Blackberry Pie Murder

BLACKBERRY PIE

MURDER

Books by Joanne Fluke

Hannah Swensen Mysteries

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE MURDER

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE MURDER

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN MURDER

LEMON MERINGUE PIE MURDER

FUDGE CUPCAKE MURDER

SUGAR COOKIE MURDER

PEACH COBBLER MURDER

CHERRY CHEESECAKE MURDER

KEY LIME PIE MURDER

CANDY CANE MURDER

CARROT CAKE MURDER

CREAM PUFF MURDER

PLUM PUDDING MURDER

APPLE TURNOVER MURDER

DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE MURDER

GINGERBREAD COOKIE MURDER

CINNAMON ROLL MURDER

RED VELVET CUPCAKE MURDER

BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER

JOANNE FLUKE’S LAKE EDEN COOKBOOK

Suspense Novels

VIDEO KILL

WINTER CHILL

Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

BLACKBERRY PIE

MURDER

!

#

JOANNE FLUKE

KENSINGTON BOOKS

http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

Kensington Publishing Corp.

119 West 40th Street

New York, NY 10018

Copyright © 2014 by H.L. Swensen, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

All Kensington titles, imprints and distributed lines are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotion, premiums, fund-raising, educational or institutional use. Special book excerpts or customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write or phone the office of the Kensington Special Sales Manager: Kensington Publishing Corp., 119 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018. Attn. Special Sales Department.

Phone: 1-800-221-2647.

Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 2013955215

ISBN-13: 978-0-7582-8037-4

ISBN-10: 0-7582-8037-8

First Kensington Hardcover Edition: March 2014

eISBN-13: 978-0-7582-8039-8

eISBN-10: 0-7582-8039-4

First Kensington Electronic Edition: March 2014

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in the United States of America

This book is for Ruel,

for my God-Daughter Amanda Joanne,

and for my friend Arlene Gorman.

I will never forget you.

Acknowledgments

Big hugs to the kids and the grandkids who know that the most important ingredient in home-baked cookies is love.

Thank you to my friends and neighbors: Mel & Kurt, Lyn

& Bill, Lu, Gina, Adrienne, Jay, Bob, Laura Levine & Mark, Judy Q., Richard Jordan, Dr. Bob & Sue, Richard & Krista, Dan Grimm, Mark B., Angelique, Dan Arnold at Claim Jumper, Paige at Maggiano’s, Mark & Mandy at Faux Library, Rosemary at the Elks Club, Gene at SDSA, Daryl and her staff at Groves Accountancy, and everyone at Boston Private Bank.

Thank you to my Minnesota friends: Lois & Neal, Bev & Jim, Lois & Jack, Val, Ruthann, Lowell, Dorothy & Sister Sue, Mary & Jim, and Tim Hedges.

Special thanks to my supremely talented and incredibly patient Editor-in-Chief and friend, John Scognamiglio.

Hugs all around to Steve, Laurie, Doug, Helen, Adam, Vida, Karen, Robin, Lesleigh, Alex, Darla, Peter, and all the other good folks at Kensington Publishing who keep Hannah sleuthing and baking up a storm.

Thanks to John at
Placed4Success.com
for Hannah’s movie and TV spots, the recipe for the Blackberry Pie Martini, and for spearheading Hannah’s social media.

Thanks to Meg Ruley at the Jane Rotrosen Agency for her constant support and her wise advice.

Thanks to Hiro Kimura, my superb cover artist. Every time I see that blackberry pie on the cover, I want to cut a big viii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

piece, top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and ditch my diet for as long as it takes to gobble it up!

And thank you to Lou Malcangi at Kensington, for designing all of Hannah’s delicious covers in hardcover and in paperback, and the remarkable covers for the Joanne Fluke Suspense Thrillers.

Thanks to Rudy at
Z’Kana Studios
in Richmond, Virginia for the amazing brag reel of my televised interviews and baking segments.

Thanks to Kathy Allen for the final testing of Hannah’s recipes.

It’s an incredible ego trip to have someone bake for me for a change!

Hugs to my friend Trudi Nash for going with me on book tours, taking great photos, and for convincing me that she loves doing it.

Thanks to Nancy and her fabulous cookie recipes.

Thank you to JoAnn Hecht for making Hannah’s recipes look beautiful and taste great at launch parties.

Hugs to Fern and Leah for all their work on the
Joanne

Fluke
Facebook page and the
I Love Joanne Fluke
Facebook page. And thank you to all of the Hannah Fanatics and fans of Team Swensen.

Thank you to Dr. Rahhal, Dr. and Cathy Line, Dr. Wallen, Dr. Niemeyer, and Rita & Dr. Lack for helping with my pesky book-related medical and dental questions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ix

Special thanks to Vida Engstrand at Kensington for planning and booking my appearances and media interviews for book tours and conventions.

Thanks to Tracy at
Suzi Davis Travel
for making great travel arrangements for Trudi, John, and me.

Last, but certainly not least, a big hug to all of the Hannah fans who send in their favorite family recipes for Hannah to try. I’m going to remind her to stock up on extra butter, sugar, and chocolate before the next blizzard hits Lake Eden, Minnesota!

Chapter

!
One
#

“And you actually
believed
Mother?!” Hannah Swensen stared at her sister in complete amazement.

“Well . . . yes.” Andrea shifted slightly on her stool at the stainless steel work island in Hannah’s industrial kitchen at The Cookie Jar.

