Death of an Italian Chef

by Lee Hollis

Overview

The charming coastal town of Bar Harbor, Maine, has a fancy new Italian restaurant—and a nasty new murder...

As the food and cocktails columnist for the Island Times, it's Hayley Powell's job to stay on top of the latest eateries in town. Just in time for the summer tourist season, Chef Romeo, a successful restaurateur from New York City, has opened an establishment called—naturally—Romeo's. But between his over-the-top temperament and his no-holds-barred diet, Chef Romeo may not live through the grand opening.

When the chef actually does suffer a mild heart attack, he ends up sharing a hospital room with Hayley's brother Randy, who's there for gall bladder surgery. Chef Romeo has tasted Hayley's cooking and asks her to take over his restaurant while he's laid up. But this temporary gig may turn permanent, after the chef dies from complications. Only thing is, Randy tells a different story. He might have been sedated, but Hayley's bro swears he saw someone come into their room and put Romeo out of his misery. Now it's up to Hayley to find the person who had no reservations about killing the chef...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496724977
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	06/29/2021
Series:	Hayley Powell Series , #14
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	4.80(w) x 6.98(h) x 0.82(d)

About the Author

Lee Hollis is the pen name for a brother and sister writing team. Rick Copp is a veteran film and television writer/producer and also the author of two other mystery novel series. He lives in Palm Springs, California. Holly Simason is an award-winning food and cocktails columnist living in North Carolina. You may visit their website at www.LeeHollisMysteries.com or find them on Facebook by typing in: Lee Hollis

Editorial Reviews

2021-04-14
A food-loving Maine reporter solves a murder and changes her life.

Hayley Powell, a food columnist for the Bar Harbor newspaper with a string of solved murders to her credit, is dining with her husband, Bruce, and her brother, Randy, at Romeo’s, a new Italian restaurant, when she admits to Romeo that she prefers her own spaghetti carbonara recipe. This results in a cook-off and a budding friendship with the hot-tempered Romeo, who has a major argument in the middle of the cook-off with a contractor who claims Romeo owes him money. A few days later, Romeo, who has heart problems, is admitted to the hospital, where he winds up sharing a room with Randy, who has gallbladder problems. When Romeo dies, a heavily sedated Randy remembers someone killing the chef, and then the night nurse vanishes. Because both Bruce and Randy’s husband, who happens to be the police chief, are out of town, Hayley has to rely for help on new hire Sgt. Vanessa Herrold, a woman who obviously disbelieves Randy. The staff at Romeo’s begs her to keep the place going until an heir is found. So with help from her besties, Liddy and Mona, she takes on that job while investigating Romeo’s background for clues to his murder. Romeo (not his real name) owed money to the Brooklyn mob, a connection that makes Hayley’s task very dangerous.

An enjoyably twisty mystery laced with the heroine's equally entertaining foodcentric newspaper columns.

Kirkus Reviews