Member Reviews

Fun quick cozy! Hayley is once again on the trail of a killer. The 15th in the series but easily can be read as a standalone. Lots of fun with side stories to delight you also. Thanks #netgalley and #Keningston for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

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This is my first read of an existing series.

I had a little bit of trouble getting into the book. For me, it started out slow and I had a few false starts before committing all the way.

Hayley is a food columnist and restaurant owner. in one of my favorite places, Bar Harbor, Maine (Love it). Her friend Lydia, owns an ice cream shop and delivers ice cream to some restaurants. suspects her husband is having an affair and asks Hayley to help find out if it's true. Unfortunately, the person they think he's having an affair with is a student of his and an employee of Lydias. Both Hayley and Lydia find the body in the back of Lydia's ice cream truck, and things take off from there.

Thank you for the advance copy Netgalley. I'm sure readers will enjoy this book.

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Death of an Ice Cream Scooper by Lee Hollis is the fifteen mystery in the Hayley Powell Mystery series. In this mystery, Hayley Powell, local amateur sleuth and restaurant owner, finds herself in pursuit of a killer when she stumbles upon a body. With her usual tenacity, Hayley searches for the clues until she had pieces together the story and located the killer.

I have a read a few mysteries in the Hayley Powell series and like the series so far. This mystery is no different, I enjoyed reading this and liked following Hayley on her search for the killer. I love the recipes included throughout the book and really want to try some of them! The characters in this book are fun to get to know and the series a large a whole is intriguing. So far I’ve read all of the novellas in this series and after reading this latest mystery, I really need to go back and start the series for the beginning. This is a good mystery, nothing life changing, but definitely worth the time.

Thanks for NetGalley for the ARC edition of this book!

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The worst thing about searching for recipes on the internet is having to read a long, boring and irrelevant blog post that you don’t care about to get to the recipe, and this book was entirely that blog post.

The dialogue is very cringey and packed with clumsy exposition. The characters are underdeveloped, many of them shallow caricatures of a very out-of-touch person’s stereotype-ridden perception of gen z. I’m much older than that myself, but I think the “kids these days are just so disrespectful with their phones and tik toks” narrative is a tired cliche, and it comes off bitter here.

The mystery was poorly put together, the big reveal not well foreshadowed, and several plot points could be completely omitted without affecting the story outcome at all. The main character’s actions are often questionable as an amateur detective, such as the fact that she has no sense of protecting her witness and rarely uses her connections to the police chief when it would most make sense for the story.

Most infuriatingly, the disheveled plot is often interrupted by recipe blog posts with the most simplistic and uninteresting anecdotes that only serve to drag the story down.

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Such a great cozy mystery book. This was a quick read with some laughs, some romance, and a few "sprinkles" of surprise.
Hayley is the owner of a restaurant and enjoys the life she has made for herself with her new husband and friends. During a morning delivery from her friend Lynette's ice cream shop, they find the body of one of Lynette's ice cream scoopers in the freezer truck. All fingers and clues point to the childhood friend of her son, and as usual, Hayley will stop at nothing to figure out the truth.
I know it is essentially a crime story, but this is such a fun series. I truly love it. This book can absolutely be read as a stand alone book. Highly recommend.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Death of an Ice Cream Scooper is the fifteenth installment in the Hayley Powell Mystery series set in Bar Harbor, Maine and featuring columnist and restaurant owner, Hayley Powell. Things are going well for Hayley, Bruce and the new restaurant but Hayley is in for a big shock when her son Dustin comes for a visit from California with his girlfriend, Mackenzie and it turns out they've been keeping a big secret.

Trying to come to terms with Dustin's news, Hayley finds herself caught up in the personal drama of Lydia Partridge, owner of Bar Harbor Ice Cream. Lydia is convinced that her husband Jamie is having an affair with one of his college students, and when that student turns up dead in the back of Lydia's ice cream truck it's up to Hayley to scoop up a killer.

An enjoyable plot full of twists and turns and the return of familiar characters, Liddy and Mona (who have their own romantic issues), makes for another delightful addition to the series. While most series tend to burn out the longer they go on, Lee Hollis does a fantastic job of keeping Hayley and her friends interesting and full of adventure. The delicious sounding recipes throughout the book always leave me hungry and in this case I was craving ice cream treats.

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

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Finding the body of a young ice cream worker in the refrigerator of an ice cream truck is not how Lydia and Hayley hoped to start their day. Who killed Miranda? That question becomes the driving force behind most of Hayley's thoughts and actions over the next days. Well, true, she has a few distractions, like her son's big news and feuding best friends. BTW, does everyone in Bar Harbor leave their doors unlocked?

I loved visiting Bar Harbor and witnessing Hayley in action. There rarely seems to be a down time in her days. She has friends who have her back, a column writing job that she enjoys, and a lovable dog. And, oh, yeah, she solves mysteries. The column, which frequently pops up between chapters, offers insight into her life and family/friends, all making the reader all the more familiar with who she and they are. Even better, there are recipes included with each column entry, a yummy extra.

