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Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery #6
Death of a Cupcake Queen
As the food and cocktails columnist for the Island Times, Hayley Powell attends a lot of events—but this one will be murder…
On the eve of her high school reunion, Hayley dreads seeing the trio of mean girls who used to torment her: Sabrina Merryweather, Nykki Temple, and former prom queen Ivy Foster. These days Ivy wears a different crown as the cupcake queen—and flaunting her success is just the icing on the cake.
But maybe the prom queen should have been voted Most Likely to Die. At the reunion, Ivy is found murdered, cupcakes scattered around her. Is a killer out to teach the mean girls a lesson? As Hayley tries to get the scoop, she’ll have to be careful…or someone may be writing this columnist’s obituary next.
Includes seven delectable recipes from Hayley’s kitchen!
On the eve of her high school reunion, Hayley dreads seeing the trio of mean girls who used to torment her: Sabrina Merryweather, Nykki Temple, and former prom queen Ivy Foster. These days Ivy wears a different crown as the cupcake queen—and flaunting her success is just the icing on the cake.
But maybe the prom queen should have been voted Most Likely to Die. At the reunion, Ivy is found murdered, cupcakes scattered around her. Is a killer out to teach the mean girls a lesson? As Hayley tries to get the scoop, she’ll have to be careful…or someone may be writing this columnist’s obituary next.
Includes seven delectable recipes from Hayley’s kitchen!
315 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 26, 2015
138 people are currently reading
810 people want to read
About the author
Lee Hollis
54 books830 followersLee Hollis is the pen name for Rick Copp and his sister Holly Simason.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
January 19, 2025
Hayley's stuck attending her 20th high school reunion with besties Liddy and Mona, and when three friends (dubbed The Mean Girls) return for the event, trouble ensues in Lee Hollis's 6th novel in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mysteries. Death of a Cupcake Queen brings out tons of drama, treats, and history we hadn't known. Between her daughter's prom and the reappearance of an ex who still harbors feelings for Hayley, our protagonist is running around like crazy to keep up with everyone. When one of the trio is found dead, Hayley's stuck investigating another murder. Who wanted to Queen Bee gone this time? The series is improving a lot, settling in and offering a solid cozy setting with strong cast of characters. I'm not thrilled with some of Hayley's colleagues, and the author keeps throwing her and Bruce together -- he's an awful character. A few things seemed off in the timeline and relationships too, but mostly it's of minor concern. Looking forward to reaching the halfway point in the series with the next book.
December 10, 2019
Death of a Cupcake Queen by Lee Hollis is the 6th book in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series. At their 20th High School reunion, former prom queen and now cupcake queen, Ivy Foster is killed and Hayley is again in the middle of the investigation. An entertaining and fun book. Lots of delicious sounding recipes and I love Hayley's column. The solution was a bit of a let down, but overall an enjoyable, light, typically cozy mystery.
May 5, 2016
This was probably one of the very best cozy mysteries I have ever read!!! Fantastic characters, so well-developed, so likable, so absolutely believable. This was just such a fun and easy read. Haley was just so relatable, I enjoyed her relationship with her kids, her man, and her friends. The mastery kept you guessing until the very end. I also enjoyed all the recipes in the book, unfortunately I don't cook, but they made me not to.
September 27, 2016
Excellent, this series has become one of my favorites. Highly recommend!
April 7, 2018
I love this series. Haley some how gets involved in planning their high school reunion along with a couple of the mean girls, one of which is a cupcake baker/queen. The columns the Haley writes are a hoot, I can't believe her friends and family speak to her after reading it. The recipes sound yummy. There is a surprise ending, I never figured entirely who the killer was.
June 24, 2015
I cannot get enough of this series. I just fly through each book. The characters are warm and funny and there is always a great mystery. I can't wait for more.
May 27, 2023
NOT BAD, NOT AMAZING, SADLY JUST AN AVERAGE READ FOR ME.
PREMISE: In this one Hayley Powell and her friends are invited to the high-school reunion. While there the queen-bee from back in their highschool days (who was mostly horrible to Hayley and her friends) is murdered. So Hayley, as has become the accepted norm now, sets out to solve the case.
