The Diva Hosts A Murderer

A Domestic Diva Mystery Book 19

Author:    Krista Davis

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Copy (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496743480

Kensington Cozies

320 Pages

$27.00; $12.99 Amazon

Mat 26, 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

With a big crowd descending on her Northern Virginia home, it's a good thing event planner Sophie Winston is an expert at entertaining.  Whipping up patriotic pastries is as easy as pie for her, though meeting the man her widowed Aunt Melly just impulsively married in Las Vegas is a little more awkward.  Especially when Melly's longtime, now heartbroken secret admirer is there too, which could lead to some fireworks.

But the house party really gets  explosive when Sophie's favorite tour guide falls victim to a killer -- and evidence points to Sophie's own father.  Will DNA really incriminate her dad?  And what's the real story with her new uncle by marriage and the mysterious pal he's brought along with him?  Some of the secrets Sophie's discovering are raising flags -- and while the police department casts suspicion on her father, she has to declare her independence as a detective to find the real culprit, and serve justice along with red, white, and blue cupcakes...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Sophie Winston lives in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia and has made a career for herself by event planning.  She's expecting a big houseful this weekend.  Her parents, sister Hannah, friend Roscoe, Aunt Melly, and Melly's new husband, along with an old family friend are planning to stay at her home through Independence Day.

But all is not well when Sophie's elderly neighbor Dollie seeks out Sophie in a panic, telling her there's a dead man in her home.  When Sophie investigates, there's no one there.  The police refuse to take it seriously, stating the Dollie calls them all the time with false reports.  But not too long after, the tour guide that Sophie hired is discovered dead behind Dollie's home, and the woman states she's never seen the man before.

Now Sophie is intrigued and wonders if the two are related.  But intrigue is topped by anger when the police find her father's DNA on the dead man and her dad Paul becomes the chief suspect.  While he refuses to take it seriously, Sophie knows better.  Especially when a new homicide detective is assigned to the case, and he seems determined to pin the murder on Paul.

But there's more to the story:  Melly's husband is acting suspiciously; Melly is being left gifts by a secret admirer; Dollie is hearing strange noises in her home; a man Sophie just met is also acting strangely; and there's another body...

With all this going on, will Sophie be able to find the truth or will her dad be prosecuted for s crime he didn't commit?...

This is the 19th book in the series, and I have grown to love the characters.  Sophie has changed throughout the series, which I have enjoyed reading; and I've watched her become stronger and more independent.  Her friends are always there to support her, especially her friend Bernie, and her ex-husband Mars is present as well.

The story line is written very well, and I loved the plot.  There is a lot going on, and you have to read between the lines to figure out the clues.  But they are there.  You just have to look for them.  I will say that the murderer was hidden nicely, but the more I read the closer I came to the truth.  And the heart of the story is discovered very nearly toward the end, and something that I absolutely loved.

Yes, once again Sophie finds herself in danger, but of course she is also able to use her quick wits to free herself, and this time was no different.  There are no threads left hanging and no cliffhangers.  A delightful ending with bit of a hint of what will come next time in the series.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Diva-Hosts-Murderer-Domestic-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0FP7LXJ8C/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8200195530

More on Krista Davis's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/krista-davis/

Murder Rings a Bell (Rooftop Garden Mysteries Book 4)

Author:    Thea Cambert

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798682570980

Summer Prescott Books

176 Pages

$7.99; $3.99 Amazon

September 2, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

After the fireworks...

Murder is afoot.

It's summer in picturesque Blue Valley, Tennessee, and that means it's time for the Annual Independence Day Celebration at Blue Lake.  Main Street is hopping with summer visitors, and amateur sleuth, Alice Maguire, is even busier than usual.

Between ringing up sales at The Paper Owl, helping her dear friend Franny plan her wedding, and teaming up with her brother Ben for the yearly, highly competitive pedal boat race, she barely has time to take a breath.  Her only respite comes in the form of cool summer evenings spent with her beau, Detective Luke Evans.

