This uses the mystery element that I was hoping for and enjoyed from this type of book. It was a strong eighteenth entry in the Hayley Powell Mystery series. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed getting into this world and characters. Lee Hollis has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this, and hope there is more in this series. It was everything that I was looking for from the genre and from this series.

When property developers are looking at land to buy from long time dwellers things can be messy. Especially when at a turkey shoot someone replaced bird shot with real bullets. Now Hayley has a long list of suspects to choose from. Lots of twists and turns. A reader's delight! Thanks #Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Back in Bar Harbor and it feels like slipping on a warm sweater—if that sweater came with murder, messy neighbors, and a splash of cranberry sauce. 🍂🔪

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Tom Farley manages to ruffle every single feather in town with his turkey farm drama. A feud with Reid Norton sets things off, but it’s soon clear that Tom’s been pecking at people’s nerves for years. And when he ends up dead (after surviving a turkey shoot, no less), it’s open season on suspects.

Cue Hayley Powell, food columnist turned small-town sleuth with a knack for landing in the middle of chaos. I love how she balances Thanksgiving prep with solving a murder like it’s just another to-do list item between pies and mayhem. 😅🥧

It was such a treat to reunite with old favorites, meet a few quirky new faces, and roll my eyes at you-know-who (Tabitha). The mystery was twisty with just the right amount of small-town scandal, and the laughs? Served up with gravy.

This series continues to be one of my cozy comfort go-tos. Can’t wait to see what Hayley gets mixed up in next—hopefully something that doesn’t involve feathers or flying bullets!

Bar Harbor is holding the annual Thanksgiving turkey shoot celebration and Hayley even wins a turkey. Things grind to a halt, however, when local Tom Farley is shot. Not with the specially created non-lethal bullets used in the competition but by a real bullet. Given Tom's cantankerous reputation and behavior, there's a long list of suspects. Fortunately, however, he survives. Well, sorta. Guess who is the dead body late discovered by Hayley and husband when they visit his turkey farm? And, this not long after the hospital staff was discovered having a celebration of sorts after his very alive discharge. Let's just say, he wasn't the best of patients.

I don't want to give away much more of the story but will say that resident squabbles over land and a blocked land deal, family squabbles, and more play a role. Maybe it was just the timing, but I wasn't as taken with this one as I'd expected. Most likely just me. The usual gang is there and there are some downright hilarious scenes to visualize (a pig sty is involved in one), but it just seemed like the pluses and minuses equaled out for me. My biggest eye rolls were over not just the mishandling of evidence, likely making it inadmissible in any court, but the rush by the police to arrest a suspect without verifying the evidence as part of the crime. Seemed very out of character for police chief Sergio.

That said, I did enjoy the humor and banter between the usual cast of characters, so while I wasn't loving the book, I didn't dislike it, either. Mona's on again, off again relationship with Sergeant Earl was fun, And there's a new young couple in town. They should be a fun addition, well, if they aren't murderers. Thanks #KensingtonPublishing for this early peek at Hayley's Thanksgiving. Hopefully I'll be in the right frame of mind for the next one as I really do enjoy the characters and occasionally zany events.

"Death of a Tom Turkey (Haley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery #18)" by Lee Hollis is set around Thanksgiving time. There's lots of little blurbs about past Thanksgiving Days and Thanksgiving related recipes sprinkled throughout the story that I honestly started to skip over. That's just my preference as they tend to distract and pull me out of the story when they're mixed in. They're entertaining enough but really only tie in because of the holiday theme. I know this series has always done this I just point it out for those who like to skip them and go back to them when they're done with the main story so they know they aren't missing key info for the main story.

The local turkey farmer is at odds with his neighbors over a land deal that seems to need all of them willing to sell. This leads to him first be injured then being Fargo'd. Those who know will know. I don't want to give an obvious spoiler. Things get even more heated with the neighbors just to end up with an unusual ending.

I love this series, and reading this book was so much fun. This is a great cozy mystery with lots of secrets, suspects, motives, and great friends. When a cantankerous turkey farmer is found killed, Hayley and crew are not sure the right suspect has confessed to the crime, But, she is more determined than ever to see justice served.
A must read for all cozy mystery fans, you will not be disappointed.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review – Lee Hollis’ Death of a Tom Turkey
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

Death of a Tom Turkey by Lee Hollis is the 18th book in the long-running Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery series, and it still feels fresh, fun, and right at home in its cozy Bar Harbor setting. As a longtime fan of the series, I’ve come to rely on these books for their perfect blend of humor, heart, and murder—and this Thanksgiving-themed installment hits all those notes. Hayley Powell is back in the middle of a classic small-town scandal, and this time, it starts with a turkey shoot and ends with a dead man. In between? Plenty of gossip, secrets, recipes, and more than a few twists.

