This novella also has Hayley’s Island Times columns interspersed between chapters. These columns are the sugar on top of your morning cereal! While you like your cereal, the sprinkle of sugar on top makes it perfect! The Cinnamon Muffins are fast and delicious, perfect when you want a tasty treat but don’t have much time.
When a local young man with a few too many sugar mamas is found dead the night of Liddy’s elaborate holiday party, Hayley is bound to find who is really responsible. This holiday themed novella is a perfect fast read for a busy season.
Death by a Yule Log by Lee Hollis
Christmas Morning Muffins
from a cozy mystery novel:
Death by a Yule Log
by Lee Hollis
Book Outline and Tone:
In 2022 Lee Hollis released Death by a Yule Log. This cozy mystery novella is a great quick read for the busy holiday season. If you have been reading the books in release order, be aware that this book is not set in chronological order with the rest of the series. In Death of an Ice Cream Scooper, Hayley’s son returns home with his soon to be wife. In this novel, Dustin is still a kid in high school. Additionally, while Hayley and Bruce are dating, they are not married. Whether you jump into this novella out of order for release date or you picked it up because it was next on the released list, I am confident you will enjoy this one.
Hayley is thrilled that her daughter Gemma is coming home from NY for Christmas and a bit nervous to meet Gemma’s boyfriend Conner. As a mom I can completely understand that even though Conner seems polite and affable, Hayley is a bit skeptical. After all, isn’t every good parent skeptical when it comes to deciding if someone is good enough for their child? Gemma and Conner accompany Hayley to Liddy’s extravagant Christmas party and Conner gets into a scuffle with the town womanizer. When that character shows up dead and Hayley’s best friend Mona is convinced Conner is the killer, things don’t look good for Conner.
This novella also has Hayley’s Island Times columns interspersed between chapters. These columns are the sugar on top of your morning cereal! While you like your cereal, the sprinkle of sugar on top makes it perfect!
The Best Quote:
“Yes. After I saw you at the funeral, I figured you’d start poking around. The police haven’t arrested anyone for Ryan’s murder yet. So given your reputation and how you like to insert yourself into every scandal that hits town, I figured it would only be a matter of time before you made your way here.”
“My reputation precedes me,” Hayley joked.
“I didn’t say it was a good reputation,” Lenora snickered.
Hayley decided to let that one go.
Point of View:
The novel is told in third person with the reader knowing Hayley’s thoughts.
The Author:
This book was written by Lee Hollis. Well sort of… Lee Hollis is the pseudonym for the real authors, a brother and sister team, Rick Copp and Holly Simason. There is more information on Goodreads. Like their protagonist Hayley Powell, Copp and Simason are from Maine. Copp moved to Hollywood and wrote for The Golden Girls, Wings, Teen Titans and a long list of impressive television and movies. Simason is a columnist in Maine and writes a cooking column. Fortunately for us readers, they decided to combine their talents and write the Lee Hollis series, currently being published by Kensington House Publishing Corporation. The Hayley Powell series has a Facebook page. The authors are active on both X and Instagram.
What is not to like?:
I was thrown off that the book wasn’t chronological, but I loved it anyway.
The verdict:
These simple Cinnamon Muffins make for an excellent treat. They whip up and cook up fast and delicious. I also continue to really enjoy the characters, mysteries, and Lee Hollis’ writing style. I highly recommend this series.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).
Christmas Morning Muffins
Assemble the Ingredients
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix your flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, allspice, and nutmeg.
Add the egg and butter and milk into the flour mixture.
and stir just until moistened.
Divide into a greased or paper-lined muffin tin.
Reusable, oven and dishwasher safe comes in many colors.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Assemble Ingredients for the Topping
While muffins are baking, combine your remaining cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
Remove the finished muffins from the oven and while the muffins are still hot, brush the tops of the muffins with the melted butter,
then roll the tops in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Place them on a pretty Christmas platter, then just sit back and watch them be gobbled up in a matter of seconds.
Christmas Morning Muffins
Ingredients
Muffin dough
- 1½ cups flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp allspice
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
For the topping
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar (or regular sugar if that's your preference)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Mix your flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, allspice, and nutmeg.
- Add the egg and butter and milk into the flour mixture and stir just until moistened.
- Divide into a greased or paper-lined muffin tin or use silicone baking cups.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While muffins are baking, combine your remaining cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
- Remove the finished muffins from the oven and brush the tops of the muffins with the melted butter, then roll the tops in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
- Place them on a pretty Christmas platter, then just sit back and watch them be gobbled up in a matter of seconds.
What would I do differently next time?
These are fast and simple. They are perfect for hot muffins on a busy morning. I would not change a thing.
More outstanding recipes from Lee Hollis Books
Southern Mac and Cheese from Death of a Country Fried Redneck,
Pumpkin Chocolate Chips Cookies from Death of a Pumpkin Carver,
Lemon Tart from Death of a Cupcake Queen, and
Dreamy Orange Dreamsicle Cake from Death of a Cupcake Queen.
