Fans love both the charming and cozy murder mysteries and the recipes offered by Joanne Fluke in her Hannah Swensen series. however, with more than 30 books in the series spanning three decades, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Read on for your ultimate guide on how to read Hannah Swensen’s books in order.
about the author
joanne fluke is the pseudonym of the woman behind the popular hannah swensen series: joanne fischmann. While Fischmann has written under numerous nicknames, Joanne Fluke is the most popular of hers and, for the sake of simplicity, we will use it in the rest of this article.
You are reading: Do you have to read joanne fluke books in order
In addition to the Swensen series, Fluke has also written other books. If you want to learn more about her entire bibliography, you can read our article on all of joanne fluke’s books in order.
Like our main character, Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke also grew up in a small rural town in Minnesota. She has said that the setting of the Swensen series reminds her of her own upbringing and her hometown. While Lake Eden may be fictional, this inherent kinship with the setting lends familiarity and authenticity to Fluke’s writing.
Before becoming an author, Fluke had many different jobs including a teacher, psychologist, musician, cook and many, many more.
fluke also comes from a family of bakers, which becomes apparent just by looking at the titles of her hannah swensen series. each title represents a delicious dessert related to the book’s puzzling murder. Even more delicious than that, Fluke also includes recipes in her books, allowing you to make your own fudge.
fluke now lives in california with her husband, children and many animals.
do you need to read the hannah swensen books in order?
As mentioned above, the Hannah Swensen series takes place in the fictional town of Lake Eden, Minnesota. The series follows our main character, Hannah Swensen, who owns the town’s bakery, the cookie jar. With each new installment, a murder rocks the small town and it’s up to Hannah to solve the mystery before it’s too late.
as with many mysteries, it is possible to read hannah swensen’s books in any order. however, if you have the time and opportunity, the recommended reading order is to follow publication order.
reading hannah swensen’s books in publication order will allow you to experience the books the way fluke intended. the order of publication will also allow you to fully understand the characters and their backstory. finally, it will protect you from any potential spoilers from previous installments, such as romantic quests, or maybe even the result of a previous murder.
With all that said, we’ve included two reading orders in this ultimate guide and now we’ll dive into each order.
#1 books by hannah swensen in publication order
The first way to read hannah swensen’s books in order is the recommended reading order and of course publication order.
This is the best way to read the books if this is your first time reading the series. This will let you in on the details of Hannah Swensen’s life and backstory in the order Joanne Fluke intended. Plus, it’ll make sure you don’t stumble on potential spoilers from previous books by reading them out of order.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (2000)
- Strawberry Shortcake Murder (2001)
- Blueberry Muffin Murder (2001)
- Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (2001)
- Chocolate Cupcake Murder (2004)
- Sugar Cookie Murder (2004)
- peach cobbler murder (2005)
- cherry cheesecake murder (2006)
- key lime pie murder (2007)
- cane cane murder caramel (2007) (short story/anthology)
- carrot cake murder (2008) )
- cream puff murder (2009)
- pudding murder Plum (2009)
- Smashed Apple Murder (2010)
- Gingerbread Cookie Murder (2010) (short story/anthology)
- Gingerbread Cake Murder Devil’s Food (2011)
- Cinnamon Roll Murder (2012)
- Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (2013)
- Blackberry Pie Murder (2014)
- cho brownie murder double colate (2015)
- wedding cake murder (2016)
- christmas candy murder (2016)
- banana cream pie murder ( 2017)
- Danish Raspberry Murder (2018)
- Christmas Cake Murder (2018)</li
- Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (2019)
- Christmas Sweets (2019) (short story/anthology)
- Coconut Layer Cake Murder (2020)
- Christmas Cupcake Murder (2020)
- triple chocolate cheesecake murder (2021)
- caramel pecan roll murder (2022)
- pink lemonade cake murder (expected: 25th July), 2023)
#2 hannah swensen books in chronological order
The other way to read hannah swensen’s books in order is in chronological order, which is pretty similar to our list above. in fact, this list only has one difference, and that is which book you start the series with. This reading order places the Christmas Cake Murder at the beginning, since it’s a prequel to Before Hannah Opened the Cookie Jar.
again, this is a very subtle change, and also not the recommended reading order if you’re just beginning your hannah swensen reading journey.
That’s because Christmas Cake Assassin was written nearly two decades after Hannah Swensen’s first book was published. While it does take place before the events of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder chronologically, it’s best to wait until he’s already familiar with the cast of characters before reading this prequel so he can better appreciate it.
