Pretty, if She Wants to Be

Re: “Strawberry Shortcake Murder” by Joanne Fluke

Mothers want the best for their children. But sometimes moms go a bit too far in trying to help their kids.

Hannah’s mother Delores wants to see Hannah happily married. So she warns Hannah to stop finding dead bodies or all the eligible men will think she’s disaster-prone. Delores also tells her daughter that Hannah can be quite attractive if she sets her mind to it. To that statement Hannah replies ‘Give it a rest, mother’!

Hannah isn’t one to preen over herself in the mirror, unlike her mother. Delores is very careful about her appearance and never goes out in public without being meticulously groomed. And Delores won’t rule out plastic surgery to help her look her best either.

Hannah’s sister, Andrea, takes after Delores in both appearance and grooming. Andrea is petite and slender. Hannah however resembles her late father more, being taller, red-haired and prone to putting on a few extra pounds here and there. Especially since she has to taste-test new recipes for her bakery, The Cookie Jar.

So there have been instances of sibling rivalry in the past between the two sisters. Funny though - each sister felt the other one had the upper hand.

(Stay tuned for more posts about this book).