When a body washes up on the shore of Blue Lake, Alice is shocked, as is the entire town, but not as shocked as she will be when she discovers the victim's identity, and learns that the death was no accident.  Luke lands squarely at the top of the suspect list, in a case that will prove to be Alice's toughest yet.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

In small town Blue Lake, Tennessee, everyone is gearing up for the annual Independence Day Celebration.  There is also a medical convention in town, and Alice Maguire, owner of bookstore The Paper Owl, learns to her dismay that one of the physicians is her boyfriend's ex-fiancé.  Luke Evans discloses to Alice that the woman left him when her career became more important than their relationship.  But Alice is twice as surprised when she finds that the woman is the same one who so rudely entered her shop and sized her up.  Now she wonders if Luke is having second thoughts about it all..

But things take a nasty turn when a dead body is found in the lake by herself and her brother Ben, also a police officer.  When the identity is discovered, Alice and her friends Franny and Owen are sure they can figure out who wanted this person dead.  But they not only have to look at both locals and tourists alike, they also have to look at the doctors.  Someone is a killer, and they won't have any qualms if they have to do it again...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have enjoyed them all.  They are easy-to-read, fun mysteries that are well written and keep you guessing right up until the end.  Just when you think you have the right suspect, the author proves you wrong once again, and it's enjoyable to try and figure out who the killer might be.

There is also the story of Alice and her friends, while we watch Franny and Ben (mostly Franny) prepare for her upcoming wedding, and the blooming relationship between Alice and Luke.  You also get a bit of other townspeople in each book, and it makes the town of Blue Valley seem more realistic, which is very nice.

I love that the climax in every book is worth getting to the end for, and we also always have a teaser for the next in the series.  This is one series that I am liking very much and I can't wait to revisit the town in the next book.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Rings-Rooftop-Garden-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B08HFLBPB4/ref

Goodreads:     https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4678044335

More on Thea Cambert's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/thea-cambert/

Framed and Frosted (Cupcake Catering Mystery Series Book 3)

Author:    Kim Davis

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9780999068878

Cinnamon & Sugar Press

328 Pages

$9.99; $2.99 Amazon

June 19, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Framed and Frosted, the third book in the Cupcake Catering Mystery Series, finds cupcake caterer, Emory Martinez, working at a Laguna Beach society Fourth of July soiree, with her sister and their new employee, Sal.  With a host who seems intent on accosting both catering employees and guests alike, things go from bad to worse when he accuses Sal of murdering his long-dead son.

As the crescendo of exploding fireworks overhead becomes the backdrop for cupcakes and champagne, a deadly murder occurs.  Can Sal and Emory explain why the cupcake host ate, after shoving a trayful of buttercream-frosted cupcakes onto Sal, resulted in his death?  Or will the guests and the detective alike believe that Sal is a murderer?  Emory and her octogenarian employer, Tillie, whip into action to find out who framed Sal after he was frosted by the victim.

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Emory Martinez bakes cupcakes for her sister Carrie's catering company.  While catering a strange dinner for a nasty hostess, Carrie's employee Sal is harassed by the host.  Then the man accosts Emory and pulls her down on his lap.  Determined to finish the job for her sister, she doesn't want anything to do with Mr. Jorgenson again.  But later, while the fireworks are exploding, the drunken host accosts Sal and threatens him; throws cupcakes at him, then dies after eating one.  Naturally the police suspect Sal of being the murder, but both sisters refuse to believe it.  

In her second job as accountant to her octogenarian employer Tillie's son David, she discovers some strange goings-on at David's home.  She reports these to Tillie, and it opens another can of worms for Tillie's family.  Meanwhile Tillie is still trying to set up her grandson Brian with Emory, and for Emory's part, she has unfinished business with her boyfriend Randall.  With three things on her mind, she knows solving the murder is first and foremost.  But neither the police nor the killer see it that way, and Emory is being stalked and targeted...and if she doesn't figure out who's behind it, she might just be the next victim who's permanently baked...

