Death of a Country Fried Redneck (Hayley Powell Mystery)

Island Times Food and Spirits columnist, Hayley Powell's hum-drum day at the office took a dynamic spike when she learned her country music idol, Wade Springer was coming to Bar Harbor to give two charity concerts. With best buddy, Liddy on the Criterion's Board of Directors, Hayley is assured of a front row seat, but she'd really like to be his personal chef while he's in town. But how to get close enough to the star to secure this position? She decides to write a star-struck column about how she would love to introduce Wade to her lip-smacking country-fried chicken. When there is no word from the Springer Camp, she agrees to Liddy's scheme of impersonating the Island Times' Entertainment Reporter and sets up an interview in Wade's hotel room, also hoping to scoop rival newspaper, "The Herald" with the story. It didn't take long for her true identity to be discovered and thanks to the fried chicken column that did not go unnoticed, Wade asked Hayley to be his personal chef for the duration of his Bar Harbor stay. She proceeded to pull out all of the stops and fried lots of chicken, not only for Wade, but for his entire crew. It was during its delivery that she was introduced to slime-ball roadie, Mickey Pritchett, who wasted no time trying to strong-arm and intimidate Hayley into joining him on the empty tour bus. With help from Wade to free herself from Mickey's grasp and ultimately being fired from the crew, Mickey marches off with a basket of chicken, leaving Hayley with his menacing looks and threatening promises. Accusatory fingers point toward Wade and Hayley when Mickey's bullet-ridden body is found in the burned out tour bus. Hayley answers Sheriff Sergio's questions, then does some sleuthing on her own to clear her name and Wade's as well as for the safety of her children, Gemma and Dustin. Who could despise Mickey that much to kill him?
Buxom country singer/Wade's ex-wife and Mickey's former lover, Stacy Jo Stanton? Perhaps Wade's publicist, Billy Ray Cyrus, who was tired of Mickey's shenanigans leading to poor PR for Wade? How about nasty-dispositioned Ned Weston? Especially when he learns of Mickey's advances on his teen-aged daughter? The authors will take you on a series of twists and turns that will surprise you. Hayley's yummy column recipes as well as a snippet of their next mystery,"Death of a Coupon Clipper" are included in this volume. This latest Hayley Powell cozy is an enjoyable and easy read as was "Death of a Kitchen Diva". I have thoroughly enjoyed Hayley's escapades in both and anxiously look forward to the next. Nancy Narma

The plots in this series are good but the main character screams a lot. She also removes evidence from a crime scene, confronts alleged suspects with the evidence and does other stupid things

So, when I won this book on Goodreads, I had a giggle at the title. I mean, Death of a Country Fried Redneck?? It was funny! But the book turned out to really surprise me, I'll tell you that much. I wasn't expecting a mix between chick lit and mystery, but that's what I found.

The author does a good job of mixing elements of different genres within this book. There is the romantic aspect between Wade and Hayley, with the two of them ALMOST getting together, but forever on the outskirts of a relationship. The tension between them was very entertaining as well..

Then there was the mystery side of the book. The who-dun-it aspect. The country friend redneck turns out to be one of the roadies for super star Wade, a country singer. His murder is what turns the town upside down while they are visiting for a benefit concert.

So, Hayley has this huge (teenager-like) crush on Wade. She is a grown woman but when it comes to Wade, she reverts to her younger years. She would do anything to meet him, if only for a minute. Through scheming and the help of her friends in town, she finally manages to meet him. And then he hires her to be his personal chef while he's in town. This is the beginning of fun for all involved.

I think the author has done a great job giving us a fun, entertaining read that will leave you guessing until the end of the book. You won't know who killed the country friend redneck until you are finally told. That is one aspect of this book that I really liked. It wasn't predictable. So, whether or not you normally read this genre, you will enjoy this book because there is just something so charming about all of the characters within the pages. Hope you enjoy!!

Overall, I very much enjoyed the book - especially the unexpected plot twist at the end where the murderer's identity is revealed. However, I found the heroine (Hayley Powell) very annoying!!
Hayley lives in a small town and works for the local newspaper where she writes the food column. However, rather than focus on recipes, Hayley also intersperses her personal experiences; for example, her borderline romance with her country idol, Wade Springer, who is in town for a charity concert. Over the course of the book, in the excerpts from her food columns, Hayley continues to brag about her day-to-day experiences. If I lived in this town, I'd tell Hayley that she really needs to get over herself.

