Fudge Cupcake Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes) by Joanne Fluke

First two lines in the book:  Hannah Swensen moved to the front of the rectangular box and braced herself.  Although she had no specialized training, she felt like a member of a bomb squad who was preparing to disarm an explosive device.

From the blurb:  For Hannah, life seems to be lacking a certain flavor lately.  Maybe it's the local sheriff's election that's got her down.  For years, Sheriff Grant's been the iron hand in town.  But now, Hannah's brother-in-law Bill is giving the old blowhard the flight of his long, dubious career - and Grant's not taking it well, especially once the polls show Bill pulling ahead.
But before anyone can taste victory, things go sour.  While Hannah's emptying the trash, she makes a very unappetizing discovery:  Sheriff Grant's body in the Dumpster behind the high school where she's teaching her cooking class.  And as if that weren't bad enough, the poor man still has fudge frosting on his shirt from one of her cupcakes.
The number one - and only - suspect is Bill, but Hannah's not swallowing it.  Plenty of people had reason to hate Sheriff Grant.  Soon, Hannah's dishing up scandalous secrets, steaming hot betrayals, and enough intrigue to keep the gossip mill at The Cookie Jar going through several pots of decaf.  And the closer Hannah gets to the truth, the closer she gets to smoking out a murderer with a very nasty recipe for silencing people...
(Includes ten original dessert recipes for you to try!)

Another delectable mystery from book #5 starring the owner of The Cookie Jar and company.  Once more, I have enjoyed catching up with Hannah and her friends.  Hannah seems no closer to choosing between the two men in her life - one comfortable and one thrilling - because "it was hard to choose when she wanted it all"!  Girl, I know the feeling.
I enjoy the light humour in the book and reading about feline wits in the shape and form of Moishe the clever cat!  Family ties and family obligations matter a lot in the Swensen family and when family is involved, there you will find love and warmth and there is no shortage of them in the book.  And with a mystery involved, what more could you want?
On a last note, I must mention that I love the bright and attractive cover designs.  The tempting pictures correspond with the titles and I can guarantee that they are as good as the contents!

Rating:  3/5