Raspberry Danish Murder ラズベリー・デニッシュはざわめく by Joanne Fluke

" 今回はいい人だったPKと言うハンナの旦那さん、ロスの相棒が犠牲者です。もちろんハンナは探偵業に乗り出し、妹達やノーマンも活躍します。相変わらずハンナのお菓子に難癖つける人もなく、なにをしても好意的に取ってもらえて、今回はイベントに出店をしても出店料を取られないという高待遇。イラつきます。だけど私の大好きなノーマンがたくさん活躍したし、猫のモシェが可愛かったのと、久しぶりにアンドリアや夫のビルが活躍して楽しませてくれたので、読んでよかったなと思いました。あとラストが衝撃的。そうきたか。面白さが盛り返してきたので、飽きてしまった方ももう一度お試しください//....." " Hannah has felt as bitter as November in Minnesota since Ross vanished without a trace and left their marriage in limbo. Still, she throws herself into a baking frenzy for the sake of pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving-themed treats while endless holiday orders pour into The Cookie Jar. Hannah even introduces a raspberry Danish pastry to the menu, and P.K., her husband’s assistant at KCOW-TV, will be one of the first to sample it. But instead of taking a bite, P.K., who is driving Ross’s car and using his desk at work, is murdered. Was someone plotting against P.K. all along or did Ross dodge a deadly dose of sweet revenge? Hannah will have to quickly sift through a cornucopia of clues and suspects to stop a killer from bringing another murder to the table ....."

이번작품도 전작처럼 충격적으로 끝난다. 다음 작품을 꼭 읽게 만들고자 하는 작가의 노력(?)이 보인다. 다만 이번 작품에서는 다음 작품에 대한 미리 보기로 Chapter 1을 볼 수 있기 때문에 그나마 짜증이 덜 했다. 작품의 분위기가 그래서인지 관용적 표현들보다는 다음과 같은 의미 있는 문장들이 등장한다  "There were times when life just wasn't fair and there wasn't anything she could do about it." "it's better to believe that everything'll be all right than it is to worry that it won't." "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all...." 내용이 막장스러운 면도 있지만 그래도 주인공입장에서 보면 안타깝다는 생각이 든다. intended victim, disappearance, drugged, pinky, handmade, made in china, engagement, safe deposit keys, accounts, suicide, jealousy, painting, container, dreams, cats, jeep, liars, convention, heart attack, wives 등이 작품을 이해하는데 중요한 단어들인 거 같다.