Hannah Swensen's big day is in three weeks: Lake Eden's favourite baker is finally getting married. She is also going to New York City to compete in the Food Channel's Dessert Chef Contest, where Hannah will be the only home baker amongst trained celebrity chefs. Hannah is not usually prone to nervousness, however an unexpected event has her scrambling for a bit, and nobody has died. Yet. Not all contestants play fair, and the head judge, Alain Duquesne, is known to be very difficult and also has a reputation as a womanizer. It's not surprising that he should be the one to turn up dead, and of course Hannah must poke her nose into the investigation.

Although it was a bit of a surprise in the previous book to see Hannah choose Ross over Mike and Norman, it was nice to finally see Hannah really preparing for her wedding. I also loved that both her sisters, Andrea and Michelle, are even more present than in previous books; they're both very likable characters and their banter sounds totally realistic. Of course, anyone who knows a cat will guffaw at Moishe's antics, and at one point Hannah's cat literally had me laughing out loud. The celebrity chef competition was a delightful touch, although I thought the desserts were a tad pedestrian for such a prestigious event, there was a lot of yumminess involved, not to forget the recipes at the end of most chapters. I also expected a bit more bickering and backstabbing from the competing candidates.

I enjoy this series because it feels familiar, and while there are murders involved, it's never grisly. WEDDING CAKE MURDER, as every book in this series, definitely belongs to the cozy mystery genre, but Ms. Fluke had me shivering when the unavoidable dead body turns up; the scene is not gory, but the setup for the discovery of the victim was expertly described, and I felt as unsettled as the character who stumbled upon the victim. The plot twists were not exactly those I had anticipated, but now I can't help but wonder what Joanne Fluke has in store for the future; a bun in the oven for Hannah, maybe? WEDDING CAKE MURDER is another fine instalment in this fun series.

Book Summary

Everyone in Lake Eden, Minnesota, may have had their doubts, but at long last, Hannah Swensen is getting married!

Hannah is thrilled to be marrying Ross Barton, her college crush. And her excitement only grows when she learns he’ll be able to join her on her trip 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. It’s nerve-wracking enough being judged by Alain Duquesne, a celebrity chef with a nasty reputation. But it’s even more chilling to find him stabbed to death in the Lake Eden Inn’s walk-in cooler—before he’s even had a chance to taste Hannah’s Butterscotch Sugar Cookies! Now Hannah has not only lost her advantage, she’ll have to solve a mystery with more layers than a five-tiered wedding cake…