I have read all of the books in this series, and I have to say that this is my favorite so far.  I enjoyed it quite a bit, and Emory is an interesting person.  However, I do have issues with how she constantly describes herself -- as having red 'clown' hair, for one; (there are products out there that handle frizz, and using them would tackle this perfectly) and being chubby.  Nothing wrong with that; but she has low self-esteem, and perhaps more than one walk a day with her dog would take care of some of this.  I really hate it when protagonists describe themselves as lesser to their siblings.  I have four and we are all shapes and sizes, but I never compare myself to them and hope they do the same.  People can be beautiful in all shapes and sizes.  Emory needs to stop denigrating herself.

When Emory starts investigating, a man named Will Trenton, an attorney, offers to help her free Sal.  Touched by his kindness, she agrees.  But Will has secrets of his own, and though he is a good man, she can't help but notice his pallor and wonder why.  Still, they come to help each other in different ways, along with Tillie, and they discover clues to the murder.

When the murder is closing in, Emory's clues are leading her to one person.  But more than that, her life is shaping up to be different from what she expected, and all the clues tie more than one mystery together, leaving Emory with decisions to make that will change her life.

All in all, the murderer wasn't so much a surprise as it could be, nor the motive for the killing, but I did like this tale because of twists that brought everything together.  The ending left us something to look forward to in the next book, and I will be reading it soon.  There are also quite a few recipes in the back of the book also.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Framed-Frosted-Cupcake-Catering-Mystery/dp/0999068873/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4530911842

More on Kim Davis's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/Kim-Davis/e/B093NRS3F2/ref=aufs_dp_mata_dsk

Veiled in Death (A Wedding Planner Mystery Book 6)

Author:    Stephanie Blackmoore

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496717559

Kensington Publishing

320 Pages

$6.79; $.99 Amazon

September 29, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Mallory discovers some old lace at a Port Quincy antique shop, she knows it'll make a perfect headpiece.  But she's barely gotten it out of the store before Helene Pierce tears it from her hands.  Helene claims it's a family heirloom that went missing when her late husband died in a hit-and-run twenty-five years ago.

The conflict gets more complicated when the veil is attributed to none other than famed seamstress Betsy Ross.  Mallory may have a genuine museum piece on her hands, but meanwhile Independence Day is right around the corner and she has to host the town's Revolutionary War re-enactment.  then it becomes clear there's a bigger mystery behind all this history when a local woman is murdered with a musket -- and Mallory's investigation could set off some fireworks...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mallory Shepard owns and operates Thistle Park B&B, a mansion that was left to her by its late owner.  She's usually busy, but even more so since she's planning a wedding for the local bridal shop owner and catering the food for a Revolutionary War re-enactment, along with trying to find time to get married herself.  When she's out shopping for antiques for her friend Bev, she spots a length of lace that she thinks would be perfect for a veil, so she and her friend split the cost and leave the store.  Unfortunately, they come across Mallory's ex-mother-in-law-to-be, except for the fact that she broke it off with her son.  However, Helene Pierce isn't a woman who takes things lightly, and sees the veil, insisting it belongs to her and rips it from Mallory's hands.  When the police chief, Truman Davies, shows up, it's shown that the lace is legally Mallory's, and Helene insists this is not over.

But Mallory has bigger problems: her mother wants her married -- and pregnant -- now, and is setting about insisting she do so.  She's telling her that her younger sister can run the B&B while she's having babies, and is pushing her.  Mallory's at her wits' end, which doesn't help when there's a murder.  Now she's looking for a killer -- and a thief -- and trying to figure out how it all ties together...

I have read every book in this series, and especially enjoyed the last two, but this one seems different, almost as if the author was just trying to finish it.  There are inconsistencies -- in earlier books, Rachel was seven years younger, then six, and now she's only four years younger.  Huh?  And how could Rachel be part owner of the B&B when it wasn't left to her and she didn't put any money into it?  Rachel, in my opinion, is selfish, self-serving, and extremely vain.  Mallory's mother isn't much better; if I had a mother like that I'd ship her off to parts unknown to live.  I really don't like either of them at all.  (Besides, who wears jelly sandals?)

The murder didn't occur until the book was halfway over, so you had to read about a lot of 'filler' until you got to it, including her mother and sister hounding her constantly.  (If her mother wanted grandbabies so bad, why wasn't she hounding Rachel, too?).  It was starting to get annoying.  Not to mention, when did Summer become vegan?  

