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Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery #5
Death of a Christmas Caterer
Who better than food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell to book a caterer for the Island Times holiday party? But Hayley's quest for a cook turns into the pursuit of a killer who caters to no one. . .
Office Christmas parties can sometimes mean career suicide--but they rarely lead to murder. Hayley thought Garth Rawlings would be the perfect caterer for this year's bash, but when the gourmet sees her budget, he goes galloping.
Unfortunately his run is short-lived. Garth is found dead on the floor of his kitchen, with his delectable creations burning in the oven. Faced with a spread of suspects, Hayley is determined to discover who would want to take out the Christmas caterer, because--no matter what the season--justice must be served. . .
Includes seven delectable recipes from Hayley's kitchen!
Praise for Death of a Coupon Clipper
"Hayley is a likable heroine that readers will cheer for as she manages to save the day and pay her bills." --Parkersburg News and Sentinel
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
130 people are currently reading
916 people want to read
About the author
Lee Hollis
51 books826 followersLee Hollis is the pen name for Rick Copp and his sister Holly Simason.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
April 4, 2025
Death of a Christmas Caterer is the 5th book in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mysteries written by Lee Hollis. Protagonist Hayley hires a chef to cater the office holiday party because she's too busy; however, he is difficult to work with and turns up dead in a locked room. How'd that happen? As Hayley explores her love life (Lex vs. Aaron) and searches for holiday presents, she also gets closer to a killer. This time, her brother-in-law sheriff lets her help him solve the case. I found the plot too simple on this one (not enough suspects or reasons from the ones who were) but the side stories made me laugh (Mona is the bomb!). The recipes all sound delicious. I must give the a chance. On to the next one.
December 6, 2019
It's the time of year when I like to get in some seasonal reads and the more snow & Christmas cheer, the better, so I picked this one up. This is a big deal as I've not read the four books preceding and I usually hold myself to being orderly with series. I enjoyed this and didn't find jumping in this far in to be a hindrance in understanding the setting and characters at all.
The conundrum of how Garth the caterer is beaten to death in his workplace is a classic locked-room mystery. I love those and watching Hayley insert herself into the investigation was as well done as such a thing can be in a cozy. I liked her for the most part (her love life was unnecessarily & tediously, messy). The clues blew around and suspects and red herrings came in flurries with no clear answer to how Garth died in the manner he did when there was no evidence anyone had come in or gone out of his place. The answer lie in a botched coroner's report and as soon as that was revealed, I knew the answer. I'm giving credit to my penchant for ID Channel and having seen a case where this exact thing happened to a man relaxing in his hotel room. The remainder of the story comes to a quick and satisfying close. I was dismayed to read that a botched coroner's report is the problem in prior books. There should be a better way to conceal the mystery than hinging the entire investigation on the coroner's mistakes. Also, how many mistakes can a coroner have and retain their position? Luckily for this hamlet where murders abound, the coroner retires at the end of this one, no longer to be the foil. I kind of just want to go on to the next one to see how the mystery is played with a competent coroner. I also have to say I was less than thrilled with the resolution of Hayley's rude, drunk co-worker who dabbles in sexual harassment at the office holiday festivities. I haven't read the prior books to know if there's an established reason for her excusing him for it but it didn't seem like this was the first occurrence for him so... it didn't play well for me.
All the Christmas trimmings came with this and that was fun. Carols, a Nativity play with a very funny replacement Joseph, a tree lighting with a run-away sleigh with elf atop and family togetherness. There were also recipes, which I didn't expect going into this! There was one food mentioned (holiday spice cake) that was described so yummily but had no recipe and it's just my luck to always have that happenstance when I read food inclined cozies. There's always one (looking at you Soup Lover's Mystery series!)!
Just what I wanted in a seasonal read so definitely recommended.
The conundrum of how Garth the caterer is beaten to death in his workplace is a classic locked-room mystery. I love those and watching Hayley insert herself into the investigation was as well done as such a thing can be in a cozy. I liked her for the most part (her love life was unnecessarily & tediously, messy). The clues blew around and suspects and red herrings came in flurries with no clear answer to how Garth died in the manner he did when there was no evidence anyone had come in or gone out of his place. The answer lie in a botched coroner's report and as soon as that was revealed, I knew the answer. I'm giving credit to my penchant for ID Channel and having seen a case where this exact thing happened to a man relaxing in his hotel room. The remainder of the story comes to a quick and satisfying close. I was dismayed to read that a botched coroner's report is the problem in prior books. There should be a better way to conceal the mystery than hinging the entire investigation on the coroner's mistakes. Also, how many mistakes can a coroner have and retain their position? Luckily for this hamlet where murders abound, the coroner retires at the end of this one, no longer to be the foil. I kind of just want to go on to the next one to see how the mystery is played with a competent coroner. I also have to say I was less than thrilled with the resolution of Hayley's rude, drunk co-worker who dabbles in sexual harassment at the office holiday festivities. I haven't read the prior books to know if there's an established reason for her excusing him for it but it didn't seem like this was the first occurrence for him so... it didn't play well for me.
