Book Review: A Crabby Killer (Mooseamuck Island, #2) by Leighann Dobbs

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A Crabby Killer (Mooseamuck Island, #2) by Leighann Dobbs is the second installment in the Mooseamuck Island cozy mystery series. The story begins when the body of an “outsider” is discovered stuffed inside a crab boil pot just before the island’s annual Crab Festival opens to the public. Determined not to let a murder derail their beloved celebration, the islanders press on...until it becomes clear that several locals had motives. As suspicion spreads, can retired police investigators Claire and Dom put aside their differences long enough to solve the case? I originally bought a copy of this ebook years ago purely because I loved the title. One of my New Year’s resolutions was to read more of the books I already own instead of constantly buying new ones, so I finally decided to give A Crabby Killer a try, knowing absolutely nothing about the story beforehand. I was pleasantly surprised. Leighann Dobbs does an excellent job of providing background on recurring characters for new rea...
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Book Review: Death Of A Clam Digger (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery, #16) by Lee Hollis

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book review death of a clam digger hayley powell food and cocktails mystery 16 lee hollis

Death Of A Clam Digger (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery, #16) by Lee Hollis opens with Haley Powell's best friend Mona Barnes and her rival Vera Leighton slugging it out on the beach over who has claim over the clams on a certain section of beach.  When Vera Leighton's father, Lonnie Leighton, turns up dead from apparent suffocation on that same spot of beach, tempers flair even more.

A huge thank goes out to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Death Of A Clam Digger (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery, #16) by Lee Hollis.  Several years ago, I read the first book in this series, Death of a Kitchen Diva (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery, #1) and enjoyed it.  When I saw that the author had a new book in the series, I knew I wanted to revisit the series.  I was super happy that I was approved to receive this book for free in exchange for my honest review.  And, I can't wait to read all the books in between the first book and this latest one in the series.

When I opened the book, it was like being reacquainted with an old friend, and it surely opened with a bang!  The action started right away, and it kept up with a steady pace.  At first, I wasn't sure who the victim was going to be.  What was even more surprising was who the murderer ended up being.  There were so many suspects and red herrings that I never figured out who the culprit was.  In fact, I felt like it came a little out of left field.  However, it didn't detract from the story.

Don't worry if you haven't read any of the other novels in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series because it can be read as a stand alone as the author does a great job of giving background of the characters without it feeling like a retelling of the previous books.  Hayley and her husband are extremely likable as are her brother and his husband.  There were times that I didn't like the best friend of Hayley and times that I did.  Most of the Leighton clan were extremely unlikable.  With that being said, Lonnie ended up not being quite as unlikable as I thought he was going to be, and I ended up feeling extremely sorry for him.

Five out of five stars is what I gave Death Of A Clam Digger (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery, #16) by Lee Hollis.  I look forward to reading more books from this author.  This author also has another great series called A Desert Flowers Mystery.


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