Now that I've got that off my chest, the identity of the murderer was a complete surprise, which I do like, and Ms. Blackmoore has been able to pull off in other books.  It's always nice to be as surprised as the protagonist, and this book was no different.  So there's the big plus in the book.  But I get the feeling that this book may be the last in the series, and I could be wrong, but there were some things which seemed out of place that made me think so.  I would have loved to have seen a different ending altogether, but oh, well.  I would love to see this series continue, as I do like Mallory and many of the other characters and enjoy spending time with them.  At any rate, the book was a nice read, and I am still glad that I read it.

https://www.amazon.com/Veiled-Death-Wedding-Planner-Mystery/dp/1496717554/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3954519460

More on Stephanie Blackmoore's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/stephanie-blackmoore/

Mrs. Morris and the Sorceress (A Salem B&B Mystery Book 4)

Author:  Traci Wilton

Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781496733030

Kensington Publishing

320 Pages

$6.93; $6.58 Amazon

March 30, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Madison Boswell, a beauty recently transplanted from Boston, is starring in the Independence Day play in this New England town full of colonial history -- and, of course, witchcraft.  Madison may not be a Wiccan, but she does seem to have certain hypnotic powers.  And she's left some angry people in her wake, from a fellow actress beaten out for a role to a jealous betrayed wife.  Now, as Charlene films the performance for her housemate, Jack -- a handsome ghost who shares the Victorian bed-and-breakfast with her and her Persian cat -- the drama queen takes a deadly bullet from what was supposed to be a prop gun.

With a long list of suspects and lots of backstage whispers, it looks like the investigation by Charlene and Detective Sam Holden could set off some fireworks...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Charlene Morris owns a Salem, Massachusetts B&B that used to belong to Dr. Jack Strathmore.  Unfortunately, Jack was murdered there and it was up to Charlene to solve his murder.  But now Jack and Charlene have settled in nicely, except for the fact that no one except her cat knows he exists.  But she can't deny her attraction to him, nor should she.

On this day, she's taken a group of her B&B guests to see a local play about the colonial battle in Salem, that occurred without a shot being fired.  At least that's what they all expected.  What they saw was the lead actress being killed by a single shot to her chest.  While horrific, everyone wonders what went wrong.  Charlene, who was filming the play for Jack, now needs to send it to Sam to see if anyone notices the shooter.

Charlene can't help herself and wants to find out who killed the young woman.  What she discovers is that Madison Boswell had more enemies than friends, and no one was saddened by her death except her parents.  Not even her brother, Logan.  So who wanted her dead?  When Charlene starts investigating the death with the help of Jack, who is going over the video for clues, it takes her to Boston to Madison's funeral, where she finds out even more about her.  But when Charlene starts getting too close to the killer, it's apparent to them that she might have to join Jack in his ghostly world...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read every one of them.  I love this series and the characters.  Charlene and Jack have a different type of relationship, of course, since he's a ghost and she isn't, but there are things that transcend the boundaries of life that we may never know about.  (Okay, I'm a sucker for human/ghost stories and I admit it.  Everyone has their quirks and this is one of mine).

Anyway, Charlene wants to know who killed Madison, and so she starts questioning people about the woman's life.  Her friend Amy, who is an actress in the play, offers up not-so-flattering information, among others.  It seems Madison, while beautiful, was not a nice person and didn't care who she stepped on.  It's obvious that this time she stepped on the wrong body and lost hers in the process.  Now Charlene has the task of keeping her guests happy and still finding time to look around, since she doesn't want a negative opinion of Salem or her guests thinking there's a random killer on the loose.

I do like the character of Charlene.  She's intelligent and thoughtful; never overtly attacking people or accusing them of a crime.  Jack is more human than others, truly caring for Charlene and a worthy partner in her investigations.  Sam isn't, unfortunately, quite as attractive to me as he is to Charlene.  I still think he has a bit of coldness about him that just doesn't relax him at all.  But in this book we get to see a bit more of Kass, who was delightful in another book and just the same in this one.  The characters are believable, and come to life while reading, which is always a good thing.

