Hayley and Bruce and company are getting ready for Halloween when Hayley meets Trudy who runs a food truck and everyone soon is falling in love with her sandwiches. When Trudy gets sick and winds up in the hospital people start to wonder if something is going on? Then the minister whose about to leave starts acting really weird around Trudy Hayley wonders what is going on with the local priest.

At a Halloween party where Trudy is serving her food someone else has decided to serve Trudy something. Trudy winds up dead and people are wondering who killed her. Was it her husband whom she was having problems with? Or the local priest who was acting love struck around her or someone else?

I love this series it's was one of the first one's I read I was so engaged in the writing style and it being told with Hayley and her friends who are fabulous. They always crack me up like no tomorrow. This one didn't disappoint especially as we got to see Gemma as a grown woman now instead of a teenager. I can't wait to see what is next in this series!

I’m always very excited whenever Lee Hollis releases a new book because they are one of my favorite Cozy Mystery authors. DEATH OF A WICKED WITCH is book thirteen in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktail series.

In this book, there’s a nice Halloween theme to it. It might be a little early for that at the time I’m writing this review. However, I really don’t mind. I just really enjoy the easy way that Hollis writes that I can bear it.

Now, this book moves differently than the other books in this series. Usually, a quick death happens within the first chapter or two. However, I felt like Hollis approached this book much more slower. The victim is a nice lady by the name of Trudy Lancaster. To be honest, I actually really liked her character and although the pacing of this book was much slower. I think it worked out because when Trudy is discovered death in her food truck while catering a Halloween party, you have already formed a bond with her character and want to know who killed her.

This then creates a greater drive for the reader to read on and find out what happened. So although I typically prefer an early death, I can understand why the authors decided to take this route too.

There are a lot of good suspects in this book, so it definitely kept things very interesting. I wouldn’t miss out on these books. They’re so easy to follow and very addicting!

This is the 13th book in the Haley Powell Food and Cocktails mystery series. The series is set in picturesque Bar Harbor, ME. In this book, Haley makes a new friend who is found murdered in her food truck. Haley steps in to solve the crime.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lee Hollis always writes a great read. This time Hayley Powell makes friends with a new couple in town. The wife owns a food truck that Hayley is hyped about as there was only one other in town. At a Halloween themed witch party the wife is murdered. Was it the other food truck operator who doesn’t like the competition or her husband whom she had just filed for divorce from that morning. Hayley follows the clues to solve the crime. A fun side story has Hayley’s daughter, Gemma, visiting with her boyfriend.

I was really hoping for a slightly different turn of events for this one, but it was still a fun read all the same. I am a HUGE fan of Lee Hollis and Halloween so I dug right into this book. I will say there will be a slight *spoiler* at the end of this review.

There's finally a new food truck in town and everyone in Bar Harbor, Maine is stoked about it! Except for one person. The owner of the other food truck in town. During the annual Witches Ball, one of the owners of the new sandwich food truck is discovered dead, and all fingers point to the jealous and mean owner of the other food truck. Which witch did it? Hayley and her pals Mona and Liddy have to figure it out.

*mild spoiler*
*I will say I was rather disappointed with the title of this book. I was hoping that there would be more to do with witches in this book, but alas the only bit of witch in it is the witches ball. I was expecting this book to deal more with witchcraft (or suspected witchcraft) and it did not. There are NO witches in this story.*

Special thanks to Kensington books for sending me an advanced copy for review!

The author gives a mystery that is full of clues, a few suspects, red herrings, twists, and turns. The mystery also has a ghost that has a surprising explanation. It was nice to have Haylee's daughter and her boyfriend visit so we could get caught up with her since she left to live in New York a coupe of books ago. The mysteries conclusion was a life and death situation where Haylee has some help in an alarming way.

One of my favorite cozy authors and she did not disappoint I loved tis book in every way. The characters are like friends especially the animals, I can't wait for the next book.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved the setting, characters, and the mystery. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Highly recommend!

Halloween in Bar Harbor has plenty of haters, specifically Hayley's husband Bruce and her best friend, Liddy. This outing has Hayley meeting the new pastor of the church and his wife, Ted and Trudy Lancaster. She owns a food truck that makes amazing subs and is quickly hired to cater the local Witch's Ball. When Trudy is found dead in her food truck the night of the party, Hayley begins an investigation to find the killer. Before her death, she ended up in the hospital with food poisoning, so it seems someone was definitely out to get her.