THOUGHTS: Ok so let's start with: How is the world has is just become 'the norm' that Hayley will solve cases? It literally says in the book that the officer (her brotthers boyfriend) was telling her everything while they were at the crime scene because he knew she'd be sleuthing and it would help her. Wait what? I thought most cops told cozy protagnoists to 'stop' and 'please don't look into this like last time'. But apparently in this one it's just suddenly accepted? Ok, next, the mystery - Im sorry, but to me, I found this boring. I've seen it done before (Queen-Bee that most loved by MC hates is murdered, at a reunion no less) and therefore I had no interest in it. Sure the back story that came with the reveal was good, intriguing I'd even go as far to say, but the reveal itself seemed lazy. Sure, this is book 6 in the same cozy series, and Im sure it's tough to keep coming up with different reveals, but this reveal just felt...lazy.
Honestly the saving grace was everything outside of the mystery for me.
I love the Island Food & Spirits Column Hayley writes and love seeing all the receipes and how they connect to whatever is in Hayley's column at that point. I love her brother Randy and love continuing to see his relationship with Sergio. It's nice also seeing her relationship with her daughter Gemma and, though he only had one memorable line, it was good to see her son too. I've always loved Mona so enjoyed the moments with her also. But everything else just came across as rather blah. Hoping for better in the next one.
3 Stars.
xoxo.
PREMISE: In this one Hayley Powell and her friends are invited to the high-school reunion. While there the queen-bee from back in their highschool days (who was mostly horrible to Hayley and her friends) is murdered. So Hayley, as has become the accepted norm now, sets out to solve the case.
THOUGHTS: Ok so let's start with: How is the world has is just become 'the norm' that Hayley will solve cases? It literally says in the book that the officer (her brotthers boyfriend) was telling her everything while they were at the crime scene because he knew she'd be sleuthing and it would help her. Wait what? I thought most cops told cozy protagnoists to 'stop' and 'please don't look into this like last time'. But apparently in this one it's just suddenly accepted? Ok, next, the mystery - Im sorry, but to me, I found this boring. I've seen it done before (Queen-Bee that most loved by MC hates is murdered, at a reunion no less) and therefore I had no interest in it. Sure the back story that came with the reveal was good, intriguing I'd even go as far to say, but the reveal itself seemed lazy. Sure, this is book 6 in the same cozy series, and Im sure it's tough to keep coming up with different reveals, but this reveal just felt...lazy.
Honestly the saving grace was everything outside of the mystery for me.
I love the Island Food & Spirits Column Hayley writes and love seeing all the receipes and how they connect to whatever is in Hayley's column at that point. I love her brother Randy and love continuing to see his relationship with Sergio. It's nice also seeing her relationship with her daughter Gemma and, though he only had one memorable line, it was good to see her son too. I've always loved Mona so enjoyed the moments with her also. But everything else just came across as rather blah. Hoping for better in the next one.
3 Stars.
xoxo.
Read
August 17, 2017I really like this series, and this is another excellent entry. The plot is very good, the characters are good, and the only issue I have with this particular story is the stereotyped librarian. I was a school librarian for many years, and my library was a vibrant, fun place, with lots of great projects, excellent learning taking place, and yes, noise! - all of which I encouraged. The days of librarians shushing everybody are long gone - and should be in fiction, as well. I also did not treat my returning students like this woman did - instead I rejoiced with them as the mature, contributing adults they turned out to be. I know this was just a minor character in the story, but it bothered me, as you can tell. Other than that, I would recommend this series.
January 18, 2016
While this wasn't my favorite book in the series, it was still a very good story.
High school reunions can be killer and Haley's certainly was. When the cupcake queen is found dead, there are plenty of suspects and Haley plans on solving this one.
The reason I like this series is because of the humor and well developed characters. To me, this is a comfort series that I can turn to when I need a good laugh. The author brings the characters to life and I feel like I know all of them.
High school reunions can be killer and Haley's certainly was. When the cupcake queen is found dead, there are plenty of suspects and Haley plans on solving this one.
