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Joanne Fluke

Biography

Joanne Fluke

Like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke grew up in a small town in rural Minnesota where her neighbors were friendly, the winters were fierce, and the biggest scandal was the spotting of unidentified male undergarments on a young widow's clothesline. She insists that there really are 10,000 lakes and the mosquito is NOT the state bird.

While pursuing her writing career, Joanne has worked as: a public school teacher, a psychologist, a musician, a private detective's assistant, a corporate, legal and pharmaceutical secretary, a short order cook, a florist's assistant, a caterer and party planner, a computer consultant on a now-defunct operating system, a production assistant on a TV quiz show, half of a screenwriting team with her husband, and a mother, wife and homemaker.

She now lives in Southern California with her husband, her kids, his kids, their three dogs, one elderly tabby, and several noisy rats in the attic. 

Joanne Fluke

Books by Joanne Fluke

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

The Tri-County Summer Solstice Celebration has come to town, and even among local artisans, athletes and marching bands, Hannah attracts fans of her own while serving lip-smacking pink lemonade desserts. But the mood sours when a body turns up, leading revelers to wonder if the festivities mark both the longest day of the year and the deadliest. A retired professional MLB player has met a terrifying end --- and, considering the rumors swirling about his past, the list of suspects could fill a small stadium. Among them could soon be Delores, Hannah’s mother, who publicly held a grudge against the victim after he infamously dunked her in the tank at a previous county fair.

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

Embracing a sweet escape from her usual routine at The Cookie Jar, Hannah Swensen gets asked for her help in baking pastries at the local inn for a flashy fishing competition with big prizes and even bigger names. But the fun stops when she spots a runway boat on the water and, on board, the lifeless body of the event’s renowned celebrity spokesperson. Famed TV show host Sonny Bowman wasn’t humble about his ability to reel in winning catches, and no one knew that better than his tragically overworked sidekick, Joey. Did Joey finally take bloody revenge on his pompous boss --- or was Sonny killed by a jealous contestant?

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

Hannah Swensen is up to her ears with Easter orders rushing in at The Cookie Jar, plus a festive meal to prepare for a dinner party at her mother’s penthouse. But everything comes crashing to a halt when Hannah receives a panicked call from her sister, Andrea --- Mayor Richard Bascomb has been murdered…and Andrea is the prime suspect. Even with his reputation for being a bully, Mayor Bascomb had been unusually testy in the days leading up to his death, leaving Hannah to wonder if he knew he was in danger. There are plenty of suspects to sift through for sure. And as orders pile up at The Cookie Jar --- and children line up for Easter egg hunts --- Hannah must spring into investigation mode and identify the real killer…before another murder happens!

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

Hannah Swensen’s sister, Andrea, wants to stave off the blues by helping out at The Cookie Jar, Michele’s love life is becoming complicated, Lisa needs Hannah’s advice, and Delores has a Christmas secret she’s not willing to share. But nothing dampens the holiday mood more than the chilling mystery surrounding the man found near death in an abandoned storefront two doors down from Hannah’s bakery. The befuddled John Doe can’t recall a thing about himself --- except for his unusual knowledge of restoring antique furniture. With a smattering of clues and barely enough time to frost Christmas cookies, Hannah must solve a deadly puzzle that could leave her dashing through the snow for her life!

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

When Hannah Swensen learns that her sister Michelle’s boyfriend, Detective Lonnie Murphy, is the prime suspect in a murder case, she goes straight from a movie studio sound stage to the Los Angeles airport. Back in frigid Minnesota, she discovers that proving Lonnie’s innocence will be harder than figuring out what went wrong with a recipe. Lonnie remembers only parts of the night he went out to a local bar and ended up driving a very impaired woman home. He knows he helped her to her bedroom, but he doesn’t recall anything else until he woke up on her couch the following morning. When he went to the bedroom to check on her, he was shocked to discover she was dead. Hannah doesn’t know what to believe --- only that exonerating a suspect who can’t remember is almost impossible.

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

When The Cookie Jar becomes the setting of a star-studded TV special about movies filmed in Minnesota, Hannah Swensen hopes to shine the spotlight on her bakery --- not the unsavory scandal swirling around her personal life. But that’s practically impossible with a disturbing visit from the shifty character she once believed was her one and only love, a group of bodyguards following her every move, and a murder victim in her bedroom. As suspects emerge and secrets hit close to home, Hannah and an old flame team up to serve a hefty helping of justice to an unnamed killer prowling around Lake Eden...before someone takes a slice out of her!

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Holiday, Mystery

With her dream of opening The Cookie Jar taking shape, Hannah Swensen’s life matches the hectic December hustle and bustle in Lake Eden --- especially when she agrees to help recreate a spectacular Christmas Ball from the past in honor of Essie Granger, an elderly local in hospice care. But instead of poring over decadent dessert recipes for the merry festivities, she instantly becomes enthralled by Essie’s old notebooks and the tale of a woman escaping danger on the streets of New York. Hannah is surprised by Essie’s secret talent for penning crime fiction. She’s even more surprised when the story turns real.