All the Christmas trimmings came with this and that was fun. Carols, a Nativity play with a very funny replacement Joseph, a tree lighting with a run-away sleigh with elf atop and family togetherness. There were also recipes, which I didn't expect going into this! There was one food mentioned (holiday spice cake) that was described so yummily but had no recipe and it's just my luck to always have that happenstance when I read food inclined cozies. There's always one (looking at you Soup Lover's Mystery series!)!
Just what I wanted in a seasonal read so definitely recommended.
October 6, 2019
Death of a Christmas Caterer by Lee Hollis is the 5th book in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series. Food and Cocktails columnist, hayley Powell, finds the body of caterer Garth Rawlings, murdered in a locked warehouse. Another terrific book in the series. An interesting mystery and I enjoy Hayley's columns and recipes. My main complaint is some of the silly choices that Hayley makes, such as taking food to her exboyfriend rather than going out with her current one. Hopefully she will start to stand up for herself a little more rather than being such a doormat.
April 15, 2021
I've been so ready to read another hilarious Hayley adventure, and this one was up next in my quest to get caught up in this series. (I currently do read and review the newest books in the series that come out as ARCs). Christmastime + Hayley and friends' = hystericalness and laughing out loud at random times while reading.
Sometimes the Island Times column in between some of the chapters just haven't interested me, or I've barely skimmed them, but these Christmas-themed ones are a hoot and every bit worth reading for some great backstories, ie. Hayley going into labor with Gemma during an ice storm.
Mona is probably my favorite friend character! That woman, well you just never know what she'll do next. She came in very handy when the church had its Christmas play and another instance as well. There was a good twist regarding the murder and what a showdown! I liked that after the showdown there was more telling about Christmas with the family, and the coroner who's Hayley's ex-nemesis from school wanted to turn over her life and make friends. It's things like that that I love about this series along with all the explanations given. Now I'm one book closer to caught up!
Sometimes the Island Times column in between some of the chapters just haven't interested me, or I've barely skimmed them, but these Christmas-themed ones are a hoot and every bit worth reading for some great backstories, ie. Hayley going into labor with Gemma during an ice storm.
Mona is probably my favorite friend character! That woman, well you just never know what she'll do next. She came in very handy when the church had its Christmas play and another instance as well. There was a good twist regarding the murder and what a showdown! I liked that after the showdown there was more telling about Christmas with the family, and the coroner who's Hayley's ex-nemesis from school wanted to turn over her life and make friends. It's things like that that I love about this series along with all the explanations given. Now I'm one book closer to caught up!
September 15, 2020
Hilarity and reality all wrapped up together! No better way to describe this series. Hayley is tongue-in-cheek funny as a working mom with two kids who writes for the local newspaper, but also so very real in regards to her relationship with her kids. The cast and setting are great and this was one dozy of a murder mystery. Suspects rotated around and kept us guessing. The locked door puzzle was well done all the way to a surprising ending. Haley's weekly newspaper column provides humorous background stories along with great drink and food recipes. Start from the first book and hope they come out fast!
December 6, 2014
I like this series about a woman who writes a food review column for a newspaper in Bar Harbor, Maine. I like all the characters in the novels, and the murders are interesting. The books include recipes for cocktails and food. I really like these books.
September 12, 2017
This series is easy to read and enjoyable. Single mom Haley Powell continues to get involved solving murders while antagonizing the crime journalist who works on the same paper she does. Her two closest friends are easy to identify with and will keep a smile on your face.
August 25, 2022
Besides the attempted sexual assault and the main character just brushing it under the rug, it was a good book!
July 10, 2019
I love this series and I was more than happy to read this story once again.
Hayley is one of my favorite characters and I'm never disappointed by the talented authors of this series.
Hayley is one of my favorite characters and I'm never disappointed by the talented authors of this series.
June 30, 2015
Before I start my review, I have to say I have been remiss in writing a review for this book. I should have done it last year (2014) when I read it, and indeed thought I had, only to find I hadn’t when I went to refer to my review for this title while writing one for the newest book in the series, DEATH OF A CUPCAKE QUEEN. It’s very important to post reviews ASAP, especially if you read the book when it first comes out. It helps the authors by letting the publisher see how well a book is liked, and it lets other readers see if they would also like to read it. Those numbers on the first week after release really help decide rather or not a series will continue. And I for one want all of my favorite series to continue, don’t you? Thanks. And now my review.
I loved DEATH IF A CHRISTMAS CATERER as much as every book in this series, and I’ll tell you . . . that is a lot! This is one of my favorite series and I always look forward to a new one. With this fifth book in the series, author Lee Hollis has penned another wonderfully thrilling well plotted, funny mystery. Honestly, it was one of the best so far.