The reason I like this series is because of the humor and well developed characters. To me, this is a comfort series that I can turn to when I need a good laugh. The author brings the characters to life and I feel like I know all of them.
April 8, 2016
I loved this book, as I have all of the others in this series. They are just so much fun!
October 9, 2017
Another great book in the series.
I'm binge reading the series. On to the next one. So far, all have been great. Hope you enjoy the series too.
I'm binge reading the series. On to the next one. So far, all have been great. Hope you enjoy the series too.
June 4, 2018
Events from the past are brought into the present day in this fun 6th cozy in the Hayley Powell series, loved it! :-)
September 19, 2018
This was the funniest mystery book I ever read...it was fast paced, interesting and comical...it will keep you laughing and guessing till the end. I highly recommend it, to everyone!
June 16, 2021
Hayley tackles the latest case while dealing with past memories of her prom and graduation and the current experiences for her daughter Gemma. Another fun read.
February 8, 2020
This series continues to know exactly who it is, with its overboard situations and caricature characters. Less likable and more ridiculous entertainment, it isn't my favorite cozy mystery series, but it's amusing brain candy, which I know going in, so the expectations are realistic for what I'm going to get.
What I liked about Death of a Cupcake Queen:
It's an easy read - I mean, most cozies are, but this is somehow even more "beach read"-y than the usual fare of this particular genre. In a year where I have set out on a mission to get current in all the various series I have in progress -- which is ripe with cozy mystery options -- this manages to break some of it up with its, shall we say, quirky personality.
The mystery was clever - This is actually the thing that keeps me coming back to the Hayley Powell series. The mysteries and motives have some unique qualities, and even though I correctly suspected who was the murderer this time around, the twists and turns always throw me off the motive until its reveal. This one was right on target.
What I didn't care for:
The coarseness - Most cozies, at least the ones I've picked up, I find to be pretty tame. There is often some romance and maybe some vague allusions to "bedroom activities," but this series tends to be a little more saucy and elaborate with the details than the others. I always feel it is unnecessary to the story being told, so why include it?
I wish there were at least one likable character - That shouldn't be so much to ask. But either they are annoying or ditzy or just somewhat unpleasant, possibly one-dimensional, that I don't actually find that I am rooting for anyone or care what happens to them.
Better research PLEASE - A character puts on a red Celtics cap...when the Boston Celtics' colors are green and white. In a church, it's called a lectern, not a podium, and the ministers' chair is placed in the Chancel (the area around the altar), not the pulpit, which is where he would stand to preach the sermon. Also, I have never seen a minister wear only his undergarments under his robe. They are either dressed in typical clerical collar and dress pants or business casual under their robes...which you can tell because you can see shirt collars and pant cuffs showing. I realize that not everyone is going to pick up on these inconsistencies if they aren't exposed to them, but for crying out loud, would it kill the authors to make a little effort in researching what they write?
Six books into this series, I'm unlikely to fail seeing it through, even though there are qualities about it that grate on me just a bit. The pros continue to outweigh the cons for me, so I will stick with it, but it isn't a series I ever find myself recommending when friends ask for a new cozy series to reach for.
What I liked about Death of a Cupcake Queen:
It's an easy read - I mean, most cozies are, but this is somehow even more "beach read"-y than the usual fare of this particular genre. In a year where I have set out on a mission to get current in all the various series I have in progress -- which is ripe with cozy mystery options -- this manages to break some of it up with its, shall we say, quirky personality.
The mystery was clever - This is actually the thing that keeps me coming back to the Hayley Powell series. The mysteries and motives have some unique qualities, and even though I correctly suspected who was the murderer this time around, the twists and turns always throw me off the motive until its reveal. This one was right on target.
What I didn't care for:
The coarseness - Most cozies, at least the ones I've picked up, I find to be pretty tame. There is often some romance and maybe some vague allusions to "bedroom activities," but this series tends to be a little more saucy and elaborate with the details than the others. I always feel it is unnecessary to the story being told, so why include it?
I wish there were at least one likable character - That shouldn't be so much to ask. But either they are annoying or ditzy or just somewhat unpleasant, possibly one-dimensional, that I don't actually find that I am rooting for anyone or care what happens to them.
