Although Death of a Gingerbread Man is the 17th full length novel in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone. I know I still have several to read in this series. Hayley is a local food and drink columnist for the local paper as well as running her own restaurant. Her mom is in town for the holidays, and when her father shows up, she's not sure what will happen. Her father disappeared when she and her brother were very young, never to be heard from again. When his reappearance coincides with the murder of a local man, Dwight becomes the main suspect. Lee Hollis does a good job of presenting a back story for him, but I wasn't convinced that he had changed at all. Why was he there? Who is the murderer?

I enjoy this series and especially look forward to the humour, i.e. the Sergioisms. Unfortunately they weren't there this time. I did enjoy the story, but missed that part of it. Having Dwight show up, let us see another side of Hayley and her brother, which was nice, as well as giving us some background on what had happened in their family. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing. There is a second attempted murder, and the story quickly became a strangers on the train story. Every few chapters that is a column from Hayley, and although I don't usually mind those interruptions, this time around I skipped them and went back and read them all at the end. Although there were parts of this book I really enjoyed, overall, this one was a bit of a disappointment to me. Hopefully, we will see the humour return in future books.

Hayley has girded for a two week visit from her mother over the holidays. Sheila is the Typhoid Mary of stress. But things go into overdrive when Hayley’s father who simply disappeared when she and her brother were children has also blown back into Bar Harbour. Despite Hayley’s best attempts Dwight and Sheila are doomed to meet up and none of the anger she felt at his desertion has lessened. The man is a con artist who has managed to build a prodigious enemies list. Other than Sheila, for whom it might have been justifiable homicide, who else has the lust for revenge. Someone does. Dwight has a bullseye on his chest and someone is determined to see him in a coffin.

The person who seems to have the deepest motive is exonerated because he is the first murder victim. What is going on? What has the return of Dwight prompted and can Hayley or anyone else believe a word the man says. It turns out to be quite a clever plot that has everyone baffled until Hayley twigs to the final clue that opens it all up. It was an enjoyable tale. Too bad I dislike ginger because there were a whole bunch of recipes that will tickle the fancy of many. Four purrs and two paws up.

Bar Harbor, Maine is a happening place, especially when Hayley Powell is stuck trying to solve another mystery. I love the characters in this series and am so glad I binge read/listened to all the previous books I had not had a chance to enjoy. It has been fun catching up with Haley and her family and BFFs and watching relationships develop. This particular book had a lot of friction between the characters because Hayley’s mom and her boyfriend travel from Florida to celebrate Christmas at the same time her dad decides to make a sudden return to hang with his buds. Lots of twists and turns will have you guessing who is guilty of committing murder until the very end. This is definitely a series to spend your time getting lost in the pages and the delicious recipes included with each of Hayley’s newspaper columns.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

The holidays are a time for families, not to mention a time of chaos, stress, and arguments. All will occur when food blogger Hayley Mills joins her best friend Mona Barnes on a mission to deliver medication to Mona’s father. It turns out to be more of a family reunion than they expected though, as also at the fishing cabin is their other best friend’s father and Hayley’s own dad, Dwight Jordan. Considering that Hayley hasn’t seen her father since he abandoned their family when she was 8 years old, she is less than thrilled when her brother guilts them into inviting Dwight to a family dinner. Even more unhappy is their mother Sheila, who invited herself and her new husband to spend the holidays in Bar Harbor with Hayley. Already stressed out with her critical mother’s arrival, Hayley is initially happy when her father is distracted by competing in a Gingerbread decorating contest. When one of the other contestants is found dead by poison though, Dwight immediately becomes a main suspect due to his history of financial scams and general shadiness.

Even though Hayley’s brother-in-law happens to be the chief of police, Dwight doesn’t trust law enforcement and begs her to help prove his innocence. Hayley’s brother Randy also pleads with her to give their father the benefit of the doubt, but it certainly doesn’t look good when she finds evidence incriminating in Dwight’s pocket. Neither does the fact that Dwight has just started dating the mother of Hayley’s other best friend, and Liddy definitely doesn’t want her mom involved with a possible murderer. Now along with writing her Food & Cocktails column and attempting to keep her mother’s cat from terrifying Hayley’s dog, she also needs to find a killer before the New Year Holiday.

