A Zest for Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery

The film begins with Hannah Swensen helping her sister Michelle look for a new home in Lake Eden, guided by realtor Joanna Grimes. During a tour of Rhonda Scharf’s house, they are shocked to discover Rhonda’s lifeless body. Detective Mike Kingston, who is currently in a strained relationship with Hannah after she requested 'space,' arrives to lead the investigation. The initial evidence points toward Jed Sawyer, a local handyman and ex-con who was supposed to fix a faucet at Rhonda's house. A wrench with Jed's initials is found buried on the property, and his lack of a solid alibi makes him the prime suspect. Hannah, believing in Jed's reform, begins her own investigation. She learns that Rhonda had recently returned from her aunt's funeral in San Francisco with a valuable collection of antique coins. Hannah also discovers that Rhonda was fired from the local booster club by Ken Purvis after she found financial discrepancies in the club's books. Meanwhile, Hannah's mother, Delores, conducts her own eccentric investigation, tailing Ken Purvis and discovering he is a secret vegetarian who may be embezzling funds to afford luxury trips. The plot thickens when Hannah realizes Rhonda was having a secret affair with Clint Abrams, a construction worker who is also dating a local bartender. Hannah's sister Andrea arrives in town, providing emotional support and helping Hannah realize she still loves Mike. The breakthrough in the case comes from a series of photos Michelle took during the initial house tour. Hannah notices that in a photo taken just before the body was found, the kitchen calendar was set to April, but in later police photos, it had been flipped to May. Hannah realizes that the killer must have returned to the scene to remove a incriminating note or piece of evidence and accidentally flipped the calendar. She identifies the killer as the realtor, Joanna Grimes, who had stolen some of the antique coins to cover her debts and killed Rhonda when she was caught. In a tense climax at Rhonda's house, Rhonda's brother Thomas arrives with a gun, intending to kill Joanna in revenge. Hannah manages to de-escalate the situation just as Mike and the police arrive. The film concludes with Jed being cleared of all charges, Ken Purvis facing an investigation for embezzlement, and Hannah and Mike agreeing to 'start over' and work on their relationship one day at a time.