Christmas Cupcake Murder: A Festive & Delicious Christmas Cozy Mystery (A Hannah Swensen Mystery)

This is my first Joanne Fluke book, and I'll admit it took me a bit to get into it, but once I did I was absolutely charmed. Here's why: at first it seemed tedious and then I started noticing how the people spoke to each other. In my experience most people are not this direct and open with their communication, and at the first it felt condescending to me but that is entirely because I am not used to people speaking to me like that. So then I thought what if people really did communicate that way, what if small town folk really cared about each other the way these folks seem to? That is what fantasy is all about after all. And really it made me feel cozy and comfortable, like I was right there in the convos with them listening in. I read fiction to escape reality. I read to contrive a specific feeling that my reality does not give me. This book provided a wonderfully cozy and very entertaining moment all the way through. And I was smiling and crying at the end. I love it when a book can do that. And the ending was so good. I don't mean good as a literary critique, I mean good as in wholesome. And hey I'm no baker, but these recipes look so lovely I might have to try one this year.

I'm not familiar with the series so perhaps my expectations weren't quite right, but this book was tedious. There wasn't a murder or really any tension at all, and barely any mention of Christmas. I felt like the homeless character and character with special needs were written by a person who has never even seen a homeless person nor a person with special needs. The recipes were charming and looked delicious. I'd suggest this cozy mystery to somebody who is looking for something soothing and stress-free to read before bed or after a major heart surgery.