“Let me get this straight.” Hannah’s youngest sister, Michelle, looked every bit as astounded as Hannah did. “You trusted Mother when she promised not to interfere with the plans we’re making for her wedding?”

“Yes. I know it sounds stupid of me, but Mother said it in front of everyone at the table. And she seemed completely sincere.”

“I’m sure she was sincere . . . at the time,” Hannah agreed.

“But sincerity isn’t the issue here. Personality is. Mother’s a buttinski. That’s the way she is and she can’t help it.”

Michelle nodded. “All you have to do is look at her track record. Did you really believe she’d let us arrange everything and just show up for the ceremony?”

“Well . . . no. Not when you put it that way. But she said she wanted a fall wedding and I chose fall colors for the flowers. I had beautiful bronze asters and yellow and orange chrysanthemums. Mother loves chrysanthemums. She told me they were her favorite flower just last week!”

2

Joanne Fluke

Hannah gave a little snort. “Maybe they were . . .
last
week. But this is this week. Why don’t you try her out on roses? They come in all sorts of designer colors.”

“Do you think she’ll go for it?” Andrea asked, but neither of her sisters replied. Instead, they simply stared at her in utter disbelief. Then, almost in tandem, they shook their heads. It took a moment, but Andrea started to laugh. “You’re right.

Mother won’t approve of any flowers I choose, at least not today. I’ll suggest the roses and let her reject them.”

“Makes sense to me,” Hannah said, exchanging smiles with Michelle. Hannah’s youngest sister was on a summer break from college and she was in town for two weeks before she had to go back to start the fall semester. She’d spent the previous night with her friend, Carly Richardson, who was undergoing a big change in her family dynamics.

“I didn’t get a chance to ask you when I came in,” Andrea addressed Michelle. “How’s Jennifer Richardson doing?”

“She’s doing a lot better than I expected. She’s fitting right in, almost as if she never left. And I could tell that Loretta’s really happy she’s home. Carly told me she really likes Jennifer, but I know it’s a big adjustment for her. For most of her life, Carly was like an only child.”

“How old was Carly when Jennifer ran away?”

“She was four. There’s almost ten years between them, and Jennifer ran away right after her fourteenth birthday.”

“Then Loretta is handling it all right?” Hannah asked.

“Oh, yes. Carly says it was a big shock when her mother got that call from Jennifer, but she always believed that Jennifer would come back home someday.”

All three Swensen daughters were silent for a moment, thinking about the troubles that the Richardson family had endured. It had started when Jennifer had run away from home, and it had reached a crescendo of hurt when Loretta’s husband and Carly’s father, Wes Richardson, had fatally shot himself in the hayloft of the barn six months to the day after BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER

3

Jennifer had run away. Somehow, through it all, Loretta had carried on, raising Carly and supporting them both by using the life insurance money that Wes had left her to become a full partner at Trudi’s Fabrics.

“Will you tell Carly to call me if there’s anything I can do for them?” Andrea asked Michelle.

“Sure. I’ll tell Carly.”

“The same goes for me,” Hannah said. Michelle, Carly and Tricia Barthel had been fast friends in school, and Hannah had always been fond of Carly. “Now let’s get back to the wedding plans before Mother gets here,” she said, bringing them back to the subject at hand. “How are you coming along with the bridesmaid dresses, Michelle?”

“I’m not. Mother says she wants our dresses to match the flowers so I have to wait until she makes up her mind about them. The only thing is, Claire says it’ll be a special order if we want three dresses exactly the same, and special orders take at least three weeks.”

“No flowers and no dresses.” Andrea was clearly frustrated as she ticked them off on her fingers. “If Mother doesn’t start cooperating with us, this wedding isn’t going to happen.”

“At least she finally approved the menu for the reception,”

Michelle said, obviously trying to look on the bright side. But then she noticed Hannah’s exasperated expression. “The menu’s
not
set?”

“Not anymore. Mother called me yesterday and said she didn’t want the standing rib roast. So far, she’s rejected beef, pork, lamb, and poultry including Doc’s favorite, Rock Cornish Game Hens.”

“Then the only thing left is fish,” Andrea pointed out.

“I know. I’m going to try to talk her into poached salmon with champagne sauce. Sally says she can do that for a large crowd.”

“I think Mother likes salmon,” Michelle said, but she didn’t look convinced. “Do you think she’ll go for it?”

4

Joanne Fluke

“We’ll find out in a couple of min . . .” Hannah stopped in mid-sentence when there was a sharp knock at the back door.

“That must be Mother now. Andrea? Will you please get the door? And if you’ll pour her coffee, Michelle, I’ll dish up some Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies. Maybe a couple of her favorite cookies will make her more cooperative.”

Hannah had just finished plating the cookies when the kitchen door opened and she heard Andrea greet their mother.

“I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life!” Delores Swensen swept into the kitchen with the force of a hurricane.

“This is absolutely ridiculous!”

“Sit down, Mother.” Andrea gestured toward a stool at the work island.

“I poured your coffee, Mother,” Michelle said, setting the mug in front of her mother.

“And I baked your favorite cookies,” Hannah added, setting the plate directly in front of her mother.

“I’m far too upset to eat. Or sit. Or even drink coffee, for that matter.”

All three sisters exchanged puzzled glances. Their mother was obviously agitated. Delores Swensen was always perfectly dressed and coiffed when she left her house, but this morning the scarf at her neck was crooked, her blouse wasn’t tucked in all the way, and even more alarming, she wasn’t wearing any makeup!