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Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, Leslie Meier
Book Summary InformationAuthor: Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, Leslie Meier Edition: Hardcover Published: 2007-10-01 ISBN: 0758221983 Number of pages: 288 Publisher: Kensington
Book Reviews of Candy Cane MurderBook Review: Three very different stories Summary: 3 StarsI didn't realize - even after I started reading it - that this was three stories in one book! I simple saw `Joanne Fluke' and snatched up the book. Hence I was a little shocked when her mystery - the first one - came to a rather abrupt halt. While the first three-quarters of the story was intriguing and well written, with all the characters fans of the series know and love (or hate), the end seemed so fast and unsatisfying. Like a sitcom 30-second wrap-up. The recipe for making cookies out of cake mix and cool whip, on the other hand, is incredible.
I actually enjoyed the other stories more than Fluke's. They seemed more balanced and well-paced for short stories. I particularly enjoyed the heroine (Jaine) in "The Dangers of Candy Canes". She was likeable for her imperfections and had a great attitude. The mystery was simple enough, straightforward and enjoyable. The final story was much slower, told as a flashback, and there was no real sense of tension or doom - still, it was interesting and well-written.
Overall, each of the stories was very different in atmosphere and pacing, and all of them were good in their own way. Even if you're not a huge fan of Fluke, I'd suggest reading the other two if you're a fan of simple, light mysteries and good characters.
Summary of Candy Cane Murder `Tis the season for trimming the tree, caroling, baking cookies, and curling up by the Yuletide waiting for Santa to drop down the chimney. But in this festive collection of holiday whodunits, murder is also paying a visit... "Candy Cane Murder" by Joanne Fluke Bakery owner Hannah Swensen feels a little stuffed in her elf costume--but it's too late to count calories. Lake Eden's annual Christmas gala is upon her and eager children are waiting. Wayne Bergstrom, owner of Bergstrom's Department Store, happily ho-ho-hos his way through the festivities in his Santa suit. But when a trail of candy canes leads to his corpse in a snow bank, Hannah must find Kris Kringle's killer. "The Dangers of Candy Canes" by Laura Levine When a wealthy suburbanite takes a lethal tumble off his roof while installing a giant candy cane, the roofing contractor being held responsible for murder asks freelance writer Jaine Austen to investigate. But solving this untimely holiday death means delving into the cutthroat Christmas decorating wars among scheming neighbors with dirty secrets in their stocking. It takes a fruitcake hiding a weapon and a stunning confrontation to expose the mastermind of this holiday murder. "Candy Canes of Christmas Past" by Leslie Meier Twenty-some years ago, Lucy Stone arrived in Tinker Cove, Maine, and discovered her knack for solving mysteries when she met Miss Tilly, the town librarian, whose mother took a fatal fall down the basement stairs one Christmas Eve. The "accident" left a cloud of suspicion on Miss Tilly's father and a slew of other suspects. The only clue was a glass candy cane found smashed to bits by the victim's body. Now Lucy must learn the mystery of the glass candy cane as she unlocks the doors of Christmas past, exposing secrets, scandal, and a killer who got away with murder. Whether a gift for yourself or that special someone on your list, there's no better way to spend the holidays than with these tantalizing mysteries of murder... Includes over 15 scrumptious holiday recipes! Santa gets bludgeoned, neighbors knock neighbors off their light-festooned roofs and householders nearly blow themselves into next year cooking Yule dinner in this triple-decker helping of holiday cheer. Fluke gives her regular sleuth the starring role in the saga of Santa's sad demise. Hannah Swenson finds skinflint department-store magnate Wayne Bergstrom with his neck broken after playing St. Nick at the Lake Eden Inn's gala. Even her boyfriend, Detective Mike Kingston, knows Hannah's going to investigate, although he tells her for the record to leave it to the professionals. Levine's Jaine Austen, a freelance writer who can resist anything but temptation, is in a holiday tizzy trying to clear Seymour Fiedler, proud proprietor of "Fiedler on the Roof Roofers," of the charge that he doctored the roofing tiles that led to irascible Garth Janken's untimely demise. And Meier takes Lucy Stone back in time, as Christmas with her grandson Patrick reminds her of her first Christmas in Tinker's Cove. Their house on Red Top Road was a mess, she was pregnant with her second child and her husband Bill tried to fix the pilot light on their cantankerous stove, causing an explosion that burned his arms. When librarian Julia Tilley comes to her rescue, Lucy in return tackles the mysterious death of Miss Tilley's mother. Like a box of holiday chocolates, this recipe-studded assortment gives all readers a crack at their favorites. -- KIRKUS REVIEWS
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