Death of a Gingerbread Man, by Lee Hollis

 Publication Sept. 24, 2024

Ah, Christmas. A time when family and friends gather and a merry ol' time is had by all. Well, maybe in all the Hallmark movies we watch but that isn't the case for Hayley Powell. Not only is her mother from heck arriving from Florida but there's another surprise visitor, too. Her father, who disappeared out of their lives some forty years ago. And, oh, boy, is Dwight Jordan a piece of work. True, he's apparently a master chef, with the skill to bake a gingerbread replica of one of the most famous fairy tale castles ever, but he also seems to have a record as long as, possibly longer, than his recipe list. Both charmer and conman, his visit is just the beginning of a memorable Christmas for both Hayley and the town of Bar Harbor.

I won't detail the plot, the blurb is an excellent introduction to the book, but will say that it involves not just holiday high jinx but murder, jealous, volatile couples, past sins, family reunions, whether wanted or not, icy escapades, Christmas gift exchanges, pets that don't get along, and a seriously competitive  gingerbread contest. Heck, even Hayley's mother manages to get involved in that (for reasons you'll learn) despite that baking isn't her strength, plus shootings, and more. Through it all, Hayley's column for the paper, full of anecdotes and recipes, is a fun extra as she struggles to keep her mother and father as far apart as possible.

That column has always been a way we've gotten a peek into Hayley's past but the appearance of her father definitely brings out old stories from, well, almost everyone. Not all are good. In fact, most are anything but good. Is the FBI really on his trail as one story has it? In any case, it was fun to see another side of Hayley as well as how she reacted to the sudden reappearance of a man she barely knew. Brother Randy barely remembers him, in fact, due to his age when Dwight went missing. Through it all, Lee Hollis' use of humor softens the edges and keeps us grinning. Mona's driving record even gets a mention, so she's in there, too, albeit the focus is on Hayley and her family this go-round. Everyone pulls together, even her mother, albeit grousing all the way. There are enough suspects and twists and turns to keep even the biggest bah-humbug of Christmas stories reading. Thanks #KensingtonPublishing - #KensingtonCozies for allowing me to pop in early to see what's going on in Bar Harbor with Hayley and the rest. It's always an adventure and, oh, boy, some of those recipes sound delicious.