The president of Hartland Flour chooses cozy Lake Eden, Minnesota, for the company’s first Dessert Bake-Off. Hannah is asked to serve as the head judge. One of her fellow judges is Coach Boyd Watson, who hands out harsh criticism to the contestants. Soon after the judging he is found stone-cold dead, facedown in Hannah’s celebrated strawberry shortcake. Joanne Fluke’s second Hannah novel came out in hardcover from Kensington on March 12, 2001.
Book 2 of the Series: Start With Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder?
This is the second book in the Hannah Swensen series, a cozy mystery series by Joanne Fluke. The previous book is Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (2000), and Blueberry Muffin Murder (2002) follows. Each case is solved within its own book, so you can read this one first. Still, we suggest starting with book 1. Hannah’s two suitors, her family and Danielle Watson’s troubles at home are all set up there.
As of October 2026 the series has 29 novels, the newest being Pink Lemonade Cake Murder (2023). The full list in order is on our review of the first book.
What Happens After the Bake-Off?
Boyd is not found at the contest. He took the shortcake home, and that is where he dies, in his own garage. His wife Danielle has a black eye, and it is soon clear that the coach beat her. She is the obvious suspect, and she knows it. She asks Hannah for help.
Hannah had promised her mother she would stop investigating murders. She breaks it anyway. Snooping into the coach’s private life turns up plenty of people with reasons to hate him. And could Watson’s harsh criticism during the judging have given one of the contestants a license to kill? Detective Mike Kingston tells Hannah to stay out of it. She doesn’t, and before the end she is on the killer’s list herself.
Hannah and Her Sister Andrea Ask the Questions
The blurb sums up the setup: amateur sleuth and bakery owner Hannah Swensen finds herself judging a baking contest where the competition is really murder. She runs The Cookie Jar and lives with her cat, Moishe. Her younger sister Andrea, married to deputy Bill Todd, becomes her partner here. Together they question half the town. Mike and Norman Rhodes, the dentist, are still both in the picture.
The book takes Danielle seriously. The domestic abuse story is told with sympathy, and it gives a light book some weight.
Seven Recipes, From Strawberry Shortcake to Hawaiian Flan
The book includes seven recipes, printed in the text as Hannah bakes. According to the series’ recipe index they are:
- Strawberry Shortcake Swensen
- Apricot Bread Pudding
- Oatmeal Raisin Crisps
- Cocoa Snaps
- Hawaiian Flan
- Molasses Crackles
- Chocolate Highlander Cookie Bars
The blurb also has Hannah perfecting her Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie and Chocolate Crunchies, but those two are not in the recipe list.
Our Review: Better Cake Than Clues
This book review starts with the critics, because they split. Publishers Weekly called it a superior cozy that would leave readers satisfied, and liked Hannah as a down-to-earth heroine. Kirkus Reviews disliked the slow pace and the clumsy clues. We side with both. The town, the food and the two sisters are a pleasure. The mystery part is thin, and attentive readers will see the answer before Hannah does.
If you read culinary murder mysteries for the company, this is a good second visit to Lake Eden. If you want a fair-play puzzle, this one is not where you will find it.
The Hallmark Movie: Murder, She Baked: Just Desserts
This book became Murder, She Baked: Just Desserts, the fifth Hallmark film, first shown on March 26, 2017. Alison Sweeney plays Hannah in all of them. As of October 2026 there are 14 Hallmark Hannah Swensen mysteries. The first five were titled Murder, She Baked. Since 2021 the films carry the series name. The newest are Sugar & Vice and Best Served Cold, both from 2026.
Who Does Hannah Marry, and Is There a New Book in 2026? (Spoilers)
Hannah does not marry Mike or Norman. In book 19, Wedding Cake Murder (2016), she marries Ross Barton, an old college friend, and the marriage later turns out not to be valid. No new novel in the series has been published in 2026. Book 30, Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Murder, was announced and then postponed without a date. The details are in our review of the first book.
Who Is Joanne Fluke?
Joanne Fluke grew up in Swanville, a small town in rural Minnesota. Before Hannah she wrote thrillers and horror novels, young adult books as Jo Gibson and Regency romances as Kathryn Kirkwood. Making her heroine a small-town baker, and printing the recipes, was her own idea. Today she lives in Southern California.
Quick Facts
| Title | Strawberry Shortcake Murder |
|---|---|
| Author | Joanne Fluke |
| Series | Hannah Swensen Mysteries, the second of 29 novels |
| First published | 2001, Kensington (hardcover) |
| Setting | Lake Eden, Minnesota |
| Sleuth | Hannah, owner of The Cookie Jar bakery |
| Audiobook | Narrated by Suzanne Toren, 9 h 2 min (Recorded Books, 2007) |
| Recipes | Seven |
| Film | Murder, She Baked: Just Desserts (Hallmark, 2017) |
| Next book | Blueberry Muffin Murder (2002) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Strawberry Shortcake Murder audiobook?
Yes. Suzanne Toren reads the unabridged edition from Recorded Books, released in 2007. It runs about nine hours.
Is it a clean read?
Yes. There is no sex and no graphic violence, but the abuse story may upset some readers.
Book recommendations if you enjoyed this book?
Go on to Lemon Meringue Pie Murder, book 4. Outside the series, try Sprinkle with Murder for cupcakes and best friends, or browse our culinary cozy mysteries.