Reviewer: Connie Payne
Title: An Appetite for Murder - 1st in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series
Author: Lucy Burdette
Publisher: Obsidian
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-23551-0
Release Date: January 2012
Genre/Sub-genre: Cozy/Culinary Mystery
Year/Setting: Present day, Key West FL
Overall Rating: 4.25
Sexual Content Rating: None
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: None/Very Mild
Violent Content Rating: Moderate
Lucy's (AKA Roberta Islib) Website/Blog: lucyburdette.com
We’ve all been there at one time or another, thinking things just couldn’t get worse. Right?
That’s what Hayley Snow mistakenly thought. She has no steady job, meaning no income to speak of. Bad enough, huh? Yet what could be worse than a spur-of-the-moment move to Key West to live with a man she basically didn’t know, only to have it end in disaster after a matter of weeks, leaving her without a home? Being the main POI in a murder might be worse.
Yep. The current girlfriend (aka Kristen) of her ex (aka Chad) was murdered.
The police think Hayley has a motive; Chad was a cad, a cheater – turns out with Kristen, naturally. Oh, she also supposedly has means; she knows about food. She’s an aspiring food critic for the magazine Kristen co-owned and was starting up. Let’s not forget opportunity; Kristen was found dead in Chad’s apartment where Hayley lived for several weeks, remember? She knows her way in and around the building.
Certain police officers won’t let up. Even after a crime against her was committed very close to home and an attempt was made on Hayley’s life. They still believe she was capable of murder. Obviously they had a one track mind.
She has to save her own skin and clear her name. Hayley wants that job – does that make her a bad person? Being concerned about the position still being open after Kristen has just been murdered?
Saving her skin means motoring around Key West and getting into trouble while she searches for anything that will throw suspicion elsewhere. With the help of her friends, Connie, Eric, Ray, and a small group of homeless guys, she is able to come up with some questions that could possibly help, should she get the answers she needs, of course.
Unfortunately the answer to that is no.
Lives are at stake, mainly hers, danger shadows her every move, but no matter the cost she’s going to track down the murderer.
Lucy Burdette offers the reader a light, multi-coursed, suspense-filled treat… action, perils around every other corner, intrigue that’s tightly wrapped around mystery, a determined yet witty woman in the leading role, and interesting supporting characters. It all makes up the tasty mystery menu.
Hayley is energetic, funny, a good friend, a bit vulnerable and unsure of herself, and hopes for love to come her way. Her friends are a good source of support, even when Hayley kind of messes up. The homeless guys add their own unique brand of help. They all are an integral part of the story/series, yet they take a step back and let Hayley step forward and stand out, make herself known to the reader.
If you have an ‘appetite’ for a mystery that’s layered with supposition, spur-of-the-moment fact finding missions, dangerous moments, and is full of zest and flavor, then look no further.
BTW, the Molasses cookies are rich and yummy, too!
Happy reading!
Connie
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