Review

"A Zest for Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery – Where Murder and Muffins Collide (and So Does the Logic)"

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a Hallmark movie got drunk on eggnog and decided to solve a murder, A Zest for Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery is here to answer that question. This 2023 gem (and I use that term loosely) is the latest installment in the Hannah Swensen series, where baking meets crime-solving in a way that makes you question both your taste in movies and your love of muffins.

Let’s start with the plot, which is as predictable as a Hallmark holiday movie’s happy ending. Hannah Swensen (played by the ever-charming Alison Sweeney) is back in her cozy small town, whipping up cinnamon rolls and stumbling over dead bodies like it’s her part-time job. This time, the victim is a rival baker who, shockingly, was not killed by a rogue cupcake. Instead, it’s poison—because nothing says “small-town drama” like a dash of arsenic in the lemon zest.

The mystery unfolds with all the subtlety of a Hallmark movie’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Clues are dropped like crumbs from a poorly frosted cake, and the suspects are so over-the-top that you half expect them to break into a musical number about their alibis. There’s the jealous ex-boyfriend, the shady business partner, and, of course, the quirky neighbor who just loves collecting rare poisons (for “gardening purposes,” obviously).

What really sets this movie apart from your average Hallmark holiday movie is its commitment to absurdity. Hannah somehow manages to solve the murder while simultaneously running her bakery, hosting a town festival, and flirting with not one but two love interests. (Spoiler alert: One of them is a cop, because apparently, small towns only employ one detective, and he’s always too busy to solve crimes without Hannah’s help.) The romantic tension is about as believable as a Hallmark movie’s snowstorm in July, but hey, at least there’s pie.

Speaking of pie, let’s talk about the real star of the show: the food. Every scene is a feast for the eyes, with close-ups of cookies, cakes, and pastries that will make you want to raid your pantry. It’s almost enough to distract you from the fact that Hannah’s investigative techniques involve asking people, “Did you kill them?” and then nodding thoughtfully when they say no. Truly groundbreaking detective work.

In the end, A Zest for Death is exactly what you’d expect from a Hallmark movie with a murder twist: cheesy, charming, and completely ridiculous. It’s the kind of movie you watch with a glass of wine and a plate of cookies, laughing at the absurdity while secretly wishing you could move to a town where the biggest problem is a poisoned pastry. If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries or just really love baked goods, this one’s for you. Just don’t think too hard about the plot—or the fact that Hannah somehow never gets flour in her hair. Now that’s the real mystery.