Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell will be cooking alongside top chefs at a cookbook author’s party. But a killer plans to ruin her appetite . . . When Hayley’s idol, cookbook author and TV personality Penelope Janice, invites her to participate in a Fourth of July celebrity cook-off at her seaside estate in Seal Harbor, Maine, Hayley couldn’t be more flattered. She just hopes she can … just hopes she can measure up. With a who’s who of famous chefs whipping up their signature dishes, this holiday weekend has all the ingredients for a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience.
Instead, Hayley gets food poisoning her first night and thinks she overhears two people cooking up a murder plot. The next morning, a body is found at the bottom of a cliff. Tragic accident or foul play? To solve a real cliffhanger, Hayley will need to uncover some simmering secrets—before a killer boils over again . . .
Includes seven delectable recipes from Hayley’s kitchen!
Praise for Death of a Pumpkin Carver
“Well-written . . . the story will keep any reader’s attention. After reading just one and meeting these hysterical characters there is no doubt that you’ll go back.”
—Suspense Magazine
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At first I thought this book was stupid, but I made myself continue to read it (and I didn’t skip any pages). The more I read the more I enjoyed it. Action that seemed to never end and FINALLY…THE KISS!!!!! I have waited 91/2 books for it and FINALLY it happened!!!!! Thank You Ms. HOLLIS for finally giving me the kiss.
Once you know the characters (since book one), you find yourself want to watch them mature, do things you do–link class reunions, etc., also do things you will probably never get to do–as in this book. By now the kids are grown up and actually out on their own, the bar is up and running and lots of the same characters turn up often. So, as a reader (who admits to an addiction here), you just have to keep reading and waiting for the next book to arrive, quickly if possible.
A fun read
I finished it because the writing was good, not because the character was believable or the plot complex. The recipes were very basic, but practical.
A quick read however, it seemed to jump around. One chapter the lead character felt there was no way someone was the culprit and the next chapter she was sure it was with no line connecting her decision. Not one I would recommend.
I found this book to be a bit slow but entertaining enough to finish it
It is was a easy afternoon read. A cozy mystery with some recipes that I haven’t tried. Nothing unusual but no doubt tasty recipes. It comes with additional audio if you want. I tried it and was pleased. I would loan this book to a friend to read and even try another one from this authors books. It’s a nice change from heavy mysteries that I often read.
Penelope Janice is a food columnist for her local Bar Harbor newspaper. She is elated when she gets invited to the 4th of July weekend event and celebrity chef cook-off hosted by her favorite television personality, Penelope Janice. But she quickly finds that there are more than casseroles being served up at Penelope’s seaside estate. I found this to be a very entertaining, humorous mystery that kept me guessing up until the very end. There is an added bonus of some mouth-watering cocktail and casserole recipes. I will definitely be reading more from this series.
When I hear there is a new Hayley Powell Mystery available, my hands start to itch from wanting to hold it, and my toes start to wiggle at the thought of reading it. DEATH OF A COOKBOOK AUTHOR was totally worth the wait!
Having been invited to participate in a celebrity cook-off, protagonist Halley Powell spend most of her time in this book out of her normal environment. The only down part of this was a 99% lack of Hayley’s best friends Libby and Mona. If you’re reading this Lee Hollis, please don’t do that to me again!
An absolutely excellent mystery, DEATH OF A COOKBOOK AUTHOR was a fast moving, I-don’t-want-to-put-this-book-down story. Twists, turns, and surprises were on just about every other page of this book. There were times when I found myself holding my breath for what felt like chapters. The only reason I didn’t pass out from a lack of air was because I was laughing out loud during the other parts! So very well done!
As always, you’ll find seven wonderful recipes from Hayley. Fourteen if you count the cocktails that go with each dish!
Hayley Powell diehards, you don’t want to miss DEATH IF A COOKBOOK AUTHOR. If you haven’t read this series, it really is time you started. You’re totally missing out on so many good reads!
