Death of a Pumpkin Carver

Written by Lee Hollis

Narrated by Randye Kaye

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 . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Feb 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781977374868

Lee Hollis

LEE HOLLIS is the pen name for Rick Copp, a veteran Hollywood screenwriter who has written for numerous television series, including The Golden Girls, Wings, Scooby-Doo, Teen Titans, and Barbershop. He is the co-writer of The Brady Bunch Movie and has written a number of novels under his own name. He also produces, writes, and stars in the hit web series Where the Bears Are. With his sister Holly Simason, he co-authors the Hayley Powell Food & Cocktail Mysteries book series using the Lee Hollis name. He lives in Palm Springs, California.

Reviews for Death of a Pumpkin Carver

[joannefm2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hayley Powell is the office manager and a columnist at a newspaper in Bar Harbor, Maine. She's created a decent life for herself and her two kids, Gemma and Dustin, after her divorce from her husband, Danny. But when she shows up home one night, she sees two carved pumpkins on her doorstep and knows that they couldn't have been done by anyone else except Danny. Knowing he must be with his drunkard of an uncle, Otis, she heads out to the cabin in the woods and finds them both. Danny insists he's changed and is just there for a visit, and wants to spend time with them. Knowing her ex, she's naturally suspicious and doesn't believe a word of it, but she allows Danny to temporarily disrupt her life anyway -- while waiting for the ball to drop. When Otis is found dead in a graveyard, it's soon apparent he's been murdered. It's also apparent that Danny's the main suspect when Otis's money is found missing, and even though she doesn't believe he's guilty, she needs to figure out who is before he winds up in prison.But more things are going on behind the scene: Hayley and her co-worker Bruce Linney have gone to see a reclusive horror author, but are told by his assistant Shane that he's ill and can't see anyone. Disappointed, they tell him they'll try again but Hayley becomes suspicious (again) when he puts them off. Then she finds out that Dustin's friend has written a horror novel and submitted it to the reclusive Norman Cross; her ex-boyfriend and Gemma's employer, veterinarian Aaron, has a new girlfriend who's an attorney named Crystal who also apparently hates Hayley on sight and Gemma's having problems at work with her co-worker; and to top things off, Danny's crazy ex-girlfriend Becky shows up in Bar Harbor insisting she wants him back. Couple that with two shady men following her and Danny around town, and you have what is a very interesting Halloween...if Hayley can live to see it...This is the eighth book in the series, and while I wasn't enamored of the previous ones, I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. There's plenty of action that didn't take place with Hayley and her friends sitting around getting plastered (which was my main problem, since all they did was drink).This time out we have a real mystery to dig through, with plenty of threads that are twisted throughout, and watching them come together is quite intriguing. We also have a bit of a teaser here that gives us an indication of what will happen in future books, but I'm not going to give it away.Danny is indeed a charmer, captivating all that he comes in contact with, men and women alike (aside from Mona), and watching Hayley try to figure out why he's really there is worth the read, because with Danny comes most of the rest of the problems they endure -- including a crazy ex-girlfriend and what she does makes me glad I don't know anyone like her.But when we come to the ending it was quite a surprise, and putting the pieces together wasn't easy (although I did have part of it early on, I had to wait to see where the rest of it was going). The climax was decent, and the ending was quite satisfactory. Recommended.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have only read a couple of books in this series, but had no trouble following the story. The "Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery" series is made up of shorter mysteries that have a lot of character development and details from the lives of the townspeople as well as a mystery. In this story, Hayley can’t imagine a worse trick than her ex-husband Danny returning to Bar Harbor just before Hallowe'en. Her kids may think it is a treat, seeing their dad, but Hayley’s determined not to be taken in by his charms, and she is always wary of his ulterior motives (usually financial troubles). When Danny's favorite uncle, Otis, a moonshiner who often samples his own goods, turns up dead in the cemetery, Hayley tries to find the killer. She is worried that Danny's proximity to their children might put them in danger.

Death of a Pumpkin Carver is fun, lighthearted, with a few serious moments but its a change from the books I've been reading lately. I wanted a cozy read and this book fits the bill nicely. This book was a delightful mix of humor, Halloween fun, family life and murder mystery. I liked the columns written by the main character telling anecdotes and stories from Hayley's life, followed by fall theme recipes for all sorts of different foods and cocktails. I am a huge pumpkin fan, (I even grow my own pumpkins to cook and puree) so I am going to try several of the recipes. If you like seasonal cocktails, there are a few in this book.

