The arrival of Chef Romeo in Bar Harbor is a big deal for Hayley, a food and wine writer, especially after he agrees her carbonara is better than his and offers her a job, which she declines. And then he has a heart attack and, at the same time, Hayley's brother Randy has a gall bladder attack. Cozy readers know that Randy's right when he insists that someone came into their shared hospital room and killed Romeo. But who? And why? Hayley's husband Bruce is out of town as is Randy's so the two of them along with their other friends, investigate. It's fun read which will be perfectly fine as a stand alone (I've only read a few in the series). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. AND, in addition to the mystery, there's wonderful food.

Maine is one of my favorite places on earth and I am very picky about stories set there. This one was delightful and made me long for a summer vacation in Maine eating lobster and soak up the atmosphere.

Love this series! Each book gets better and better. Hayley is such a lovable character. The food and cocktails are a bonus to the excellent mystery! Fast paced and laced with humor. If you haven't read this series, do yourself a favor and READ IT! You'll be overjoyed that you did. Eagerly awaiting Hayley's next adventure. Thanks #netgalley and #Keningston for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

DEATH OF AN ITALIAN CHEF is the fourteenth Hayley Powell Mystery by Lee Hollis. I think this series gets better and better and this newest release does not disappoint. Protagonist Hayley Powell is extremely likeable and quite relatable. She’s older than most typical cozy mystery amateur sleuths, which I like, and Hayley has found her stride. With her best friends (and sidekicks) Mona and Liddy, there are plenty of antics and laugh-out-loud moments whether they be investigating or trying to keep the murdered chef’s restaurant open. The humor interjected along with memorable characters and a well-plotted mystery, is what makes this series so well-loved.

With a fast, non-stop pace, the story had me turning pages faster and faster to see what happens next. There are also plenty of twists and turns to the plot and the reveal includes quite a zinger that had me gasping. With Hayley’s police chief brother-in-law out of the country, she doesn’t have the “safety net” she generally has regarding her investigations. This gives the book an added layer of urgency since Hayley must contend with unsupportive law enforcement. An exciting reveal, and to be honest I didn’t have a clue it was coming, wrapped up the story and left me waiting impatiently for the next book!

With Hayley writing the food and cocktails column for the Island Times, there are plenty of mouthwatering dishes and drinks mentioned throughout the book. I adore the interjection of the columns throughout the story which brings a personal touch to getting to know Hayley, her family, and her friends. She includes entertaining stories from her current day life and/or from her past, plus offers both a food and drink recipe with each column. They all sound delectable and can easily be made by the home cook.

When Hayley's brother, Randy, who's in the hospital with gallbladder complications, witnesses a murder in the bed next to his, no one takes him seriously except his sister. Who would want to kill the up and coming Italian chef/owner at the hottest new restaurant in Bar Harbor - a local contractor, the mob, a jilted lover?!? With both Bruce and Sergio out of town, and Randy temporarily out of commission, Hayley races to discover whodunit before they can silence Randy as well! 5 stars to Lee Hollis' newest Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery, Death of an Italian Chef!

I loved the book. The plot was very well written and I cannot wait for another book. This was from a new to me and great author. I really enjoyed the book. Will definitely recommend this book.

Loved reading this book and series. If you haven't read this book yet I highly recommend doing so. Read in order

I really enjoy this series! The food theme is fantastic, and the author does a great job of fleshing out the characters and the setting. The story was well-paced, and I had so much fun trying to solve the mystery.

Hayley Powell just can't stop getting into trouble. She agrees to a cook off with local Chef Romeo then agrees to run his restaurant while he recovers from a heart attack. He ends up sharing a room with Hayley's brother Randy. Randy is fresh out of surgery when he witnessed Chef being murdered or at least that's what he thinks. Turns out to be true. Why would someone want to kill an innocent man? When Hayley starts to dig for clues she discovers Chef Romeo isn't as innocent as first thought. And even crazier she agrees to keep the restaurant afloat until next of kin are found.. But will this be this be her last event? How will she save herself once she figures out who did kill Romeo and why??

Death of an Italian Chef is a solid, fun, cozy mystery! If you love a food themed mystery (especially with Italian fare, delicious sounding, but easy to prepare authentic recipes., then toss that into a new restaurant setting, one dead chef, a food writer who takes on a chef role, some sweet and not-so-sweet employees, family dynamics, and seasoned with a dash of some definitely crazy characters, then THIS great dish is on the menu!