Hayley Powell is one of the most imperfect protagonists in a cozy mystery I have ever read, and I have to say, I love that about her! She makes mistakes, gets caught way too much when she’s being nosey, and pretty much feels her way through every mystery she tries to solve. It’s great! She is the everyday woman that we can relate to. But I will give her credit, she always manages to save the day. Hayley, her friends Libby and Mona, her brother Andy and his partner Sergio, and Hayley’s kids are among my favorite cast of characters.
I think you can start this series with any book and not be lost. But I would suggest reading them all because you will be treating yourself to one of the best cozy mystery series you’ve ever read. Trust me, you’ll find yourself laughing out loud.
There are also delicious recipes throughout the book, and a recipe index in the back to help you find each one easily. And check out the back of the book for an excerpt of DEATH OF A CUPCAKE QUEEN!
I loved DEATH IF A CHRISTMAS CATERER as much as every book in this series, and I’ll tell you . . . that is a lot! This is one of my favorite series and I always look forward to a new one. With this fifth book in the series, author Lee Hollis has penned another wonderfully thrilling well plotted, funny mystery. Honestly, it was one of the best so far.
Hayley Powell is one of the most imperfect protagonists in a cozy mystery I have ever read, and I have to say, I love that about her! She makes mistakes, gets caught way too much when she’s being nosey, and pretty much feels her way through every mystery she tries to solve. It’s great! She is the everyday woman that we can relate to. But I will give her credit, she always manages to save the day. Hayley, her friends Libby and Mona, her brother Andy and his partner Sergio, and Hayley’s kids are among my favorite cast of characters.
I think you can start this series with any book and not be lost. But I would suggest reading them all because you will be treating yourself to one of the best cozy mystery series you’ve ever read. Trust me, you’ll find yourself laughing out loud.
There are also delicious recipes throughout the book, and a recipe index in the back to help you find each one easily. And check out the back of the book for an excerpt of DEATH OF A CUPCAKE QUEEN!
December 14, 2014
Parts of the ending were annoying but this book had everything I love all in one Christmas cozy and was therefore a very festive read. Christmas shopping, a Christmas pageant, an office holiday party, festive recipes and more. A fun holiday read!
September 5, 2016
Excellent, this series continues getting better.
November 4, 2024
I enjoy this series but for some reason keep putting off reading it. Maybe it's because just reading about Hayley's frantic life wears me out? It doesn't seem likely to me that a single mom trying to juggle two teenagers, a full-time job, a romance and time with family and friends would have time to conduct a murder investigation too, but Hayley always does.
The murder victim was not a pleasant person, but nearly everyone liked him anyhow (or maybe they just liked his food?), so there were only a few potential suspects at first. As the investigation continued, though, more possibilities came to light, and I kept changing my mind about who the killer might be. I like that Hayley shared what she learned with police chief Sergio (and his... malaprops? make me chuckle), rather than keeping it all to herself. I wasn't surprised when the culprit was revealed, but I never would have guessed the motive.
I look forward to returning to Maine for the next book from this series.
The murder victim was not a pleasant person, but nearly everyone liked him anyhow (or maybe they just liked his food?), so there were only a few potential suspects at first. As the investigation continued, though, more possibilities came to light, and I kept changing my mind about who the killer might be. I like that Hayley shared what she learned with police chief Sergio (and his... malaprops? make me chuckle), rather than keeping it all to herself. I wasn't surprised when the culprit was revealed, but I never would have guessed the motive.
I look forward to returning to Maine for the next book from this series.
May 28, 2018
I'm currently making my way through the entire Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery Series, and this 5th book is just a fun and cozy as the previous 4! Nicely done, Lee Hollis! On to book 6 for this gal! A+
April 26, 2019
This was a funny and cozy murder mystery with colorful characters and amusing scenes! This team of co--authors does a great job of making a serious murder seems so silly, however since I have read numerous types of their books, they are always a redundant and repetitive amount of scenes, in which our main character always seems to constantly get into death define situations and barely escaping....(highly recommend)
December 28, 2018
That was so lame. The review on the back of the book says Hayley is "likable." No, she's really not, especially not with all the boyfriend drama. Then there's the sexual harassment that's handled a bit oddly. The conclusion was a disappointment. And spare me the stupid little newspaper columns between the chapters.
March 13, 2018
Hayley Powell, food and drink writer for the Island Times in Bar Harbor, Maine, has just barely begun a new relationship with the handsome vet when she hears that her old boyfriend, Lex Banfield has had an accident and is in the hospital. So Hayley, feeling sorry for him, brings him food so he won't have to eat hospital fare. She's still complaining about her lack of money but never even thinks of bailing to go to the other newspaper which might actually give her a living wage (didn't they have an opening after book #1?). It's hard to feel sorry for someone who's already wallowing in their penury but won't do anything about it.
She also has been given the dubious duty of planning the office Christmas party with one days' notice. When she gets a caterer - Garth Rawlings - he hangs up on her once he finds out what the budget is going to be, and Hayley winds up making all the food herself. But when Garth learns people are raving about her menu, he hires her to help him for a couple of days and promises her $1500 to do so. How can she turn it down? But when she arrives at Garth's kitchen, there's a problem - a fire, and Garth is found dead on the floor. County coroner Sabrina Merriwether rules it death by beating - but how did it happen when Garth was found in a locked room with no windows?