I won't detail the plot, it's easily available, but will say that this was a fast moving plot with fun, distinct characters, and more than one side-story. Like, who will George, or is it Chuck, choose? Will Hayley accept that her baby boy is now a grown man? Does Lydia have anything to worry about, well, besides the dead body in her ice cream truck freezer? Will Hayley be able to convince Bruce to go on that vacation? And, oh, well, I guess it all depends on finding the answer to the important question, who killed Miranda and why? Hayley is a take-charge person, so whose feathers will she ruffle? Nope, not telling. You'll have to read the book to find the answers to these and, oh, so many other questions. A thoroughly fun read, with characters that you'll both wish you knew and roll your eyes at occasionally. It's all expertly woven together by author Lee Hollis, whose books are must-reads for me.

Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonPress for the invite to Bar Harbor. Hayley's life tends to wear me out but it's definitely never dull.

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As always, the descriptions of the food and gorgeous Maine make me want to head to Bar Harbor and chow down! However, I didn't like this entry at all. Haley was obnoxious and unlikeable. There was none of the charm that earlier stories had. Mona and Liddy seemed like afterthoughts and I wondered if someone other than the Lee Hollis team wrote this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read.

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Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Very interesting mystery book. I enjoyed it.

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I love every visit I have with Hayley and her community and this one focused more on her son, which we really haven't seen all too much of. The mystery had me guessing until the very end and I loved seeing how Dustin and his friends had grown up. This one didn't have too much with her new restaurant but had other very interesting developments. Looking forward to the next one.

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3.5 stars

Set in the town of Bar Harbor Maine, Hayley Powell, formerly a food and cocktails columnist is now the owner of Haley’s Kitchen.

Her friend, Lynette Patridge, and owner of Bar Harbor Ice Cream is famous for her delectable ice cream flavors such as Sea Salt Caramel and Lemon Poppy Seed Blackberry Jam.

Sometimes Lynette uses Haley’s Kitchen to promote her desserts— Haley’s kitchen features Lynette’s icecream products in their dessert menus 🍨

One day, Lynette confides in Hayley that Lynette’s husband James might be cheating on her.

When a body turns up dead in the back of Lynette’s ice cream truck. it turns out to be one of Lynette’s employees.

Then evidence turns up suggesting Jamie is having an affair with one of his students. Lynette enlists Hayley’s help in finding out whether her husband is a cheater or worse, a killer.

The book is interspersed with Haley’s recipes such as Hayley’s Boozy Blueberry Floats, Frosted Lemonade, Vanilla Cream Custard Ice Cream, and so on. Would recommend.

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

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Our readers who love cozies -- especially food/restaurant related cozies -- will find so much to enjoy here. This author is so consistent, and so good at knowing what readers want. The reader gets to solve the mystery right along with the amateur detectives, which is fun and just what the reader is looking for. This is going to be a great recommendation for fans of this author, as well as readers who enjoy books by Jenn McKinlay and Joanna Fluke.

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In Death of an Ice Cream Scooper, food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell is back on the case in Bar Harbor, Maine when her friend and owner of a gourmet ice cream shop finds that her husband may be a cheater and possibly a killer.

The shock continues as photographic evidence proves Jamie was spending time off-campus with the victim, one of his students. Now, Hayley has to figure out if Jamie really is a cheater or a ruthless killer.

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Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell is back on the case in Bar Harbor, Maine when her friend and owner of a gourmet ice cream shop finds that her husband may be a cheater and a killer...
Hayley is a fun character. The mystery was quick, fun and easy to figure out. Overall I look forward to the next adventure.
#DeathofanIceCreamScooper #NetGalley

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I love Hayley Powell books! My only complaint is the time between books! I really enjoyed Death of an Ice Cream Scooper because it put Hayley’s family and closest friends in the middle of the drama. I was especially happy to catch up with Dustin again.
A young girl (the ice cream scooper) is found dead by Hayley, so she investigates the death. Of course everyone knows she will. In the course of the investigation we are introduced to new friends, get reacquainted with Dustin, see a family dust up, and an argument between friends. In the end, all is is settled and the murderer found. Bar Harbor is a wonderful setting, the recipes are great, and I can never wait to revisit with Hayley and friends!

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Loved reading this book and series. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books. Read the books in order.

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I absolutely love a good cozy mystery and this one did not disappoint. Lee Hollis- I can't wait to read the next in the series!

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This was an okay cozy mystery. I normally love Lee Hollis books but this one just didn’t draw me in. The main character Hailey just ended up annoying me more than anything else. I’m not sure if it’s just my mood or what but to me this wasn’t her best effort.

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This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Kensington Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I truly appreciate a good cozy mystery, Death of an Ice Cream Scooper held up to the test. So entertaining and enjoyable, I found myself reading it all in one sitting.

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Hayley’s friend Lydia tells her that she suspects her husband Jamie is having an affair. Hayley is shocked. WHY would Jamie be meeting a much younger woman? He is a professor after all, but the remote location they met at doesn’t make things look good.

Add to Hayley’s plate the return of her son, who brings his pregnant girlfriend along, and finding a body of a seasonal employee in the ice cream truck and you have the makings of one of the best books yet in this series.

You don’t get to have a book 15 in a series unless the series is good…and this series is definitely awesome! I’ve read of the books in this series, as some other of the author’s works and I’m telling you, if you’re a cozy lover, you’re missing out if you haven’t checked this one out yet. PS Check out the recipes as well. YUMMM

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