Ah, Christmas. A time when family and friends gather and a merry ol' time is had by all. Well, maybe in all the Hallmark movies we watch but that isn't the case for Hayley Powell. Not only is her mother from heck arriving from Florida but there's another surprise visitor, too. Her father, who disappeared out of their lives some forty years ago. And, oh, boy, is Dwight Jordan a piece of work. True, he's apparently a master chef, with the skill to bake a gingerbread replica of one of the most famous fairy tale castles ever, but he also seems to have a record as long as, possibly longer, than his recipe list. Both charmer and conman, his visit is just the beginning of a memorable Christmas for both Hayley and the town of Bar Harbor.

I won't detail the plot, the blurb is an excellent introduction to the book, but will say that it involves not just holiday high jinx but murder, jealous, volatile couples, past sins, family reunions, whether wanted or not, icy escapades, Christmas gift exchanges, pets that don't get along, and a seriously competitive gingerbread contest. Heck, even Hayley's mother manages to get involved in that (for reasons you'll learn) despite that baking isn't her strength, plus shootings, and more. Through it all, Hayley's column for the paper, full of anecdotes and recipes, is a fun extra as she struggles to keep her mother and father as far apart as possible.

That column has always been a way we've gotten a peek into Hayley's past but the appearance of her father definitely brings out old stories from, well, almost everyone. Not all are good. In fact, most are anything but good. Is the FBI really on his trail as one story has it? In any case, it was fun to see another side of Hayley as well as how she reacted to the sudden reappearance of a man she barely knew. Brother Randy barely remembers him, in fact, due to his age when Dwight went missing. Through it all, Lee Hollis' use of humor softens the edges and keeps us grinning. Mona's driving record even gets a mention, so she's in there, too, albeit the focus is on Hayley and her family this go-round. Everyone pulls together, even her mother, albeit grousing all the way. There are enough suspects and twists and turns to keep even the biggest bah-humbug of Christmas stories reading. Thanks #KensingtonPublishing - #KensingtonCozies for allowing me to pop in early to see what's going on in Bar Harbor with Hayley and the rest. It's always an adventure and, oh, boy, some of those recipes sound delicious.

I enjoy all of Lee Hollis series. I would recommend this series and this book. The humor in this book and the stories in her column makes it more of a fun read.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of DEATH OF A GINGERBREAD MAN (Book 17 of the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series) by Lee Hollis in exchange for an honest review. It’s Christmastime in Bar Harbor, Maine. Hayley Powell gets a visit from someone she hasn’t seen in at least three decades, her father Dwight Jordan. When an old acquaintance of her father’s is murdered at a gingerbread decorating contest and her father is found in possession of the murder weapon, Dwight becomes the primary suspect in the murder. If that isn’t troubling enough, it looks like someone is trying to get him run over by a reindeer. Now, Hayley must figure out what’s going on before her recently returned father ends up in either prison or the morgue.

I liked this book and enjoy the series. I recommend the book to fans of the series. I recommend the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring food, drinks, newspaper articles, hometown drama, and loyal friendships.

#DeathofaGingerbreadMan #NetGalley

This was a cute but and a great book to read when your in the Christmas mood. This was a great book I liked the characters and the story line moved very nicely.

recipes, Maine, amateur-sleuth, friendship, friends, factions, family-drama, family-dynamics, verbal-humor, culinary, cozy-mystery, situational-humor, laugh-riot, restauranteur, unpleasant-relative, unpleasant-pet, pet-cat, pet-dog, small-business, small-town, allergy, food-columnist, con-artist, contest, slapstick, rivalry, multigenerational, Christmas-season, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, frenemy, poisons, murder*****

Hayley's family is very kooky and the neighbors are just as challenging. There's the mother from hell (or Florida), the dad who deserted them many years ago, neighbors with bizarre relationships, and then there's the Gingerbread House Contest which ends with one of the contestants dead.
The publisher's blurb is a good hook but this book can easily stand alone because so much family history is aired in the course of the book. Loved it and laughed my sox off one dark rainy afternoon.
I requested and received an EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I always love Hayley Powell! Lee Hollis always does an excellent job incorporating recipes into the book, unlike some other cozies *coughFlukecough*. Hayley and her friends and family are always well-written, funny and just great characters.

