“Death of an Italian Chef” by Lee Hollis the 14th instalment in the Haley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series which releases on June 29, 2021. The charming coastal town of Bar Harbor, Maine, has a fancy new Italian restaurant--and a nasty new murder...

I love this series, I have only read the last 5 but have purchased the previous 10 and hope to catch up. The stories always catch my attention and pull me in right away. This instalment was no different I read over a few hours.

Plus the recipes ! They make me want to cook pasta! Linguine is a favourite as is bacon carbonara and I told hubby we needed to order in Italian as craving so much after reading this story. I’m definitely going to try at least one recipe from the book.

I suspected the murderer but didn’t fully guess until Haley did. This was a great mystery filled with lots of twists and turns. I love how Haley, Liddy and Mona and their long friendship with all the stories, we meet a few new characters that I hope to see on future books. Haley also might make one of her dreams come true ...

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends !

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Hayley, her husband Bruce, and brother Randy eat at a new restaurant, the chef recognizes her and asks what he thinks of her food. When she raves about it but tells him she likes her Carbonara better, he demands she make it for him. He agrees hers is better and wants her to work for him, which she turns down.

Then Randy has a gall bladder attack and winds up in the hospital; then he asks Hayley to run his restaurant until he returns, and she reluctantly agrees. What Hayley doesn't expect is that Chef Romeo is Randy's roommate. When the chef dies and everyone says it was a massive heart attack, Randy tells her that it was murder. When there's suspicious activity regarding the chef's death, Hayley does what she does best: investigate murders.

But there's more going on, since she has her work at the newspaper, is trying to run what appears to be a successful restaurant, take care of Randy; and with both Bruce and Randy's husband Sergio out of town, she's on her own, especially when the police sergeant who's temporarily in charge isn't taking anything she says seriously...

I have read every book in this series, and I have to say that while I wasn't impressed with the first one, it's definitely gotten much better over the years. In fact, this is my favorite one of them all. Hayley's showing the type of person she's been all along, but with a new confidence about her, and she's determined to find out who killed the chef.

I really felt sorry for Randy, having gone through the exact same thing myself. Trust me, this is not something you want to go through; it's not just gallbladder surgery but much more life-threatening. I'm grateful I survived (although I wasn't as needy as Randy).

There's action aplenty, and a lot going on at once, so the pacing is fast and the mystery intriguing. The identity of the killer is a bit of a surprise, with an extra thrown in for good measure. I really loved the way this book ended, so much so that I wish I could read the next in the series right now. Highly recommended.

I loved this book! It was definitely a super cute cozy mystery with a great twist at the end! A great addition to the series!

Death of an Italian Chef is the fourteenth installment in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails mystery series set in Bar Harbor, Maine and featuring newspaper columnist Hayley Powell. Hayley, her husband Bruce and her brother Randy are all enjoying dinner at the island's newest Italian restaurant, Romeo's when Chef Romeo suspects that Hayley is actually there to write a review for her column. The Chef asks her honest opinion and when Hayley claims that she likes her spaghetti carbonara better, he challenges her to a cookoff. The result - he agrees that hers is better and asks her to quit her job at the paper and come work with him. While tempting, Hayley declines his offer.

Bruce leaves for New York City to cover the criminal trial of an island resident and Randy's husband Police Chief Sergio is in Brazil visiting his family. Bored, Hayley and Randy set out for the movies but before the film ends Randy suffers a medical emergency and is rushed to the hospital. Recovering from surgery in his hospital room, Randy gets a new roommate - Chef Romeo. The Chef has suffered a heart attack and begs Hayley to cover the restaurant for him while he's hospitalized.

When the Chef dies, the doctors claim it was his heart. Randy, however, thinks he saw a man come into the room and inject something into the Chef's IV. Sergeant Vanessa Herrold who is covering for Sergio says the drugs were playing tricks on Randy's mind and she doesn't believe him. But when the duty nurse suddenly goes missing, Hayley knows her brother obviously saw something and sets out with the help of her best friends Mona and Liddy to flush out a killer.

Laugh out loud moments, a twisted plot and tasty recipes make for a delightful addition to the series. An unexpected development at the finish will have readers salivating for Hayley's next adventure.

I received an advanced copy of Death of an Italian Chef from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

Chef Romeo arrives in Bar Harbor and opens an Italian restaurant, with cuisine to die for... literally. When Chef Romeo ends up in the hospital after a mild heart attack no one, least of all his hospital roommate, Hayley's brother Randy, expects him to leave in a body bag. When Randy says he saw a masked man giving Romeo some kind of drug shortly before his death, everyone blows him off except Hayley.

This series is one of my very favorites. Hayley is awesome and I love Liddy and Mona, the three most unlikely friends you could imagine. I missed Sergio, who was in Brazil visiting family, but his job was being covered by another interesting character, a new officer, Vanessa Herrold. Hayley is, of course, knee deep in investigating the crime but she's taking it to a whole new level this time and handling her investigation during what little time she has off now that she's taken over running Chef Romeo's restaurant so his employees can continue getting a paycheck.