Death of a Cookbook Author by Lee Hollis is the tenth book in A Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery series (that’s a mouthful). Hayley Powell is shocked when Penelope Janice, cookbook author and television personality, is a fan of her column. Penelope invites Hayley to participate in her Third Annual Fourth of July Celebrity Potluck Celebration at her estate in Seal Harbor, Maine. The competition along with the other festivities for the weekend will be filmed for Penelope’s show. Hayley is thrilled to be invited and hopes that her cooking will measure up. The first night they have steamed mussels for dinner which Hayley devours. She soon regrets her over indulgence when she wakes up with food poisoning in the middle of the night and is unable to find a bathroom. She overhears two people plotting a murder, but Penelope just laughs off Hayley’s concerns. The following day Hayley is awakened to screams. Conrad Janice has been found at the bottom of the cliff. The victim had been extremely drunk the night before and Chief of Police Sergio Alvares rules it an accident. Hayley believes foul play is involved, but she will need to find hard evidence to prove it. Penelope is not about to let the death of her husband stop the weekend, so the festivities proceed (gives Hayley time to snoop). Hayley is unprepared for an unexpected dip into the ocean, a boyfriend for the weekend, or a second body. It is going to be a wild Fourth of July weekend in Death of a Cookbook Author.
Death of a Cookbook Author is nicely written and has a steady pace. While this is the tenth installment in the series, it can be read alone. The necessary background details are provided for new readers. I thought the mystery was well-crafted and clever (I never thought to use an automated cat feeder in that way). There are several suspects and good misdirection. I have to admit that I enjoyed the dig at a certain politician who loves Twitter. All the loose ends are wrapped up at the end of the book. There are some great laugh out loud moments and Hayley’s columns were entertaining. It will be interesting to see how Hayley’s new romance progresses in future books. I did not think Hayley would ever admit her feeling for this man. I would like to see Hayley mature in future books as she does not always act her age (she comes across as immature at times). There are recipes included in the book. Death of a Cookbook Author is my favorite book so far in this series.
Hayley goes to a book signing of her idol and comes away with an invitation to her home for the weekend of the fourth. You see Penelope asks her to enter in to a celebrity cook-off because one of her other contestants couldn’t make. Hayley is excited and looks forward to a great time filled with wonderful food and chefs that she has only seen on television. During the first evening Hayley ends up with food poisoning, while on her way back to her room from the bathroom she over hears a conversation that seems like two people planning the death of another. The next morning when she wakes up she is sure she heard Penelope’s husband and her assistant planning her demise. When confronted by the police everyone thinks its a big joke, even the cops but Haley is sure of what she heard. When Penelope’s husband is found dead at the bottom of a cliff the next morning she is sure he has been murdered but by who? Follow along with Hayley as she takes a look at all the guests to figure out what reason they would have for killing. Did Penelope do it, she doesn’t seem to bothered by her husbands death? Was it the assistant who seemed to be having an affair with the man? When another death occurs Hayley isn’t sure what to think. Everyone thinks she’s the one causing problems but is that what the killer wants to happen? What about the ex Hayley runs into, he is now working for Penelope could he have been involved, she hopes not because she needs to work through the feelings she has when she sees him. Does she still care about him, is it truly over? So many questions will Hayley be able to figure things out before something happens to her? This was a fun whodunit that had me looking at suspects at every turn. The author truly had me guessing the whole way through.
Death of a Cookbook Author by Lee Hollis was a fabulous read for me on a rainy Sunday afternoon! It’s July in Bar Harbor, and Hayley Powell, food columnist for her local island newspaper, has been invited to spend the weekend with her cookbook idol, Penelope Janice, and her famous friends. After overhearing a hush-hush murder plot during the middle of the night, Hayley tries to warn the potential victim, but to no avail – and within 24 hours a body has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff! Hayley’s very life is in danger, and she works against the clock to discover the identity of the murderer before the weekend is over. Incredibly fast-paced and it includes delicious recipes for summer and all year long! Of note, I really enjoyed the blurbs/stories from Hayley’s column – nice touch! A+++