Death of a Clam Digger is the 16th book in this delightful series. Hayley's best friend Mona Barnes owns a successful seafood business. When Monas' son Dougie becomes engaged to the little sister of her arch rival, Vera Leighton, all hell breaks loose, as their families have been business rivals for years. When Lonnie Leighton, the patriarch of the family, is found dead face down on the beach. and Donnie's class ring is found near the body, Hayley decides to do some investigating on her own. This was a fun quick read I could not put down! Lots of suspects, plenty of humor, and quirky characters. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with a copy by one of my favorite authors, to read and review. I give it 5 stars! ☆☆☆☆☆

Hayley Powell writes a food and cocktails column for the Island Times, the local newspaper where her husband Bruce works as a crime writer. She also has the pleasure of owning her own restaurant, Hayley's Kitchen, which has become popular with the locals and tourists alike since she opened it several months ago. It doesn't leave her a lot of free time to spend with her hubby, but they're both so busy, she doesn't think too much about it.

One morning while walking her dog Leroy, she sees two women fighting in the mud flats below, a popular clamming area. To her horror, one of them is her BFF Mona Barnes, who owns her own successful seafood company. The other is Vera Leighton, whose father owns the other seafood company in town. Determined to break it up, she heads to the bottom to find out what started the fight. When she finally succeeds, there's no comfort in it, since the two women have been rivals their entire lives, and their father hates the Barnes -- and the feeling is mutual.

But things get worse when it's discovered that Mona's son Dougie is in love with Lonnie's daughter Olive, and wants to propose to her. Worse yet, they're at Hayley's restaurant when Lonnie walks in with his girlfriend and spots them across the room. Accusations fly, and Lonnie tells Dougie to stay away from his daughter. When Mona finds out, all heck breaks loose. Then there's a murder, and now Hayley is in the middle of that, along with trying to keep peace between Mona and her sons. But it won't be easy, especially since the older two have secrets of their own. To make matters worse, an old girlfriend of Bruce's shows up and she's rich and successful...which has Hayley worried and jealous. Will she be able to find a murderer? Will she be able to keep her marriage? Will there be any peace in Bar Harbor ever again?

This is the sixteenth book in the series, and I've read them all. It's nice to see Mona's family as the center of activity, since they've usually been fringe characters up until now. We get to see that they have lives even their mother doesn't know about. But it's Dougie who takes center stage as a possible suspect, and Hayley has to find a killer to prove the young man's innocence. But when a killer thinks that they're smarter than you, and they've covered their tracks well, it might not be easy as she imagines.

Then there's the ex of Bruce, who keeps 'running into him' and he's flattered by all the attention that she's giving him. Hayley, who at first decided she liked the woman, is finding that she was wrong in her assessment, and is trying to prove to herself she's not jealous. But this is a problem she's never had to deal with before, so jealousy is a normal reaction for her. Watching Hayley, who's always been so confident, deal with a different emotion is interesting, but luckily, it doesn't pervade the story so never gets in the way of the mystery.

And the mystery is prime in this book. There are clues throughout, and I was down to two suspects (yes, one of them was the guilty party) when Hayley began to put everything together. How she does it is the best part, and even Sergio is there with his malapropisms. It's a fun ride in another adventure for Hayley, and for those who love clams (I don't, unfortunately) there are tons of yummy recipes included. (I wonder if any of them can be adapted for crab???). Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of DEATH OF A CLAM DIGGER (Book 16 of the Hayley Powell Mysteries) by Lee Hollis in exchange for an honest review. Hayley is a food and spirits columnist and a local restaurant owner. There is a local rivalry between local seafood vendors , and Hayley's good friend Mona owns one of the rival businesses. Tensions between the businesses flare up complicated by a star-crossed romance between the offspring of the business owners. When the patriarch of the business rivaling Mona's dies in suspicious circumstances but law enforcement rules the death accidental, the family approaches Hayley to investigate to determine whether it was actually accidental or really homicidal. Hayley's investigation puts her at odds with Mona since Hayley will have to investigate Mona and her family in order to rule them out as possible perpetrators.

I liked this book and enjoy the series. I recommend this book to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring murder, media, food, and coastal themes.

#DeathofaClamDigger #NetGalley

Loved reading this book and series. This author has several different series. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend doing so. I suggest reading in order.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

Cozies have some of the best witty and sarcastic banter ever. I loved the characters and the mystery but the dialogue had me cackling most of the time.

Death of a Clam Digger by Lee Hollis is an excellent cozy mystery that is the 16th book in one of my favorite all- time series ever: A Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery. This is such an awesome addition!

I have read every book and novella as part of this series, and I cannot get enough.
In this book, clams are the main dish, served up with a side of murder…and Mona and her family are wading deep into the suspect list.

I enjoyed the wit, the humor, the sarcasm, the over-the-top moments, the mystery, and the conclusion.

Looking forward to the next one.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books 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 7/25/23.

This was an enjoyable book. I loved the feuding/fighting with Mona's family and the Leighton's. Figuring out the clues. I was mostly trying to figure out how old Mona & Vera are and trying to figure out Diggers age. 🤔 I'm really enjoying this series. It's like watching one of my favorite mystery shows.

When two young people fall in love and their families are bitter rivals, how can they mend fences and live their life with their families by their sides? When one family member tries to break the young couple up and is found dead, Hayley finds herself trying to figure out who killed the man and will go to any means to keep from being caught. Can she figure it out and can the happy couple make it work, or will they all be sleeping with the fish?