It all begins with Tom Farley, a turkey farmer so cranky and difficult he seems to go out of his way to make enemies. When Tom gets shot—during a turkey shoot, no less—he claims someone swapped out the beanbag ammo for a live round on purpose. He survives the initial incident, but not for long. Days later, he’s dead in a far more gruesome and suspicious way. And while Tom once declared, “I was born on this land and I’m gonna die on it,” I don’t think even he expected that to come true so literally.

From there, the book launches into a classic whodunnit, but with all the holiday flavor and personal entanglements that make this series so addictive. The town is split over a high-dollar real estate deal that would see their rural properties turned into a resort. Everyone wants the payout—except Tom, who refused to sell. That put a target on his back, both metaphorically and apparently literally. Hayley can’t help but get pulled into the investigation, especially when the suspect list keeps growing and her own friends and neighbors might be involved.

What I’ve always appreciated about this series is Hayley’s relatability. She’s not a professional detective—she’s a food columnist who tends to stumble into trouble. She’s nosy, impulsive, and sometimes careless (yes, she picks up evidence she shouldn’t, and yes, she definitely interferes in ways that would get a real person arrested). But she’s also passionate, loyal, and willing to get her hands dirty to protect her community. I mean, this is a woman who can go from stirring gravy to questioning suspects without missing a beat.

The banter is sharp, especially between Hayley and Bruce, her husband and investigative partner-in-crime-solving. Their chemistry continues to be one of the emotional anchors of the series. That said, Bruce’s ex showing up and throwing a wrench in their routine adds a nice bit of tension and some jealousy-fueled comedy. Mona and Liddy, as always, provide excellent backup and emotional support, and their antics are some of the funniest moments in the book.

Plot-wise, the mystery has plenty of moving pieces. There’s an agoraphobic therapist, an ex-Army sniper, disgruntled neighbors, shady developers, and more than one person with a motive to take Tom out. And while some clues are a little too conveniently discovered or overlooked (especially by the actual police), the final reveal is satisfying and fits the story’s tone. Hayley, with help from some unlikely sources, unravels it all just in time for Thanksgiving dinner.

A standout feature of the Hayley Powell books has always been her columns from the Island Times. In this one, they’re filled with Thanksgiving humor, personal anecdotes, and some surprisingly useful recipes. One quote from a column that really stuck with me was, “Tom may have been a pain in the drumstick, but nobody deserves to be carved up like the main course.” That’s classic Hayley: punchy, punny, and a little bit dark—but always with heart. These columns are part of what give the series its unique flavor. They’re more than filler—they ground the story in Hayley’s voice and bring a kind of warmth that balances out the murder.

The courtroom scenes near the end stretch the bounds of believability, and some readers may roll their eyes at the legal liberties taken. But again, this is a cozy mystery. It’s not trying to be Law & Order. It’s aiming for entertainment and comfort with a murder mystery at its core, and on that front, it delivers. There’s a lot of action, plenty of suspects, a few red herrings, and just enough suspense to keep the pages turning.

If you’re already a fan of the series, this one will feel like a return home—albeit with a murder at the center of the table. If you’re new to Hayley Powell, you could jump in here, but it’s even better if you’ve read a few of the earlier books to appreciate how much these characters have grown. Hayley has evolved from a newly single mom trying to find her voice to a confident, competent amateur sleuth with a full life, a restaurant, and a husband who supports her through all her wild detours.

Death of a Tom Turkey is exactly what I want in a holiday-themed cozy: funny, a little twisty, character-driven, and full of seasonal spirit. It’s not the most intricate mystery of the series, and it plays a bit fast and loose with the legal side of things, but none of that takes away from the fun. This is comfort reading at its finest, with just enough edge to keep it interesting. Hayley Powell proves once again that murder and mashed potatoes are a perfectly acceptable combination in the world of cozy crime.

