Lee Hollis’s book Death of an Ice Cream Scooper is my first foray into the Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery series, and I very much enjoyed it. First off - ICE CREAM! The author had me at the title. Second, Maine is my favorite place on earth, so of course I wanted to read this book. Third, the ice cream flavors in the book sounded to die for (no pun intended).

Even though this is the 15th book in the series, it was not hard to follow along and meet the recurring characters. I like how the author has brought the characters to life so they feel alive. The plot was well-written and engaging, and I was blown away by the ending. Plenty of red-herrings led me down the path to who I thought was the murderer, so bravo to the author for keeping me immersed in the story!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this advanced copy of the book. I am now a fan of Lee Hollis and this series, and I’m happy to leave a review. I’m looking forward to going back to the beginning of the series to read what I’ve missed. AND to trying the recipes in the book!

This was a great read! I really enjoy every moment of this book. I love the writing style of this book!

I loved this new addition to the series by Lee Hollis! The characters have evolved throughout the series, but it was still enjoyable. It made me want ice cream, that's for sure! I can't wait til the next one!

Death of an Ice Cream Scooper is the fifteenth book in Hayley Powel Food and Coctails Mystery series written by Lee Hollis.

This is a long standing series which I have been reading for a long time usually out of order and never had any issues getting into the story. For those who prefer to follow the development of a main heroine's personal life I would suggest starting at the beginning otherwise it is completely ok to start wherever as far as the mystery is concerned.

There are some new but a few of recurring characters as in every of her books, and this is something that really appeals to me, as I don't have the feeling of just reading the book for the mystery but for connecting with the characters again and being the part of the community. It feels like getting together with old friends. It is what separates this series from others in my opinion and makes it more realistic and cozy.

Story flows nicely, it is easy to read. Although the chapters are not too short the story is so engaging that I simply fly through it.
I especially like personal tidbits that go along with the recipes, and eventhough I have tried only few of her recipes they all sound so appetizing that I am quite often left hungry while reading these books.

Mystery is engrosing, well presented and anyone who wishes can follow the clues to solve the puzzle together with our heroine.
Conclusions are thoroughly explained and nicely wrapped up.

I highly recommend this series.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Hailey’s son Dustin is coming home with a big surprise. There are three who get off the flight- Dustin’s, his girlfriend and the baby who is a month away from being born. To say that she is shocked would be an understatement. She does her best to accept and then embrace the revelation and the reality that she is going to be a grandmother- a very young grandmother but grandmother nonetheless.

Between running her highly successful restaurant, entertaining her company and various other personal events, she is also going to be drawn into yet another murder investigation. It is not that she mistrusts the police, Her brother in law is the chief but she fears one of Dustin’s childhood friends is being framed and Dustin might be aiding and abetting. She manages to put the pieces together and she thinks she escapes detection by the killer only to be thrown into a far more personal crisis. But she is not out of the woods yet and the villain wants to eliminate the threat she presents.

As always it is an enjoyable book, just perfect for summer. I love the little articles Hailey writes for the local paper. They are so entertaining and give wonderful insights into the characters. The book does make me very hungry for ice cream. But then who would not be hungry for ice cream anytime, anywhere. Four purrs and two paws up.

Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell is shocked when an ice cream store employee is found dead in her friend's delivery van. Maybe the culprit is a cheating husband, one of a dozen college students, or the deceased girls' co-workers or roommates. Hayley is determined to discover the truth, even if it turns her friend's life upside down.
I admire Hayley's business acumen and determination. I found her nosiness and lack of boundaries or respect for others appalling. She is quite rude to most of her friends and her adult son and his girlfriend.
There are also quite a few references to alcoholic drinking, partying and drunkenness in this book. I didn't read the description close enough and would further books in this series because of a personal sobriety challenge.
The recipes are fun - all for ice cream or related cocktails.
The solution to the murder feels rushed. Maybe that's because there are so many characters and story lines and so little space.
While I did enjoy meeting a variety of characters, this book didn't inspire me to read more in the series.

