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.

Good addition to the series and I love when there are real consequences to actions. This one had a lot of crazy zaniness going on with the dating subplot, but all in good fun.

Around this time last year, I hadn't read any books in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktail Mysteries written by Lee Hollis, but a few short novellas had been combined in a three-book collection with another author I regularly read. They're set in Maine, the collection's theme, which is why I ultimately decided to give them a chance. I recently learned the authors are a brother-sister writing team, and I've finally read the previous 14 books in order so that this week I could jump on the latest release, set to officially be published next week. I thankfully received an early copy from NetGalley, but I couldn't read it until I bought/borrowed, read and reviewed the others! Another great installment in the series with a surprise twist for someone in Hayley's family - one I hadn't expected on any level. This story revolves around Hayley's new restaurant and her ice cream provider. Toss in a a group of young twenty-somethings (possibly teens) working at the shop, an affair or two, and a murder with a crazy poison. Mona and Liddy fight. Bunches of laughs. The mystery was good but the ending slightly came from nowhere (connected but not obvious). 4.5 stars, and I am already sad I have to wait a year for the next one.

Death of an Ice Cream Scooper by Lee Hollis (Haley Powell Mysteries #15) 4 stars

Haley Powell is a food and cocktail columnist and new owner of her own restaurant has a thing for ice cream – especially ice cream made by her friend Lynette Partridge. Her Sea Salt Caramel flavor is a hit in Hayley’s restaurant and a personal obsession for Haley. When Lynette makes a delivery at Haley’s restaurant the freezer truck is holding more than ice cream – there is also the dead body of a summer employee of the ice cream shop. The victim was hiding a few secrets and Haley has to sort through several red herrings, otherwise Lynette could end up behind bars.

This is the first Haley Powell mystery that I have read, but I have last years “Death of an Italian Chef” on my TBR pile. I enjoyed this book and loved all the secondary characters that populate this series. The description of all the food and ice cream is a plus. The secondary plotlines were funny and enjoyable. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC

Hayley runs a local restaurant and writes a food related column in the local paper. She’s a busy lady and is awaiting a visit from her son and his girlfriend with a surprise in tow. In the meantime, she’s found a body in the local ice cream delivery truck. Hayley becomes involved in finding the murderer while dealing with the surprise at home. I enjoyed this installment of this series which I’m relatively new to. I enjoy the characters and the great setting.

Someone killed Miranda! Was it Jamie, the husband of Lydia who owns the ice cream shop where she worked? Or, was it Lydia, who suspected Jamie of having an affair with the young woman? Or someone else? That's the question Hayley sets out to answer in this latest in a long running series. Hayley, a food critic, has good insight into murder as well, having solved many of them in her time. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a classic cozy with good characters and enough red herrings to keep you guessing.

Death of an ice Cream Scooper is the 15th book in this series and was a fun quick read. Hayley is a food columnist and runs a restaurant which is doing well. Her friend Lydia, who runs an ice cream shop. suspects her husband Jamie is having an affair and asks Hayley to find out the truth. Then Hayley and Lydia find the body of one of Lydia's female employees in the back of Lydia's ice cream truck. Chet, the teenage son of Hayley's friend Mona, was seen stalking this girl before she was murdered. Was Jamie having an affair with the murdered girl? Did Chet kill her because she rejected him? Was it the jealous roommate? Lots of suspects and red herrings. Thank you for the advance copy Netgalley. I'm sure readers will enjoy this book.

Even though it been awhile since I read a Lee Hollis mystery this had my attention from beginning to end. Hayley Powell is one of my favorite characters and its always good to catch up with the gang. i loved this book from beginning to end and would highly recommend it to anyone.