This story was not one of my favourites in the series. There was a lot of emphasis on Hayley's family, specifically her daughter Gemma and her boyfriend Connor. We also had to deal with Bruce's smoking and Hayley's complaining, as well as the retiring pastor seeming to have a midlife crisis and being a bit too hands on with Trudy. The mystery itself had several suspects, a few twists and a rather loud reveal. The excerpts from Hayley's column about previous Halloween's were quite entertaining. One of my biggest complaints is having the recipes at the end of individual chapters can be annoying.

Hayley Powell is back; she is married to her previous nemesis, Bruce, and is very happy. Her daughter, Gemma, is visiting with her boyfriend, Conner, and a new couple, Ted and Trudy Lancaster have moved into town. Ted is taking over for the retiring minister of the local church, and Trudy has a food truck with awesome sandwiches. Bruce and Hayley have become friends with the Lancasters. One of the residents of Bar Harbor hosts a witch’s ball (all of the women dress as witches – some wicked and some good), and has hired Trudy to serve her guests. The problem is, when it’s time to serve, Trudy is found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in her truck. Hayley takes it upon herself to find the murderer of her new friend, and puts herself in danger.

Since this is the 13th novel in the Hayley Powell series, most readers are familiar with the characters who are well-developed, and the main ones are likeable. Hollis (a brother and sister who go by Lee Hollis) always introduces several secondary characters, and they are sometimes good and sometimes bad, but always essential to the storyline. Hollis is a good storyteller and the story is easy-to-follow and fun to read. Since the novels in this series are cozies, there is no graphic violence, language, or sex, which makes them suitable for all ages. That isn’t to say they aren’t well-written or that the plots are less than good – rather, these are fast moving good novels and are fun to read. Hayley’s food and drink columns are included, and there are good recipes for both cocktails and in this case, sandwiches.

Fans of Hayley Powell will enjoy this installment to the series.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

DEATH OF A WICKED WITCH, the thirteenth book in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktail Mysteries, hit all the marks for a spooktacular Halloween-themed cozy! From the costumes, to the food, to the party, to even a supposed ghost after a murder takes place, this fast-paced read kept me turning pages to find out what happens next. The majority of cozy mysteries portray the victims as unlikeable characters, but in this book I couldn’t help but feel a deep sadness over the death of a kind-hearted woman. This adds an emotional depth to the story and I found I was more invested in finding out not only who killed her but why. There were clues to follow along with twists and turns that kept me guessing. With an edge-of-your-seat scene leading to the reveal, I turned pages faster and faster until the very last satisfying page was read. To offset the sadness, the authors interjects humor via the central characters. They also lighten the mood with Hayley’s newspaper column, Island Foods & Spirits, with Halloween anecdotes from years gone by along with delicious recipes for food and cocktails.

Death of a Wicked Witch: A Hayley Powell Mystery
By Lee Hollis
Kensington
September 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s the start of the Halloween season in Bar Harbor, Maine, and no one is more excited than Island Times food columnist Hayley Powell. In addition to celebrating with costumes, candy, and over-the-top parties, new food truck Wicket ‘Wiches has arrived in town with their perfectly themed mouthwatering subs and sandwiches. Even better is the food truck’s owner Trudy Lancaster, who quickly becomes a friend and whose pastor husband immediately, bonds with Hayley’s own husband Bruce. Not everyone is as enamored with the couple as Hayley though, with rival food truck Burger She Wrote owner Cloris Fennow charging over to object to the newcomer encroaching on her territory. When Trudy is hospitalized from a severe case of food poisoning that turns out to have been intentional, she believes that it was caused by the candied apple “gifted” to her as a peace offering by the eccentric Cloris. Although Trudy eventually recovers, it is not long before Hayley later discovers the young woman trapped inside her food truck and dead from a gas leak.