The story has a good pace, and the colorful characters make for some interesting clues. I had several suspects from the beginning, but don’t count out some final surprises and twists!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

And PS - I’m totally going to make a couple of those amazing recipes! Thank you!

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars!

I enjoyed this book! It had some humour and provided a great murder mystery. This is a book perfect to read in one sitting. Very entertaining.

This is my first book by this author, as well as my first book of this series. That being said I was able to understand the book, it works well as a stand alone too. I would for sure read more mysteries by this author. So fun!

Some of the plot was a bit predictable (why I gave it 4 stars) but overall a very enjoyable book.

The authors write what they know, and that is why this series sometimes seems likes it is ready for TV- it is! LOL. In this latest installment of the Hayley Powell series, you have a feeling from the beginning about what is gonna happen. The question is why, and what will happen to the restaurant. It's an interesting tale of redemption and character, and perfect for light reading on the beach this Summer. I read it in about 3 and a half hours! It's hard to believe this is book 14 in the series! As always Mona and Liddy are there to help their bestie get to the bottom of another mystery in Bar Harbor, especially when it revolves around her little brother, and keeping him safe! It's a fun romp, and I'd recommend the whole series, as it's such light reading- perfect for picking right back where you left off, when you left the beach earlier in the day!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This new book i the series was just great. It was really interesting to see that Hailey's brother Randy more directly involved with the events, although I was annoyed by his flirting while his spouse was away. The main storyline is great, and there are many suspicious, and even creepy, characters that raise red flags for the readers. Hailey digs up quite a lot of dirt, which, ultimately, leads to the truth being exposed. Concerning the ending, it seems like there might be something new in store for Hailey. I look forward for the next book.

Hayley Powell is back at it in Bay Harbor, Maine as the proprietor of a new Italian restaurant in town has a heart attack and is eventually murdered. The problem is that Hayley's brother Randy was in the same hospital room as the deceased and is now in danger. There are many delightful characters, regular and new, in 'Death of an Italian Chef'. The thing I found most enjoyable was with the resolution of the mystery there was a whole new world opened up to Hayley, so future offerings have a fresh direction. I highly recommend this entire series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Another enjoyable addition to this long-running series. Humorous narrative with a so-so mystery and lots of interesting characters (both primary and side). I really appreciate how the author has grown the characters and allowed them to change, especially the developments involving Hayley's work in this particular book.

This is such a great series. Always funny and all the talk of food just makes me hungry. Looking forward to more in the series.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. While the latest book in this long-running series, it is easily read as a standalone. New restaurants are fabulous or horrible experiences. In this case, a new Italian restaurant offers an amazing culinary experience for Hayley, her husband Bruce and Haley’s brother, Randy. Then, the chef puts her on the spot because she writes a food review for the local paper. This results in a Spaghetti Carbonara ‘cook-off' and sets up a new relationship for Hayley with Chef Romeo. When there’s an unanticipated death, Hayley realizes that she needs to investigate while juggling work, home and helping her brother.
This is the first I’ve read in this series and the characters are well-written. The ending was unexpected and that’s always a fun twist.

What can I say? Lee Holiis has done it again! With the fourteenth book in the series, you’d think that the series would run out of steam, but there’s a lot to love with this book. The twists and turns are prevalent and there’s a lot of great banter and characters too. I especially love Hayley, who continues to grow and show different sides of her to love.

The writing does show a slight change with the author, but I think that it stays true to what I love about the series. It’s great if you want something simple and entertaining, which a great mystery and cast of characters. This series continues to be one of my very favorites in the genre and I can’t recommend it enough.

So if you’re on the fence about this series, you really should just take the leap. Trust me when I saw that you won’t regret reading this series.

2 stars
I am usually a huge fan of Lee Hollis! I have read practically every book they have written; however, this one falls flat. I just could not get into or care about the characters.

This is a can't miss recommendation for any reader who enjoys cozy mysteries. The plot is well paced and includes some very believable twists and turns. The characters are relatable, and some of their interactions will definitely have readers laughing out loud. Recipes are included, and they look genuinely tasty!