Book Review: Cinnamon Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke

I received a copy of Cinnamon Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
April is a busy time for Hannah Swensen and her bakery; the warm weather makes folks in Lake Eden, Minnesota, go wild for something sweet. When Hannah hears that the Cinnamon Roll Six jazz band will be playing at the town’s Weekend Jazz Festival, she’s more than happy to bake up a generous supply of their namesake confections to welcome the band to town.
Before the festival even begins, tragedy strikes when the tour bus overturns. Among those injured is Buddy Neiman, the band’s beloved keyboard player. Buddy’s injuries appear minor, until his condition suddenly takes a turn for the worse–as in dead. Hannah’s no doctor, but she suspects that the surgical scissors someone plunged into Buddy’s chest may have something to do with it. Hannah isn’t sure just how she’ll unravel the mystery, but one thing’s for sure: nothing’s sweeter than bringing a killer to justice. . .
Review:
While I normally enjoy a mystery novel (and baked goods!) I had trouble getting into this book. I think a large part might have been because this book is a part of a series, and I haven’t read anything else in it. I always felt like I was one step behind everyone else, or the person sitting outside the gossip circle looking in. It was also a bit predictable, which almost feels weird to say knowing that I wasn’t familiar with the characters or the previous storylines, but even then I knew what was going to happen before it did. There were some humorous parts and sections that piqued my interest, but in the end, it fell a bit flat for me.
2.5 stars