A Zest for Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery

I love Hannah Swensen! It is one of my three favorite mystery series on Hallmark (along with Aurora Teagarden the original with Candace Cameron Bure and Mystery 101) and I am so happy that they brought it back. I love the cast, although I am still warming up to Tess Atkins, who is playing the other sister...Michelle. The main cast is back Alison Sweeney, Cameron Mathison, Barbara Niven and there is even an appearance by Lisa Durupt who reprises her role as Andrea the sister who we know and love!

Hannah is trying to help her sister Michelle find her own place, so she can move out of Hannah's guest room and things are still strained between Hannah and Mike. When one of Hannah's regular customers doesn't come to pick up her lemon meringue for Mahjong night, Hannah decides to bring the pie to her. While chatting she discovers that Rhonda is putting her lovely home up for sale. The next day when Hannah brings Michelle and their mother over to take a look...they discover Rhonda's dead body in an upstairs bedroom. When all signs point to an ex-con handyman that Hannah has employed, Hannah steps in to try to prove his innocence...which has her running in to Mike. Meanwhile, at the Cookie Jar, an old flame of Hannah's, one Bradford Ramsay played by Oliver Rice, is back in town and has accepted a professorship at the local college.

This was another great entry in the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series...I was thrilled to see Andrea, even if it was brief (I am also missing our good friend and dentist), I was even more thrilled to see Hannah and Mike working things out. The mystery was decent and I highly recommend this as an excellent cosy mystery to all those cosy mystery fans out there.

I am still getting used to the new more modern sets, but I am so grateful the series is back that I will get over it!

I truly liked this episode and all of the sisters getting together and the development of Michelle. What's confusing is based on the last time we last saw all these characters was not seven years as suggested by the sister who had the baby which would've made Hannah and Mike not speaking for seven years, then the sister suggest that the babies name was Hannah Tracy when it was Tracy Hannah so odd 'n come on hallmark there's several things in this particular one that are a bit off a little bit more editing for your bloopers would be good. Did you think we all forgot the babies name and that the sister had just moved or that Hannah and Mike did not go seven years without speaking really.

... Mike should not have apologized. Also, Hannah crosses the legal line several times, yet she never apologizes. I liked the Murder She Baked original series, and I like Sweeney in 'Recovered' series, but these latest ones are disappointing.

I like Hannah's mom, but she was more competent in the earlier episodes. Why must older women be portrayed as boring or vapid? Sorry to list so many negatives. I loved seeing her sister Andrea back, hope she is in more episodes. At this point she appears to be the most grounded and capable woman in that family. Please bring back the old Hannah, who was clever and fun to watch without being silly.