- Christmas Cake Murder
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
- Strawberry Shortcake Murder
- Blueberry Muffin Murder
- lemon meringue pie murder
- chocolate cake murder
- sugar cookie murder
- peach cobbler murder
- cherry cheesecake murder
- key lime pie murder
- candy cane murder (short story/anthology)
- murder Carrot Cake Murder
- Cream Puff Murder
- Prune Pudding Murder
- Smashed Apple Murder
- Cake Cookie Murder ginger (short story/anthology)
- devil’s food pie murder
- cinnamon roll murder
- red velvet cupcake murder
- Blackberry Pie Murder
- Double Chocolate Brownie Murder
- Wedding Cake Murder
- Brown Caramel Murder e christmas</li
- banana cream pie murder
- raspberry danish murder
- chocolate cream pie murder
- christmas treats (short story/anthology)
- coconut layer cake murder
- christmas cupcake murder
- triple chocolate ch eesecake murder
- Murder of the Caramel Pecan Roll
- Murder of the Pink Lemonade Pie
non-fiction books
- lake eden cookbook by joanne fluke (2011)
adaptations by hannah swensen
If you’re just beginning your hannah swensen reading journey, you may have been inspired to choose the most popular movie books.
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the assassin franchise, she baked debuted in 2015 with a chocolate chip cookie mystery. Five other films have since been released: A Plum Pudding Mystery, A Peach Cobbler Mystery, A Deadly Recipe, Just Desserts, and Sweet Revenge. With the release of the latest installment in 2021, the franchise was renamed from Murder to a Hannah Swensen Mystery.
The first three films are adaptations of the novels with the same names, while A Deadly Recipe adapts the Chocolate Cupcake Murder, Only Desserts adapts the Strawberry Shortcake Murder, and Sweet Revenge adapts the Chocolate Cupcake Murder. cream.
Iconic hallmark actress and former soap opera star Alison Sweeney stars as crime-solving baker Hannah Swensen in multiple adaptations, and is also an executive producer on the latest installment.
Cameron Mathison plays her on-screen love interest, Detective Mike Kingston, and Gabriel Hogan plays her other love interest, Doctor Norman Rhodes.
a summary of hannah swensen’s books in order
Since we have already summarized the first 15 books by hannah swensen in our joanne fluke books in order article, we have chosen to highlight the next 10 books in the hannah swensen series in this list. below you will find books 16 to 25 to enjoy.
Devil’s Food Pie Murder
hannah swensen has to admit life is pretty sweet.
Things are going well in the romance department, and the delicious treats from her bakery are selling out as fast as she can make them. Even Ella’s good friend Claire is hopelessly in love with Ella’s new husband, Reverend Bob Knudson. If only they could find time to go on their honeymoon!
When bob’s childhood friend matthew walters comes to town, it feels like divine intervention. Matthew, like Bob, is a Lutheran minister with a stubborn sweet tooth. Since he’s on sabbatical, Matthew is happy to fill in for Bob while he and Claire enjoy their long-awaited honeymoon.
sounds like the perfect plan, until hannah finds matthew facedown in a plate of devil’s pie, with a single bullet in his head. and the only witness is a bird that squawks: the wages of sin is death. hannah will need some investigation to detect the murderer…
cinnamon roll murder
when bakery owner hannah swensen learns that the cinnamon roll jazz six band will be playing at lake eden, minnesota’s weekend jazz festival, she’s more than happy to whip up a generous provision of their namesake candy to welcome them to town.
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Before the festival even begins, tragedy strikes when the tour bus overturns. Among the injured is Buddy Neiman, the band’s beloved keyboardist.
His injuries seem minor, until his condition suddenly worsens, as if he were dead. Hannah isn’t a doctor, but she suspects that surgical scissors someone plunged into a friend’s chest may have something to do with it.
Luckily, she’s on the case, because she knows from experience that nothing is sweeter than bringing a killer to justice…
red velvet cupcake murder
This summer has been warmer than usual in Lake Eden, Minnesota. hannah swensen is trying to beat the heat both inside and outside her bakery kitchen. But she’s about to find out the hard way that nothing cools down a hot day like cold-blooded murder.
At the grand opening of a local hotel, a police department employee is nearly killed when he falls from a penthouse. Then another woman, with whom Hannah has a less than friendly relationship, ends up dead. Hannah is the prime suspect, and in order to clear her own name, she must find out who put ice on the victim…
blackberry pie murder
It’s been a quiet summer for the people of Lake Eden, Minnesota. In fact, it’s been a full four months since anyone in the Swensen family came across a dead body, a detail that just made the front page of the local paper. and that means hannah swensen can finally focus on her bakery… or can she?
Life is never really smooth for Hannah. After all, his mom’s wedding is about a month away, and guess who’s in charge of the planning?
Just when hannah thinks her biggest challenge will be choosing buttercream or fondant for the cake, she accidentally hits a stranger with her cookie truck while driving down a winding country road in a heavy storm. hannah is wracked with guilt for her, and things get even worse when she gets arrested – for murder!