No, Hayley knows there's more to the story, and she's determined to find the truth. What she does discover is that Garth had plenty of enemies, his marriage wasn't everything it was cracked up to be, and there are people who don't want her to know the truth, regardless if it means she'll have to be put away in a deep freeze forever...
Well, I guess I shouldn't go so far as to say I had high hopes for this book. Hayley is Too Stupid To Live. Her new boyfriend Aaron asks her to a romantic dinner, and Lex calls her begging her to bring him food. So what does she do? She agrees - in front of Aaron, KNOWING. Just knowing. What. A. Stupid. Woman. Seriously, what is wrong with her? Someone needs to show her a picture of a doormat and tape her name to it. Then Hayley needs to photocopy it and put it in her home, at work, in her car, etc. She should have just told Lex no, and that she'd see him tomorrow. What a bleeding heart she is.
She also learns that her ex-husband is going to Bermuda instead of buying his kids Christmas gifts, or paying for half of their tickets to visit him. Why not tell the kids what their dad is doing? I would. She owes him nothing, and should probably rethink her custody agreement. What good is a father who puts his new girlfriend ahead of his children? No, thank you. She learns this at the beginning of the book, but then the subject is...dropped. Throughout the rest of the book...
Anyway, now she's sort of on the outs with Aaron, and things just keep going from bad to worse. At the office Christmas party, her coworker Bruce corners her and then after she barely escapes he tries to deny it the next day until Sal (her boss) lets Bruce know he saw everything. So Hayley just wants to forget it, because you know, sexual assault by a drunk coworker is no big deal, right? Even when it's brought up time and again, we should just go with it and say, 'Hey, the guy was just drunk' and shrug our shoulders about the whole situation.
So her relationship problems notwithstanding, she starts to investigate another murder. Let's just say Hayley isn't known for being subtle. And of course, it gets her in trouble and in real danger a couple of times. But then she does something so totally stupid that I realizes this must be the dumbest woman on the face of the earth. Here it is - and it's an ending spoiler, so if you don't want to know, don't read it:
What I have decided is that the characters in this book aren't the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree. Sabrina is a coroner but repeatedly makes mistakes - big ones. Mistakes no coroner would miss. Hayley is getting close to being a moron. Her intelligence seems to go down in each succeeding book, which is pretty hard to do. And of course, she still has no problem drinking and driving. What people need to realize is that when you have even one drink and get behind the wheel of a car, you're not only taking your own life in your hands, you're also taking everyone else's who happens to be out on the road that night. And it's winter, icy and cold. Not a good idea.
I really do hope that any more books in this series will have Hayley wising up to life and getting a new job and stop allowing people to walk all over her. A light, fluffy read.
She also has been given the dubious duty of planning the office Christmas party with one days' notice. When she gets a caterer - Garth Rawlings - he hangs up on her once he finds out what the budget is going to be, and Hayley winds up making all the food herself. But when Garth learns people are raving about her menu, he hires her to help him for a couple of days and promises her $1500 to do so. How can she turn it down? But when she arrives at Garth's kitchen, there's a problem - a fire, and Garth is found dead on the floor. County coroner Sabrina Merriwether rules it death by beating - but how did it happen when Garth was found in a locked room with no windows?
No, Hayley knows there's more to the story, and she's determined to find the truth. What she does discover is that Garth had plenty of enemies, his marriage wasn't everything it was cracked up to be, and there are people who don't want her to know the truth, regardless if it means she'll have to be put away in a deep freeze forever...
Well, I guess I shouldn't go so far as to say I had high hopes for this book. Hayley is Too Stupid To Live. Her new boyfriend Aaron asks her to a romantic dinner, and Lex calls her begging her to bring him food. So what does she do? She agrees - in front of Aaron, KNOWING. Just knowing. What. A. Stupid. Woman. Seriously, what is wrong with her? Someone needs to show her a picture of a doormat and tape her name to it. Then Hayley needs to photocopy it and put it in her home, at work, in her car, etc. She should have just told Lex no, and that she'd see him tomorrow. What a bleeding heart she is.
She also learns that her ex-husband is going to Bermuda instead of buying his kids Christmas gifts, or paying for half of their tickets to visit him. Why not tell the kids what their dad is doing? I would. She owes him nothing, and should probably rethink her custody agreement. What good is a father who puts his new girlfriend ahead of his children? No, thank you. She learns this at the beginning of the book, but then the subject is...dropped. Throughout the rest of the book...
Anyway, now she's sort of on the outs with Aaron, and things just keep going from bad to worse. At the office Christmas party, her coworker Bruce corners her and then after she barely escapes he tries to deny it the next day until Sal (her boss) lets Bruce know he saw everything. So Hayley just wants to forget it, because you know, sexual assault by a drunk coworker is no big deal, right? Even when it's brought up time and again, we should just go with it and say, 'Hey, the guy was just drunk' and shrug our shoulders about the whole situation.
