Death of a Clam Digger
Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell usually reserves judgment for local cuisine, especially anything with clams, not the people who serve it. But staying neutral isn’t so easy when caught between the biggest seafood rivals in town, her BFF Mona Barnes, and the successful Leighton clan. Adding to a bitter decades-old surf-turf war between family businesses, a modern Romeo and Juliet story unfolds as Mona’s son gets engaged to the daughter of her sworn enemy.
Spiteful patriarch Lonnie Leighton is also steamed about the arrangement—enough to go to dangerous lengths to break it up. At least, until he’s discovered face down and dead in the clam flats. With unanswered questions swirling, accusations flying in both directions and a young couple stuck in the middle, Hayley has bigger fish to fry than determining who sources the best shellfish in Bar Harbor. Because someone wants to get away with murder and send whoever else gets in their way to a muddy grave.
The Details
Series: Hayley Powell Mystery – Book #16
Author: Lee Hollis
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Culinary
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
ISBN: 1496736516
Page Count: 336
Rating: 
The Review
Death of a Clam Digger is the 16th book in this series, and it may well be the best one yet. Hayley and the rest of the crew are as delightfully crazy as always, but in some cases, mainly Mona, even more than usual. As always, the story captivates readers with the good and bad that plague most small tourist towns, clam recipes, and rivals that literally get into fights.
It seems that one of Mona’s family has fallen for the enemy’s daughter, and no one other than the happy couple is thrilled. The murder of Mona’s clam digger rival is just the icing on the cake and has suspects coming out of the sand. There is more intrigue along with relationship secrets in this story to give a romance novel a run for its money. Everyone appears to be a suspect, but the evidence says none of them could have done it. Except, of course, one of them did. The murderer, when revealed, will be a surprise to many, but not all readers will be happy with the outcome.
I loved this book. The characters aren’t warm and fuzzy; that is what makes this series so good. All of them have sharp edges, but they have learned to smooth over the more serious ones and enjoy life together. If you are looking for an exciting mystery filled with wonderful characters, rivals that are on equal grounds with the Hatfields and McCoys, with lots of seafood, mainly clams, or just food in general, you will eat up this fantastic story!
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 for the Mount Desert Islander newspaper in Bar Harbor, Maine, where she resides. Check out their website for more information.
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