Death of an Italian Chef (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery #14) by Lee Hollis

 

Death of an Italian Chef

(Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery #14)

by Lee Hollis

Paperback, 336 pages

Published June 29th 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Synopsis:

The charming coastal town of Bar Harbor, Maine, has a fancy new Italian restaurant--and a nasty new murder...

As the food and cocktails columnist for the Island Times, it's Hayley Powell's job to stay on top of the latest eateries in town. Just in time for the summer tourist season, Chef Romeo, a successful restaurateur from New York City, has opened an establishment called--naturally--Romeo's. But between his over-the-top temperament and his no-holds-barred diet, Chef Romeo may not live through the grand opening.

When the chef actually does suffer a mild heart attack, he ends up sharing a hospital room with Hayley's brother Randy, who's there for gall bladder surgery. Chef Romeo has tasted Hayley's cooking and asks her to take over his restaurant while he's laid up. But this temporary gig may turn permanent, after the chef dies from complications. Only thing is, Randy tells a different story. He might have been sedated, but Hayley's bro swears he saw someone come into their room and put Romeo out of his misery. Now it's up to Hayley to find the person who had no reservations about killing the chef...

***

4.5 Stars

This is the fourteenth book in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails series by Lee Hollis.

This series is already on book fourteen and it feels as fresh as it did in the beginning. I was gobsmacked after reading this and realizing it was the fourtteenth book. Wow, what a great writer with a similarly great vision for her series.

Hayley’s job has been one of a food reporter and columnist with a pretty popular foodie column in the Island Times. She goes to review a new restaurant and meets Chef Romeo. He discovers what a great cook Hayley is and on the eve of his grand opening the Chef has a heart attack and lands in the hospital in the same room as Hayley’s brother, Randy, who had a gallbladder attack. In the night, Randy sees someone murder Chef. And while Hayley is trying to takeover for Chef Romeo while he is in the hospital, she does some digging into who could have killed the new Chef in town.

Great mystery. I was hooked from the very beginning. Love the characters and the community in this one. The mysteries in Lee Hollis’ books are always intricate and fun to follow since there are red herrings all over the place. The plotting and pacing were bang on and the idea that this book is taking the series in a new direction really excites me. Looking forward to more from Hollis!

Great series to follow. Must read series for me!

If you love a cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. Great new must read book great series too!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions are completely my own.