So her relationship problems notwithstanding, she starts to investigate another murder. Let's just say Hayley isn't known for being subtle. And of course, it gets her in trouble and in real danger a couple of times. But then she does something so totally stupid that I realizes this must be the dumbest woman on the face of the earth. Here it is - and it's an ending spoiler, so if you don't want to know, don't read it:
What I have decided is that the characters in this book aren't the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree. Sabrina is a coroner but repeatedly makes mistakes - big ones. Mistakes no coroner would miss. Hayley is getting close to being a moron. Her intelligence seems to go down in each succeeding book, which is pretty hard to do. And of course, she still has no problem drinking and driving. What people need to realize is that when you have even one drink and get behind the wheel of a car, you're not only taking your own life in your hands, you're also taking everyone else's who happens to be out on the road that night. And it's winter, icy and cold. Not a good idea.
I really do hope that any more books in this series will have Hayley wising up to life and getting a new job and stop allowing people to walk all over her. A light, fluffy read.
December 18, 2022
This is a terrific Christmas cozy filled with the humor I have come to expect from Lee Hollis. A delight to read!! 🎄🎁🎅
November 7, 2024
This was a festive Christmas addition to a great murder mystery series. I love the small town feel and drama. Very stars hollow!
December 13, 2025
This was a good one! The mystery was done really well and Hayley did a good job investigating. I enjoyed the Christmas touches as well.
December 24, 2025
Another fun book in this series, although I did find the ending a bit confusing.
December 9, 2023
Another great book. Love this series.
March 21, 2020
Not bad. 👍 Reading about Hayley's struggles with the kids, money💵 and her love life💑 is like the things we face everyday. Very realistic. The whole Christmas🎄 party Bruce episode makes me think that he's FINALLY showing his true feelings for Hayley and I say about time! 😁
January 2, 2019
I will say i love this installment of the haley powell mysteries. It was funny and the way the person was killed was pretty unexpected. I really love haley and her friends. And tbh ik mona would be the one to punch someone for u i had feeling bout her like mona to me seems like the type she honest even it what you won’t wanna hear but at the end of the day she got your back
November 21, 2025
A successful chef named Garth Rawling hires Hayley Powell to help with his catering orders for Christmas. When Hayley shows up, the door to his workplace is locked and she smells smoke. After the firefighters arrive and put out the fire, they report a dead body. Garth is dead and he was a prickly character so the list of possible suspects is long...
The murder mystery was interesting because it's a locked door mystery where it doesn't seem possible for a person to enter or leave to commit the crime. However, the over-dramatic way the suspects acted while Hayley was investigating was too much. Hayley questions if Garth's wife and his ex-business partner are possible suspects, especially since the wife and ex-business partner were having an affair. The wife attempts to choke out Hayley in a public gym! The only reason why Hayley wasn't strangled to death is because her friend was there and stopped her. And the ex-business partner shows up at Hayley's house and tries to prove his innocence by manhandling her! These are not the actions of rational people.
So what happened? The mystery itself was interesting. The ways in which the real cause of death was overlooked made somewhat sense, especially since Sabrina the coroner has a history of missing details. I just wished the possible suspects weren't so weird. There's nervousness from being investigated and then there's whatever the hell Garth's wife and ex-business partner were doing...
As for the rest of the book, it was terrible. It was basically Hayley dealing with sex pests. Her ex-husband starts off the trend of shitty love interests as he berates Hayley for divorcing him. Danny claims that if they hadn't gotten divorced, then they would have been able to afford all of the presents their kids wanted, despite it being Danny's fault he can't afford his share of the presents. Then Lex and Bruce basically sexually assault Hayley. And then she's randomly hit on by some rando named Rusty who won't leave her alone...
With Lex, it was already messy because Hayley is prioritizing her ex over her current partner, Aaron. Lex refuses to eat the food at the hospital so he calls up Hayley to bring him her homemade food. Despite Hayley having a packed schedule and has to shorten her date with Aaron to run errands, she agrees to bring food to Lex at the hospital, forcing Aaron to cancel their date since they'd be on such a short time crunch. And Hayley did this when she and Aaron hadn't seen in each other in a while due to busy work schedules! Like, girl, what are you doing? When Hayley brings the food to Lex, he asked for a kiss on the cheek. Then he turns and forces a proper kiss on her.
Then Lex just shows up to have a dick measuring contest with Aaron because he's that insecure. Like, dude, you guys broke up because you were so distant and wouldn't share his feelings. Do you even really like Hayley, or just want what you can't have?
Bruce is the worst because it's straight-up sexual assault and then he tries to gaslight her into thinking otherwise:
"Unable to escape [Bruce's] grip, Hayley finally relented and turned his face to one side to kiss him lightly on the cheek.
"That's not a kiss! I want a real kiss!" Bruce protested, pulling her closer.
