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Fudge Cupcake Murder
Joanne Fluke Book Review

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Plot Summary of Fudge Cupcake Murder
"

Kensington, March 2004, 22.00, 307 pp.
ISBN 0758201524

In Lake Eden, Minnesota, Hannah Swenson owns and runs the only bakery and cookie shop in town and business is booming thinks to her excellent baking concoctions. She is helping her brother in law Bill run for town sheriff and is a volunteer teacher for those who want to learn how to make desserts. One night after class, she goes to throw out the garbage only to find the murdered body of the incumbent sheriff Jim Grant.

Her boyfriend Mike takes over as acting sheriff and places Bill on admin leave because he is a suspect having had a public fight with Sheriff Grant the day he was killed and offering no alibi for the time the victim was murdered. Hannah's sister Andrea is due to give birth in a couple of weeks and insists that she and Hannah have to clear her husband's name. Bill wants Hannah's help because she has solved homicide cases before but once she proves he isn't the killer, he expects her to back away. Hannah, who likes sleuthing is determined to find the killer, a decision that could kill her.

FUDGE CUPCAKE MURDER is one amateur sleuth mystery that should not be read on an empty stomach because there are mouth-watering recipes and descriptions of desserts in almost every chapter that are so good it will kill the Atkins crowd. Joanne Fluke has written a heartwarming cozy with characters caring and looking out for one another. Readers might guess the killer's identity but that will not take away from the delight they will feel when reading this simply super caper novel.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Fudge Cupcake Murder
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70%
Misc. Murder Plotlets - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator - amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - food/cooking
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - small businessman
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - small businessman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - West

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 1
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Fudge Cupcake Murder
No Just Desserts by Elisabeth Bastion
The Jasmine Moon Murder by Laura Childs
The English Breakfast Murder by Laura Childs
If Cooks Could Kill by JoAnne Pence
Shades of Earl Grey by Laura Childs


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