Death of a Kitchen Diva

Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery Series, Book 1

By: Lee Hollis

Narrated by: Tara Ochs

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Welcome to Bar Harbor, Maine, one of New England's most idyllic coastal towns. But as new food writer Hayley Powell is about to find out, the occasional murder can take a bite out of seaside bliss....

Single mom Hayley Powell is barely keeping her leaking roof over her head in Bar Harbor, Maine, when her boss at the Island Times gives her a new assignment - taking over the paper's food column. Hayley's not sure she has the chops - she's an office manager, not a writer, even if her friends clamor for her mouth-watering potluck dishes. But the extra income is tempting, and Hayley's chatty first column is suddenly on everyone's menu - with one exception.

When rival food writer Karen Appelbaum is found dead facedown in a bowl of Hayley's creamy clam chowder, all signs point to Hayley. To clear her name, she'll have to enlist some help, including her BFFs, a perpetually pregnant lobster woman, and a glamorous real estate agent. As she whips up a list of suspects, Hayley discovers a juicy secret about the victim - and finds herself in a dangerous mix with a cold-blooded killer.

©2012 Rick Copp and Holly Simason (P)2021 Tantor

Give it a listen

I love culinary mysteries, and this book didn't disappoint. I look forward to reading/listening to more from this author.

Love her sense of humor

You should read this for the bake sale alone! Great characters who could be given names for people you already know!

Story might have been good, couldn’t stomach the narrator.

When the narrator gave the Brazilian sheriff a stereotypical Mexican accent, I couldn’t stomach listening any more. The story wasn’t compelling enough to finish.

Good Overall

Good book overall but author seems to have a fat phobia. Characters that were a little unsavory seemed to be overweight, bald or unattractive. Also, comparing a fat cat to Rosie O'Donnell seemed like a low blow. Otherwise, the story line was an interesting and engaging cozy mystery.

Author Never Visited Bar Harbor

Not sure why the author set a story in a place she obviously never visited, but it is apparent to anyone born in Maine. I could list all the times/ways that Maine life and places were not depicted accurately but it would be almost as boring as the writing. Bar Harbor is an amazing place with a unique history and incredible seafood; it deserves better than stereotypes.

I won’t be continuing this series

The setting and characters are generally adequate, but I am not a fan of mysteries that leave me shaking my head and grumbling at the main character because of their repeated utter stupidity. I really enjoy “cozy” mysteries, and good ones can be clever and well thought out without being overly suspenseful, gory or dark. This one is neither clever nor well thought out. There were so many times I wanted to shout at the main character when she always chose the dumbest and most dangerous move for absolutely no reason. Maybe the series gets better in later books, but I won’t be finding out.

PAINFUL

even skipping ahead.
boring nonsense
it could have been entertaining but there are too many stupid, unrealistic situations and dialogue