But an autopsy soon reveals that the mystery man, his shirt covered in blackberry pie stains, would have died even if Hannah hadn’t hit him. Now, to clear his name, he will have to follow a trail of cake crumbs to trace the identity of the deceased, find out how he ended up on his way, and get to the church on time…
double chocolate brownie murder
hannah swensen is having a hard time concentrating on her bakery right now. thanks to an unexpected trip to las vegas and a long-standing love triangle that may soon turn into a quadrangle. Not to mention the nerves he is experiencing over the upcoming trial for his involvement in a tragic accident.
When she returns to Lake Eden, Minnesota, she’s eager to clear her name once and for all. But her troubles are only doubled when she finds the judge bludgeoned to death with her own mallet, and Hannah is suspect number one.
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Now on trial in the court of public opinion, she sets out to find the culprit and discovers that the judge has made quite a few enemies during his career. With time running out, Ella Hannah will have to examine all the evidence and restore order to the court…
wedding cake murder
The people of Lake Eden, Minnesota may have had their doubts, but Hannah Swensen is finally getting married! And her excitement only grows when she learns that the man of her dreams may 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 local challenge, and the producers take all the contestants to Lake Eden to film the rest of the show.
It’s stressful enough being judged by Alain Duquesne, a famous chef with a bad reputation. But it’s even more chilling to find him stabbed to death in the Lake Eden Inn walk-in freezer, before he’s had a chance to taste Hannah’s caramel sugar cookies! now not only has hannah lost the upper hand on him, but he will have to solve a mystery with more layers than a five-tier wedding cake…
christmas candy murder
christmas usually descends on lake eden, minnesota, as gently as reindeer perch on a roof. But this holiday season, the only thing coming down Hannah Swensen’s chimney is a murder case.
hannah and her friend lisa have agreed to provide the gifts for the town’s annual production of a Christmas carol. but before anyone can say “bah, humbug!” a sack full of problems the size of a santa claus is produced.
likes the fact that lisa’s husband will play mr. claus to his ex-girlfriend mrs phyllis bates. Noel or that before the curtains are raised, Phyllis is found dead in the snow, in a disguise as the real Mrs. claus would put on the naughty list.
Soon, suspects are piling up faster than snow as a merry killer is still on the loose. With clues hard to find, it may take a visit from the Ghosts of Christmas Past to solve this mystery in time for the holidays…
banana cream pie murder
A romantic seven-day cruise is the perfect start to bakery owner Hannah Swensen’s marriage. However, with a murder mystery heating up in Minnesota, it looks like the newlyweds’ homecoming won’t be as sweet as hoped.
hannah is eager to settle down in lake eden and turn domestic dreams into reality. but then they discover that her mother’s neighbor was murdered in the condo below.
Victoria Bascomb, once a renowned stage actress, was active in the theater community during her brief appearance in town, making a multitude of enemies along the way. Did a random intruder murder the woman as police claim, or was there a more lethal plan at play?
As hannah sifts through countless suspects and a few new problems of her own, solving this crime and living to tell the tale may prove trickier than baking the latest banana cream pie…
danish raspberry murder
hannah swensen has been feeling as bitter as november in minnesota ever since her husband, ross, disappeared without a trace and left their marriage in limbo. Still, she goes on a baking spree for pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving-themed treats as endless holiday orders arrive in the cookie jar.
hannah even features a raspberry danish on the menu, and her husband’s assistant at kcow-tv, p.k., will be one of the first to try it. but before you take a bite, p.k. — Who was driving Ross’s car and using his desk at work — is killed.
someone was plotting against p.k.? Or did Ross dodge a deadly dose of sweet revenge? Hannah will have to quickly sift through a cornucopia of clues and suspects to stop one killer from bringing another murder to the table.
murder christmas cake
It’s been Christmas many years and topping young Hannah Swensen’s wish list is to become the favorite baker in Lake Eden, Minnesota. But as Hannah discovers, revisiting vacation memories can be murder…
With her dream of opening the cookie jar taking shape, Hannah’s life coincides with the busy hustle and bustle of December at Lake Eden, especially when she agrees to help recreate a spectacular Christmas ball from the past in honor of Essie. granger, a local old lady. in palliative care.
but instead of poring over decadent dessert recipes for the merry festivities, she’s instantly captivated by old essie notebooks and the story of a woman who escapes danger on the streets of new york.
hannah is surprised by essie’s secret talent for writing crime novels. she is even more surprised when the story becomes real. As Hannah prepares to run a bakery and move out of her mother’s house, it will be a real miracle if she can prevent another Christmas disaster by solving a mystery as dense as a Christmas shortcake…
final thoughts on hannah swensen’s books in order
there you have hannah swensen’s books in order and everything you need to enjoy this series to the fullest. These cozy mysteries are perfectly complemented by tasty recipes that you are sure to appreciate.
Looking for more books in order?
if you love joanne fluke’s books for the cozy and mysterious atmosphere they convey, you might also enjoy reading agatha raisin’s books in order.
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