Cinnamon Roll Murder (Hannah Swensen Mystery 15), by Joanne Fluke

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Cinnamon Roll Murder, by Joanne Fluke is the 15th installment in the Hannah Swensen Mystery series. The Cinnamon Roll Six (I happen to love this name for a band) is in town for the weekend's jazz festival and Hannah bakes a batch of...drumroll, please...cinnamon rolls! Tragically, before they even have a chance to perform, the band's bus is in an accident after which the driver is found dead. Also, a band member apparently sustains minor injuries, but when he is in the hospital, he mysteriously dies. What happened? Was it foul play or did he have life-threatening injuries from the accident after all? Hannah suspects murder and she sets out to untangle this mystery.

At the end of the previous book, Devil's Food Cake Murder, there was a cliffhanger with a secondary storyline. That cliffhanger, I'm pleased to say, is addressed in Cinnamon Roll Murder and it appears we  have closure. The way this storyline unfolds is a bit unbelievable, but this is fiction after all. This is a light-hearted series that isn't meant to be taken too seriously. I am satisfied with the way it turned out even though the journey to get there is eyebrow-raising.

I thoroughly enjoyed the primary mystery in this book. I had my suspicions about who did it, but I wavered several times and I wasn't completely sure who the culprit was until it was revealed. There was a secondary plot that I was curious about, but unfortunately, it was completely dropped early in the book. There was speculation about it, but no clear resolution. I felt as if the author completely forgot about it.

There are a lot of recipes and a lot of talk about those goodies scattered throughout the book. Usually I find the food talk distracting, as I prefer the focus to be more on the mystery. However, this time I enjoyed reading about their foodie discussions. I found myself craving everything they talked about, but I only gave in to the cinnamon roll (which I bought, not baked myself). 

It occurred to me while reading this book why I love this series so much. While the characters definitely have their flaws, there is a strong sense of togetherness. One of my favorite aspects of the series is when they get together at Hannah's condo to discuss the clues and suspects. Hannah welcomes everyone with open arms no matter how spur of the moment it is and how tired she is. She is always happy to bake or cook something for everyone, complete with a hot pot of coffee.  Throughout the series, the core characters are also always looking out for each other's best interest.

Cinnamon Roll Murder is an easy and enjoyable read. I highly recommend it if cozy mysteries interest you. This installment is heavy on the cozy aspect, but it also contains a good mystery. And I already have the next one ready to be read very soon!