Better research PLEASE - A character puts on a red Celtics cap...when the Boston Celtics' colors are green and white. In a church, it's called a lectern, not a podium, and the ministers' chair is placed in the Chancel (the area around the altar), not the pulpit, which is where he would stand to preach the sermon. Also, I have never seen a minister wear only his undergarments under his robe. They are either dressed in typical clerical collar and dress pants or business casual under their robes...which you can tell because you can see shirt collars and pant cuffs showing. I realize that not everyone is going to pick up on these inconsistencies if they aren't exposed to them, but for crying out loud, would it kill the authors to make a little effort in researching what they write?
Six books into this series, I'm unlikely to fail seeing it through, even though there are qualities about it that grate on me just a bit. The pros continue to outweigh the cons for me, so I will stick with it, but it isn't a series I ever find myself recommending when friends ask for a new cozy series to reach for.
June 15, 2015
In this book in the Haley Powell food and cocktails mystery, there is a high school reunion and everybody is there to attend. Haley’s three worst enemies, aka, the mean girls are on the planning committee with Haley. When one of them turns up dead, there are unanswered questions from years ago about how a semi
famous actor died 20 years ago. Clues lead back to the mean girls. Did the death of the cupcake queen tie into that death so many years ago?
Lee Hollis is a master at mystery. She makes her stories easy to read and enjoyable. This is a great series and I can’t wait for the next one to come out.
famous actor died 20 years ago. Clues lead back to the mean girls. Did the death of the cupcake queen tie into that death so many years ago?
Lee Hollis is a master at mystery. She makes her stories easy to read and enjoyable. This is a great series and I can’t wait for the next one to come out.
March 24, 2020
So much is happening in Hayley's life right now. Gemma is graduating high school 🎓, Hayley has a 20 year class reunion and 2 mean girls Hayley went to high school with are murdered. (Is it any wonder she drinks?🍸🍹🍷🍺😉). Anyway Hayley being well, Hayley she looks into things and discovers secrets from high school have a way of coming back to get ya.
August 27, 2021
I liked the mystery party of this book but that was about it. I liked Hayley and how she was determined to find out who killed her friend even though she was treated like crap by all four "friends". I love that she is able to save Sabrina at the end and find the murderer. I hate that 2 purple had to die before they found Mason but I was glad they were okay at the end. 3 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2025
Once again, another fun cozy mystery in this delightful series.
February 9, 2026
I still like this fun quick series
August 6, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
July 31, 2025
I have enjoyed the books in this series so far, and this book was no exception. I like Hayley, the MC, and have come to like most of her friends as well. I’m still not a huge fan of Hayley’s mothering style – ask my kids, I would never have let them get away with slamming doors or avoiding conversations about the need for summer school! – but I’ve never been a single mom trying to raise two teenagers, which might make a difference.
Even without the big hint in the title, it was obvious that the murder victim was going to be one of a small group of people. There was a large pool of potential suspects, and Hayley seemed to carom from one to another as she overheard bits of conversation. Two people stayed at the top of my personal suspect list for most of the book, and I wasn’t surprised when one of them was identified at the killer, although I didn’t work out the motive until it became obvious in the story.
The next book from this series is in my audio library, and I will probably listen to it sometime next year, if not sooner.
Even without the big hint in the title, it was obvious that the murder victim was going to be one of a small group of people. There was a large pool of potential suspects, and Hayley seemed to carom from one to another as she overheard bits of conversation. Two people stayed at the top of my personal suspect list for most of the book, and I wasn’t surprised when one of them was identified at the killer, although I didn’t work out the motive until it became obvious in the story.
The next book from this series is in my audio library, and I will probably listen to it sometime next year, if not sooner.
March 16, 2018
When Hayley Powell is railroaded into providing food for her high school reunion, she doesn't expect that the only other person with food will be murdered before the cupcakes are even set out. One of the mean girls in school, Ivy Foster, is found murdered in the kitchen of the club where they're holding the reunion. While several people aren't surprised - Ivy was not a nice person and even had no problem fighting with her husband in public - someone hated her enough to bash her head in. And Hayley, knowing somehow Sabrina might be involved, decides to find the killer....