The beautiful purveyor of delicious Paninis had gained her share of enemies, not in the least of these who is an extremely jealous stepdaughter. The retiring pastor did not attempt to hide his lecherous interest in Trudy, infuriating and embarrassing his own wife. Needing to see that justice is found for her new friend and being something of a meddler herself, Hayley prods her police chief brother-in-law Sergio Alvarez into giving her information about the investigation. She’s again helped by her usual accomplices Liddy Crawford and Mona Barnes, but a new enabler comes in the welcome form of Hayley’s now-grown daughter, Gemma. Visiting from New York, she is accompanied by her hunky, aspiring model/actor Connor, who gives Hayley some startling information. Completely torn between dishing to her daughter and keeping confidences, looks to guidance from her husband. When forced into giving his own opinion, Bruce makes the outstanding and hilarious declaration that she should mind her own business, but she follow her instincts anyway, and when it blows up he will not say, “I told you so.” Brilliant. A decorating mishap due to a stubborn decorating attempt only complicates matters, leaving the protective mother and friend juggling egos, confidences, and her own proclivity for trouble.

This lucky 13th of the series is just as funny as the first, delivering another laugh-inducing novel from brother and sister writing team Lee Hollis. Appropriate for the season, Hayley’s Island Food & Spirits columns feature past personal Halloween events that start out well, spiral into chaos, but ultimately result in heartwarming family memories. Potent Godiva Chocolate Martini and Philly Cheesesteak Melt recipes included at the end ensure that they are comforting balms for both Hayley and readers. Those needing a vicarious Halloween experience filled with humor, creative costumes, and the rush of a sugar high need look no further than this delightful treat of a mystery.

This cozy mystery is prefect for a fall cozy read. Even though this was the 13th book in the series I was able to keep up with the characters though I do wish I had read the books in order, because I do feel like I missed something. I did enjoy the small town Maine setting. I don’t think I’ve read many books set in Maine so that was a nice surprise. I would recommend this series to fans of food cozies. I do plan to go back and read the first book in this series.

Death of a Wicked Witch by Lee Hollis is the thirteenth book in the Haley Powell Food and Cocktails mystery series. Halloween is on the horizon in Bar Harbor. Haley and her new husband welcome Haley's daughter Gemma and her boyfriend Conner to town. They also meet the new pastor Ted and his wife Trudy. The murder develops slowly in this book with the victim being a bit of a surprise. This particular book was heavier on the romance and drama than others in the series with a few curve balls thrown in. It was a nice addition to the series and can be read on its own.

Hayley makes a new friend when Ted and Trudy Lancaster come to town. Ted is taking over for a retiring minister and Trudy runs a food truck called Wicked 'Wiches. Hayley loves the samples Trudy brought into the paper to place an ad and the two hit it off immediately. Things take a turn for the worse when Trudy dies while catering a Halloween party. Everyone suspects her competition but a witness saw someone dressed as a witch running from the scene. Hayley can't let her newest friend down and digs into looking for a killer. Who would have wanted to kill Trudy and why? She just recently moved to town so could she have made enemies that quickly? Follow along as Hayley does what she does best and works her way through all the clues to find a murderer.

Lee Hollis has created another hit with the 13th book (lucky 13!) in the “A Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails” series, Death Of A Wicked Witch. This book will keep readers on the edge of their seats and will give them a few laughs and tons of smiles.

Hayley is almost too used to murder, but when a seemingly nice happy woman is killed during a Halloween party while creating gastric delights in her food truck, it hits home. She had just met Trudy, but immediately liked her and felt they were going to be great friends. And it wasn’t just the sub sandwiches Trudy made that had Hayley enamored. Trudy was a great new character, its to bad she was also the victim. Many of the regular characters are present but not as much as usual, but those that are involved, add to the overall enjoyment of the book.

The killer is not easily picked out, and the motive appears to be somewhat convoluted, but it isn’t actually. There are enough suspects to keep you guessing, and lots of fun to keep you smiling. There are plenty of red herrings and twists and turns to keep readers reading and turning the page. The unveiling is action-packed. The recipes will have you craving food and cocktails. The short inside looks into Hayley’s world are lovely and make the book all come together. Death Of A Wicked Witch has readers craving fall, Halloween, and all things cool and beautiful. Readers will be thrilled with the ending and look forward to the next installment.

ARC provided by Kensington Books via Netgalley

Death of a Wicked Witch is the thirteenth book in Lee Hollis’ Hayley Powell Mystery series. The murder mystery moves along at a steady pace, the mystery is interesting and well plotted, and the characters are well developed. There are twists and red herrings that keep the reader guessing. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading light, cozy mysteries.