This 17th of the series shows no sign of slowing down as it continues to hilariously complicate Hayley Powell’s chaotic but family-centered life. The gift of DNA testing brings another extremely unexpected – but not unpleasant – surprise, one that completely upheaves their family dynamics. Hayley’s food and drinks columns continue to be the highlights of the series, as along with recipes they also include stories about her life that reveal the hilarious insanity of her life. Due to their ages, Hayley and her brother have very different reactions to the appearance by their father, who left before Randy could come out and who desperately wants his father’s approval. Hayley is far less trusting, as is her mother, who may be demanding but who was the one who raised her two children alone and without financial support. Humor always remains on the forefront of this series though, with the antics of Hayley and her friends getting them all into an enormous amount of trouble; much of which is revealed in Hayley’s Island Times Column. The brother and sister writing team who are Lee Hollis continues to deliver heart-warming, complicated, and always funny mysteries that perfectly blend together food and family.

Death of a Gingerbread Man by Lee Hollis is book number 17 in the Hayley Powell Food and Coctails Mystery series.

I always enjoy books from this series even though I read them out of order. I still have to go back to the beginning. They can be read as a standalonen and the reader gets enough information so as not to miss out on anything vital to the story.
Stories about the main characters adventures and misadventures are a brilliant additon to the books and something that I have never encountered anywhere else.
The mystery itself as the name suggests is set during the holidays with some characters that show up for the first time.
It is well set and nicely laid out for readers to follow. The ending is satisfactory.
It reads easily and quickly.
It is one of my favourite series.
Great choice for holiday season.

It's been a long time since I read a book in this series. It is hilarious. Hayley Powell has invited her mother to join her in Bar Harbor, Maine for the Christmas Holiday. Her mother brings a mischievous cat that terrorizes Hayley's dog. Another unexpected "guest" is Hayley's long-lost father. He left Hayley and her mother when Hayley was a little girl. Her mother will have a melt-down if she knows Dwight is in town after all these years. He promises to leave and doesn't. He shows up at a party and all you know-what breaks loose when her mother sees him. Add to that, her father wins a gingerbread house contest. One of his competitors is an old friend who makes a stink about the outcome. When he is found dead, Dwight becomes the main suspect.

This really made me giggle. Many of the characters have exaggerated personalities and the situations that crop up are funny. I enjoyed this cozy. It was easy-to-read and a nice release from everyday work.

So excited for another Hayley Powell Christmas book! Hayley’s dad, who left when she was eight, shows up unexpectedly, at the same time her mom and her boyfriend are visiting. Fireworks explode from the beginning, as Shelia wants nothing to do with Dwight. As Hayley gets to know Dwight, it appears he has may a long list of enemies, many still in Bar Harbor. When one of those enemies winds up dead at the gingerbread house competition, Dwight is immediately a suspect. Hayley discovers several other surprises as she determinedly works to clear Dwight’s name .

“Death of a Gingerbread Man” is the nicely done seventeenth book in Lee Hollis’ Hayley Powell Mystery series. In this book is not only dealing with her mother and mother’s boyfriend visiting for Christmas but the surprise arrival of her father who abandoned Hayley and her brother Randy when they were children. Dwight swears he wants to make up for lost time but he has quite the checkered past and Hayley isn’t sure she can believe him. When someone is murdered her father quickly becomes the chief suspect and Hayley tries to clear his name. This book is a nice mixture of humor and family drama – the humor helps keep the family drama from overwhelming the book. The mystery is extremely well done – I thought I had the killer figured out but I was only half right – the solution to the murder was extremely well done and had quite a twist! All in all a very enjoyable Christmas mystery.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Hayley Powell was hoping for a quiet holiday since her kids aren't able to make it but her mom isn't making that easy by questioning everything. She has made a list and is checking off items as she finishes them but her father showing up in town was definitely not on the list. Her mother hates the man for leaving them high and dry and never returning. The man is nothing but trouble and when he becomes the suspect in a murder Hayley doesn't know whether to help or let him be dragged off to jail. No matter her feelings she can't let an innocent man go to jail, she knows she must figure out who the killer is. Follow along as she tries to keep her father out of jail and nab a killer. Will she figure things out before someone else ends up dead?

