Lucy Burdette

Key West, island-life, pet-dog, local-law-enforcement, recipes, food-columnist, foodie, murder-investigation, murder, secrets, lies, series, houseboat, octogenarians, family-dynamics, friendship, friends, relationships, relatives, amateur-sleuth, friction, missing-persons, confrontation*****

Hayley Snow is a food critic and her husband Nathan Bransford is a local police detective. Whenever the occasion arises, she winds up sharing the sleuthing with her fantastic octogenarian neighbor, Miss Gloria (who's a real hoot and will not be left out). This time a rather manipulative author contacts Harley for help in resurrecting a forty year old cold case of a woman she knew who simply went missing. The author is on Key West for info on toxic relationships centering on the es-wives of Hemingway. And then they find the body of someone from those years ago and it all goes pear shaped.
Excellent read filled with relatable characters, suspense, and a whole lot more.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!… (més)

Review of eBook

When Hayley Snow receives a perplexing email from Catherine Davitt, she’s drawn into a forty-year-old mystery concerning a missing young woman. In 1978, Catherine and her friend, Veronica, had been living in an encampment that was essentially a commune. And Veronica had simply vanished.

A yellowed newspaper clipping revealed that the police had been notified and investigated, but Veronica remained missing. It was assumed that she simply left Big Pine Key.

But Catherine isn’t certain . . . and she wants to solve the mystery of her friend’s disappearance.

Hayley wonders why Catherine wants to find the answer to Veronica’s disappearance after so many years have passed. But she agrees to meet with Catherine.

What did happen to Veronica? And will Hayley be able to find the answers Catherine seeks?

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Fourteenth in the author’s Key West Food Critic Mystery series, all the expected characters are in place and readers of the series are sure to welcome them as old and dear friends, especially the delightful Miss Gloria. However, for readers new to the series, there is sufficient backstory for the narrative to work as a standalone.

The strong sense of place anchors the telling of the tale; the subplot of Catherine writing a book about Ernest Hemingway and his four wives provides illuminating insight into Hemingway’s connection with Key West. Long-held secrets play an integral part in the solving of Veronica’s disappearance; a murder and another disappearance push Hayley to find the answers.

As might be expected, food plays an integral part in the telling of this unputdownable tale; thankfully, recipes are included in the book. Readers are sure to find this resolution to the mystery to be quite satisfying.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#APoisonousPalate #NetGalley… (més)

Review of e-Book

“Lucy Burdette’s Kitchen” is filled with delicious recipes, each group with excerpts from the Key West Food Critic Mysteries book where they originally appeared. The author offers comments as necessary in order for the reader to be successful in creating the recipes.

Here readers will find a variety of recipes for Breakfast, Drinks, Appetizers and Hors D’oeuvres, Soups and Stews, Side Dishes, Main Courses, and Desserts. There’s even a bonus Key West Food Critic short story with its own special recipe.

Readers who enjoy the Key West Food Critic stories as well as those looking for interesting and unique recipes will find much to appreciate in this delightful companion to the author’s mystery series.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#LucyBurdettesKitchen #NetGalley… (més)

This book contains recipes as well as short synopses from the Lucy Burdette series of culinary mysteries set in Key West. Since the main character is a food critic, there are recipes for each book that tie in with the stories. Readers who enjoy cooking unique dishes will find this book to be a fun addition to their cooking repertoire. It is not necessary to have read the mystery novels in order to enjoy reading and using the recipes, although readers of this series will find the recipes add interest to their reading. For those unfamiliar with the series, this book may provide incentive to read the books!

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions included here are my own.… (més)