...Bruce had her backed up against the copy machine. He went in for another kiss and Hayley ducked out of the way. He lost his balance and fell forward; his lips landed on the glass of the copier. Hayley pressed the copy button and the flashing light blinded Bruce long enough for Hayley to dash out of the room and right into the belly of her boss, Sal, who was on his phone" (Chapter 8).
And when Hayley confronts Bruce about his drunken attack, he says this:
"'I don't know what you think happened in that copy room, Hayley, but you and I both know you're awfully fond of your cocktails too, and maybe you're just remembering what you want to remember."
Hayley stepped back, aghast. "Are you suggesting I'm making this up?"
"No. Maybe I got a little too friendly. It was a party. Everybody was drinking. I'm merely suggesting you may be embellishing the story just a tiny bit given how you feel about me."
...
"... I was stone-cold sober. Actually, I wish I had been drinking, so I wouldn't have such a crystal clear memory of your sweaty hands on my ass and your puckered lips attacking my face!"
"Prove it," Bruce spit out' (Chapter 10).
The only reason Bruce backs down is because their boss Sal enters the room and shows a video of Bruce attacking Hayley. And that raises other questions like why was Sal recording and not intervening when he saw all of this?
I HATE BRUCE LINNEY. How many other women has he sexually assaulted and then victim-blamed? And this is the man Hayley ultimately ends up with and marries? It pisses me off even more because in the final column she writes, she writes about a dream she has about her perfect Christmas where her kids are grown up, married with kids of their own, and she's surprised that she's married to "that" person. Since she doesn't name her current partner, Aaron, I'm assuming she's talking about Bruce. Again, because I've read the later books in this series and she ends up marrying Bruce. So Lee Hollis was setting up Bruce as Hayley's final partner, which is appalling when he so blatantly sexually assaulted her in this very same book.
And I'm mentioning my last critique now because it'll end my review/thoughts on a lighter note. I never really mention Hayley's columns because they're kind of whatever. They don't add anything to the story. Just gives us a glimpse into what she's working on. However, one of the columns was just downright dumb. Hayley recounted a story where Mona bought fireworks for an event even though fireworks are illegal in Bar Harbour. When the fireworks went off, people in town were freaking out because they thought it was... an alien invasion? It got so bad that the streets were clogged with people trying to get a glimpse of the alien invasion and the police had to come. I have no words.
Just... ???
This was definitely one of the weaker books.
The murder mystery was interesting because it's a locked door mystery where it doesn't seem possible for a person to enter or leave to commit the crime. However, the over-dramatic way the suspects acted while Hayley was investigating was too much. Hayley questions if Garth's wife and his ex-business partner are possible suspects, especially since the wife and ex-business partner were having an affair. The wife attempts to choke out Hayley in a public gym! The only reason why Hayley wasn't strangled to death is because her friend was there and stopped her. And the ex-business partner shows up at Hayley's house and tries to prove his innocence by manhandling her! These are not the actions of rational people.
So what happened? The mystery itself was interesting. The ways in which the real cause of death was overlooked made somewhat sense, especially since Sabrina the coroner has a history of missing details. I just wished the possible suspects weren't so weird. There's nervousness from being investigated and then there's whatever the hell Garth's wife and ex-business partner were doing...
As for the rest of the book, it was terrible. It was basically Hayley dealing with sex pests. Her ex-husband starts off the trend of shitty love interests as he berates Hayley for divorcing him. Danny claims that if they hadn't gotten divorced, then they would have been able to afford all of the presents their kids wanted, despite it being Danny's fault he can't afford his share of the presents. Then Lex and Bruce basically sexually assault Hayley. And then she's randomly hit on by some rando named Rusty who won't leave her alone...
With Lex, it was already messy because Hayley is prioritizing her ex over her current partner, Aaron. Lex refuses to eat the food at the hospital so he calls up Hayley to bring him her homemade food. Despite Hayley having a packed schedule and has to shorten her date with Aaron to run errands, she agrees to bring food to Lex at the hospital, forcing Aaron to cancel their date since they'd be on such a short time crunch. And Hayley did this when she and Aaron hadn't seen in each other in a while due to busy work schedules! Like, girl, what are you doing? When Hayley brings the food to Lex, he asked for a kiss on the cheek. Then he turns and forces a proper kiss on her.
Then Lex just shows up to have a dick measuring contest with Aaron because he's that insecure. Like, dude, you guys broke up because you were so distant and wouldn't share his feelings. Do you even really like Hayley, or just want what you can't have?
Bruce is the worst because it's straight-up sexual assault and then he tries to gaslight her into thinking otherwise:
"Unable to escape [Bruce's] grip, Hayley finally relented and turned his face to one side to kiss him lightly on the cheek.
"That's not a kiss! I want a real kiss!" Bruce protested, pulling her closer.
...Bruce had her backed up against the copy machine. He went in for another kiss and Hayley ducked out of the way. He lost his balance and fell forward; his lips landed on the glass of the copier. Hayley pressed the copy button and the flashing light blinded Bruce long enough for Hayley to dash out of the room and right into the belly of her boss, Sal, who was on his phone" (Chapter 8).