We also get to know a little more about the history of Salem and surrounding areas -- more than the witch trials, which I would say everyone already knows -- and I do love history and historical facts, so that was interesting to read.  Of course, we mustn't forget the B&B, which would be such a lovely place to visit.  Charlene is indeed a lucky woman to have it.

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, it was a bit of a surprise, but that is always welcomed, too.  The clues might have been there, but they were easy to miss (and I will admit, I wasn't looking because I was enjoying the book too much); and the reasons for the murder were as old as time itself.  I was sorry to see the story end, and I, like Jack, hope that at some time in the future he can find his way back to humanity (hey, it's fantasy so anything can happen, right?).  But I also hope that this series goes on for a long time still, and I will continue to read each one.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Morris-Sorceress-Salem-Mystery/dp/1496733037/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3857515890

More on Traci Wilton's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/traci-wilton/

Jealousy Filled Donuts (A Deputy Donut Mystery #3)

Author:  Ginger Bolton

Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781496711915

Kensington Publishing

276 Pages

$10.29; $9.78 Amazon

August 27, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐

It is a truth universally acknowledged -- cops and donuts go together.  Exhibit A: Deputy Donut Café, owned and operated by detective's widow Emily Westhill and her father-in-law, the retired police chief of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin.  Named after Emily's adored and adorable tabby, the donut shop is a favorite among cops, firemen, and EMTs, as well as tourists and townspeople.  So when Fallingbrook needs donuts for their Fourth of July picnic, Emily's shop gets deputized.

But a twisted killer has found another use for Emily's treats.  At the picnic, a firecracker is hidden in a stack of raspberry-filled donuts and aimed at the unwitting queen of the festivities.  When it explodes, she is killed.  Having her jelly donuts involved puts Emily in a sticky situation, and when a shady shutterbug tires to frame her with incriminating photos, she finds herself in quite a jam.  To preserve her freedom and her shop's reputation, Emily needs to solve this case -- before the fuse-lighting felon goes off again...

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Emily Westhill is the young widow of a cop who was killed in the line of duty.  She now runs a donut shop along with her father-in-law, Tom, and is fairly happy with the life she's created for herself in the last five years since his death.  Right now she's creating donuts to sell at the Fourth of July picnic, and also gets to drive her "donut car," -- an old 1950s police car that has a giant donut on top -- in the parade while escorting the king and queen of the Fabulous Fourth Festivities.  But when queen Taylor  arrives late, she refuses to ride in the old car, so Emily finds herself escorting the duke and duchess, who love the car.  Emily can't help but notice that Taylor isn't nice, and neither is the duchess, who is supposed to be her best friend,

When Emily returns to the shop, she notices something else: that her young employee Jocelyn disappears every time an oily-looking photographer comes into the shop, especially when he's taking pictures of his surroundings.  Asking her about it, she admits to nothing, so Emily lets it go.  But later on at the fireworks, Emily sees her own donuts being used to set off a firework - aimed directly at Taylor's back.  She yells at Taylor and her date to run, but neither hear her, and the firework hits her.  So when Emily is later accused of being the one who rigged it, she needs to figure out who really killed the woman and why.  Otherwise, Emily might find herself in the line of fire herself...

This is the third book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it much more than the first two.  Not that there was anything wrong with them; but they did have the 'evil nemesis,' and I do so abhor that situation in any book.  Personally, I feel that there's no need for one at all to make a book interesting, and this book proves that to be true.

Emily is unfairly accused, so naturally she wants to find out who's trying to frame her and the reason why.  Knowing who, is easy, but the why not so much.  She also wants to find out who killed Taylor, and she knows enough not to go around blindly accusing people of murder without gathering all the information she can, which she proceeds to do admirably.

In the meantime, her matchmaking skills have been tested with her friends, and everything seems to be working out, while they are trying to match her with her late husband's partner Brent Fyne, which she is fighting with everything she has, telling herself she doesn't want a relationship again.  She's also trying to figure out where her parents are, and why they haven't arrived at their campsite which they pay for year round at the RV park.  But the big thing concerning her is why Jocelyn leaves the room every time a certain photographer enters, but won't tell her the reason; then when she disappears altogether, Emily starts to get worried.  