Well, let me first say that the best part of this book is Hayley's phone. I want one. Because in one scene, someone takes it and smashes it against the wall, and in the very next, she pulls it out of her pocket to answer it. Wow. Who wouldn't want a phone that magically reassembles itself after something like that? You get my drift...
Now, the rest of the review is a huge spoiler, because it's the end of the book and tells why it was bad. Please don't read if you haven't already read this book or are planning on never doing so. It gives the ending away!
So, if you've read the spoiler, then you'll understand why this book was a huge disappointment. It rather ruins the rest of the book when the ending doesn't make any sense.
Well, let me first say that the best part of this book is Hayley's phone. I want one. Because in one scene, someone takes it and smashes it against the wall, and in the very next, she pulls it out of her pocket to answer it. Wow. Who wouldn't want a phone that magically reassembles itself after something like that? You get my drift...
Now, the rest of the review is a huge spoiler, because it's the end of the book and tells why it was bad. Please don't read if you haven't already read this book or are planning on never doing so. It gives the ending away!
So, if you've read the spoiler, then you'll understand why this book was a huge disappointment. It rather ruins the rest of the book when the ending doesn't make any sense.
July 18, 2015
This is Book#6 in this wonderful, wacky and highly entertaining murder series. Hayley Powell is the office manager and writes a food and cocktail column for the local newspaper. A single mother of two who stays busy with her teenagers, house, food, job and the occasional murder; she is ditzy, down-to-earth and smart all at the same time. Her family and friends are crazy in a funny way and you end up feeling like you are there with them. I like how the background pulls you in with the descriptions and the way the food theme and newspaper work are woven together to give us a background for a well plotted murder or two. I have found that the murder plots are always twisted with clues and red herrings everywhere, but the end is always a surprise revelation. You can do this as a stand alone or as a series but for lots of laughter and fun reading, do the series.
October 28, 2015
This was not one of the better writings of Lee Hollis. Hayley manages to get herself involved in the solving of another murder - the murder of one of the mean girls from her high school days. The characters were not realistic. It almost appears as if Sergio, the chief of police, lets Hayley solve the crime. She gathers evidence from one of the crime scenes, and we never know if she actually gives it to Sergio. I am hoping her next book is put together better.
August 16, 2015
Hayley attends her 20th class reunion, where a "mean girl" is murdered. Soon another one is killed. Hayley helps track down the killer before the third one is killed too.
November 19, 2025
Hayley Powell is roped into cooking for the 20th high school reunion by the former queen bees: Sabrina, Ivy, and Nykki. When Ivy is found bludgeoned to death in the kitchen, everyone thinks Ivy's husband did it since the couple had a loud and public fight at the reunion. But Hayley isn't so sure. She didn't like Ivy, but Hayley can't let someone get away with murder.
This was one of the more cartoon-ish books. I got that feeling from chapter 1 when Sabrina was bragging about her much younger boyfriend was so much better in bed than her ex-husband. I guess this shouldn't be a surprise since Sabrina was overdramatic in other books too, but then I realized that she was a core character in this book and I wasn't ready for her to have a bigger role than she normally does. Sabrina, Ivy, and Nykki (I hate how her name is spelled btw) were so over the top that they made Liddy and Mona resemble normal people. Ivy's fights with her husband Nigel were unbelievable because they didn't even pretend to appear civil in front of people. If they're openly screeching at and degrading one another in front of company, how much wilder are they behind closed doors? I was actually happy when Ivy died because it toned down Sabrina and Nykki's outlandish behaviours.
So what happened?
I enjoyed the mystery since there was this innocuous mention of a scandal from years back that linked back to the greater mystery with Ivy's murder. It was a bit of subtly that I wasn't expecting since the characters were the complete opposite. However, I think the murderer's motive was weak .
Also, I'm pissed because I went through so much time quoting the book to talk about my favourite moments from the book that weren't mystery related. Like Gemma's prom and the weird spelling and grammar mistakes I found. And a lengthy discussion of Hayley's love interests. However, Goodreads fucking glitched and didn't save the second half of my review despite their save feature. The save feature was supposed to stop entire reviews from being erased upon publication, which was a giant piss-off to me before, but is pissing me off more now because that was supposed to be fixed.
