Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery

The film begins in Eden Lake, where Hannah Swensen and her friend Norman are planning a surprise birthday party for Norman's mother, Carrie, at Eugene's restaurant. Simultaneously, a local committee led by Norman's new girlfriend, Diana, is protesting to save the historic Steiner Building from demolition by developer Wyatt Avery. During the party, a massive explosion rocks the Steiner Building. Hannah and Norman investigate the site and discover human remains at the bottom of an elevator shaft. The body is identified as Jerry McDowell, a thief who disappeared in July 1995 following a jewelry heist at Landry’s. Detective Mike Kingston, Hannah's fiancé, is told by the DA that they cannot pursue a murder investigation without more forensic evidence, as the death could have been an accident. Hannah, however, is convinced it was foul play and begins digging into Jerry's past. She discovers three primary suspects: Jerry's accomplice Travis Gardner, who bought a house shortly after the robbery; Jerry's ex-wife Julianne, who opened a spa with unexplained funds; and their friend Eugene, whose pager was the last to call Jerry. The investigation takes a personal turn when Eugene is critically injured by a falling concrete slab while saving Hannah's life. While Eugene is in a coma, Hannah and Norman discover he is actually Ellis Meacham, a man who fled Wisconsin years ago to take the blame for his brother's hit-and-run accident. Hannah's mother, Delores, goes undercover at Julianne's spa to gather information, discovering Julianne was likely having an affair with Travis. The stakes escalate when Hannah's bakery is sabotaged with a rigged light fixture intended to cause an explosion. Hannah eventually realizes that a set of keys found at the crime scene belongs to a manufacturer that didn't exist in 1995, pointing to a younger culprit. Travis Gardner attempts to confess to the murder to protect his son, Joe, but Hannah confronts Joe at the docks. Joe admits that as a teenager, he fought Jerry over the stolen loot and accidentally killed him, hiding the body in the shaft. The film concludes with Joe's arrest and a tense but loving conversation between Hannah and Mike about the need for true partnership in their relationship before they can proceed with their wedding.