Release Date: July 26, 2022

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Linda Partridge, owner of bar harbor ice cream is sure that her husband is cheating. He was spotted in a remote part of town with a younger women. When that women turns up dead is Linda’s freezer she calls Hayley to help her figure out if her husband is a cheater and a killer or if someone is setting him up to take the rocky road to jail.

This is the first book I’ve read in this series and I enjoyed it. There are fourteen (yes you read that right 14!) previous books and I am excited to go back and read them but I don’t know that this will be a series I re read over and over again.
#hayleypowellfoodandcocktailsmystery #kensingtonbooks #leehollis #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #cozymysteryseries #Deathofanicecreamscooper

I love mysteries featuring Hayley Powell and I thoroughly enjoyed this one as usual.
I was glad to catch up with the fleshed out characters, had fun, and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Can't wait to read the next one.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Death of an Ice Cream Scooper: A Hayley Powell Mystery
By Lee Hollis
Kensington
July 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

Hayley Powell is looking forward to the visit from her son Dustin, who moved to Los Angeles for college and then to work as an animator. Hayley is warned by her daughter that Dustin is bringing a surprise, and that it’s a big one. Gemma was completely underselling it though, as the 20-year-old arrives not just with his new girlfriend, but with a girlfriend who is obviously into her eighth month of pregnancy. After getting over the shock of realizing that she’s going to be a forty-something grandmother, Hayley quickly adjusts and gets on board with baby clothes shopping and preparation. Catering to some of MacKenzie’s pregnancy hunger pangs takes them to Bar Harbor Ice Cream, where owner Lynette Partridge creates outstanding creations for customers and local restaurants. One of the latter happens to be Hayley’s new restaurant Hayley’s Kitchen, and their connection is one of the reasons Lynette asks her for help. Someone has sent Lynette photos implying that her professor husband may be having an affair with one of his students, and Lynette is too mortified to ask him if it’s true. As The Island Times “Island Food & Spirits” columnist, Hayley has garnered herself a reputation for solving mysteries when not reviewing and writing about food, and she’s unable to turn down Lynette’s desperate request. That investigation is cut short when the women find the body of Miranda Fox in Lynette’s ice cream truck, with the death of Lynette’s staffer possibly being linked either to Professor Jamie or another of the staff.

An even worse candidate for murderer is Chet Barnes, the son of one of Hayley’s best friends. Chet’s obvious crush on Miranda had him banned from hanging around the ice cream shop, and Hayley fears that his obsession may have turned deadly. Chet’s own mother has a bit of a drama going on as well, as the abrasive Mona announces that she has finally found a great new man. Hayley should have been wary when their other BFF Liddy Crawford also meets the love of her life, a doctor who is happy to let the self-centered, rather materialist Liddy go on about her herself and her wants. True love is hard to find, and as things tend to do around Hayley and her friends when things go wrong they go very, very, wrong. But always in hilarious, chaotic, and outrageous ways.

There is so much fun catching up with Hayley, her hubby Bruce, and of course Liddy and Mona that readers won’t even notice that a third of the novel has flown by before the murder occurs. It is truly rewarding to hear from Gemma and meet up again with Dustin, who were first introduced to readers as eye-rolling teenagers continually humiliated by their mother. While they have matured, Hayley has not, leading to her often being caught in the most awkward of situations. The Island Food & Spirits columns interspersed throughout the novel continue to be a delight, as the recollections provide deeper meanings to the current story without depriving fans of her comical memories of family and food. The recipes are as boozy as they are tasty, and here include those for both ice cream maker and hand mixed frosty treats. Liddy’s unabashed greed in brokering a real estate deal for TV news hosts brings Hayley into the circle of their Influencer daughters, who draw in millions of followers and loads of paying sponsors despite barely being of adult age. These always entertaining mysteries by the sibling writing team Lee Hollis never fail to elicit laughs as they satirize the latest social trends in pop culture. As the countdown begins on the wedding for Hayley’s daughter, readers should look forward to yet another delightful entry in the chaos of Hayley’s food and family-filled life.

