Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder – The First Hannah Swensen Culinary Mystery

Last Updated on April 22, 2026

Quite a few years ago I fell in love with the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder but not through the book.

In fact, at the time, I didn’t even know it was a book. Nope, I first stumbled across it in 2015 as a Hallmark Mystery – Murder, She Baked – starring Alison Sweeney.

I was hooked, and with a full feature-length TV movie on offer, I couldn’t get enough.

However, much like many other adaptations, even though there are currently 30 books in the series, only a paltry five were made.

Well, sort of. The first five were all under the banner ‘Murder, She Baked‘, and the last one was Murder, She Baked: Just Desserts (2017).

Then Sweeney moved on to Chronicle Mysteries, and a few years passed before Sweet Revenge: A Hannah Swensen Mystery made its debut in 2021.

Four more followed in 2023 and 2024, and we know that Cooked to Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery is currently in production.

So, for those of you counting, in total ten books have been adapted, and an eleventh is on the way.

Of course, none of that makes any difference if you’ve never read the first book or had the pleasure of small-town sleuthing on Hallmark.

If that is the case, let me take you through Joanne Fluke’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder so you get a better idea of why it has been such a huge success.

Hannah Swensen – Cookie Maker Extraordinaire

Hannah Swensen lives in a small town called Lake Eden in Minnesota. It’s the kind of quintessential place where everybody knows everybody, and all the residents are lovely and kind.

There, in Lake Eden, Hannah owns a cookie bakery/cafe where all of the regulars seemingly start their days off with hot coffee and a sweet treat.

She lives alone with her cat Moishe, and despite her interfering mother’s best attempts to set her up, is single and very content.

Then, one morning, in the car park at the back of her bakery, her friend and resident dairy produce delivery guy is shot dead in his truck.

Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, has been murdered.

There are no witnesses and, worse still, absolutely no reason as to why such a beloved member of the community would be killed.

Hannah’s brother-in-law Bill (married to her sister Andrea) is the police officer in charge, but in a town this small, resources are tight, so he asks Hannah to keep an ear out and pass on any information she might glean from her customers.

That is all the green light that Hannah needs to mount her own investigation as she begins to piece together a timeline and list of potential suspects.

Does she catch the killer? Of course she does!!! There wouldn’t be 30 books in the series if she was terrible at this!

Love Matches

So, aside from the whodunnit central mystery in the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, which, by the way, is very well put together, the main subplot is Hannah’s love life.

Not all cozy mysteries have a romantic element but this one certainly does. So if the will-they-wont-they element sounds good to you then read on…

The first potential beau we have is Norman (the name says it all!) and he is the local dentist.

Having been forced on a date with him, with both of their mothers in tow, Hannah has decided he’s not the guy for her. Then she discovers he’s actually quite funny and really nice so there’s potential…

Then, towards the end of the book, a new Detective arrives in town – Mike Kingston – and Hannah is so bowled over by this guy that she can barely catch her breath.

When both ask her out on the same day, and with two dates on the horizon, she has some decisions to make.

Don’t worry, no spoilers here mostly because we don’t actually know who she chooses until book two – Strawberry Shortcake Murder.

Suffice it to say that not only was the mystery really good, this love triangle has me clamouring for more.

That and the fact that it was written in 2000 so the tech is really limited meaning some traditional mystery solving is the order of the day.

Cookie Recipes

One of the sub-genres of Cozy Crime Mysteries is Culinary Cozies. That basically means that books in this category focus on a cooking/baking element in parallel with the mystery solving.

Quite a few have gone so far as to include recipes in the book and Joanne Fluke has outdone herself on that score.

There are at least five full on cookie recipes throughout the book – including baking instructions. So, whether you fancy a Pecan Chew Cookie or a Lemon Bar this is the book you need.

And, there is also a conversion chart at the back so wherever you are in the world you can get the correct measurements for the ingredients.

I’m fairly certain I was dreaming about cookies after I finished this book, and I was definitely craving some, so I might just put one of the recipes to the test!

Next Up Is…

As mentioned above, the next book in the Hannah Swensen series is called Strawberry Shortcake Murder.

This time around, Hartland Flour has chosen Lake Eden as the spot for their first annual Dessert Bake-Off.

Hannah is the head judge, but when a fellow judge, Coach Boyd Watson, is found dead, things in the quiet town take a nasty turn.

If you’ve read the first book, you won’t be too disappointed that Boyd has met his maker, which is also why there is no shortage of suspects.

And, with a killer on the loose, Hannah’s snooping could very well put her in their crosshairs.

Worth It?

100% Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder is worth every minute of your time. It’s around 300 pages long, whizzes by and is a wonderful read.

With a murder, love triangle, mouth-watering cookie recipes and a leading lady who is relatable and really funny, what’s not to love?

I fear this may be my new obsession…one down, 29 to go! Plus, FIVE More on TV!