Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...
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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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