Death of a Tom Turkey by Lee Hollis is a fun Thanksgiving mystery in the Hayley Powell series. Tom Farley, who is a turkey farmer, is shot and injured during a shooting competition. Tom is not well liked by his neighbors. A developer is paying big money for a huge chunk of land and all of the neighbors except for Tom are willing to sell. He plans to stay on his land until his death. Shortly after recovering from being shot, Tom dies a gruesome and a suspicious death. Once again, Hayley becomes involved in another murder investigation.

Death of a Tom Turkey is a delightful read with a few plot twists. Humorous Thanksgiving stories and delicious cocktails and Thanksgiving leftovers recipes from Hayley’s Island Times news column Island Food & Spirits are included.

I was excited to get back into this series as it's my favorite series from Lee Hollis. While I do find the other series enjoyable, there's just something special that happens when you put this brother/sister writing duo together.

I absolutely love Hayley Powell in this book. The growth that she has shown over the course of the series has been amazing and I love her relationship with Bruce so I've been enjoying all the interesting situations that the authors put them through.

DEATH OF A TOM TURKEY is a holiday-themed novel and I really enjoyed it. The details are prevalent, but still subtle enough that you can read it at any time of the year.

I wished that these two authors would collaborate on more books and series together. With this many books in the series and the loyal following, it's clear that there are many who love this writing style.

Bar Harbor is holding its turkey shoot just in time for the prizes to grace the Thanksgiving tables of local residents and restaurants alike. Unfortunately, one competitor wasn't using the bean bag bullets and had a different target in mind. The local police are soon on the case, as is local restaurateur and food writer Hayley Powell. The victim was unpopular, his turkeys roamed freely, and although the bullet didn't kill him, his return home was short-lived, as was he! Now it's a murder investigation, and Hayley has a big job ahead of her sifting through the many suspects.

I struggled with the second half of this book even though I had enjoyed the beginning and had no idea whodunnit. There were errors I can only hope will be eliminated before publication, especially as one of the suspects was in jail when the victim was killed, which no one seems to remember, including the suspect themselves! Add to that Hayley contaminating evidence, nurses behaving extremely unprofessionally, a court case which was confusing to say the least, and a police chief who takes Hayley and her husband with him to arrest someone and this tale was patchy in the extreme! There are some very good books in this series, unfortunately this isn't one of them.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Publishing, Kensington Cozies, but the opinions expressed are my own. I hate to give negative feedback but overall this was a disappointment, there are, however 18 titles in this series so far, and I'm very hopeful the next book will be an improvement on this one. 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

Turkey shoot instead of raffling off a live turkey? Whatever. Hayley and Bruce are back along with the local townsfolk and a particularly obnoxious turkey farmer who obviously delights in being a thorn in everyone's side. No guesses needed to know who is the first victim. Working out who among the many suspects is another thing, however. Loved it and laughed my sox off one chilly afternoon.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Kensington Publishing | Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Pub Date Sep 30, 2025
#DeathofaTomTurkey by @leehollisbooks #HayleyPowellFoodAndCocktailsMysteriesBk17 #NetGalley @kensingtonbooks #recipeindex #cozycrime #competition #thanksgiving #maine #humor #friends
#culinarymystery #developerrivalry #smalltown

Loved reading this book and series. One of my favorite authors. If you haven't read this series yet I highly recommend doing so.

I was very disappointed with this book. I don't think this was written by Lee Hollis! The characters are the same and the setting is the same, but everything else is different. Hayley's columns are much shorter and are simple little stories ending with recipes that are basically different ways to use leftovers, not funny escapades capped with delicious-sounding recipes for unique dishes to make from scratch. By chapter 12, Hayley has already contaminated two major pieces of evidence in the case by picking them up and handling them and then transporting them herself rather than having the police come and collect them. In Chapter 12, Hayley and Bruce take a piece of said contaminated evidence and Sergio jumps out of his chair and goes and arrests someone, without a warrant and without evidence that will be admissible in court. Lee Hollis doesn't make these kinds of mistakes in his books. Each chapter is also ending with a "but things were about to get much worse" type of cheesy faux cliffhanger.

The court scenes (which comprised the last 1/4 or so of the book) were factually problematic. Instead of trying the defendant, they were trying to prove other people committed the crime and basically trying them in the court proceeding instead of trying the person who was actually being charged. There were other things as well that didn't jive with what I know of the court system but since I'm not legally trained I presume I could be mistaken.

But it was still a Hayley Powell book and I still liked it. Mona had her chance to shine and Liddy was a true friend. I would just suggest that anyone who reads the series out of order doesn't judge the series by this book.

