Death of a Kitchen Diva

Book excerpt: A bowl of chowder is a Maine food writer’s last meal in this “delicious and satisfying” mystery (Carolyn Hart, New York Times-bestselling author of the Death on Demand series). Single mom Hayley Powell is barely keeping her leaking roof over her head in Bar Harbor, Maine, when her boss at the Island Times gives her a new assignment—taking over the paper’s food column. Hayley’s not sure she has the chops—she’s an office manager, not a writer, even if her friends clamor for her mouth-watering potluck dishes. But the extra income is tempting, and Hayley’s chatty first column is suddenly on everyone's menu—with one exception. When rival food writer Karen Appelbaum is found dead facedown in a bowl of Hayley’s creamy clam chowder, all signs point to Hayley. To clear her name, she’ll have to enlist some help, including her BFFs, a perpetually pregnant lobster woman, and a glamorous real estate agent. As she whips up a list of suspects, Hayley discovers a juicy secret about the victim—and finds herself in a dangerous mix with a cold-blooded killer. Includes seven delectable recipes from Hayley’s kitchen! “What a delicious debut mystery!” —Laura Levine, author of Death of a Gigolo “I ate up in one sitting.” —Isis Crawford, author of A Catered Book Club Murder “Sleuth Hayley Powell slides down as easily as one of her Lemon Drop Martinis (recipe included) and readers will be calling for a second round from author Lee Hollis.” —Leslie Meier, New York Times-bestselling author of Christmas Card Murder