DEATH OF AN ICE CREAM SCOOPER is the fifteenth book in the Hayley Powell Mysteries by Lee Hollis. With humorous repartee, memorable characters—both human and animal alike, and a fast-moving plot, it’s no wonder this has been an enduring and endearing series. Just when I thought this series couldn’t get any better, the brother-sister author duo strikes again and has hit this newest release out of the ballpark. Protagonist Hayley Powell is juggling her new restaurant while maintaining her food and cocktails column for the local newspaper. When her son, Dustin, arrives in town for vacation, a major bombshell hits the family and leaves Hayley reeling. And her BFFs, Mona and Liddy, have begun feuding…over a man, of all things. Of course, ice cream is a great comfort food, especially during the summer, and Hayley can’t get enough of Bar Harbor Ice Cream’s gourmet frozen concoctions to ease the upheaval in her life. It also helps that the ice cream shop’s owner, Lynette Partridge, has become a good friend and a respite from everything else going on. That is until Lynette and Hayley find the body of a young woman in the ice cream freezer truck.

When the murder occurs, the book’s pace swings into high gear and it was nearly impossible to put it down. Hayley is a seasoned amateur sleuth and knows how to pry information out of people. However, she sometimes steps on toes and goes over the line of common courtesy… but, she solves cases and even her chief of police brother-in-law accepts her meddling. There were plenty of suspects revolving around unrequited love, social media influencers, and college-aged kids determined to party hard over the summer. Besides the main murder mystery plot, there were several subplots taking place throughout. The author does an admirable job of keeping the momentum going and as the story winds down—with a heartwarming event—all questions are answered.

Another thing I enjoy about the Hayley Powell Mystery series is Hayley’s newspaper food and cocktails column. Here she “chats” about fond memories of her family and friends and ties it in with food. It’s such a wonderful way to get some backstory of Hayley’s life. And, of course, Hayley shares loads of recipes for both food and cocktails that tie in with the theme of the book.

Hayley is obsessed with the new ice cream in Bar Harbor. She serves it at her restaurant and buys it by the cone at the ice cream shop. When one of the college kids working the ice cream stand is murdered, Hayley is off to figure out who killed her. Lots of fun side stories in this book. As always a fun read that makes you long for summer in Bar Harbor and fresh blueberries. Can't wait for the next adventure in Maine!

This is a good start to a new series about my favorite dessert: ice cream! I liked the character interactions - theyhad some good back and forther banter that was light and fun.

Things are going well for Hayley these days. Her restaurant Hayley's Kitchen is doing well and she has teamed up with Lydia Partridge, owner of an upscale ice cream shop, to offer her ice cream on Hayley's menu. Things soon hit a major snag when, while unloading the ice cream truck, they discover Lydia's employee, Miranda, on ice, very dead. Then Lydia tells Hayley that she suspects her husband, a professor, of having an affair. Life has just become lots more complicated for Hayley as she sets out to find answers to a murder and a possibly cheating husband. Oh and her son is back home with news to share. There's a whole lot on Hayley's plate besides her restaurant food. If anybody can juggle it all successfully it's Hayley.
This series is, so far, 15 books long and each one delivers a well developed mystery with a wonderful cast of characters. Hayley is the kind of person I would like to have as a BFF. This is a cozy series that should be on every cozy readers TBR shelf.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 15 in the series, but only the second I've read. It's typical cozy, with a likable cast of characters, lots of red herrings, and enough ice cream recipes to make you want to go by your ice cream making machine for the Summer! Hayley's mystery solving touches very close to home in this installment, where there are plenty of changes at home, but still danger for Hayley to get into! It's a super quick read (aI read in one sitting) making it perfect for vacation reading! Each book features different types of recipes on theme, so grab the ones you might want to make on vacation, and you'll have recipes with you!

Death of an Ice Cream Scooper by Lee Hollis is the 15th book in the Hayley Powell Mystery series set in Maine.
This was my first book in this series, and it did not work very well as a standalone novel.
There were simply too many characters to be introduced at the beginning in pages of exposition and explanations which really fell flat. Do I really need to know who was married to who, how Haley knew them and where they lived etc? Family, neighbours and friends came into each scene at such a fast pace it was hard to keep up. Especially when characters had the same first name.
An editor with a good red pen could easily have cut 3 or 4 chapters out of this book without losing any of the flimsy plotline.
I did find the younger characters to be total cliched stereotypes and Haley’s attitude to alcohol and minor misbehaviour was very preachy, unlikeable, and intolerant. And where was the fun aspects of a cozy that we all love?
Sorry to say that I did not believe that Hayley was running her own restaurant in the small town of Bel Harbor and making it a profitable success – she was never there!
Fans of the series will adore the setting and the characters they have already come to know well and see them grow and develop with their own continuity subplots. For the rest of us, this book is hard going.

