Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Death of a Blueberry Tart is the twelfth installment in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series set in Bar Harbor, ME and featuring the newlywed Island Times columnist Hayley Powell. Now happily married to fellow reporter Bruce Linney, Hayley is looking forward to their upcoming honeymoon cruise - that is until her mother Sheila shows up unannounced from Florida. Sheila has broken up with her longtime boyfriend and come back to Bar Harbor to cry on Hayley's shoulder.
Sheila was high school besties with Celeste (Liddy's mom) and Jane (Mona's mom) and the trio's first night out leads to a public argument with their longtime nemesis, Caskie Lemon-Hogg. Caskie was always causing trouble back in the day - whether it was stealing boyfriends or cheating on tests - and it appears she hasn't changed. Completely rattled by the argument Caskie files a restraining order against Sheila and her friends, but then has a change of heart and sets out for the local B&B to apologize to Sheila. Unfortunately, she winds up dead in the hotel room adjacent to Sheila's and all fingers are pointing to Hayley's mom as the prime suspect.
Knowing her mom is not a murderer, Hayley sets out with the help of Liddy and Mona to find the real killer, and Sheila teams up with Celeste and Jane to clear her name. Soon we have a competition between the old and young to solve the crime first.
A well crafted plot featuring series regulars and full of the madcap hilarity that readers of the series have come to expect from Hayley and her friends. While I always recommend starting a series from the beginning, this latest installment can read as a stand alone. Delicious blueberry recipes, one of which I'm definitely going to attempt, and the delightful shenanigans of Hayley's cat Blueberry, add to the mystery.
Sheila was high school besties with Celeste (Liddy's mom) and Jane (Mona's mom) and the trio's first night out leads to a public argument with their longtime nemesis, Caskie Lemon-Hogg. Caskie was always causing trouble back in the day - whether it was stealing boyfriends or cheating on tests - and it appears she hasn't changed. Completely rattled by the argument Caskie files a restraining order against Sheila and her friends, but then has a change of heart and sets out for the local B&B to apologize to Sheila. Unfortunately, she winds up dead in the hotel room adjacent to Sheila's and all fingers are pointing to Hayley's mom as the prime suspect.
Knowing her mom is not a murderer, Hayley sets out with the help of Liddy and Mona to find the real killer, and Sheila teams up with Celeste and Jane to clear her name. Soon we have a competition between the old and young to solve the crime first.
A well crafted plot featuring series regulars and full of the madcap hilarity that readers of the series have come to expect from Hayley and her friends. While I always recommend starting a series from the beginning, this latest installment can read as a stand alone. Delicious blueberry recipes, one of which I'm definitely going to attempt, and the delightful shenanigans of Hayley's cat Blueberry, add to the mystery.
