Hannah Swensen Mysteries: Joanne Fluke’s Mystery Series and the Hallmark Movies in Order

Alison Sweeney has played Hannah Swensen in 14 Hallmark movies since 2015. The character started on the page in 2000, when Joanne Fluke gave a small Minnesota town a baker who keeps finding bodies. Hannah owns The Cookie Jar, a bakery and coffee shop in Lake Eden, and the murders tend to land on her doorstep.

The books behind the films now number 29 novels, from Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (2000) to Pink Lemonade Cake Murder (2023). Below are both lists: the novels as Fluke wrote them and the films with the book behind each one. After them come the Ross question and our reviews of the first four books.

What Is the Hallmark Bakery Mystery Series?

It is the Hallmark franchise based on Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen novels, with Sweeney as Hannah and as executive producer. The first five films ran on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries from 2015 to 2017 under the title Murder, She Baked. The first movie, Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery, premiered on May 2, 2015.

After a four-year break the films came back in 2021 under the series name. Nine films have aired since then, so the franchise has 14 in all. The watch order, with the source novel of each film, is further down this page.

What Are the Hannah Swensen Books About?

Kensington Publishing has published every book. The idea came from a request: Fluke’s editor asked her for a cozy series. She suggested a small-town baker, and she wanted to put her own recipes in the books. Each novel still has recipes inside the text, so this is a culinary cozy in the most literal sense.

Hannah is an amateur sleuth with a shop to run, and the cases keep finding her. Around them runs a long love triangle between a detective and a dentist. Her mother, Delores, is a matchmaker and would happily see her married to either man.

Main Characters in Lake Eden, Minnesota

Lake Eden is a fictional town in the equally fictional Winnetka County. The regular cast is mostly family:

• Hannah Swensen – the baker and bakery owner who solves the murders.
• Mike Kingston – a detective, new in town in book 1 and Bill’s senior partner.
• Norman Rhodes – the local dentist, son of Delores’s friend Carrie Rhodes.
• Delores Swensen – Hannah’s widowed mother and matchmaker. She later runs the antique shop Granny’s Attic with Carrie.
• Andrea Todd – the middle sister, a real estate agent, married to Bill.
• Bill Todd – Andrea’s husband, a county deputy sheriff and later a detective.
• Michelle Swensen – the youngest sister, a college student. She first appears in person in Lemon Meringue Pie Murder.
• Lisa Herman – Hannah’s assistant at The Cookie Jar, later her partner. She marries Herb Beeseman.
• Moishe – Hannah’s large orange-and-white cat, a rescue.

Who Wrote the Hannah Swensen Books?

Joanne Fluke is a pen name. The author was born Joanne Gibson around 1943 in Swanville, Minnesota, so Lake Eden is home ground. She now lives in Southern California. Her editor at Kensington since 1993 has been John Scognamiglio. By 2016 the series had sold more than 4 million copies. You can also find her in our Cozy Mystery Census.

Hannah Swensen Books in Order: Every Murder Mystery Novel

Here are all 29 novels as they were published, and that is also the best way to read them. The years are those of the first Kensington edition.

1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (2000)
2. Strawberry Shortcake Murder (2001)
3. Blueberry Muffin Murder (2002)
4. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (2003)
5. Fudge Cupcake Murder (2004)
6. Sugar Cookie Murder (2004)
7. Peach Cobbler Murder (2005)
8. Cherry Cheesecake Murder (2006)
9. Key Lime Pie Murder (2007)
10. Carrot Cake Murder (2008)
11. Cream Puff Murder (2009)
12. Plum Pudding Murder (2009)
13. Apple Turnover Murder (2010)
14. Devil’s Food Cake Murder (2011)
15. Cinnamon Roll Murder (2012)
16. Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (2013)
17. Blackberry Pie Murder (2014)
18. Double Fudge Brownie Murder (2015)
19. Wedding Cake Murder (2016)
20. Christmas Caramel Murder (2016)
21. Banana Cream Pie Murder (2017)
22. Raspberry Danish Murder (2018)
23. Christmas Cake Murder (2018)
24. Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (2019)
25. Coconut Layer Cake Murder (2020)
26. Christmas Cupcake Murder (2020)
27. Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder (2021)
28. Caramel Pecan Roll Murder (2022)
29. Pink Lemonade Cake Murder (2023)

Some lists, the author’s own site among them, date the first two books 2001 and 2002. We follow the first hardcover edition, dated April 2000.