Death of an Ice Cream Scooper, a tragic occurrence if ever there was one! Who would want to kill someone who provides them with cold ambrosia? Of course, that is the question, isn’t it, because someone definitely wanted this ice cream scooper dead. It's up to Hayley to find out who and why and put the culprit on ice. The newest book in the “Hayley Powell Mystery” series sees Hayley sorting suspects instead of recipes, and mixing cocktails takes second place to a murder investigation that leads her down the path of extramarital affairs, business rivalries, and college life drama.

A young college student working for a popular ice cream shop is found murdered inside the shop's delivery truck freezer. However, once Hayley starts looking into who the girl may have upset, she finds that there is more to the story than anyone knew. Add in that the girl works for Lydia, who believes her husband is having an affair with a young woman, and Hayley’s employees may know more than they are admitting to, and you have a mystery shrouded in intrigue and suspense. Chasing red herrings from start to finish, finding motives and evidence, and tracking down a killer will keep Hayley and readers busy.

I enjoyed following the clues. It took me a bit to figure out who the killer was, and I didn’t do it at the beginning of the book. The motive could have been stronger, but it works. The characters are, as always, one of the best parts of this series, and you can’t beat the location. I love ice cream, even if I can’t eat it very often, so the premise was interesting. With the horrible heat we are having this summer, reading this story gave me a sensation of feeling cooler. I did not think that the affair aspect played very well, at least not in the beginning, but once all the tie-ins were exposed, I realized how important it was for Hayley to find out the truth.

Readers will enjoy Death of an Ice Cream Scooper. It isn’t so hard to figure out that it will leave you frustrated, nor is it repetitious. The ice cream shop, the affair, the college students, and the murder all have a part to play. I didn’t feel that this story was as strong as it could have been or compared to others in the series, but it was still enjoyable, and I am happy to recommend it along with all of the books in this series.

Hayler Powell writes a food and cocktails column for her local, Bar Harbor, Maine newspaper and owns a popular restaurant. She is also known for helping solve a few murders in the area. When she least expects it Hayley finds herself embroiled in another mystery.
While one mystery unfolds Hayley learns she’s going to have a new family member, sooner than she ever imagined.
This is book 15 in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series. This is the first book in the series I have read and it was able to stand alone. There are multiple subplots taking place throughout the story. The characters are interesting and realistic. I do recommend the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This fifteenth book in the series was pleasant to read. The mystery was interesting and perfect as a vacation read. Hailey is now well settled in her new career as a restaurant owner, although I miss the newspaper setting a little, since it had been present for so long in the series. The Island Food and Spirits "articles" are still part of the book and it really keeps the original structure intact, which is great. I think it was great that the story was well set into place and that the murder did not happen too quickly. It makes it much more fun in order to guess who the culprit is. The side stories involving Hailey's family and friends are a great addition to the main part of the book, as it helps develop the series as a whole and some elements might show up in future entries. Wonderful book for summer (with ice cream recipes!).

This is the 15th book in the Hayley Powell mystery series. I love this series and this story met every expectation!

In this book, Hayley meets her son Dustin's very pregnant girlfriend for the first time. On top of learning that she will be a grandmother, Hayley finds another dead body. This time, a young ice cream scooper from the local gourmet ice cream shop is found dead during an ice cream delivery to her restaurant.

I love these stories about Hayley, who is happily married, has two ride or die besties, and is a restaurant owner. It is refreshing to read about someone my own age that I can really imagine myself being friends with.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery. My thanks to #Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Death of an Ice Cream Scooper follows on from Death of an Italian Chef. It is a fun, cozy mystery and the fifteenth instalment in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery Series written by Lee Hollis. I have read three instalments in the series (book 12 - Death of a Blueberry Tart and books 14 and 15). I'm not sure how I missed book thirteen, but there you go.

If you love a food-themed mystery with plenty of delicious sounding ice creams (I'm with Hayley - my fave is Sea Salt Caramel); add to the mix a new restaurant setting - Hayley's Kitchen; an ice cream provider - Bar Harbor Ice Cream; one dead person; a meddling food and drinks columnist, some sweet and slightly more tart employees; family dynamics; all seasoned with a generous splash of colourful, well fleshed out characters, then this novel is a brilliant choice for you. The pacing is good, the mystery is absorbing and there are some clues. I had several suspects in mind throughout but was still caught by the surprises.