Either way, the gist of it is that all 3 of Hayley's love interests show up in this book: Lex, Aaron, and Bruce. Considering I started the series off with the book in which Aaron and Hayley broke up, I think that's a shame because he's my favourite out of all 3. Aaron is just a normal guy, Lex is distant and emotionally neglectful, and I think Bruce is a useless chauvinistic ass. There was a moment where Hayley slapped Bruce in the face so hard she left a red mark on his face. I will hold onto that moment forever because I hate Bruce .
This was one of the more cartoon-ish books. I got that feeling from chapter 1 when Sabrina was bragging about her much younger boyfriend was so much better in bed than her ex-husband. I guess this shouldn't be a surprise since Sabrina was overdramatic in other books too, but then I realized that she was a core character in this book and I wasn't ready for her to have a bigger role than she normally does. Sabrina, Ivy, and Nykki (I hate how her name is spelled btw) were so over the top that they made Liddy and Mona resemble normal people. Ivy's fights with her husband Nigel were unbelievable because they didn't even pretend to appear civil in front of people. If they're openly screeching at and degrading one another in front of company, how much wilder are they behind closed doors? I was actually happy when Ivy died because it toned down Sabrina and Nykki's outlandish behaviours.
So what happened?
I enjoyed the mystery since there was this innocuous mention of a scandal from years back that linked back to the greater mystery with Ivy's murder. It was a bit of subtly that I wasn't expecting since the characters were the complete opposite. However, I think the murderer's motive was weak .
Also, I'm pissed because I went through so much time quoting the book to talk about my favourite moments from the book that weren't mystery related. Like Gemma's prom and the weird spelling and grammar mistakes I found. And a lengthy discussion of Hayley's love interests. However, Goodreads fucking glitched and didn't save the second half of my review despite their save feature. The save feature was supposed to stop entire reviews from being erased upon publication, which was a giant piss-off to me before, but is pissing me off more now because that was supposed to be fixed.
Either way, the gist of it is that all 3 of Hayley's love interests show up in this book: Lex, Aaron, and Bruce. Considering I started the series off with the book in which Aaron and Hayley broke up, I think that's a shame because he's my favourite out of all 3. Aaron is just a normal guy, Lex is distant and emotionally neglectful, and I think Bruce is a useless chauvinistic ass. There was a moment where Hayley slapped Bruce in the face so hard she left a red mark on his face. I will hold onto that moment forever because I hate Bruce .
February 6, 2017
This cozy mystery was a great whodunit, and which had a lot more going on than what first appeared!
Hayley Powell is a single mom of two teenagers, who works for the local newspaper. Her boyfriend is a veterinarian, and she writes a culinary column in the local newspaper. With her high school’s forthcoming 20-year reunion, Hayley is not looking forward to seeing some of her classmates. You know the ones, the snobby girls who made everyone else’s life miserable! Somehow, Hayley ends up getting roped into preparing all the appetizers for the big event while one of the former queen bees, Ivy Foster, offers to bring her trademark cupcakes which have made her into a successful businesswoman. Before anyone can sample Ivy’s treats, she is bludgeoned to death in the kitchen!
This was a fun cozy mystery that kept me guessing! My favourite character is Police Chief Sergio Alvares, who is married to Hayley’s brother. Since English is not Sergio’s first language, he butchers common English expressions which had me laughing out loud! Even though I jumped into this series at Book #6, I was able still able to follow along with no problems. However, I would like to start the series from the beginning to learn the backstories of all the characters, in particular Hayley’s ex-boyfriend.
This review was posted on my book blog:
http://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.ca/2...
Hayley Powell is a single mom of two teenagers, who works for the local newspaper. Her boyfriend is a veterinarian, and she writes a culinary column in the local newspaper. With her high school’s forthcoming 20-year reunion, Hayley is not looking forward to seeing some of her classmates. You know the ones, the snobby girls who made everyone else’s life miserable! Somehow, Hayley ends up getting roped into preparing all the appetizers for the big event while one of the former queen bees, Ivy Foster, offers to bring her trademark cupcakes which have made her into a successful businesswoman. Before anyone can sample Ivy’s treats, she is bludgeoned to death in the kitchen!