This was a great second book in this series. I read it in one night if that tells you anything. Haley is a very likeable main character and I love how she works to solve this mystery. I am onto book 3.

While the first in this series was my favorite, I enjoyed all three of these books and look forward to the fourth in the series, Death of a Chocoholic, due to be released January of 2014.

Author Lee Hollis (Mr. Copp & Ms. Simason), has created a delightful protagonist in Hayley Powell. Her exploits in these three tales had me laughing out loud more times then I can count. Hayley is a very real, less than perfect woman, making her way in life raising her two children and working her job at the newspaper. I liked the situations she finds herself in. Hayley is helped through her adventures by her best friends Mona, an always pregnat lobster boat captain and Liddy, a high class real estate agent. Throw into the mix her brother Brain owner of the local bar, his partner Sergio the chief of police, Hayley's children, her dog Leroy (named for her NCIS TV crush Mark Harmon) Sal the editor of The Island Times and Bruce the smarmy crime reporter at the paper---you have a very well rounded cast of characters. Add to that, Bar Harbor, Maine as the beautiful setting and you have winning combinations.

With fast paced plots, interesting twists and solid story lines, this series is destined to be a favorite among readers.

Recipes lovers, you won't be disappointed. Every book features Hayley's column Island Food & Spirits, which includes seven recipes from Hayley's kitchen along with cocktails to enjoy while preparing your meal! 

I'm a food junkie and this was great. The title caught me and another friend. I enjoyed the authors writing style!

Amazing! Another great foodie mystery novel! This brother/sister team is fantastic! I love Haley Powell's character; single mom of two, assistant at the local island newspaper, foodie article and recipe writer and amateur sleuth. Hollis has brought about a wonderful character in Haley! She is witty, charming, motherly, yet also has feelings that can be hurt! In Country Fried, Haley gets to meet her all time favorite country artist Wade Springer - but not only does she get to meet him, she is hired to be his personal chef while in Bar Harbor, along with canoodling on the side! When Springer's roadie soon ends up a country fried roadie, Haley makes it her mission to clean Springer's name of any wrong doings, along with her own. In the process she learns a great deal about herself along with her friends and family. If you are looking for an easy mystery/romance/foodie book, this is your new series! Bring on Death of a Coupon Clipper!

A nice, easy read. I am from Bar Harbor so enjoy reading about the familiar places.
Also enjoy the recipes.

"This wasn't the first time Hayley found herself smack dab in the middle of a police investigation." Following debut DEATH OF A KITCHEN DIVA in this second helping of the Hayley Powell cozy cookbook mystery series, Hayley stirs up a pot full of troubles for herself and her teen progeny, Gemma and Dustin.

What better way to a man's heart than through his stomach? Hayley hatches the plot of becoming country western superstar Wade Springer's personal chef while he's in town. She gets up close and personal with Wade, and both are momentary suspects in the murder of Wade's road-crew member, Mickey Pritchett.

Hayley never lets circumstantial evidence influence her thorough CSI-like analysis. Well, almost never. Investigating Mickey's suspicious death between writing recipes for Bar Harbor's Island Times, Hayley stumbles onto more plots than walking blind through a cemetery. "Trouble just seemed to find her." And those recipes are winners, especially the Southern Screw cocktail.

Stacy Jo Stanton is "Wade Springer's one mistake in life. That off-key harlot ex-wife of his." The buxom blonde immediately comes into Hayley's crosshairs, and not only because she's suspected of making Wade's gofer Mickey "a smoking charred corpse." Hayley has romantic sights set on Wade. And she soon suspects neighbors and friends as possible culprits, as Mickey has a way of offending anyone in the same ZIP code. Even BFF Liddy shows up on the suspect radar. With a slew of clues, it seems there are too many crooks in the kitchen.

Reliable Mona is the only person not suspected, and aids Hayley's investigation. Brother-in-law of sorts, Police Chief Sergio, locks up Hayley with Stacy Jo, after they take a pas-de-deux off the town pier. "Seems like a tornado of troubles always seems to follow me around."

If you seek a fun read in the vein of bestselling Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen Mysteries combined with Jeffrey Allen's Stay At Home series, put Lee Hollis on your must-read list. Lee Hollis is the pen name for sibling writing team, Rich Copp and Holly Simason, who in real life is a Bar Harbor, Maine food and cocktails columnist. This installment includes an appetizer from the next cozy, DEATH OF A COUPON CLIPPER.

If you can't stand the heat...

[[ASIN:075826738X Death of a Country Fried Redneck (Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mysteries)]]
Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy