Sweet Revenge: A Hannah Swensen Mystery

The film opens with Hannah Swensen enjoying the quiet magic of early morning baking at The Cookie Jar, reflecting on the risks of introducing new ingredients to established recipes. Her fiancé, Detective Mike Kingston, stops by, exhausted from being short-staffed at the station. Their domestic peace is interrupted by a series of local crimes, starting with a burglary at the community center where $2,000 in fundraiser cash is stolen. Tensions rise when Hannah witnesses a confrontation between a local woman, Jacqueline Grant, and Ronni Ward, a divisive fitness instructor. The plot thickens when Hannah and her sister Michelle, who has unexpectedly returned from abroad, go to the gym for an early workout and discover Ronni Ward’s body floating in the hot tub. During the chaos of the discovery, Hannah loses her engagement ring at the crime scene. As Mike begins the official investigation, he is assigned a partner, Agent Stella Parks from the BCA, whose presence makes Hannah feel sidelined. Hannah begins her own investigation after noticing a box of 'mega' chocolate chip cookies in Ronni's locker that didn't come from her shop. She discovers that Ronni was living under an assumed name to hide from her husband, Wade Hoffman, who had hired a private investigator to tail her. Subplots involve Hannah's mother, Delores, who has written a Regency romance novel that thinly veils Hannah's real-life love triangle between Mike and her ex, Norman. Delores insists on a lavish Regency-themed book launch and pressures Hannah into planning a 300-guest wedding she doesn't want. Hannah eventually links the murder to the earlier burglary when she realizes the thief used a security code. The climax occurs during the Regency gala; Hannah realizes the security guard, Tad, is the killer after connecting a specific pen from a flower shop to a bouquet he bought for Ronni. Tad lures Hannah to the gym under the guise of finding her ring and traps her in the sauna area, intending to kill her. Mike, alerted by Hannah's sudden departure from the party, arrives just in time to rescue her and arrest Tad. The film concludes with Hannah and Mike reconciling their different visions for the wedding, agreeing to enjoy a long, slow engagement on their own terms.