Joanne Fluke Books In Order

Publication Order of Hannah Swensen Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Joanne Fluke Biography:

Joanne Fluke is the author of more than 20 best selling novels. She was born in January 01, 1943 in Swanville, at that time a small and quiet town in Minnesota. She came from a family of bakers and at the age of four, she would stand on a stool and stir what is in the mixing bowl that her mother and grandmother is concocting for their cookies and cakes.

Personal Life

Death was not new to her because her father was an undertaker and when she was old enough to understand some of the medical words used in describing a person’s cause of death, she would examine the death certificates in her father’s office and to see the cause of death.

She would then start mulling over on the possibility that the death was caused by a foul play, which means, the person was murdered. She was fond of reading mystery books. Her life as a child until she grew into a young woman was later echoed in her Hannah Swensen Mystery Series.

Lake Eden was like her old hometown, which she described as having very harsh winter and with many lakes. Joanne grew up surrounded by friendly neighbors who live in peace and lead good lives. She studied clinical psychology and has worked as a counselor with adults and children. She loves to read, paint, target shoot, and cook.

Her friends love the mystery parties that she hosts for them. Aside from being an author of mystery books, romance novels, suspense thrillers, and a cook book, Joanne had also worked as a teacher in a public school, a script writer, a legal and corporate secretary, a secretary in a pharmaceutical, a cook, an assistant to a florist, a computer consultant, an assistant to a private detective, a host of a TV quiz show, a caterer, party planner, and psychologist.

She is also a fulltime wife and mother. Joann married a television scriptwriter writer with whom she would discuss her ideas about a new book until she finds a clear idea on how to make it work. The family now lives in Southern California with their three dogs. Among her popular works is the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series, for which she became famous.

All books have one central character, Hannah Swensen, a woman who owns a bakery in Lake Eden, Minnesota. The stories reflect much of Joanne’s girlhood in Minnesota. Lake Eden is similar to her hometown and Hannah’s bakery and recipes came from the recipes of cookies and cakes that her grandmother and mother baked when she was still a small child.

Women are lured by her books not only for the thrill and suspense but also for the unique recipes for cakes and cookies that they can find from the books. There are Aside from suspense and thrill, the Hannah Swensen Mystery books feature recipes for cakes and cookies. She has also written Regency Romance Books under the name Kathryn Kirkwood and some romantic suspense thrillers under the pseudonym Jo Gibson.

Hannah Swensen Mystery Series

Joanne Fluke is the author of the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series, with Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder and Strawberry Short Cake Murder as the first two books. The central character in these mystery series is a girl named Hannah Swensen, who owns Cookie Jar, a bakeshop, in Lake Eden, Minnesota.

Hannah is known for her unique recipes for cakes and for her penchant in solving murder cases. In the first book, Shocolate Chip Cookie Murder, life was being kind and great to Hannah except for her mother’s attempts to find a man for her to marry.

However, life in quiet Lake Eden changed when a delivery man was found dead behind Hannah’s bakery. The man’s body was surrounded by pieces of Chocolate Chip Crunchies, which are Hannah’s popular cookies. Determined to keep the reputation of her bakery untarnished, Hannah set forth to find the killer.

This first book is one of the most popular among the Hannah Swensen Series. In her Strawberry Short Cake Murder, Hannah was chosen as the head judge in a famous baking competition. It was a great honor for her and for Lake Eden to be chosen as the contest’s venue.

But when one of the judges was found dead with his face down on a strawberry short cake, which is one of Hannah’s famous cakes. Again, Hannah went into the thrilling but dangerous search for the killer. After the raving reviews and warm welcome that these books received, Joanne Fluke added to the series and just recently, and soon, her latest book in this series, Blackberry Pie Murder, will be coming out.

Regency Romances Books

Joanne Fluke wrote several Regency Romance Books under the name Kathryn Kirkwood before her first book for the Hannah Swensen series came out. Her first regency romance novel was published in 1999. Entitled A Match for Melissa, this book tells about a girl named Melissa who dreamed of having her debut in London.

