Title:	Pink Lemonade Cake Murder
	Author:	JoAnne Fluke
	Published:	July 25, 2023, Kensington Cozies
	No. of Pages:	304
	Cover Price:	$27.00 Hardcover, $9.41 Kindle

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The 29th installment of the Hannah Swenson series by JoAnn Fluke, Pink Lemonade Cake Murder reads just like a 60s sitcom. Not only are the characters unbelievable as real people, but the scenarios are silly and don’t really happen in real areas in America.

Over the years the Hannah Swenson novels have gotten more and more wordy; this one which has 304 pages could be done in 100 pages if the repetitive words were omitted. It is reminiscent of adding as many meaningless words as possible to get enough words on a term paper. The scenarios have also gotten ridiculous; this one is where all the characters gather at The Cookie Jar to try to get Mike, who is suffering from burnout, to stay with the force. Honestly, who cares? There is also a sub-plot where a baseball star, who has been blocked from playing baseball forever, has come back to Lake Eden to play in a tournament that Lake Eden is hosting. He is cocky and has angered several citizens of Lake Eden by parading through town with scantily clad girls riding on the back of his convertible. His nickname is No-No, and he is found murdered by Delores, Hannah’s mother. Hannah is involved in solving the murder, as usual, and uncovers several clues by questioning her friends and others who may be involved. This novel has very little suspense.

All told, this is the hokiest Hannah Swenson mystery yet. There are several good recipes, but they aren’t written in the traditional manner; rather they are written so that any moron who has never boiled water could make them. For most of us who know how to cook, the format of the recipes is definitely an insult to our intelligence. This reviewer has read all of the Hannah Swenson books, and this one proves that Fluke should stop writing while she is ahead. This one may be worth it for the recipes, but the story is stupid.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.