Thank you to Lee Hollis, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

Death of a Tom Turkey (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery #18 by cozy author Lee Hollis) is set at Thanksgiving, but you don't need to wait until turkey time to read it! When a big resort (with Bruce's ex-girlfriend at the helm) comes to town looking to buy up property on which to build, local property owners are at war with each other until one is killed in a horrific manner. Hayley and Bruce, partners in both love and investigations, team up to get to the bottom of the mystery in this newest installment in one of my favorite series. Such a fun page-turner that I read it in 2 days!!! Great for fans of the series, and with quite a few yummy recipes included as well. A+

Death of a Tom Turkey by Lee Hollis is a great culinary cozy mystery that is the 18th book in the amazing Haley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series.

This series ties with the Lucy Stone Mystery series as my two favorite cozy mystery series ever. I have read all 18 books and 9 novellas of this series and it is a true gem. The author’s signature presentation of whit, humor, sass, and mysteries really fit the bill. There is a perfect balance of one-liners and a tiny sprinkle of outlandish and slapstick moments that works perfectly with the murder mysteries.

I love Haley, Bruce, Mona, Liddy, and the gang. I enjoyed this murder mystery as well and didnt figure out the source of the mystery until right before the end. I was slightly surprised by how readily the other characters let Haley investigate as much as she did, however, by this point in the game, they may just have realized that she is a determined gal (who gets results).

Looking forward to the next book!

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/30/25.

A good cozy mystery. Hayley must dig in and find out what happened at the latest turkey shoot when a member is killed. Good read and kept my interest throughout. Would highly recommend.

Hailey Powell, along with her husband Bruce, is attending a local turkey shoot. Everyone who entered has a chance to win, and Hailey is pleased (so is Bruce) with her results. But sometime during the event, a local curmudgeon, Tom Farley, is shot. While the bullet isn't fatal, and he has a lot of enemies, Hailey wonders who wanted him dead.

But it's not as easy as that. Tom is the lone holdout to a company that wants to purchase his land to build and is willing to pay top dollar. Of course, his neighbors are unhappy, but are they unhappy enough to kill him? Hailey questions him in the hospital, but the ornery man doesn't have the answers she wants.

Unfortunately, neither do the neighbors. They don't like her questions, and they want her to go away. So how is she supposed to find out who shot him? Soon enough, it doesn't matter when Tom turns up dead and now there's a murder investigation. In between trying to serve people Thanksgiving dinner at her restaurant, dealing with her friends Liddy and Mona, who have problems of their own, and enjoying her own Thanksgiving meal at her brother's home, Hailey's life is full. But is it so full she can't find out the truth?...

This is the 18th book in the series, and I have read them all. I love how Hailey has evolved. In the first book, I was not enthused by her, and almost called an end to the series right there. But she's changed, she's gotten stronger and better. She's a great character who's actually in a happy marriage (sorry, single sleuths). It's pleasant and refreshing. Especially to know that Bruce loves her as much as she loves him. Even when an old flame comes to town. Oh, did I forget to mention that? Yeah, Hailey has to deal with that, too.

But there is a lot going on. A lot of suspects, a lot of action, and a lot of questions. Especially about the gruesome way in which Tom Farley died (read the book). Yet Hailey perseveres, and eventually, with the help of one unexpected person, she discovers the truth. And while not pleasant, it leaves a very good epilogue that I hope will lead us into the next 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.

Death of a Tom Turkey serves up a satisfying slice of holiday-themed sleuthing, mixing small-town charm with a juicy murder and a delightfully tangled web of suspects. The premise is as clever as it is quirky: cranky turkey farmer Tom Farley claims someone tried to take him out during a shooting competition, only to later wind up actually dead—right on the land he swore he’d die on. Whether it’s foul play or fowl play, amateur sleuth Hayley has her hands full.
The final reveal ties everything together in a satisfying way that hits all the right cozy mystery notes.

Death of a Tom Turkey is a warm, witty holiday mystery that proves Thanksgiving isn’t just about food and family, it’s also the perfect time for murder.

#DeathofaTomTurkey #NetGalley is the latest book in this long running series.
Hayley and her husband Bruce become involved in the investigation of the death of a local turkey farmer.
There are plenty of suspects, including Bruce's ex girlfriend, which adds plenty of stress for Hayley.
The story itself is good, it revolves around
a community who want to sell their land, but the lone turkey farmer is holding it up.
I thought the book was good, but not as good as the others.
I'm looking forward to the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.