While Haley and the other characters were a lot of fun and there were a lot of humorous situations, the mystery seemed to be a minor plot in the story. It took a third of the book before the crime took place, and afterwards there wasn't much in the way of finding clues and figuring things out. The last part of the book was a lot quicker tying together all the storylines and unveiling the murderer. In the end, I was surprised at who the murderer was as well as the reason behind it. I enjoyed the humor at the end, Danny is really not very bright. I did not enjoy this one as well as some other cozies, but I will read another in the series to see how it goes.

[seasonsoflove_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.Hayley's ex-husband is back in town-and the prime suspect in a murder. Now, during the Halloween season, she must juggle writing her column and raising her children with clearing the former love of her life's name.This is a quick read, a fun cozy mystery that hits so many of the classic cozy mystery high points-including a strong female protagonist, romantic developments, and a small town setting. Hayley is a lot of fun to take a book journey with, and I love how well she knows herself.The mystery was a fun one, and setting it around Halloween made it even more fun. There's all the trappings that come with Halloween, including a haunted house, a horror writer, and the pumpkin carver of the title.I was able to call most of the twists in the mystery, including some of the biggest ones.I enjoy this series, it's a lot of fun, and Hayley is a great protagonist. I definitely could read the rest of this series at some point.

[bookofsecrets · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a light, fun, and kinda silly Halloween-themed cozy mystery, the 8th book in the Haley Powell series. The author did a great job making this book feel stand-alone. I'm new to this series and felt like Haley was an old friend right away. She's very funny and likable.Haley writes a food column for the local newspaper, and she's a divorced mom of two teenagers. When her deadbeat ex-husband Danny comes back to town, he brings trouble with him. His very odd uncle is found murdered in the cemetery, and Danny is the prime suspect.While Haley and the other characters were a delight getting to know, the mystery itself was just okay. It took a third of the book before the crime took place, and afterwards there wasn't much in the way of finding clues and figuring things out. In the end, I was surprised at who the murderer was though.I enjoyed the Halloween fun going on throughout the book. Haley shares lots of pumpkin-based recipes in her newspaper column too. {Borrowed from the library.}

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Death of a Pumpkin Carver by Lee Hollis is the eighth book in a Hayley Powell Food and Cocktail Mystery series. Hayley Powell is divorced with two children (Gemma and Dustin). Hayley works as a reporter (writes Island Food and Spirits column) and office manager for the Island Times in Bar Harbor, Maine. It is Halloween time, and Hayley arrives home to find two carved pumpkins on her doorstep. Hayley groans because she realizes her ex-husband, Danny is back in town (which means trouble). The children are thrilled to see him (of course). Danny seems to be flush with cash this visit (something’s up). Danny is staying with his Uncle Otis, who sells moonshine for a living (it is illegal). Unfortunately, the visit quickly takes a bad turn when Uncle Otis is found dead in the local cemetery. Does it have anything to do with the shady characters following Danny? Danny quickly rises to the top of the suspect list (especially when Uncle Otis’ mattress money turns up missing). Danny asks for Hayley’s assistance, and she cannot resist (how many of us would help our ex-husbands?). Hayley needs to find the real killer before Danny gets too comfortable in her home.Death of a Pumpkin Carver may be the eighth novel in the series, but it can be read alone. The author does a very good job of providing background information on the main characters. The novel is easy to read and has a good flow for the most part. I do not particularly enjoy Hayley’s column inserts. They disrupt the reading of the book (and the usually contain idiotic stories). I give Death of a Pumpkin Carver 3 out of 5 stars. The story was just too inane for me (not my type of book). I wanted to slap some sense into Hayley regarding Danny. She gave in to him on everything and anything (despite mentioning the troubles they had in their marriage frequently). What type of example is Hayley setting for her children? The mystery was no conundrum. I picked out the killer early in the story (it was very obvious). I did find Dustin’s friends name hilarious. It is Spanky McFarland (please tell me you get the reference)! There are pumpkin recipes for food and drink in Death of a Pumpkin Carver. I will not be reading any more books in this series. I gave the series a try (I read three books in it), but it is just not for me (my mother claims that I am lacking in the humor department). While this book did not appeal to me, you may find it delightful. You can always get a free sample of the book to see if it suits you.I received a complimentary copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.