And when Hayley confronts Bruce about his drunken attack, he says this:
"'I don't know what you think happened in that copy room, Hayley, but you and I both know you're awfully fond of your cocktails too, and maybe you're just remembering what you want to remember."
Hayley stepped back, aghast. "Are you suggesting I'm making this up?"
"No. Maybe I got a little too friendly. It was a party. Everybody was drinking. I'm merely suggesting you may be embellishing the story just a tiny bit given how you feel about me."
...
"... I was stone-cold sober. Actually, I wish I had been drinking, so I wouldn't have such a crystal clear memory of your sweaty hands on my ass and your puckered lips attacking my face!"
"Prove it," Bruce spit out' (Chapter 10).
The only reason Bruce backs down is because their boss Sal enters the room and shows a video of Bruce attacking Hayley. And that raises other questions like why was Sal recording and not intervening when he saw all of this?
I HATE BRUCE LINNEY. How many other women has he sexually assaulted and then victim-blamed? And this is the man Hayley ultimately ends up with and marries? It pisses me off even more because in the final column she writes, she writes about a dream she has about her perfect Christmas where her kids are grown up, married with kids of their own, and she's surprised that she's married to "that" person. Since she doesn't name her current partner, Aaron, I'm assuming she's talking about Bruce. Again, because I've read the later books in this series and she ends up marrying Bruce. So Lee Hollis was setting up Bruce as Hayley's final partner, which is appalling when he so blatantly sexually assaulted her in this very same book.
And I'm mentioning my last critique now because it'll end my review/thoughts on a lighter note. I never really mention Hayley's columns because they're kind of whatever. They don't add anything to the story. Just gives us a glimpse into what she's working on. However, one of the columns was just downright dumb. Hayley recounted a story where Mona bought fireworks for an event even though fireworks are illegal in Bar Harbour. When the fireworks went off, people in town were freaking out because they thought it was... an alien invasion? It got so bad that the streets were clogged with people trying to get a glimpse of the alien invasion and the police had to come. I have no words.
Just... ???
This was definitely one of the weaker books.
December 20, 2016
My apologies in advance to the author, but this book was lousy! I didn't even finish it. The main character had absolutely no depth, and was really pretty unlikeable. Too many minor characters, and the plot was very thin. The author was just spoon feeding us every little thing, giving us nothing to contemplate or figure out on our own. Just so bland.
December 6, 2014
Great book! I love this series, this was a great Christmas read, Looking forward to the next book!
February 16, 2019
A fifth visit to Bar Harbor in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails mystery series is in the books. (I love puns. I'm not even sorry. I hope you groaned when you read that because I am cackling at the mere thought. I just can't help myself.)
What I liked about Death of a Christmas Caterer:
The mystery itself was actually pretty good - I will admit that I had a working theory about whodunnit pretty early on, but then there were a couple of red herrings thrown in. I gave them some consideration, but then reverted back to my original suspect. In the end, I was right but not about the how/why.
The Christmas theme was well executed - It can be tough to pull off a holiday-themed cozy mystery without it being either over-the-top-cheesy or falling short of the festive spirit. There was enough holly-jolly in this one to keep it Christmas-y, so that was a plus.
What I didn't care for:
Character issues - While I appreciate that this series doesn't take itself seriously at *all*, the characters push the limits of believable as human beings. On the one hand, it was evident in book one that this was the case, and here I am on book five, so it obviously hasn't deterred me from continuing on with the series. On the other, I don't ever find myself wishing these characters were real people I could actually hang out with.
The love triangle - I'm not sure if anyone would actually consider this a spoiler but just in case...
The forced "bedroom scenes" - There were at least two of them that come immediately to my mind and I really didn't see the point. This is a pet peeve of mine in books, in TV, in movies. If it serves the plot, fine, but I don't need it purely for its own sake. That just makes it trashy and -- meh -- not my thing.
On a side note, there was a scene at the office Christmas party that has generated a lot of buzz in the reviews I browsed on this book, especially in the current social and political climate. I'm probably far from the norm in that, while I find the behavior a boorish turnoff, I am not offended by how Hayley handled it. Have I been in icky situations like that myself when I was single? Sure. And I handled it much like Hayley did. Not because I feel dismissed and victimized by men or society, but because I can judge the situation for myself and decide how to deal with it. Is it rude and gross? Absolutely. Do I personally feel the need to make a spectacle of it? Not necessarily -- it depends on the circumstances and sometimes people just act dumb and can be properly chastised by the person whose space they intruded upon. To be honest, sometimes I think there is a power that comes from being able to deal with it oneself between the two people involved. I am strong enough to handle it how I see fit without others telling me my reaction is part of the problem. How I choose to respond to what happens to me is my choice, just like it was Hayley's choice. I don't see the need to fuss over it if it's not how you might handle it yourself. There's nothing wrong with an individual's personal response being different from your own. But enough of that.
