Book Review: Murder at the High School Reunion (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #5)

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Murder at the High School Reunion (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #5)  by Lee Hollis  opens with Maya and Sandra taking on a case of a former high school classmate and mean girl, Tawny,  right before their twenty-fifth high school reunion. When Maya and Sandra get stuck on their case, they enlist the help of another former high school classmate and friend turned actress, Alyssa. Soon after, they all attend the reunion, and Tawny is murdered after making a scene with her soon to be ex. When Alyssa becomes a suspect, Maya and Sandra must prove the innocence of their friend. I received an Advanced Readers Copy ARC of this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review. Being approved to read Murder at the High School Reunion (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #5) by Lee Hollis made my day, and I wasn't disappointed in the least. As soon as I started reading the book, it drew me in, and it felt like I was with an old friend, in the form of a story. I absolutely loved that the...
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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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