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jenn

Murder by Death

I read cozy and historical mysteries, a bit of Paranormal/UF, and to mix it up, I read science and gardening books on occasion.

Death of a Kitchen Diva (Hayley Powell Mystery #1)

Death of a Kitchen Diva - Lee Hollis

It's always a disappointment when you have high hopes for a new series and find the first book a let down.

 

When I'm reading a really good book it doesn't feel like I'm reading so much as watching a play unfold in my head. Reading Death of a Kitchen Diva didn't feel like that - I was painfully aware that I was reading dialogue the whole first half of the book and it made the experience feel forced and stilted.

 

The book did improve a great deal a little over half way through and a few of the characters found their groove and started to come alive on the page. Her kids were great fun from the beginning of the book, but her best friends came into their own later in the story. The plot was well done and if it hadn't been for a scene inserted awkwardly into the story early on, I would never have guessed the murderer.

 

I really enjoyed Hayley's columns inserted throughout the book - in these, Hayley came into her own in a way the author didn't quite achieve in the rest of the book, showing a bold, quirky, laugh-at-herself personality.

 

I'll probably read the next one but with a bit of trepidation, and with my fingers crossed that the kinks will be worked out.