Ultimately, I wavered between two stars and three. I didn't decide until after I'd composed most of this review, actually, but the pros slightly outweighed the cons, so I'll be generous with a three. Had the mystery failed to keep me guessing or the holiday theme fallen flat though, it would absolutely have been a two, as those two qualities together managed to redeem the rest. I will continue to read this series because they're easy and the mysteries tend to be at least somewhat clever and with unique situations. I can't say it's my favorite series but the entertainment value is there.
What I liked about Death of a Christmas Caterer:
The mystery itself was actually pretty good - I will admit that I had a working theory about whodunnit pretty early on, but then there were a couple of red herrings thrown in. I gave them some consideration, but then reverted back to my original suspect. In the end, I was right but not about the how/why.
The Christmas theme was well executed - It can be tough to pull off a holiday-themed cozy mystery without it being either over-the-top-cheesy or falling short of the festive spirit. There was enough holly-jolly in this one to keep it Christmas-y, so that was a plus.
What I didn't care for:
Character issues - While I appreciate that this series doesn't take itself seriously at *all*, the characters push the limits of believable as human beings. On the one hand, it was evident in book one that this was the case, and here I am on book five, so it obviously hasn't deterred me from continuing on with the series. On the other, I don't ever find myself wishing these characters were real people I could actually hang out with.
The love triangle - I'm not sure if anyone would actually consider this a spoiler but just in case...
The forced "bedroom scenes" - There were at least two of them that come immediately to my mind and I really didn't see the point. This is a pet peeve of mine in books, in TV, in movies. If it serves the plot, fine, but I don't need it purely for its own sake. That just makes it trashy and -- meh -- not my thing.
On a side note, there was a scene at the office Christmas party that has generated a lot of buzz in the reviews I browsed on this book, especially in the current social and political climate. I'm probably far from the norm in that, while I find the behavior a boorish turnoff, I am not offended by how Hayley handled it. Have I been in icky situations like that myself when I was single? Sure. And I handled it much like Hayley did. Not because I feel dismissed and victimized by men or society, but because I can judge the situation for myself and decide how to deal with it. Is it rude and gross? Absolutely. Do I personally feel the need to make a spectacle of it? Not necessarily -- it depends on the circumstances and sometimes people just act dumb and can be properly chastised by the person whose space they intruded upon. To be honest, sometimes I think there is a power that comes from being able to deal with it oneself between the two people involved. I am strong enough to handle it how I see fit without others telling me my reaction is part of the problem. How I choose to respond to what happens to me is my choice, just like it was Hayley's choice. I don't see the need to fuss over it if it's not how you might handle it yourself. There's nothing wrong with an individual's personal response being different from your own. But enough of that.
Ultimately, I wavered between two stars and three. I didn't decide until after I'd composed most of this review, actually, but the pros slightly outweighed the cons, so I'll be generous with a three. Had the mystery failed to keep me guessing or the holiday theme fallen flat though, it would absolutely have been a two, as those two qualities together managed to redeem the rest. I will continue to read this series because they're easy and the mysteries tend to be at least somewhat clever and with unique situations. I can't say it's my favorite series but the entertainment value is there.
September 7, 2017
In this book Hayley Powell is getting ready for Christmas when she gets roped into planning the Island Times Holiday party after bombing out with a local chef due to what she is given financially to work with Hayley sets out to cook food for the party. When local chef Garth Rawlings hears about it through twitter he hires Hayley to help out at the years bash. What Hayley didn't count on was finding Garth dead! How does a man die of homicide in a locked warehouse kitchen? Will Hayley figure it out or will this be the death that never gets resolved?
This book had a lot going with the holidays coming. Hayley's daughter Gemma in a holiday pageant. Also this one has Hayley knee deep trying to figure out what happened with Garth, who kill him and why? Hayley isn't one to sit on the sidelines while a murderer runs around free. This book involved a cheating spouse, a sparse relationship between Hayley and the corner Sabrina, and two loves in Hayley's Christmas tree. Hayley will have to weed through the people involved to get to the bottom of it and make a decision in her personal life!
I love this series especially Hayley, Mona and Liddy they are such great friends to one another/ This book didn't disappoint with the story. They can really make you laugh along with Hayley english challenged brother in law Sergio who tries so hard with english but hasn't toally mastered it yet!
This book had a lot going with the holidays coming. Hayley's daughter Gemma in a holiday pageant. Also this one has Hayley knee deep trying to figure out what happened with Garth, who kill him and why? Hayley isn't one to sit on the sidelines while a murderer runs around free. This book involved a cheating spouse, a sparse relationship between Hayley and the corner Sabrina, and two loves in Hayley's Christmas tree. Hayley will have to weed through the people involved to get to the bottom of it and make a decision in her personal life!
I love this series especially Hayley, Mona and Liddy they are such great friends to one another/ This book didn't disappoint with the story. They can really make you laugh along with Hayley english challenged brother in law Sergio who tries so hard with english but hasn't toally mastered it yet!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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