murder |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who does Hannah Swensen marry?
Not in this book. Years later, in book 19, she marries Ross Barton, and the marriage turns out not to be legal. Our Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder review tells the whole story, with a spoiler warning.
Is there a lot of violence?
No. It is a cozy: the victim is stabbed off the page, and Hannah is in some danger near the end. Nothing is graphic.
Does Norman propose?
We will not spoil it. The dream house is where that question starts.