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

Hannah has felt as bitter as November in Minnesota since Ross vanished without a trace and left their marriage in limbo. Still, she throws herself into a baking frenzy for the sake of pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving-themed treats while endless holiday orders pour into The Cookie Jar. Hannah even introduces a raspberry Danish pastry to the menu, and P.K., her husband’s assistant at KCOW-TV, will be one of the first to sample it. But instead of taking a bite, P.K., who is driving Ross’ car and using his desk at work, is murdered. Was someone plotting against P.K. all along, or did Ross dodge a deadly dose of sweet revenge?

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

After an extravagant honeymoon, Hannah is eager to settle down in Lake Eden and turn domestic daydreams into reality. But when her mother’s neighbor is discovered murdered in the condo downstairs, reality becomes a nightmarish investigation. Victoria Bascomb, once a renowned stage actress, was active in the theater community during her brief appearance in town…and made throngs of enemies along the way. Did a random intruder murder the woman as police claim, or was a deadlier scheme at play? As Hannah peels through countless suspects and some new troubles of her own, solving this crime --- and living to tell about it --- might prove trickier than mixing up the ultimate banana cream pie.

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

The holidays have arrived, and Hannah and her good pal Lisa have agreed to provide all the goodies for the town’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol.” But before anyone can say “Bah, humbug!” a Santa-sized sackful of trouble ensues. Like the fact that Lisa’s husband will be playing Mr. Claus to his ex-girlfriend Phyllis Bates’ Mrs. Claus. Or that Phyllis is found dead in the snow, wearing a costume that the real Mrs. Claus would put on the naughty list. Soon after, the suspects pile up faster than snowdrifts in a blizzard, while a merry murderer remains on the loose. With clues even harder to find, it might take a visit from ghosts of Christmas past to wrap up this mystery in time for the holidays.

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

Hannah Swensen and her fiance, Ross, travel to New York City for the Food Channel’s dessert chef contest. They get a taste of the Big Apple before Hannah wins the Hometown Challenge, and the producers bring all the contestants to Lake Eden to tape the remainder of the show. The contest takes a turn for the worse when celebrity chef and judge Alain Duquesne is found stabbed to death in the Lake Eden Inn’s walk-in cooler. Now Hannah not only has lost her advantage, she’ll have to solve a mystery with more layers than a five-tiered wedding cake.

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

When Eve Carrington is chosen to participate in an exclusive writers workshop, she knows it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For one month, she will live, write and share her work with nine other aspiring authors. The top three will get a chance to be published. But when the building they're staying in isn't ready and Eve sees the old mansion they'll be moved into, she starts having second thoughts. Not only is the mansion isolated but the deadlines are tight, the pressure intense, and the competition incredibly fierce. Her biggest rival, Angela, is writing a murder mystery based on the workshop and its participants. But when life begins to imitate art, death begins to knock out the competition.

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

Hannah Swensen is nervous about the upcoming trial for her involvement in a tragic accident. She's eager to clear her name once and for all, but her troubles only double when she finds the judge bludgeoned to death with his own gavel --- and Hannah is the number one suspect. Now on trial in the court of public opinion, she sets out in search of the culprit and discovers that the judge made more than a few enemies during his career.

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Food, Mystery

Hannah Swensen accidentally hits a stranger with her cookie truck while driving down a winding country road in a raging thunderstorm. She is wracked with guilt, and things get even worse when she's arrested…for murder! But an autopsy soon reveals the mystery man, his shirt covered in stains from blackberry pie, would have died even if Hannah hadn't hit him. Now, to clear her name, Hannah will have to follow a trail of pie crumbs to track down the identity of the deceased.

by Joanne Fluke - Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction

Hannah's mother, Delores Swensen, is holding her annual Holiday Cookie Exchange at the Community Centre --- catered by none other than The Cookie Jar! The whole Swensen clan, their friends, and members of The Lake Eden Gossip Hotline, of which Delores is a founding member, have gathered for the delicious event. And as they share their favorite juicy tales of Lake Eden and its residents over coffee and dessert, they also share their favourite scrumptious cookie recipes --- plus a mouth-watering menu of luncheon recipes.

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

Doctor Bev is trying to stir things up with her old flame Norman, who has reunited with Hannah Swensen. Just as Hannah's patience with Bev runs thin, her rival is found dead at the bottom of Miller's Pond. To everyone's shock, Hannah is now the target of a murder investigation --- and she's feeling the heat in a way she never has before.

by Joanne Fluke - Fiction, Mystery

The Cinnamon Roll Six jazz band is playing in Minnesota. But when their tour bus overturns, it emerges that the keyboard player is not who anyone thought he was. Hannah Swensen is determined to unravel the elusive case.