A few shorter pieces sit outside the numbering. Candy Cane Murder (2007) and Gingerbread Cookie Murder (2010) are novellas. Joanne Fluke’s Lake Eden Cookbook (2013) adds a short story to the recipes. Christmas Dessert Murder (2021) collects two of the Christmas novels in one volume.

How Many Hannah Swensen Books Are There?

There are 29 novels, published from 2000 to 2023. The count includes the three Christmas novels, which are full-length books inside the numbering. It leaves out the novellas, the short stories, the cookbook and the omnibus.

Will There Be a New Hannah Swensen Mystery? Book 30 and New Movies

On the book side, nothing new has a date. The newest novel is still Pink Lemonade Cake Murder, published on July 25, 2023. Book 30, Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Murder, was announced for 2025 and then pulled from the schedule. As of November 2026 it has no release date, and the author’s site lists it as “TBD”.

The films kept going. Two new movies premiered in 2026: Sugar & Vice on March 7 and Best Served Cold on May 16. Both star Sweeney, Victor Webster and Barbara Niven. No 15th film has been named yet.

In 2026 the books returned only as trade paperback reissues:

• Banana Cream Pie Murder in January;
• Raspberry Danish Murder in April;
• Candy Cane Murder in October;
• Chocolate Cream Pie Murder, due on December 15.

What Happened to Hannah Swensen’s Husband Ross?

Spoiler warning: this answer covers books 8 to 24.

Hannah marries Ross Barton in Wedding Cake Murder. He soon disappears, and it turns out he was already married. Chocolate Cream Pie Murder ends his story for good.

Ross is an old college friend. He first comes to Lake Eden in Cherry Cheesecake Murder, as a film-maker shooting in town. He returns and proposes in Double Fudge Brownie Murder. In Banana Cream Pie Murder the newlyweds are back from their honeymoon cruise. By Raspberry Danish Murder Ross has vanished, and his assistant P.K. dies while driving Ross’s car. Because Ross had a wife already, the marriage was never legal. In Chocolate Cream Pie Murder Hannah tells her church the marriage “has been a sham”.

Bigger spoiler: in the same book Ross comes back, threatens Hannah and is later found shot dead in her condo. We don’t name the killer here.

Ross belongs to the books only. In the movies Hannah gets engaged to Mike in the 2021 film, and later works alongside the prosecutor Chad Norton.

On Screen: How Many Movies Are in the Hannah Swensen Mysteries?

There are 14 movies as of November 2026. Five ran as Murder, She Baked (2015–2017) and nine under the newer name (2021–2026). The channel’s own page calls Best Served Cold “Movie #14”. Sweeney plays Hannah in every film.

The rest of the cast changed over the years. Cameron Mathison played Detective Mike Kingston in the first eight films. Victor Webster joined in One Bad Apple (2024) as Chad Norton, Lake Eden’s prosecuting attorney. Barbara Niven plays Delores, Gabriel Hogan plays Norman, and Lisa Durupt plays Andrea. Toby Levins is Bill Todd, Tess Atkins is Michelle, Juliana Wimbles is Lisa Herman and Garry Chalk is Mayor Bascomb.

The films are shot in British Columbia, Canada. The first five call the town “Eden Lake”. From the sixth film on it is Lake Eden again, as in the books.

Hallmark Movie Watch Order: From Murder, She Baked to Sweet Revenge and Beyond

Watch them in release order. Each line gives the premiere year and the novel the film comes from.

1. Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery (2015) – from Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, book 1
2. Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery (2015) – from Plum Pudding Murder, book 12
3. Murder, She Baked: A Peach Cobbler Mystery (2016) – from Peach Cobbler Murder, book 7
4. Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe (2016) – from Fudge Cupcake Murder, book 5
5. Murder, She Baked: Just Desserts (2017) – from Strawberry Shortcake Murder, book 2
6. Sweet Revenge: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2021) – from Cream Puff Murder, book 11
7. Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2023) – shares its title with book 10
8. A Zest for Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2023) – from Lemon Meringue Pie Murder, book 4
9. One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2024) – from Apple Turnover Murder, book 13
10. A Sprinkle of Deceit: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2024) – from Coconut Layer Cake Murder, book 25
11. Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2025) – loosely from Blueberry Muffin Murder, book 3
12. Pie to Die For: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2025) – from Banana Cream Pie Murder, book 21
13. Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2026) – credited on Wikipedia as based on Sugar Cookie Murder, book 6
14. Best Served Cold: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2026) – no book credit; written by Alison Sweeney

The channel moved twice. Films 1 to 8 premiered on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. The channel was then renamed Hallmark Mystery, and films 9 to 11 aired there in 2024 and early 2025. From Pie to Die For (June 22, 2025) the premieres moved to Hallmark Channel.

Which Books Are the Hannah Swensen Movies Based On?

Most films adapt one novel, usually loosely. Reality Bites turns the Winter Carnival book into a reality baking show that takes over The Cookie Jar. In Sweet Revenge, a murder at a 24-hour gym gets in the way of Hannah and Mike’s wedding planning. Since One Bad Apple Sweeney has co-written most of the films herself, with Fluke’s novel credited as the source.

Then come the two 2026 movies. In Sugar & Vice, Hannah finds a body at the grand re-opening of the Lake Eden Inn, and a storm traps everyone inside. Best Served Cold has no book behind it. A suspect in a forgery case is murdered and the prosecutor goes missing, so Hannah and Chad must connect the two cases before the trial.

Where Can You Watch the Hannah Swensen Movies? Hallmark+ and Official Pages

The films stream on Hallmark+. Both 2026 title pages on the official channel site say “Streaming Now on Hallmark+”. New films have reached the service the day after their TV premiere. Apple TV also lists the films as episodes you can buy.

Where to Start: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder and Our Reviews

Begin at the beginning. The love triangle, Hannah’s family and the Ross story all grow across the series. Our Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder review covers the opener, which was also the first film. We have reviewed the next three books too, and each one became a movie:

• Strawberry Shortcake Murder review – book 2, the source of Just Desserts.
• Blueberry Muffin Murder review – book 3, loosely behind Reality Bites.
• Lemon Meringue Pie Murder review – book 4, the source of A Zest for Death.

Cozy Mystery Series Like Hannah Swensen

For more food, small towns and amateur sleuths, these series pages are a good next step:

• Cupcake Bakery Mysteries – Jenn McKinlay’s series: two best friends run the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery in Scottsdale, Arizona.
• Domestic Diva Mysteries – Krista Davis’s event planner Sophie Winston solves murders in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.
• Coffeehouse Mysteries – Cleo Coyle’s series, for readers who would rather have coffee than cake.

Our culinary cozy mysteries page lists more series with recipes, and Moishe fans will find more cats on our cozy cat mysteries page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need to read the Hannah Swensen books in order?

Not for the crimes, since each book has its own case. The love triangle and the Ross story run across many books, though, so reading in order makes them easier to follow.

Can you bake the recipes from the books?

Yes. The recipes are printed inside the text of every novel. Fluke wanted her own recipes in the books from the start. She has also published Joanne Fluke’s Lake Eden Cookbook.

Is Lake Eden, Minnesota a real town?

No. Lake Eden and Winnetka County are fictional. The first five movies even renamed the town “Eden Lake”.

Is Hannah a redhead in the movies?

In the books Hannah is a redhead, and Fluke has said Sweeney “is not a redhead”. Fans were worried at first, then liked the first film.

Are the movies the same as the books?

No. The movies keep the town, the bakery and the family, but they change the plots, and the Ross story stays in the books. Since 2024 Hannah has worked alongside the prosecutor Chad Norton on screen.