Hayley Powell is the food columnist for the Island Times in Bar Harbor, Maine, and she humorously writes about her memories of past events and includes tasty recipes in her column. Hayley recently married Bruce Linney, an Island Times crime reporter, and has two adult children, Gemma and Dustin, one brother, Randy, owns a bar, Drinks Like a Fish and is married to Sergio Alvares, Bar Harbor’s police chief. Hayley is thrilled to learn there’s a new food truck in town, Wicked ’Wiches, and when she meets Trudy Lancaster, she’s instantly drawn to her. Trudy and her husband, Ted, recently moved to Bar Harbor because he was hired to take over as minister of the Congregational church. Hayley, Bruce, Trudy, and Ted become fast friends. Hayley is devastated when she discovers Trudy’s body in her food truck during a Halloween party she was catering. At first, the death is ruled accidental, but when Sergio tells Hayley there’s a glitch with that theory, she’s determined to uncover the identity of the person who murdered her new friend.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

It's getting close to Halloween, and everyone is looking forward to the Garbers' annual party, where all the women dress as witches and the men are the ones in the unique costumes. It's been a tradition for a few years, and Hayley is looking forward to it. But while in her office one afternoon, a young, beautiful woman comes in and asks Hayley if she'll place an ad for her in the newspaper. Hayley tries telling her it might be too late, but then she's bribed with a delicious sub sandwich and manages to do it just under the wire. The woman introduces herself as Trudy Lancaster. It seems her husband Ted is taking over from Reverend Stiles, who is retiring, and since they don't know anyone, Hayley invites them to dinner with she and her husband Bruce, who also works for the Times.

But while at the restaurant, they see the Garbers, and Mary Garber immediately asks Trudy if she'll cater the party. But before that night, Hayley has another surprise - her daughter Gemma arrives from New York with her actor boyfriend, Connor. While Hayley thinks everything might not be perfect in their life, Bruce urges her to stay out of it. But then Connor has an accident, and that one event changes things, giving Hayley suspicions about another event. So when she discovers Trudy's body at the party inside her food truck, Hayley's now dealing with a devastated husband, a daughter who can't decide what she wants for her future, and a killer who's living just under the wire...and not only had their own personal reasons for wanting Trudy dead, but have decided that Hayley might have to go also...

This is the latest in the series, and I really enjoyed it quite a bit. We've watched Hayley's kids grow up through the series, and now Gemma has a life of her own and her career is spiraling upward, and while Hayley is happy for her, she's become worried at the present moment. She's also dealing with the fact that Bruce has once again taken up a nasty habit and Hayley is determined to break him of it.

Then we have the murder - which is the gist of the story. Hayley and nearly everyone in town liked Trudy - some exceptionally so - and she wonders if the rival food truck owner is the killer. But then people start seeing someone around town that's frightening them, and Hayley has to wonder if things are connected.

What we get is a very good mystery with characters that are continually developing over time, and I'm glad to see Hayley is finally getting the happiness she deserves with Bruce in her life, and while Mona is absent in this book and Liddy is only a footnote, it really doesn't matter because this time the story features Reverend Stiles and his long-suffering wife, Edie. It's a side of Edie we haven't seen before, and it humanizes her far beyond her reputation as merely being a gossip. We also get to see Hayley and Bruce banter playfully, which causes them to be a little more real in the series.

When the ending comes and the climax occurs, it's no less than anything else we would have expected from Hayley, having proven herself capable of getting out of trouble one way or another time and again; but the reasons for the murder seemed almost unhinged; yet how can anyone tell what will drive someone to commit such a heinous crime in the first place.

In the end, it all came together nicely, with a hint of things to come. I whisked through this in one evening and it was a relaxing read that brought me to Bar Harbor and home again. Recommended.

This is book number thirteen in this series but I haven't read any of the others. Honestly the title is what drew me in on NetGalley. It sounded so fun and I just wanted to read it. Lee Hollis is a brother/sister writing team and I will say I enjoyed their writing very much.

In this particular Hayley Powell Mystery we have a new couple moving into town. The husband a minister and his wife a food town owner. I loved the name of her truck; Wicked ‘Wiches. Doesn't it sound awesome? She is sadly found dead in her truck while catering the local Halloween Ball.
Talk about a mystery! Everyone is wearing costumes so figuring out who is who takes a little work.

