Devil's Food Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #14)

Devil's Food Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #14)

by Joanne Fluke



Acknowledgments

A big hug for Ruel, who’s tasted every single recipe in this book. (What dedication! What loyalty!) Not only that, he’s also my in-house story editor.

Hugs all around for the kids and the grandkids. I have a great family!

Thank you to: Bev & Jim Pehler, Mel & Kurt, Lyn & Bill, Lu & Sheba, Gina & Fiona, Adrienne, Jay, Bob, Laura Levine & Mark, Amanda, John B., Judy Q., Daryl Groves, Dr. Bob & Sue, Richard & Krista, R.T. Jordan, Billy, Mark B., and Angelique.

Special thanks to my incredible Editor-in-Chief and friend, John Scognamiglio, who always goes that extra mile. Life is good with John S. on my side.

Many thanks to Walter, Steve, Laurie, Doug, David, Robin, Karen, and Maureen.

Thanks to Hiro Kimura for the delectable Devil’s Food Cake on the cover. (I’d love to dive into that fudge frosting!) And thank you to Lou Malcangi for designing this gorgeous dust jacket.

Thanks also to all the other talented folks at Kensington who keep Hannah sleuthing and baking up a storm.

Thank you to my friend Trudi Nash for joining me on book tours, keeping up with my hectic schedule, taking marvelous photos, and convincing me that she actually enjoys it.

And thanks to David for holding down the fort while she’s gone.

I’d like to congratulate the winners of the Mystery Guild recipe contest. Edwina Gadsby, Linda Sifuentes, and Leslie Holmes contributed recipes that are so yummy, we almost had a three-way tie. You’ll find all three recipes—Edwina’s Chocolate-Covered Raisin Cookies, Linda’s Mocha Trifle, and Leslie’s Butterscotch Bonanza Bars—in this book.

Thank you to Arman at House of Time Jewelry in Granada Hills, CA, for advising me on expensive jewels even though I didn’t buy that impressive rose cut diamond ring I described in the book.

Special thanks to Romantic Times Book Review for choosing Hannah Swensen as the best amateur sleuth of 2009! (I had a wonderful time at the awards ceremony in Ohio.)

Thank you to Dr. Rahhal, Dr. and Mrs. Line, and Dr. Wallen for their expertise. And special thanks to Carol at Dr. Line’s office for the information on chocolate allergies.

Thanks to John at Placed4Success for Hannah’s movie and TV spots, for keeping my IT system current, and for assisting at events.

Thanks to media expert Ken Wilson for his energy, his savvy, and for knowing the word “barista.”

Hugs to the nothing-short-of-marvelous food stylist, Lois Brown, for making my recipes look scrumptious on camera and for giving some of her favorite recipes to Hannah.

Thanks to Jill Saxton, superb copy editor and good friend.

Thank you to Sally Hayes for sharing recipes for all sorts of wonderful treats. Sally’s recipes really are to die for!

Thanks to Kathy Allen for testing almost all of these recipes in her so-small-you-can’t-fall-over kitchen.

Thanks to Danny Grimm for explaining cuts of meat to me and telling me what they’re called in various parts of the country. I was happy to find that brisket is brisket all over!

Thank you to JoAnn Hecht for catering Hannah’s launch parties. You’ll find one of her delicious cookie recipes, Nutmeg Snaps, in this book.

Thank you to Jamie Wallace for keeping my Web site, MurderSheBaked.com up to date and looking great.

And big hugs to everyone who gave me family recipes to try. Hannah’s got a whole lot of baking to do!


Chapter One

“You’ll never see a hearse towing a U-Haul!”

Hannah Swensen turned toward the parlor doorway as she recognized her friend Claire’s distinctive voice. She could hear her laughing in the parsonage hallway, obviously delighted by the twist on the old adage, You can’t take it with you.

“Claire?” Hannah called out, but there was no answer. That was odd. She’d clearly heard Claire and that meant Claire and her new husband, Reverend Bob Knudson, must be back from visiting sick parishioners at Lake Eden Memorial Hospital.

“Bob? Claire?” Hannah called out again, but no one appeared in the doorway. All was perfectly silent outside the cozy sitting room where Hannah had been visiting with Reverend Bob’s grandmother, Priscilla Knudson, and copying the octogenarian’s recipe for Red Devil’s Food Cake.

Hannah got up and walked to the window to see if she could spot Bob’s car. The scene outside could have been lifted straight from a Christmas card. The birch tree on the other side of the driveway was filled with winter birds enjoying the suet that Grandma Knudson hung from the branches. There were red birds, and blue birds, and green birds, and black birds with iridescent feathers that seemed to be perched on every branch. They reminded Hannah of gems suspended from a white gold filigreed pendant. Lake Eden, Minnesota, could be truly beautiful in the winter…cold, but beautiful. If the KCOW weatherman was correct, the mercury in Grandma Knudson’s outside thermometer would shiver in the bulb at the bottom of the scale, poking its head up for only a brief period and then sinking down out of sight again.

Hannah’s gaze dropped to the driveway that ran along the width of the house and into the garage. There were no tire tracks in the freshly fallen snow. Had Bob and Claire parked in front of the parsonage for some reason?

Puzzled, Hannah crossed to the doorway and stepped out to peer down the hall. It was deserted. She was about to return to the parlor when Grandma Knudson emerged from the kitchen, carrying a tea tray with coffee and sample slices of what she called her best company cake.