Monday, August 22, 2016


DEATH OF A PUMPKIN CARVER by Lee Hollis
LIVE AND LET GROWL by Laurien Berenson

DEATH OF A PUMPKIN CARVER
Book 8 in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktail Mysteries
by Lee Hollis


For Hayley Powell, food and cocktails columnist for the Island Times, Halloween is all about costume parties and holiday treats—until a killer crashes the party...

This Halloween, Hayley can’t imagine a worse trick than her ex-husband Danny returning to Bar Harbor. Her kids may be happy to see their dad, but Hayley’s determined not to be taken in by his charms, and suspects he’s in financial trouble—again.

Still, the haunted holiday is about to get a whole lot scarier after Danny’s moonshine-making uncle is found lying dead next to a tombstone in a cemetery—and Danny quickly becomes the prime suspect. To prove her ex is innocent, Hayley will have to dig deep into her own bag of tricks to unmask the real culprit . . . before anyone else—including her—ends up in the graveyard...

Includes seven delectable recipes from Hayley’s kitchen!

MY REVIEW


Eight must be a magic number for author Lee Hollis, because this is the best Hayley Powell mystery to date! (I bet I’ve said that before, but it’s always true)

I am in my happy place when reading. I’m in my thrilled place when reading a cozy mystery. But I am in my ecstatic place when reading a Hayley Powell Food and Cocktail Mystery! DEATH OF A PUMPKIN CARVER practically had me in a reading coma of bliss! I didn’t come up for food, drinks, or potty breaks once I opened the book. What I did do is laugh a lot, gasp a lot, and have some full on “no way” shout out loud moments!

Along with all the other great characters associated with this series, in DEATH OF A PUMPKIN CARVER we finally get to meet Hayley’s ex-husband. I can see why they’re no longer married, but having Danny around for this book made for an intriguing storyline, and gave the police someone to blame the murder on. Despite their differences, Hayley knows Danny is no killer, and she sets out to prove it.

A fast moving story, things really turned into a reading frenzy near the conclusion of the book with the reveal of the culprit and all that followed. I was sitting dangerously close to the edge of my recliner by the time the book was over. I’m not ashamed to admit, when I finished reading I held the book close to me and just smiled. J

You’re going to devour the wonderful recipes spread throughout this book! And, there’s a sneak peek of the next Hayley Powell mystery, DEATH OF A LOBSTER LOVER.

Pre-order now
Available August 30!

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LIVE AND LET GROWL
Book 19 in the Melanie Travis Canine Mysteries
by Laurien Berenson


When her Aunt Peg lands a gig as judge at a Kentucky dog show, Melanie Travis welcomes the opportunity for a road trip. Too bad a killer has planned a deadly detour . . . 

For a dog lover like Melanie, the opportunity to attend the Kentuckiana Dog Show Cluster is not to be missed. Fortunately, the timing coincides with her spring break from teaching, so she heads for central Kentucky with her sister-in-law Bertie and Aunt Peg, who's accepted a week-long judging assignment. Once there, Aunt Peg reconnects with an old friend, Ellie Gates Wanamaker, a former Standard Poodle exhibitor and a member of a well-heeled Kentucky family. Miss Ellie has been out of the dog show world for more than a decade, but when Melanie invites her to spectate at the Louisville Kennel Club dog show, she's eager to accompany her. 

Miss Ellie's presence at the expo center, however, provokes mixed reactions from exhibitors she hasn't seen in years, including some outright animosity. The following day Melanie learns that Miss Ellie has suffered a fatal accident while exercising her dogs. Aunt Peg, however, suspects foul play. Wishing to avoid any scandal, Miss Ellie's pedigreed family prefers to let sleeping dogs lie, but as Melanie begins to sniff around, she discovers Miss Ellie had many secrets, both in the dog show world and amongst her Kentucky kin . . .

MY REVIEW


This wonderful mystery will have you barking with delight, and leave you begging for more!

Before I knew what cozy mysteries were, when I was reading suspense thrillers, I was trying you encourage my younger sister to read more by buying her the Author Laurien Berenson’s series because they were nice clean stories and they were about dogs. I could kick myself now for letting my sister pass them on after she read them. But I will own the entire series again one day. Yes, they are that good!

Laurien Berenson consistently pens a brilliant mystery that captures and holds the reader’s attention and imaginations. LIVE AND LET GROWL is written proof of why this series has made it to nineteen books!

Immersed in a world of dog shows, horse breeding, and a first rate mystery, I was a happy woman indeed while reading this superb story. With more twists and turns than a show dog going through its routine, I was breathless by the time I reached the prize winning conclusion!

Do yourself a huge favor, pick up a copy of LIVE AND LET GROWL. 

Available Now!


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3 comments:

  1. Thanks, Lisa. Happy Monday, to you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your reviews, Lisa. I am looking forward to reading both books.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great reviews on both I'm looking forward to read them, new Authors for me, Thanks for the blog today
    Penney

    ReplyDelete