There are lots of comedic moments and although I arrived extremely late to the party with this particular series, I thoroughly enjoyed Death of an Ice Cream Scooper. For me, the book worked extremely well as an individual read as the mystery within was self-contained, though I appreciate that I have probably missed out on some of the backstories and nuances, coming in so late. Even so, I certainly have not been deterred from reading the other instalments, and I look forward to finding out what Lee Hollis has in store for Hayley, next!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Hayley's friend Linda, who is also her ice cream purveyor, believes her professor husband is cheating. Hayley thinks Linda should just talk to her husband but agrees to do a bit of detecting. A few days later when Linda comes to drop off some ice cream for Hayley they both get a shock when the truck freezer is opened. They find the dead body of a young woman, she happens to be one of Linda's summer employees at her shop. Things go from bad to worse when photos of the young woman and Linda's husband come to light. Hayley doesn't believe he's a cheater much less a murderer so she starts in on her own investigation. Meanwhile Hayley has to deal with her own problems when it comes to her family and a surprise that she definitely wasn't expecting. Can she really figure out who the killer is when time isn't on her side, dive in and see for yourself!

I have read quite a few cozy mystery series but it’s been awhile. This one was such a fun dip back into them.

Hayley is a food cocktails columnist, in Maine. Her friend and owner of the local ice cream shop confides in her that she fears her husband might be having an affair with one of his students.

When the student turns up dead in the ice cream truck, Hayley wants to find out the truth for her friend. However when her other friend’s son is accused of stalking the student she is torn.

While investigating there are twists and turns. Friends and family are wrapped up in suspects. This was such a fun read and loved the mystery.

Death of an Ice Cream Scooper is book #15 in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series by Lee Hollis.

Hayley Powell’s friend Lynette thinks her husband may behaving an affair and Hayley agrees to look into it. And then they find a body in the ice cream truck. Romantic issues for 2 more friends, and a surprise when her son arrive# for a visit keeps Hayley busy.

This is my first book in this series and I enjoyed it. The characters were interesting and the mystery kept me guessing. I look forward to reading the earlier books to catch up on the series. There are some really good recipes sprinkled throughout the book too.

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.

Love the cover! Such a fun and vibrant story - enjoyed the mystery greatly. Interested in reading more from the series.

Apologies to all the devoted readers of this series. I found out after I read this book that I was jumping in at #15. Never a good idea because the long term readers already know and love the characters and understand so much more about them.

I enjoyed the mystery of who killed the poor girl in the back of the ice cream truck. I was surprised Hayley has any friends left after the way she investigates but I suppose you have to be pushy to find out anything worthwhile. I thought the ending was clever and a little unexpected.

A pleasant read but I need to go back and read the earlier books. And I need to more careful and check the series out when I am requesting books.

Book 15 and Hayley's going strong! I love the characters and town as much as when I first picked up the debut book. And just as I was wondering if we were getting any of his famous Sergio-isms, he didn't disappoint!

There was a lot going on this time. Dustin's as grown of a man as he could possibly be now while Gemma was roasting away in a New York summer as she was telling her mom. Three of Hayley's friends had new boyfriends, Liddy was getting an expensive mansion as a listing and all through this, Hayley was trying to figure out who killed the ice cream scooper.

I loved the mention of the ice cream shop owner's little dachshund, Sprinkles! He sounded adorable and good old Leroy, Hayley's beloved Shih-Tzu was still plugging along and finding his second wind when Sprinkles was around. Which to the dachshund lover (me) wasn't quite enough, but I'll take whatever I can get of a dachsie in the story! I'm always grateful when one shows up!

In true Hayley fashion, she found herself in quite a predicament but managed to slip out of it only to confront a killer not long after. But all went well, ending in the familiar family get-together that I always love about this series. I'm sure it won't take Hayley long to transition into her new role! I'm being purposely vague and leaving out anything I personally would've thought was a spoiler before reading this book. You can get the whole scoop (ice cream pun intended) on July 26 when it releases!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies, and my opinions are my own.