'Death of an Ice Cream Scooper' was an acceptable addition to the writing team of Lee Hollis' A Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series. There were a number of suspects in the murder and the requisite family issues, but it didn't quite have the sparkle I am used to with Hayley. I will be trying out some of the Ice Cream recipes, which are an happy bonus. I am attached to the series so I look forward to more.

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

I love catching up with Hayley and her crew. Hayley is doing well at her new restaurant, Hayley's Kitchen. She has made a deal with the woman who runs the ice cream shop to sell her ice cream at Hayley's restaurant. What they don't expect to find when unloading one of the deliveries is one of the shop owners' employees dead body. Hayley has personal ties to the case so she starts investigating.

I really enjoyed this book. I have grow to love the characters throughout the series. It was great to see Hayley's son, Dustin, come home for a visit and the surprises he brings with him. It is great to see Dusitn and his friends all grown up. The mystery was well done and I of course love Hayley's food column that is mixed throughout the book. I can't wait to read the next installment. I received this book from net galley and Kensington publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Death of an Ice Cream Scooper by Lee Hollis is the 15th book in the Hayley Powell Mystery series and they continue to be enjoyable. The characters are growing older and their kids are growing up. This one didn't have the humor of some of the earlier books but the characters, family, friendship and the mystery make it enjoyable and hard to put down. Hayley Powell now owns her own restaurant, Hayley's Kitchen, but she still writes her Food and Cocktails column which ends each chapter. In this book, Hayley's son Dustin comes home for a visit and brings his girlfriend Hayley's friend Lynette, owns the local ice cream shop, and thinks her husband is cheating on her. One of Lynette's employees ends up dead. There is a lot going on to keep the reader's interest. The characters are likable and the mystery kept me guessing. This series is hanging In there. #NetGalley #DeathOfAnIceCreamScooper #KensingtonBooks

Another winner in the Hayley Powell series. You can read this as a stand alone or if you're already immersed in the series you will be pleased. If you have not read the series, this book will make you want to go back and see what you've missed.

Hayley Powell's new restaurant is prospering the town of Bar Harbor, Maine. Hayley is excited because her son Dustin, who lives in California, is coming to visit with his new girlfriend. Hayley is enamored with the new ice cream maker in town, who not only runs a successful brick and mortar store but also contracts with restaurants in the area, including Hayley's. So when a body is discovered in the back of the freezer truck when Hayley gets her ice cream delivery, Hayley once again dons her sleuthing hat to get to the bottom of things.

There are a lot of fun side plots in this book with the staple cast of characters including Mona and Liddy, Hayley's BFFs and her husband Bruce. I always enjoy the friendly dynamic of the trio and it feels like hanging out with old friends. I see this cozy series as a treat and look forward to the next release in the series.

Thank you to Kensington Books for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

It took a little for me to get into this book (I blame my seemingly never-ending reading slump that has been going on for like five months), but I ended up getting into it later on. I had no idea this book was part of a series, so I'm thinking if I had read a couple other books than I might've been a little bit more attached to the characters. I imagine for fans of this series, this would be a great addition to the book! I perused the other reviews after finishing my read, and I believe that it would have definitely helped to have been a fan prior to going into it.

The mystery was fun and accessible, and a nice read for me.

Another great mystery for Haley to solve. I love the banter Haley, Liddy, and Mona have. Everyone deserves to have trusted friends like them. Since I am new to this series, it was cool to learn more about Dustin...when will it be Gemma's turn. Can not wait for the next installment.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advance read
#DeathofanIceCreamScooper #NetGalley