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| Candy Cane Murder | 
 enlarge | Authors: Laura Levine, Joanne Fluke, Leslie Meier
Publisher: Kensington
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy New: $2.15
You Save: $4.84 (69%)
New (36) Used (16) from $1.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  30 reviews
Sales Rank: 17983
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 432
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.1 x 1
ISBN: 0758221991
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.087208
EAN: 9780758221995
ASIN: 0758221991
Publication Date: October 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
`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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| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
 Very Enjoyable Reading December 20, 2008
The book contains three short novels by three different authors. I loved each novel because a)each one centers around Christmas, b)is a mystery, and c)is light-hearted. Each novel is easy to read, but not too simple that is does not hold one's interest.
 Candy Canes and Crime... December 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a collection of three short stories from some of today's most popular "cozy" mystery writers. Headlining "Candy Cane Murder" is Joanne Fluke, known for her Hannah Swenson murder mystery series. Hannah is the owner of a bakery called "The Cookie Jar" and here in the story "Candy Cane Murder" Hannah finds yet another dead body...this time he is a local businessman who is dressed up in a Santa costume. The trail of candy canes leads Hannah to his body. Hannah's story is exactly what Fluke fans should expect by now. Hannah and her friends and neighbors are fun to visit with again, but the murders are too easily resolved to be more than passing entertainment. Honestly, I am starting to get a little annoyed with the Hannah novels. The mysteries aren't very imaginitve anymore and I'm tired of the back and forth between whether Hannah is interested in stable Norman or super hunk Mike. Her sleuthing methods are beyond unbelievable and I'm quite good at suspending disbelief. People just spill their guts out to Hannah, and this just doesn't seem realistic. Not to mention doctors, lawyers, mortician's, etc apparently have never heard of privacy acts...I'd give "Candy Cane Murder" a 2 star review.
I was delightfully suprised by Laura Levine's short story "The Danger of Candy Canes". I have never read this author before and I found her heroine Jaine Austin refreshingly spunky, snarky, and sarcastic. She was a hoot. I enjoyed her 'conversations' with her cat, and her diet that was anything but. This is certainly the most 'fleshed' out mystery of the bunch and had the best resolution of the three. Jaine seems to live on the same planet with Hannah in the fact that people just seem to welcome Jaine into their homes and then spill out their guts to her. However this character and the comical situations Jaine finds herself in are original and witty and I can't wait to read more by her. In fact, I've added her first Jaine Austin mystery to my wish list already. This was a strong 4 star story. Yeah!
I was looking forward to reading Leslie Meier's entry "Candy Canes of Christmas Past" the most because I haven't read anything she has written previously, but I see her mysteries everywhere. I have been intrigued, but never bought one. This story is a prequel to the "Lucy Stone" mysteries. It takes place in 1983 as their very young family is just starting out in Tinker's Cove, Maine. This is the most heartwarming tale of the three and I feel that the characterizations in this story are its strongest asset. The story is mostly about the young family's house being a disaster, and they are down to their last few dollars in a new town. They have just started meeting people and feel a little out of place. Both Lucy and her husband are just overwhelmed by the new situations they have found themselves in. This story best represents what Christmas is all about as the new neighbors rally together to try to brighten the Stone's holiday. The mysery is almost an afterthought and it truly doesn't ring relevant. Its a fifty year old 'maybe' murder and the way the killer is revealed is super flimsy. Their is no reveal or big peak to the story arc. If all her "Lucy Stone" mysteries are like this, I don't think they will hold much appeal for me. However, I do like the characters and they are certainly not one dimensional as Hannah Swenson and crew have turned out to be. Maybe I need to pick up one or two of them and take a chance. I'd give this 3 stars, it would have been at least 4, if not for the horribly mystery reveal.
A Bonus December 6, 2008
I didn't realize that this was three fun short novels for the price of one. What a bonus! I've been meaning to try a JoAnne Fluke mystery and I loved it, plus I loved the Laura Levine and Leslie Meier stories. This was a great way to intoduce me to three authors whose books I'll be buying. I have a collection of Christmas stories I like to dig out and read this time of year, and this will definately be a future favorite.
What Can More Perfect - Three of My Favorites Under One Cover October 8, 2008
Three of my most favorite authors under one jacket, what more can one ask for? Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier not only wrote some fun mysteries for our enjoyment this holiday season but included yummy recipes as well.
Candy Cane Murder (Hannah Swenson) - Joanne Fluke: The town's wealthiest, but stingiest, man playing Santa is found by Hannah and her sisters bludgeoned to death after his appearance at Lake Eden Inn's annual Christmas party. Although Mike Kingston, a detective and one of Hannah's boyfriends, urges her strongly not to get involved, Hannah is determined to track down the murderer. Hannah finds herself with an endless list of suspects and getting to close for comfort. With the assistance of her sisters and Norman, saved by only her wit and quick thinking, Hannah manages to find the murderer and enjoy Christmas with her family and friends.
The Danger of Candy Canes (Jane Austin)- Laura Levine: With all the excitement that Christmas brings, even adults become children decorating with all the holiday glitz and glitter. It's a glorious time except on Hysteria Lane where decorating is a serious business. When one of its wealthy residences falls off the roof while decorating, a roofing contractor finds himself in a lawsuit for negligence. Positive of his work, he contacts Jane Austin for her investigative experience. What she finds is a neighborhood full of devious people with dirty secrets including one that nearly cost her life.
Candy Canes of Christmas Past (Lucy Stone) - Leslie Meier: First year in Tinker Cove found pregnant Lucy Stone tending to an energetic toddler and living in a home that could have easily been put on a condemned list. Needing a diversion, while her husband was happily making all the repairs, it didn't take long before Lucy found herself thrown into a 50 year old possible murder investigation for Miss Tilly, the town's librarian. When her mother met with a fatal accident, Miss Tilly feared her father's possible involvement. So with a list of suspects (many of them long gone) and only a broken glass candy cane as a clue, Lucy set out to find the truth, giving some kind of resolvement for her new found friend.
If you love cozies, especially holiday ones, you will truly enjoy this book and if you love the authors as much as I do, I guarantee you will not be disappointed with this Christmas anthology. Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Lucy Stone brought nothing less than what we have come to expect from them in addition gifting us with 15 new recipes.
A Tasty Holiday Treat! September 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This would be a great book for a Christmas present for those who love cozy mysteries. It's a collection of three short novellas by three well-known cozy writers and the stories are all about Christmas. I read this mostly because I absolutely love Joanne Fluke and her Hannah Swenson mysteries, and this story called Candy Cane Murder is a good one. We have all our favourites here - Hannah and her sisters, Norman and Mike and of course, Hannah's mother. Like all her stories this one is a page-turner. The story is all about when a local guy dressed as Santa is found dead outside the inn with candy canes everywhere. Of course, Hannah needs to find the killer. The second story is called The Dangers of Candy Canes and is written by Laura Levine. I have not read Laura Levine before, and I don't think I'll make the attempt after reading this book. I found it silly and Jaine Austin (her heroine) is too ditzy for my liking. I did enjoy Ms. Leslie Meier's Candy Canes of Christmas Past though, and I think I will read more about her heroine Lucy Stone. In this book, set at Christmas in 1983, Lucy is trying to solve a decades old murder for a friend of hers in her new home of Tinker's Cove, Maine. I really liked this, and I will definitely add Ms. Meier's name to my to-be read-list.
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