I enjoyed Hayley as our intrepid sleuth and that her daughter Gemma works with her in this one. Trudy, the victim was easy to like as well. I enjoyed that she wasn't a hated character. I get more invested in figuring out what happened when I like the victim. If they were horrible sometimes I feel like they deserved and don't care if their murder is solved.

All in all this was an excellent read and I will certainly be going back and reading all of the other books int he series.

There’s a new food truck in town, much to the delight of our food columnist heroine, Hayley Powell, and the chagrin of Cloris Fennow, owner of the only other food truck in Bar Harbor, Maine. While the burgers Cloris serves out of Burger She Wrote are of varying quality, her attitude towards her customers leaves a lot to be desired. Unsurprisingly, Hayley isn’t the only one thrilled that Cloris is about to face some much-needed competition.

Enter Trudy Lancaster, the beautiful and bubbly young wife of the new Congregationalist minister, Ted. Her Wicked ‘Wiches food truck serves some truly outstanding and inventive sandwiches. When she’s hired to cater the Garbers’ annual Halloween Witches Ball, Cloris nearly blows a gasket, never mind that Burger She Wrote was never in the running for the gig anyway.

Cloris isn’t the only one whose emotions have been heightened by Trudy’s arrival in town, though. The retiring Reverend Staples seems to have lost his head completely over his successor’s wife, to the very public chagrin of his own wife, Edie. When Trudy is found gassed to death in her food truck on the night of the Witches Ball, there is unfortunately no shortage of suspects for what was clearly cold-blooded murder.

Hayley and her new husband Bruce had taken quite a shine to the Lancasters, so Hayley is determined to help her brother-in-law, town sheriff Sergio, crack the case. But when sightings of Trudy’s ghost start coming in from all over town, Hayley begins to wonder whether justice can be served before vengeance is meted out from beyond the grave.

This was another highly entertaining installment of the Hayley Powell Food And Cocktail mystery series: spooky number thirteen, in fact! In addition to the ghostly hijinks are a whole host of relationship troubles that provide further emotional depth for our cast of characters. Hayley’s twenty-something daughter Gemma is back in town with boyfriend Conner in tow, but the couple seem to have very different viewpoints on the state of their relationship. Tensions overall are played for good-spirited laughs though, with Edie’s hilarious meltdown during her husband’s last sermon being just one standout. I was actually very pleased at the general feel of feminine solidarity in the face of atrocious behavior on the part of their menfolk, which made for a nice contrast from some of the attitudes of this novel’s immediate predecessor in the series, Death Of A Blueberry Tart.

As with that book, however, there are a whole slew of themed food and cocktail recipes accompanying Hayley’s delightfully written column for the local newspaper. While Death Of A Wicked Witch is set around Halloween, all of its food recipes revolve around sandwiches, which make for perfect summer fare as well. Of the seven recipes included, I decided to try this sandwich for all seasons:

QUOTE
Randy's Comfort Grilled Cheese

4 slices crispy bacon
2 slices sourdough bread (or bread of your choice)
Fig jam
3 ounces sliced gruyere cheese (more if you prefer cheesy goodness)
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
3 tablespoons butter
Salt & pepper to taste

Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan and heat to medium low.

Butter one side of your sourdough bread, then spread fig jam on the other and place butter-side down in heated pan. Add the bacon and cheese. Feel free to add a bit more cheese if you desire, then sprinkle on the green onions. Butter one side of second slice of bread and place it on top of bread in pan butter-side up.

When bread in pan is toasted golden brown carefully flip your sandwich over and toast other side until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown on that side. Remove from heat, place on plate, slice in two, and enjoy!
END QUOTE

My main takeaway from trying out the resulting grilled cheese is to be very generous with your application of fig jam, else it will be overpowered by the flavors of every other component of this otherwise tasty dish. I found myself dabbing the sandwich with more jam as I took each bite, just to balance out all the delicious flavors. Personally, I love both a classic grilled cheese sandwich as well as one with <a href=”https://www.criminalelement.com/cooking-the-books-death-at-the-day-lily-cafe-by-wendy-sand-eckel/”>caramelized onions</a>, but adding bacon and fig jam is a delight at once comforting and decadent. This is definitely a recipe to keep handy for when you want to add just a little something extra to a comfort food staple.

Next week, we catch up with the latest in a series ahead of the upcoming release of its next installment, solving a murder here on the East Coast while baking a delicious cake. Do join me!