This was a fun cozy mystery that kept me guessing! My favourite character is Police Chief Sergio Alvares, who is married to Hayley’s brother. Since English is not Sergio’s first language, he butchers common English expressions which had me laughing out loud! Even though I jumped into this series at Book #6, I was able still able to follow along with no problems. However, I would like to start the series from the beginning to learn the backstories of all the characters, in particular Hayley’s ex-boyfriend.
This review was posted on my book blog:
http://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.ca/2...
October 26, 2023
I'm really enjoying this series. And I love most of the antics of Hayley, Mona, and Liddy. That being said, I forever get frustrated with cozies and the author forgetting things they've said or done in the past. i.e. Hayley's relationship with Sabrina. She previously was always a mean girl, then in this book she was a friend for many years then things changed and Hayley was gullible enough to believe that she wants to be her friend the summer after senior year. It makes no sense. This is the girl who kept her from being on the cheerleading team, who went after the boys Hayley liked, etc. How would anyone ever believe Sabrina was someone who wanted to be Hayley's friend?
Also, the main characters in Cozies never seem to learn. Hayley says in this book that she's learned never to go to Sergio without real proof. Yes, that was the case a couple books back. But now he's asking for her advice and for her to give him her perceptions. Ever since she thought Bessie was murdered and everyone else thought she died of a heart attack and they wouldn't do an autopsy.
Anyway, Hayley has been attacked way too many times for her to go somewhere on her own without backup or letting the police know what she's doing. Yes, she tells her brother, but she just took way too many chances, if you ask me.
Also, the main characters in Cozies never seem to learn. Hayley says in this book that she's learned never to go to Sergio without real proof. Yes, that was the case a couple books back. But now he's asking for her advice and for her to give him her perceptions. Ever since she thought Bessie was murdered and everyone else thought she died of a heart attack and they wouldn't do an autopsy.
Anyway, Hayley has been attacked way too many times for her to go somewhere on her own without backup or letting the police know what she's doing. Yes, she tells her brother, but she just took way too many chances, if you ask me.
February 15, 2025
The sixth book in the Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery series takes place in May surrounding Hayley’s daughter’s senior events (prom and graduation), and Hayley’s 20 year high school class reunion! When someone gets murdered during the class reunion, Hayley Powell is determined to find who the killer is.
A little update on Hayley’s life: she’s still seeing Aaron the vet but Lex is clearly still in love with her. Her oldest daughter is graduating high school, Mona isn’t pregnant(shocker), and her brother is married! Her lifelong friend of me, Sabrina, the ex coroner, has a heavy presence in this story. She pops back up with a new and very much younger boyfriend. The victim and main suspects of the murder case are all girls who used to be mean to Hayley in high school, which adds an interesting twist while she tries to find out who is responsible.
As always, the book has enjoyable humor, lovable characters, and unique plot lines. Even after reading seven books in the series, I never get bored of them. I’ve grown really fond of the characters and the drama that always seems to unfold. Some of my favorite parts of this book include the bigger role Sabrina Merriweather had, how you can tell Haley is getting more comfortable being an amateur sleuth, and being able to see how her kids are growing up.
A little update on Hayley’s life: she’s still seeing Aaron the vet but Lex is clearly still in love with her. Her oldest daughter is graduating high school, Mona isn’t pregnant(shocker), and her brother is married! Her lifelong friend of me, Sabrina, the ex coroner, has a heavy presence in this story. She pops back up with a new and very much younger boyfriend. The victim and main suspects of the murder case are all girls who used to be mean to Hayley in high school, which adds an interesting twist while she tries to find out who is responsible.
As always, the book has enjoyable humor, lovable characters, and unique plot lines. Even after reading seven books in the series, I never get bored of them. I’ve grown really fond of the characters and the drama that always seems to unfold. Some of my favorite parts of this book include the bigger role Sabrina Merriweather had, how you can tell Haley is getting more comfortable being an amateur sleuth, and being able to see how her kids are growing up.
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