I love Christmas Cozy mysteries. Hayley is one of my favorite sleuths. As we return to Bar Harbor, so does Hayley's dad after too many years. Hayley isn't sure how to handle him but knows to keep he and her mother away from one another. When murder comes, Hayley must discover why her father is there but also is he the killer? It is always a delight to be in Bar Harbor. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

As a Mainer, I love reading books that take place in Maine. I’m not too familiar with the area in this book but I have been there. My aunt and uncle worked at the Lab mentioned and I’ve been to an away game at the high school.
The story moved back and forth a bit as there was a lot of drama going on but i5 definitely kept me interested. I did figure out the mystery, but probably at the same time Hayley did. I had no clue before one very obvious hint was dropped.
I enjoyed the story and the interactions between the characters. I could see a lot of it happening in real life.
I just saw this is the 17th book in the series. I have some catching up to do! It read very well as a standalone. There are also lots of yummy recipes included between chapters.
I received this book as a free ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Death of a Giingerbread Man is another addition to the Hayley Powell Food and cocktail series. This is the perfect Christmas read for family and food with a side of murder. As a huge fan of this series, I couldn't wait for the next book, and Lee Hollis didn't disappoint. A new family member makes his debut appearance, and a lot of the puzzle pieces of Hayley's life fall into place. Dwight Jordan, Hayley's dad, adds a new layer of family drama at such a hectic time of the year. This makes a great way to bring in the many ways to celebrate the holidays with family, forgiveness, friends, and all the festive traditions. But just as everyone is ready to celebrate, a local ends up dead. Of course, the new man to come to town, Dwight, is the first to be blamed. So Hayley must figure out who wanted to kill the gingerbread man so everyone can have a Merry Christmas! Enjoy this amazing Christmas book with Hayley Powell's family and friends.

When Haley's father is suspect number one in a murder, Bagley has to help solve the mystery. This is one of my all time favorite series. Excellent characters. Solid fast paced mystery. You'll be guessing until the end. Thanks #Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

With Hayley’s father home for the holidays it’s stressful enough. But to have him implicated in a murder it’s going to be hard to try and rebuild any form of a relationship. Especially if he’s in prison. Can Hayley solve the murder before the New Year or will the year end with a bang of a judge’s gavel, sending her father to prison and out of her life once again?

Another solid entry in this awesome series! I love the holiday theme and the way the author brought family together in this one. Well done!

Death of a Gingerbread Man is the perfect Christmas cozy mystery for the upcoming holiday season! For once, Hayley is preparing for a stress-free holiday season; she even has closed her restaurant until the start of the new year. When she accompanies Mona on an emergency trip to the cottage to ensure Mona's dad has his medication, the last thing she expects is to come face-to-face with her estranged father. Now, with her mother visiting from Florida and her father insisting he wants to make amends, Hayley's drama-free Christmas is turning out to be anything but. THEN, when tensions can't be higher, one of her father's former enemies is murdered at the gingerbread house competition. Of course, Dwight is the main suspect, and Hayley feels that she must find the real killer before her father is put in jail.

I absolutely love this series, and Death of a Gingerbread Man is a great next installment. Hayley, Mona, and Liddy are such a fun group of characters. I also love reading about their local businesses (Hayley's Kitchen, Drink Like A Fish, Mona's store, etc). I am always craving seafood, especially a lobster roll, after reading one of these books. Death of a Gingerbread Man has a ton of great recipes - all focused on ginger. I can't wait to try the pancake recipe, the meat recipes, and all of the cocktail mixtures. I can't wait for the next book!

Hayley Powell is in for the shock of her life when she goes to accompany one of her best friends, Mona Barnes, on what should be a routine if time-consuming errand. Mona’s dad Bubba has gone to his cabin about three hours’ drive from their home in Bar Harbor, Maine, for an ice-fishing weekend. Unfortunately, he’s neglected to bring his heart medication with him. Mona’s mom Jane has insisted that Mona drive out immediately with the meds, so Mona has recruited Hayley for company on the impromptu road trip.

The last thing either woman expects on arriving at the cabin is to see that Bubba isn’t alone. They’re surprised to discover that Elmer Crawford, the father of their other best friend Jane, is there too. Worse, so is Dwight Jordan, the deadbeat dad whom Hayley hasn’t seen or heard from since he ran out on their family when she was a small child.