Though this book could be read as a standalone I think readers would miss out on some of the best parts of the story not knowing the background, especially the evolution of Hayley's relationship with Bruce and meeting the charming police chief, Randy's husband, Sergio, not to mention time spent noshing at Drinks Like a Fish with a healthier and less trying Randy.

Any fan of cozy mysteries should absolutely read this entire series. It's humorous and heartwarming and a boatload of fun!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

I really enjoyed this latest addition to the series and Lee Hollis always has the best recipes included! As Hayley ages, this series just keeps getting better; the relationships between everyone is great and the mystery was a lot of fun.

Lee Hollis (actually a brother-sister writing duo) had become one of my most favorite authors. They are brilliant in their writing and their books are packed with laugh-out-loud humor.
When I read the first book Hayley Powell was a divorced mother of young children and two best friends Mona and Liddy over the years the children have grown and moved away and Hayley has remarried and the stories remain captivating and fresh.
Their characters jump off of the pages and come alive in your mind. Her best friends are Mona the Crab Trapping woman who is a bit rough around the edges and Liddy who is a refined fashionista and together they form an unlikely trio until you get to know how well they mesh. Hayley’s brother owns a bar called “Drink Like a Fish” and is married to the town’s police chief. And that’s the thing that sets Hayley Powell books apart from other “cozy” mysteries. The people are very real. While other protagonists in other books of the genre drink tea and sip sherry Hayley and her friends go to Randy’s bar for drinks. (There are drink and food recipes in the book as well.)
The stories are well-plotted. In this, the latest book, Sergio, Randy’s husband has gone back to his home country of Brazil to visit his family and put a new officer in charge. Meanwhile, Hayley has an assignment from the paper to review Romeo’s the new Italian restaurant in town.
Chef Romeo asks Hayley how she likes his Fettuccini and she hesitates and says that she likes it but hers is better. Chef Romeo challenges her and she brings hers in the next day and Chef Romeo agrees and asks Hayley to work for him on menu creation.
Hayley’s brother Randy has a gall bladder attack and ends up in the hospital in the same room as Chef Romeo who had an attack brought on by an argument with a contractor. Hayley agrees to run the restaurant while the chef recuperates.
Chef Romeo dies of supposedly natural causes but Randy swears he saw a clandestine figure go to Chef Romeo’s bed and put something into his IV tube.
Was it murder or Randy’s hallucinations? Randy is convinced of what he saw but the acting police chief is quite sure he saw nothing.
Hayley decides to investigate and investigate she does as she tracks down suspects and motives which ultimately end in a pulse-pounding, book gripping, body tensing ending.
My only regret about this book is that I just finished it. I would like to take an amnesia pill to have the thrill of reading it all over again.
I would like to thank Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to have a preview copy to review this book I agreed to write an honest review.

Death of an Italian Chef by Lee Hollis is a fun cozy read. Being a fan of cozy mysteries Lee Hollis is a new author for me. Haley Powell is eating dinner with her husband Bruce at a new Italian restaurant in Bar Harbor Maine. Little did Haley know that a bet with Chef Romeo would lead her into a murder mystery that includes Chef Romeo, Haley's brother Randy, various hospital employees and some unsavory characters.with a crazy "Who Done It".
The characters of Mona and Liddy Haley's BFF's are hysterical. They love to eat drink and get into trouble. Haley's brother Randy can be a handful while recuperating and is driving Haley crazy. Haley is trying to work at the newspaper, help Chef Romeo at the restaurant , help Randy get well and then throw in solving a murder.. What is she to do????
Haley Powell reminds me of Hannah Svenson in the Joanne Fluke books. Solving mysteries and adding recipes for everyone to try. I am looking forward to more from Lee Hollis and Haley Powell.This was a quick read and an enjoyable read.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC. Thank you Lee Hollis so enjoyed it.

A well crafted mystery with interesting characters and a nice sense of place.

The book is interspersed with Hayleys column entries as well as her recipes such as Hayley’s Spaghetti Carbonara, 🍝 Mom’s Favorite Brandy Coffee, Antipasto Tortellini Salad, Italian Dressing.

Thank you to Lee Hollis, NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC of this book

Death of An Italian Chef starts off with Haley eating at a new restaurant with her husband, Bruce, and brother, Randy. Haley tells the chef that her spaghetti carbonara is better than his. He challenges her to make the dish for him. The chef suffers a heart attack on the same day as Randy goes into the hospital for his gallbladder. Chef Romeo later dies and Randy while under sedation after his surgery swears he saw someone kill the chef. I loved this installment of this series. Haley has to juggle taking over the chef's restaurant temporarily, caring for Randy after his surgery, and finding Chef Romeo's killer. Haley's friends provide such a comic relief. I think Mona is my favorite. The banter between the friends is always a highlight of the books. I liked that we still got enough of Bruce even though he was in New York for work most of the book. The mystery was great. I completely didn't see that ending coming. I am so looking forward to what happens in the next book. And as always I love Haley's food and drinks column and the recipes that accompany it. I received this ARC from netgalley and Kensington publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I wish Lee Hollis put out a new book everyday. There has never been an installment of this series that I didn't love.

