Haley Powell #18
Lee Hollis’ latest Haley Powell mystery, Death of a Tom Turkey, is the perfect fit for a thanksgiving read. Haley Powell is a food writer and the owner of Hayley’s Kitchen restaurant in Bar Harbor, Maine. While food is her primary passion, she has developed a deep love and talent for investigation, too. She’s aided in her sleuthing by her husband Bruce, who is a crime reporter, and her brother in law Sergio, who happens to be the chief of police. Haley has a warm and soothing personality, perfect for putting people at ease and getting them to open-up and tell her things they might not be so willing to tell Sergio or any other officer of the law. However, even though she can often coax them to talk to her alone, she encourages them to speak to the police as well, sometimes going as far as to offer to go along with them as support so they don’t feel as intimidated or vulnerable.
Thanksgiving is a foodie’s dream, and gives Haley plenty of ammunition for her food articles for the Island Times. The story opens with the town’s annual turkey shoot, where everyone turns out to compete for prizes. No one expected anything but targets to get shot, but local grouch, turkey farmer, and all around mean neighbor Tom Farley ends up being sent to the hospital with a round in him. Fully self-aware of his un-likeability, Tom is more than ready to tell Haley who he thinks is responsible. He suspects his neighbors and/or a property developer that wants to buy up all their properties for a ridiculous amount of money. He refuses to sell. If he won’t sell, the developer won’t buy the other properties either, as they need all the land to make their vision work. However, Tom is very attached to his land and has declared more than once that he will die on it. Little did he know how horrifically accurate that statement would be.
No sooner is he discharged, Haley herself finds Tom’s tragic fate and feels compelled to help find the truth behind what happened to the grumpy old man. He might not have been universally loved, he might have been downright mean to the majority of people he met, but no one deserves to die the way Tom did. The biggest problem for Haley is that she has a literal full town of suspects, and very few are concerned about finding Tom justice. They instead are focused on what exactly is going to happen to the valuable property he left behind, as well as his horde of turkeys.
From fresh Thanksgiving meal tips, to advice on what could be done with the plethora of left overs, Haley is ready to provide readers with plenty of recipes as well as a satisfying cozy mystery adventure. Longtime readers of the Haley Powell series will love this newest addition, and I for one was surprised by the final twist in the investigation. New readers will be able to enjoy Death of a Tom Turkey as well, due to author Hollis clearly outlining characters and their relationships. There are a few plot points that might have heightened in enjoyment and tension if readers have some background from the previous books, but new readers will still understand what is going on and what’s at stake. Death of a Tom Turkey really showcases the trust her town and neighbors have for Haley. Even though no one particularly loved Tom, they are more than willing to help Haley in her quest for justice. No one wants a murderer on the loose, and no one knows when or if they’ll strike again. – Carla Schantz