Returning after her father's death to her hometown of Lake Eden, Minn., Hannah opens her own shop, the Cookie Jar, where much of the town's gossip percolates along with the strong coffee. Early one morning, she finds the driver of a delivery truck shot dead in the alley behind her shop. Hannah's brother-in-law, Bill, the county's deputy sheriff, recruits her to help him chase down the culprit. A surprising number of suspects emerges, but due to her cafe business and catering of local social events, Hannah is admirably placed to hear all, see much and investigate a little. Motives ranging from blackmail to extortion abound, as do descriptions of clothing and shopping. Cat fanciers will appreciate knowing how Hannah found her cat, but separating the wheat of the significant from the chaff of the irrelevant can be challenging. Fluke also stretches the imagination when Bill leaves most of the sleuthing to Hannah and when the sheriff's men fail to discover a second body at the dairy where the first victim was employed.

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Hannah Swensen is the owner of the bakery, The Cookie Jar in lake Eden, Minn. Early one morning she finds the dairy deliveryman dead in the alley behind her bakery. Hannah's brother-in-law who happens to be a local detective asks her to keep her ears open and Hannah finds herself in the midst of all sorts of gossip and suspects.

Meanwhile, Hannah's mother is determined to get Hannah married and Hannah finds herself being fixed up with a blind date.

Is this the best mystery? Definitely not. Cute, yes but it stretches the imagination that Hannah seems to be doing all the work and Bill her brother-in-law seems to be waiting for Hannah to find dead bodies. Interspersed throughout are cookie recipes that sound good.

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