The Key Lime Crime by Lucy Burdette

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Key Lime Crime

by Lucy Burdette

Series: Key West Food Critic Mystery #10
Series Rating:
Published by Crooked Lane Books on August 11, 2020
Genres: Cozy Culinary Holiday Mystery
Pages: 320
Format: Kindle
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, IndieBound
Also in this series: A Deadly Feast, A Clue in the Crumbs, A Poisonous Palate

National bestselling author Lucy Burdette's tenth Key West Food Critic mystery is piping hot with pie-enthusiasts and murder suspects.

When a fierce rivalry between key lime pie bakers leads to a pastry chef's murder, food critic Hayley Snow is fit to be pied.

During the week between Christmas and New Year's, the year-round population of Key West, Florida, faces a tsunami of tourists and snowbirds. It doesn't help that outrageously wealthy key lime pie aficionado David Sloan has persuaded the city to host his pie-baking contest. Every pie purveyor on the island is out to win the coveted Key Lime Key to the City and Key Zest food critic Hayley Snow is on the scene to report it.

Meanwhile, Hayley's home life is turning more tart than sweet. Hayley's new hubby, police detective Nathan Bransford, announces that her intimidating mother-in-law is bearing down on the island for a surprise visit. Hayley offers to escort Nathan's crusty mom on the iconic Conch Train Tour of the island's holiday lights, but it becomes a recipe for disaster when they find a corpse among the glittering palm trees and fantastic flamingos. The victim--Au Citron Vert's controversial new pastry chef--was a frontrunner in Sloan's contest.

It's bad enough that Hayley's too-curious mother-in-law is cooking up trouble. Now, the murderer is out to take a slice out of Hayley. Can she handle the heat of a killer's kitchen?

The Key Lime Crime by Lucy Burdette is a pie-licious mystery filled with insecurities, ambitions, and murder.

Will Hayley and Helen figure out who killed Claudette before they completely hate key lime pies?

Haley and Helen

Haley is in her first month of marriage to her brilliant cop husband, Nathan, when his mother calls to come and visit the week unexpectedly between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. This is the busiest time for the police, not to mention Hayley’s job and her parents’ catering business. Key West is pretty crazy this time of year.

Hayley has so many questions about Nathan’s childhood, but she is very intimidated by Nathan’s mom, Helen. Helen also works in law enforcement but as a forensic scientist. Hayley learns some things about Nathan’s past that she didn’t know before. However, Helen is full of other surprises. Hayley and Helen are starting to get along, but one of the things that make them so different is that Hayley loves food, whereas Helen needs nourishment.

I like the way Ms. Burdette allows Hayley’s insecurities to play out and how we slowly see Hayley and Helen getting closer. However, I always have such a problem with Nathan and his issues with Hayley’s well-being. I try to grasp his past and how that affects his current life. Yet, there are times when he drives me crazy.

The Mystery

Claudette, the newest pastry chef in town, is murdered after throwing a pie in the face of one of the more popular citizens. Hayley, Helen, and Miss Gloria find the deceased. Then Helen and Hayley begin to investigate the crime. I totally thought it was a red herring, I even got caught up in the wrong motive.

Miss Gloria Update

Miss Gloria is a kick in the pants. She is my favorite character. In this installment, she gets another cat, a kitten named T-Bone. So let’s do a quick rundown. That’s three people, two adult cats, one dog, and now a kitten all living in a two-bedroom boathouse. Talk about tight quarters, but it is fine as Miss Gloria is already worried about how lonely she will be when Hayley and Nathan finally move on to their houseboat that’s right next door.

Honestly, it’s harder to find contractors there in Key West than it is here in Montana, and that is saying a lot.

Five Stars

I love the dynamics of Hayley, her family, Nathan, and Miss Gloria. Seriously, this book has it all, murder, cats, a dog, and food (lots of key lime pie). My rating for The Key Lime Crime by Lucy Burdette is five stars. I recommend it to all you cozy readers out there.

Oh and don’t forget the recipes at the back:

• Cheese Puffs with Fig Jam
• Alvina’s Crumb Cake
• Cheryl’s Chai Snickerdoodles
• Knockoff Baby’s Salad with Italian Dressing a la Clemente’s Trolley Pizzeria
• Eric’s Chick and Stuffing Casserole for 160 People
• David Sloan’s Key Lime Martini
• Lucy Burdette’s Decadent Key Lime Parfait
• Caprese Salad with Grilled Flank Steak

Other Books in the Series

 

Giveaway

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Until the next time,

 

This Guest Review is for Baroness’ Book Trove. 

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