They Hayley Powell series is one of my favorite! Filled with delicious food, BFFs, a rag tag cast of characters that shake things up and keep it interesting as they solve a mystery. If you haven’t spent some time in Bar Harbor, it’s time to rectify that and give the series a read. You’ll be back for more, I promise!

Death of a Clam Digger is the sixteenth installment in the Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery series set in Bar Harbor, ME and featuring food columnist and restauranteur Hayley Powell. A casual stroll along the Shore Path has Hayley's dog Leroy's ears perking up as he hears the sounds of a fight in progress. Rushing to the scene Hayley discovers her BFF Mona Barnes in a muddy brawl with her high school nemesis Vera Leighton. The two women have been competing with each other their whole lives and now the rivalry continues as each represents their family seafood business and they are each determined to put the other out of business.

It's no secret that Mona doesn't get a long with any of the Leighton family: Vera, sisters Ruth and Olive and their father, Lonnie. But when Hayley discovers that Mona's youngest son Dougie is dating Olive, she knows that trouble is on the horizon. Lonnie Leighton isn't happy about the relationship either and when he finds out the two are engaged he warns both Mona and Dougie to stay away from his daughter. Lonnie soon turns up facedown on the clam flats and the autopsy comes back insufficient - did he die from health issues or was it murder?

Determined to clear Mona and her family, Hayley finds herself having to dig up a killer. A fast paced afternoon read featuring all the series regulars. A delightful locale, a handful of suspects and a bucketful of mouthwatering recipes, make for an excellent addition to the series and one that can read as a stand alone.

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

The brother-sister duo writing team that is Lee Hollis has done it again with their latest addition to the Haley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series. Love, love this series!

Mona Barnes and arch-rival Vera Leighton have been at it for decades, so when the two women find out that Mona's son and Vera's baby sister are romantically involved the clams hit the fan. When Vera's father, the patriarch of the Leighton family and head of the family seafood business, goes toes down in the mud, things get even more dicey. Was it an accident or was there foul play involved? Who stands to inherit the profitable business? And what the heck are Mona's kids up to?

This is one of my favorite series! I love Hayley, I love her column, I love her recipes, I love her dog, I love her crazy friends, I love Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. When I dive into a book from this series, just forget getting anything else out of me until I'm done with it. Hayley has her hands in everything on the island and she's on the go 24/7 (literally). She plays the peacemaker, the devils advocate, and the detective, sometimes all at once. In this book she's an advocate for young love and helps her friends get past many squabbles to find happiness on the other side.

If you're into culinary cozies and haven't read this series, you definitely need to check it out!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

#DeathofaClamDigger #NetGalley is the latest book featuring Hayley Powell, chef, columnist, wife and mother.
Hayley has 2 best friends, and this story revolves around Mona, mom and business owner.
Mona's son has stars in his eyes, but his love is for the daughter of another local business owner, and Mona's biggest competitor.
When the business owner is found, dead, everyone looks at Mona's son as the suspect, and Hayley can't stop herself from asking questions.
In the middle of all this, Hayley's husband Bruce, has a run in with an ex, and this irritating Hayley.
While I found the story interesting, I found Hayley insecure and worried about her relationship with Bruce, and that's a turn from the strong independent woman she is.
I hope the future books don't continue to portray Haley in that manner.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

I enjoyed this book. I like the characters. I found the story a fast read, the plot definitely kept my attention. I liked all the couples. I was a little sad to learn who the killers are. #DeathofaClamDigger #NetGalley

Hayley Powell owns a restaurant called Haley’s Kitchen in Bar Harbor. Her top dish, Clam Risotto is popular among locals thanks to her chef, Kelton.

One of the diners, Tabitha Collins, the CEO of a national seafood company, Boston Common Seafood, loves the food so much that she’s offered to help Hayley expand her business.

Hayley’s BFF, Mona Barnes—who owns a seafood business—and her family have had an ongoing feud with Lonnie Leighton, owner of Leighton Fish & Seafood, a rival local business for years. Now the war is mostly waged between Mona and Lonnie’s daughter, Vera Leighton.

Following an altercation between Mona’s and Lonnie’s families at Haley’s restaurant, Lonnie’s discovered lying facedown in the clam flats by Hayley and Mona while they were out walking their dogs. Near the same spot where Mona and Vera Leighton were seen fighting at earlier.

Hayley immediately calls Bar Harbor Police Chief Sergio Alvares, who happened to be Hayley’s brother-in-law, along with his sidekick, Lieutenant Donnie. Hayley also found a class ring in Lonnie’s clam bucket which she brought to Chief Sergio’s attention.

According to the county coroner, Sabrina Merryweather—Hayley’s old friend from high school, when Lonnie went clamming he lost his footing and fell, suffocating in the low tide clam flats.

But Vera suspects foul play and not long after, Mona’s son Dougie becomes the murder suspect.

The book is interspersed with mouthwatering recipes such as Baked Stuffed Clams 🦪, Mona’s Easy Delicious Steamed Clams, Wow Your Guests Easy Clam Cakes, Clams and Sausage Spaghetti 🍝 Special, Clam Dip, and so on.

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

I've always liked this serious. However this installment was a complete bore. The plot felt forced and the characters weak. Haley also seems to be turning into a wimp. I believe I'm done with this series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this gallery.