So what ensues next is the heart of the book:  the climax brings us to quite an unusual one: finding Jocelyn, the killer, and perhaps even more -- and hoping she can reach her friends in time for help.  If not, she'll need to depend upon her own skills to save her life, which might not be enough...in the end, when the murderer is discovered, I honestly thought the person was deranged to have such a reason, but who knows how the mind of a killer works?  I am also looking forward to reading the next in the series, since I have come to enjoy it so much that I read this in one night.  Recommended.

 https://www.amazon.com/Jealousy-Filled-Donuts-Deputy-Mystery/dp/1496711912/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3483669705

More on Ginger Bolton's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ginger-bolton/

Death of a Cookbook Author (Hayley Powell Mysteries Book #10)

Author:  Lee Hollis

Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; [Audio CD]; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781496713841; [9781977354884]

Kensington Publishing; [Tantor Audio]

320 Pages

$7.99; [$23.29]; $6.89 Amazon

April 24, 2018

⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Hayley's idol, cookbook author and TV personality Penelope Janice, invites her to participate in a Fourth of July celebrity cook-off at her seaside estate in Seal Harbor, Maine, Hayley couldn't be more flattered.  She just hopes she can measure up.  With a who's who of famous chefs whipping up their signature dishes, this holiday weekend has all the ingredients for a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience.

Instead, Hayley gets food poisoning her first night and thinks she overhears two people cooking up a murder plot.  The next morning, a body is found at the bottom of a cliff.  Tragic accident or foul play?  To solve a real cliffhanger, Hayley will need to uncover some simmering secrets -- before a killer boils over again...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Hayley Powell is at a book signing for a famous cookbook author that she loves, Penelope Janice, who also has a summer home nearby.  When Penelope unexpectedly asks Hayley to substitute as a guest cook at a Fourth of July gathering at her home, Hayley's stunned.  It seems someone backed out at the last minute, and Penelope follows Hayley's food column in the newspaper.  The catch is she's expected to stay the entire weekend since Penelope is filming the entire thing for a TV special.  Of course, Hayley agrees.

But the first night there, dinner isn't a pleasant affair.  Penelope is arguing with her husband Conrad, and then Hayley gets a bout of food poisoning, and needs to find a bathroom.  When exiting to go back to her room, she overhears two people have a conversation about murdering someone, and she thinks Conrad and Penelope's secretary Lena are the two people talking.  So early the next morning she calls her brother-in-law Sergio, who's chief of police, to ask his advice.  He arrives to question Penelope, but she blows it off and Conrad, of course, tells Hayley she was having hallucinations.  But then Conrad is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, and Hayley wonders if it was truly an accident.  Especially when she has an 'accident' of her own that she knows was on purpose.  Still, she has no proof.  So with the help of her co-worker Bruce Linney, Hayley sets out to find out who wants someone dead...and if she can keep that person alive before she's the next victim...

After a slow start to the series where all I saw was Hayley and her friends doing nothing but getting drunk, this series has improved to the point where I'm actually enjoying reading it, and I'm glad I stuck with it.  We don't see a lot of her cronies Liddy and Mona, but then the story is written in such a way that there wouldn't have been much point to them being around, anyway.  However, in this one, Bruce makes quite an appearance that is very telling as to where the story line is heading, and it might actually become interesting along the way.  We also have the reappearance of one of Hayley's ex-boyfriends added into the plot.

The death occurs early on, and Hayley knows that someone in the household had to be the killer, but she can't imagine it being Penelope, even if it's become apparent that Penelope's marriage was on the rocks.  However, with the woman insisting no one would kill him, Hayley's on her own.  Then there's an attack on Hayley's life, and she knows she's on the right track.  She also discovers that her idol has cracks in her veneer and may not be the person she's thought and admired for years.  

When there's another attack on someone else, Hayley's determined to figure things out, even if it puts her in the sights of a killer.  By the end of the book, more than one surprise comes forth, and everything comes together nicely, giving us an ending that makes us want to read the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Cookbook-Author-Hayley-Powell-Mystery/dp/1496713842/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3480393421

More on Lee Hollis's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/lee-hollis/