However, she ended acting as maid to her two step-sisters who were introduced to London society with great aplomb. But Fate worked its wonder when Melissa met a man in the balcony and captured his heart. This book was followed by several romance novels which have captured the hearts of many readers.

Other Standalone Novels

Aside from mystery books and regency romance books, Joanne Fluke has authored standalone novels, the first of which was The Stepchild, published in 1980. Winter Chill, a suspense thriller set in Minnesota, Joanne’s hometown. It tells about the death of Marian Larsen’s daughter and the paralysis suffered by her husband when the two met an accident.

Then, a series of accidents happened and it came clear that someone was intentionally targeting these people who had the accidents. This book is considered a good read. Joanne Fluke, using the pseudonym Jo Gibson, wrote four books which can be considered as romantic suspense thrillers. Her first book under this name is The Dead Girl, which was published in 1993. Her latest is A Townhouse for Tessa, published in 2001 and written under her pseudonym Kathryn Kirkwood.

Non-Fiction Book

Joanne Fluke authored the Lake Eden Cookbook which features all the recipes found in the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series. There are other recipes added and the book was made more delightful with the addition of short descriptions of some favorite characters in the Hannah Swensen Books.

12 Responses to “Joanne Fluke”

1. Terri Pickering: 3 months ago

   I have read all of the Hannah Swenson books. I love them and can’t wait for the next one. I watch the Hannah Swenson movies and I can tell exactly where things appeared in the book.

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2. sandra Galvins: 6 months ago

   Love your books, since I am not a baker I share the delicious recipes with friends as well as the novels. I am a Minnesota native also.

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3. Bonnie Moss: 12 months ago

   Ihave loved the series: Murder She Baked and got caught up in the characters – esp. Hannah and Mike. I was very happy to see them married and wished they would continue with the story. I have started reading the books and although they are a bit different from the movies – they are intriguing and hard to put down. I’m trying to read them in order. I’m interested in the movies “Sweet Revenge: Hannah Swenson mysteries. When will they start?

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4. linda m gegorski: 2 years ago

   Very much enjoy your mystery murder series–have read most of them and look forward to 2023 or sooner new book–have just finished the carmel pecan roll mystery–was very mcuh a book you could not put down–thanks!!

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5. Loretta Strieter: 2 years ago

   i have all your books so far. i have read all a few times. i still neen some i hope to get them so i really do love these books

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6. Kathy: 2 years ago

   A friend of mine gave me my first mystery book, Cinnamon Roll murder. I have read several others as well. I am now waiting until i get them all so i can read them all in order. I can’t wait!!!! The nooks are awesome!! I haven’t solved one yet and i love it. Keep them coming! (let me catch up though–only 8 more to buy before i read from the first)

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7. Charlene Boyd: 2 years ago

   I have the Lake Eden Cookbook but it doesn’t have the recipes from all the books. will there be another book published with the rest of the series recipies?

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   • Judy: 1 year ago

     I am collecting the books so I can collect all the recipes! The books are a great read and I am now reading the last one, “Caramel Pecan Roll Murder”. Can’t wait for more to follow!

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8. Scott Thompson: 3 years ago

   Oh it all sounds so grand!

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9. oneopinon15: 6 years ago

   Ive read the Hannah Swenson series, has anyone else read her other series

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10. Kathleen Zemantauski: 6 years ago

    Does each of Joanne Flukes end and the next book start where that one left off? Was so disappointed in the end of the Devil’s Food Cake Murder

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    • oneopinon15: 6 years ago

      No, I have this entire series. Their lives go in order but they dont necessarily pick right up. Not sure if Im answering your question so well, lol. I liked she married Hannah off but not sure Im crazy about who she married. Theres a story of the people from the beginning to present. Ill have to look at the ending of Devils Food, its not coming to me how it ended. Im getting ready to start Rasberry Danish

      Reply