DEATH OF A GINGERBREAD MAN is the seventeenth book in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mysteries by Lee Hollis. Nothing is better than being surrounded by family while celebrating the Christmas season… unless your father, who abandoned you forty-odd years ago, shows up at the very same time your mother comes for an extended stay. Protagonist Hayley Powell’s quiet Christmas is filled with angst trying to juggle her parents and then turns into a nightmare when her father becomes a murder suspect. The author does a marvelous job setting the stage for not only family drama along with the sights, sounds, and tastes of the season, but interjects humor to keep the story lighthearted. I also appreciated getting to know Hayley’s backstory through the sudden appearance of her father. She has had quite the life, and while this can easily be read as a standalone, starting with the first book and witnessing her growth, the changes in her life and family, and her investigative prowess is highly satisfying. One of the key strengths in this series is the characters who easily become your close friends and trust me, you don’t want to miss out on any of their shenanigans.

With Hayley’s dad becoming a suspect in the murder of a gingerbread house contestant—and what could be more awkward than him being the father-in-law to the chief of police?!?—Hayley finds she must get involved and clear his name. Except, she knows next to nothing about him and his past is fraught with run-ins with the law. Could he be the killer, or is someone trying to frame him? I enjoy how Hayley’s best friends pitch in to find clues, along with Hayley’s mother and her close friends. It’s a team effort to track the culprit down. There are several twists I didn’t see coming and suspects galore that kept me guessing. The mystery was well-plotted and with everything going on, the book was fast-paced. I didn’t want to set it down until I’d read to the very end. If you enjoy holiday-themed cozy mysteries with memorable characters and a few chuckles, then I highly recommend this newest release!

Not only does Hayley own and run a restaurant, but she is also writes the Island Food & Spirits newspaper column. She always includes an anecdote plus recipes—for both food and drink—with her column and I greatly enjoy the addition of these every few chapters.

“Death of a Gingerbread Man” by Lee Hollis the 17th instalment in the Haley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series which releases on September 24, 2024. When Christmas comes to town in Bar Harbor, Maine, so does a killer with a real taste for revenge . . .

I love this series, the stories always catch my attention and pull me in right away. This instalment was no different I read over a few hours.

I found the mystery was well written and paced with lots of twists and turns. It kept me guessing to the end. I can’t wait till the next instalment comes out and finding out.

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.

It is Christmas time at Bar Harbor in Death of a Gingerbread Man by Lee Hollis. Hayley receives a surprise that is not under the tree. It’s her father who Hayley and Randy haven’t seen since he left them when they were small. While they are at a gingerbread house contest, someone is murdered and Hayley’s dad becomes the number one suspect. Hayley doesn’t believe that her father was the murderer so she sets out to find out who did commit the crime.

Death of a Gingerbread Man is full of humorous episodes such as when Hayley’s mom sees her ex husband for the first time in several years. The book also includes fun stories from Hayley’s column, Island Food & Spirits as well as delicious recipes. Lee Hollis has definitely written another winner!

It's time to bake a gingerbread house, and the town's aflutter to make it happen. But Hayley's also busy keeping her father and mother away from each other, so she doesn't realize how much drama is lurking beneath the surface. Her father abandoned then when she was a child, so she hasn't seen him in over 40 years. Is he still a cad, or worse now, a murderer? Great scenes with Mona and her usual antics. No kids this time, but the grandparents more than make up for it. Lots of fun scenes and a good murder to solve.

Death of a Gingerbread Man by Lee Hollis is a wonderful culinary cozy mystery that is part of one of my truly favorite series: A Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery.

I have loved, and read, every book in this series this far…and it has not lost its spark. This is the 17th book, there have also been 8 novellas, in this series. This is an awesome gingerbread and holiday themed installment, and even though I figured out part of the murder/mystery, the other aspects eluded me. I also really, really liked the bittersweet and positive ending.

As always, Hayley, Bruce, Mona, Liddy, and gang made me feel back at home, and I chuckled at the whip-smart dialogue. I will continue to read and suggest this series.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Publishing | Kensington Cozies 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 9/12/24.

#DeathofaGingerbreadMan #NetGalley is the 17th book in this series, and it was a definite page turner.
Hayley Powell is back for another holiday adventure in this great laugh out loud cozy mystery.
Hayley hasn't seen her biological father since she was a child. Her mother paints a very negative picture of him, so when Hayley comes face to face with him, she has no idea what to expect from the man standing in front of her.
I found the whole story to be exciting and interesting, I enjoyed reading this story and I know I will read it again as the holidays approach.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Even the title is intriguing...a quick mystery...likable characters keep the story moving quickly...murder and mayhem...friends and family...trying to discern the ending is not easily accomplished...this is a page turner, written by a talented author. Thanks Netgalley.

The brother-sister duo that makes up Lee Hollis has outdone themselves with their latest in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series. Book 17 does not disappoint!