Death of a Pumpkin Carver

Food and Cocktails Series, Book 8

By: Lee Hollis

Narrated by: Randye Kaye

Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

For Hayley Powell, food and cocktails columnist for the Island Times, Halloween is all about costume parties and holiday treats - until a killer crashes the party....

This Halloween, Hayley can't imagine a worse trick than her ex-husband Danny returning to Bar Harbor. Her kids may be happy to see their dad, but Hayley's determined not to be taken in by his charms, and suspects he's in financial trouble - again.

Still, the haunted holiday is about to get a whole lot scarier after Danny's moonshine - making uncle is found lying dead next to a tombstone in a cemetery - and Danny quickly becomes the prime suspect. To prove her ex is innocent, Hayley will have to dig deep into her own bag of tricks to unmask the real culprit...before anyone else - including her - ends up in the graveyard....

©2016 Rick Copp and Holly Simason (P)2018 Tantor

I love this series. They can make you LOL.

These books are funny and can make you laugh out loud. All the books are great so far. I realize sometimes things change as in a new narrator. I am disappointed in SERGIO'S accent.. However, the narrator is good.. My only other compliant is all the drinking. Yes, I am the person who has maybe 1 drink a year....But really, I would say, if the characters truly drink as much in these stories they are teetering on having a drinking problem. Maybe the last book can be an ODE to AA and recovery. However, I love this series.

Truly enjoyable

I love the series, this is a funny well put together food cozy mystery series. The food always sound delicious and easy to make. It is wonderful how they include a pdf of the actual recipes. Its almost like getting a 2 for 1 deal. A cozy mystery cookbook. Simply wonderful.

Love the series but this was hard to listen to

Whenever a series you love gets a new performer, it can be a bit off putting. I really tried to ignore it.

This was a struggle to get through though. I found it difficult to tell the characters apart. For a series that in the past I have found any opportunity to sneak a bit more listening, this time I had to force myself to continue.

Then when it got to Mona and she didn't have a Maine accent, well... sigh.

I have waited so long for these last three books to come out. I will try another, because I love the recipes (the Southern Mac and Cheese recipe in book 2 changed the way I do Mac & Cheese forever).

BTW: Check your library. The recipes are now included as PDF downloads.

The new narrator is so good!

The new narrator to this series made the book leaps & bounds better! I listened to all the prior books and found this one to be the best of them all because of the updated narration. Haley is strong, spunky, funny & a loving mother. She makes a great lead & this book has great back & forth chemistry with her ex as they banter with each other all book long.

Gut wrenching entertainment

These stories of Haley Powell and her gang of misfits always has me literally laughing out loud.
I love the food and alcohol recipes and all the anecdotes of her family history. I want more it always ends too soon.

Ugh, Too Many Changes to list

I alternate between the light hearted cozy mysteries and the ones that generally turn into movies (more depth, more thriller, more suspense). I truly love the Hayley Powell series along with some other similar series. I can accept a new narrator, especially since audio books are becoming more and more popular, and narrators become booked up. This is not the case here. Randye doesn’t fit! Not only does she talk SO fast, Mona sounds like an 80 year old man. The endearing edge to Mona is completely gone, Sergio is bland, and every character has (literally) lost their voice. I’m sure Randye is perfect for the other books she narrates but I am not sure I can continue with this series. I have over 350 listens in my Audible library and I’m pretty open to listening to everyone, but lately my favorite series are switching narrators that are too jarring. I don’t know if authors understand how important it is to stick within the same ballpark when replacing narrators. You are loosing loyal listeners!!!! Just ugh, ugh, ugh!

Change is not always good.

I read/listened to the previous 7 books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed them. The story was still pretty good, but the audible narration was not. The reader spoke too quickly and rushed through the story.

narrator hmmm

love these books but we need tara oachs back. Please find a different narrator for these books. randye is good but not for these books

Not up to rest in the series

Not enough “mystery” Too much filler with
retelling of stories from earlier in life that don’t link to the plot. Can’t stand the x husband.