Hayley is having dinner at the new restaurant in town with her husband and brother. As a food critic, she knows her way around food and the chef pushes her to tell him what she didn’t like about her meal. When she says she thinks her pasta carbonara is better, he has her cook it for him and he agrees hers IS better!

When the chef has a heart attack, he asks Hayley to manage his restaurant while h is in the hospital. Having wanted a new challenge for awhile, Hayley takes it on, along with caring for her brother who is in the hospital and working her day job. When the Chef dies of an apparent heart condition, Hayley hears that he may have been murdered, but the acting police chief doesn’t take her seriously. Adding sleuthing to her schedule makes it even more stressful for Hayley, but she’s determined to keep juggling everything and find the killer without roasting herself.

This is a fabulous series and I’m so glad to see Hayley branching out and finding new challenges. Make sure you pay attention to the recipes as there are a few in here that are absolutely to die for!

Hayley Powell is a food and cocktails columnist for the Island Times. A new chef in town just so happens to end up sharing a room with Haleys brother in the hospital. Her brother is certain that someone came in and murdered the chef. This was a light, fast paced mystery.
#DeathofanItalianChef #NetGalley

If you like a quick read that you’ll love, grab this cozy mystery! Twists and turns keep your guessing. The pace keeps you going.

Book 14 in the Hayley Powell food and cocktails mystery series.
It can be read as a stand alone, but I recommend reading the whole series .
Haley is at it again trying to help the police solve the murder of a new local chef.
Her police brother in law is out of town so she gets into more trouble for trying to help.
Good series

I enjoyed this book. It has a few twists and turns which keeps it interesting. I love the characters. #DeathofanItalianChef #NetGalley

Hayley is caring for her brother, Randy, who is in the hospital waiting for surgery. She comes to visit and discovers that her brother's roommate in the hospital has been murdered and that Randy believes that he saw it happen. The nurse taking care of Randy has disappeared. Hayley is talked into helping with the dead Chef's restaurant while she works on solving the murder. She discovers the chef is not who he says he is and that the mafia is after him. She has to deal with a deputy that is not interested in any of Hayley's information. You will discover the reason for this soon. Lots of action and situations that keep this book interesting.

Death of an Italian Chef by Lee Hollis is an awesome cozy mystery that is the newest book ( 14th) in the fabulous series: Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series. I have to say, this series gets better and better with time, and it is one of my favorite books yet.

I have always enjoyed the Hayley Powell series by this formidable author duo. I have faithfully read every installment and the seasonal novellas. I always love visiting Bar Harbor, Maine. It honestly just keeps improving with age. While this series can obviously be best savored with reading the previous books, one can easily jump in at any time and follow along nicely.

This time Hayley has to truly run it all while Bruce is with Gemma in NYC while he reports on a high profile court case ajd Sergio is out of the country visiting his family in Brazil, Hayley has to put even more faith in herself while she takes care of Randy s/p surgery, work at the Newspaper, and to top it off, becomes embroiled in a new murder/mystery and temporarily running a newly opened and popular Italian restaurant. With her plate full, Hayley has to juggle her jobs, “home nursing”, and save the day the only way she know how: with wit, style, sass, and humor. Add her backup posse: Mona and Liddy, and hijinks, drama, and laughs are sure to be on the menu.

As always, I loved the characters, the sarcasm, the drama, the plot, the twists and turns ( I honestly did not figure it all out!), the one-liners, the banter, and the end! I knew there was a reason why this was one of my favorite series. With an ending like that, I can’t wait to see what is in store for Hayley next.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/29/21.

I love the Hayley Powell mysteries and eagerly look forward to each one's release. I hope there are many more to come.

Hayley has some time on her hands now that her husband Bruce is in NYC covering the flashy trial of an island summer resident. Except her brother Randy becomes ill and the chef of a new Italian restaurant in town, Chef Romeo, wants Hayley to run things while he recuperates. However, when the man winds up dead and Randy is a witness, things begin to unravel as Chef Romeo winds up dead and his shady past comes to Bar Harbor. Can Hayley solve the crime before she winds up six feet under?

I love the character dynamic throughout every plot come up with by the brother and sister duo of Lee Hollis. Their ear for dialogue and Hayley's BFFs, Mona and Liddy, make every book a pleasure to get lost in. I was sad when this one ended. However, I did start putting plot pieces together early and while I thought the whodunit was clever, if you read enough cozies this one was not too hard to figure out. I also missed Randy's husband Sergio in this book.

Another winner in the series, more please!

situational-humor, verbal-humor, cozy-mystery, family-dynamics, friendship, culinary, mafia, Maine, hit-man, amateur-sleuth, murder, murder-investigation, attempted-murder, small-business, small-town*****

This impressive Italian recipe book is hiding a fantastic and funny murder mystery! It's a really good cozy mystery complete with interesting characters, plot twists, red herrings and misdirection, good laughs. The publisher's blurb is a good hook and no recap or spoilers here. I loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!