Neither of the women is pleased to learn that Dwight has apparently been getting together with Elmer and Bubba every winter for the past few years for a boys’ weekend. Dwight is contrite, saying that he’d wanted to reach out to Hayley and her younger brother Randy but never knew how. Now that he and Hayley have come face to face after decades apart, the “how” has been decided for him, and he wants to return to Bar Harbor to get to know his kids and their families.

While Hayley isn’t completely against letting her father back into her life, she would much rather he waited till the summer. Her mother Sheila moved to Florida a while ago but is coming back for Christmas, and Hayley does not want what’s sure to be a dramatic showdown between her parents to cast a pall over the season. Dwight, however, doesn’t take Hayley’s advice and comes down anyway, upsetting not only the family he left behind but plenty of other Bar Harbor residents… including someone willing to go to great lengths to ensure that Dwight does not survive the holidays. Will Hayley be able to figure out who and stop them before she loses her father for good?

This was an emotionally heavy installment of the long-running Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery series, as Hayley has to deal with the repercussions of Dwight’s bad choices, both in the past and – to her growing discomfort – in the present day. Dealing with a parent who is as irresponsible but charming as Dwight can be is hard for Hayley, even before his life is put in mortal danger not once but several times. Hayley handles a tough situation really well, which will come as no surprise to other series fans.

There were fourteen delicious ginger-themed food and drinks recipes included here. Since my children have recently discovered the joys of chicken wings, I decided to try out this recipe:

QUOTE
Bruce’s Ginger Garlic Chicken Wings

½ cup honey
⅓ cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
¼ cup water
2 pounds fresh chicken wings cut into wings and drumettes
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

With paper towels, dry your chicken wings so they are not wet.

In a bowl, toss your wings with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and put a wire rack on top of the parchment paper. Spread out your wings in a single layer onto the wire rack.

Bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is crispy and done.

Sauce:
Add honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes until a little reduced and thickened.

Remove your sauce from the heat and it will thicken as it cools.

When your chicken is done, remove from the oven and toss in the sauce. When the wings are all coated, put back on the rack and return to the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove and enjoy!
END QUOTE

I realized as I was putting this dish together that I wasn’t sure whether my wire rack was a baking rack or a cooling rack. I chose to err on the side of caution and use a perforated pizza pan instead, which I think did well in a pinch. I probably did wind up overbaking these a little, but the delicious sauce more than hid any defects in my cooking, as my family gobbled these wings right up. I served the wings with pasta and peas in an attempt at making a balanced dinner, but the chicken definitely disappeared first off of everyone’s plates.

Next week, we continue with the holiday season while whipping up a tasty baked good and investigating a pointedly addressed murder. Do join me!

This is one of my favorite series because I enjoy the setting, the characters, the writing, and the food so much. I loved visiting with Hayley and her family, and getting to see a more vulnerable side as she deals with feelings of seeing her dad for the first time in a very long time. The mystery was well=paced and kept me guessing; the solution is definitely something I could not have figured out on my own. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next.

This is the absolute perfect mystery to recommend to anyone who loves Christmas and loves cozy mysteries! Lots of appeal, with great characters and a picturesque coastal Maine setting in a storybook winter. Hayley is super busy getting things ready for the holidays when there is a murder during the gingerbread house making contest. She springs into action to solve the case, but is hampered by the unexpected arrival of her long-estranged father. Great fun!

I love Christmas themed cozies. And when its one of my favorite series, its even better. Its Christmas in Bar Harbor, Maine, and Hayley's mother and boyfriend are in town for the holidays. What she didn't plan on was her estranged father who she hasn't seen since she was a child showing up in Maine. What she expects even less is a murder being committed and the victim being an old rival of her fathers. Hayley wants to believe the best in him and sets out to prove he is no killer.

I love the characters in this series and the growth they have shown throughout the books. Hayley food and wine column is always a favorite of mine. I really enjoyed seeing Hayleys father in this book. It added something different to the story to see Hayley with both her parents.

Death of a Gingerbread Man is book #17 in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series by Lee Hollis.

I can’t believe this is book17 in the series. I love following the characters through the series and see how they grow and change. Hayley always has a lot going on the encounter with the father that abandoned her didn’t help. There wasn’t as much humor in this one but I still really enjoyed it

Thank you to the author, Kensington, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.