When a fellow customer falls dead during a seafood tasting tour, the week leading up to Hayley Snow's wedding becomes very complicated.
A Deadly Feast is the latest installment of Lucy Burdette's Key West Food Critic Mystery series. Hayley Snow is trying to get a last article in before her wedding, but when someone dies on the seafood tour she is to write about, things start getting crazy.
As usual, the book is well plotted. There are some good twists and turns that keep you guessing. The locations used are well described, and the food descriptions made me hungry as always.
I really enjoy the characters in these books. Hayley and her family are quirky and fun, and the amount of food sounds like my family gatherings. I'm so glad recipes are included.
If you need an escape to the Keys, this book will take you there with a little touch of murder.
I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review.

This latest entry in the Key West mysteries is wonderfully fast-paced. Hayley Snow is about to be married to the KWPD detective who suspected her of murder in the first book. Will they really make it to the altar? Before the wedding day Hayley contends with a suspicious death, a definite murder, her entire family descending for Thanksgiving and the wedding, last minute wedding details, and a groom who keeps disappearing. I totally enjoyed this story and revisiting Hayley's world.

I received a copy of A Deadly Feast from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Hayley is excited about her upcoming wedding when a woman tragically dies on a food tour. She also has to worry about her broken down future houseboat and her future husband's career.

It's a lot. But thankfully, not too much. Hayley wants to clear the name of a chef and goes about doing so.

I really, really liked Miss Gloria

Hayley Snow, food critic and sometime amateur sleuth, is hot on the heels of a killer in this ninth instalment in the Key West Food Critic series of mysteries. Twists and turns, tempting food descriptions and likeable characters together with a real sense of place -transporting the reader to Key West - make this an enjoyable read.

This book has mystery, romance and great recipes. Hayley Snow is a journalist by trade and amateur sleuth by hobby. She is also engaged and soon to be married to Nathan a detective.
A food tour that Haley attended to do a story on ends up being the setting of a death that then leads to an investigation. Sprinkle in a murder, a attack on the groom “Nathan “ when he is investigating the murder and there wedding. And recipes lots of delicious recipes!

This is the first book I have ready by Lucy Burdette and I'm going back to get more in her Key West Food Critic Mystery series. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the eclectic characters. The mystery was intriguing, the family relationships engaging and the connections between Hayley and Nathan that were revealed in the ending touched me. I also loved learning about the locale of Key West. I highly recommend 'A Deadly Feast'.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Love this series and jumped at the chance to read it when I saw it offered on NetGalley. This entry did not disappoint and I hope there are more in this awesome series on the way!

Hailey Snow's wedding is about a week away and she has more than enough on her plate. Then a woman does suddenly while attending a food tour that Hailey attended for Key West magazine. She gets roped into asking questions about it while her police detective fiancee is working nights undercover. Harley is an engaging amateur sleuth and the Key West locale and foodie milieu provide an interesting backdrop to an intriguing puzzle. A top rate series and highly recommended!

Key Zest Magazine's delightful food critic, Hayley Snow is busy trying to meet her deadline, help with Thanksgiving prep and getting married to hot cop Nathan. She needs to get this one seafood tasting tour over and then she can concentrate on her wedding.

But when one of the ladies drops dead on the tour, Hayley's friend, Analise asks her to help find out what killed her. There were a few restaurants on the tour and a few reputations could be at risk if it was poisoning.

At the same time, Nathan is on a big case and keeps cancelling on her. What could be more important than the wedding? And where is he??

Great characters, a foodie mystery and a locale to die for, this series just keeps getting better and the food is 5 star drool worthy! Are there recipes? Of course!

I hope enjoy this series as much as I have.

Netgalley/May 7th 2019 by Crooked Lane Books

What a week for Haley Snow, Thanksgiving and her wedding.

The book opens with Haley reviewing a seafood walking tour for Key Zest Magazine. Unexpectedly, at the end of the tour, one guest slumps, falls to the floor, losing consciousness. Analise Smith, who owns the tour asks Haley to investigate. Our Haley is an anxious soul. Over the series, she has grown significantly, helped by the her family of heart, and her family of origin. In A Deadly Feast, she struggles with her pre-wedding jitters, her awareness that Nathan prefers she not get involved in investigating, and if the houseboat next to Ms Gloria will ever be finished. As tension mounts, Nathan disappears. Where is he? Will he be there for the ceremony?

One of my favorite features in Burdette's Key West Food Critic Mystery series is the use of real people and real settings, and real events. A reader could 'google' most of the places mentioned and find an
image of the location. Many of the events, such as the Cooking With Love Program from the MCC fellowship actually happen. Another plus for me is Burdette's understanding of food trends and other contemporary issues. This novel mentions the MeToo movement, and the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

I appreciate the subtle use of honored therapeutic suggestions from both the holistic approach to healing and the more formal psycho-theraputic method. Along with Ms. Gloria's common sense generational wisdom.

Most of the characters from previous novels appear. Ms Gloria shares a jaw dropping story. All is well with most everyone as they gather for Thanksgiving. The baking is delectable, the recipes are delicious. The recipes feature contemporary Thanksgiving, including a vegetarian recipe, plus some lovely Wedding nibbles.

Burdette's sense of humor voicing Haley had me laughing out loud at times. This novel is highly recommended.

I would like to thank netgallery and the published for providing me a copy of this work in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I love this series and jumped at this book when it was offered by NetGalley. Hayley Snow is getting married to her policeman boyfriend, Nathan Bransford, but before she can celebrate, she has one more article to write for the magazine she works for and someone collapses at the end of the tour and later dies. Was the food on the food tour the culprit? She tries to investigate while getting ready for her wedding with her father and his family and her mother and her husband causing her anxiety, and unfinished houseboat that was to be her future home, and then the day before the wedding her fiance, Nathan, disappears. This series continues to get better and better as the author continues to delight us with the characters and setting.

Really enjoyed this book. The characters were so relatable. Loved all the twists and turns. Thank you Lucy Burdette for this great mystery. I actually wondered WHODUNNIT from the beginning.

Lucy Burdette’s A Deadly Feast is an entertaining cozy read with a great heroine, an interesting mystery and a vivid setting. But, I wish some characters and subplots were trimmed because the book is crowded. Furthermore, I wish that the mystery plot was more suspenseful and better developed. This book is the ninth instalment in the Key West Food Critic mystery series. I don’t recommend this as a standalone because certain things may confuse new readers.

Food critic Hayley Snow’s plate is overflowing this Thanksgiving. She’s about to marry her detective fiancé, Nathan. She’s also balancing family drama, houseboat repairs, and work assignments. While Hayley is attending a friend’s seafood tasting tour, she witnesses the sudden death of a woman. Although Hayley wants to stay away from sleuthing, she’s soon trying to find a killer. Could it be the woman’s shady husband? Is secretive chef Martha’s key lime pie to blame? Meanwhile, Nathan is busy with a secret assignment, giving Hayley more to worry about. Will Hayley catch a killer and make it down the aisle?

While the book is fast-paced and held my attention, I wish Burdette spent more time fleshing out the mystery and creating tension. I wish Hayley had done more investigating. I do like how certain things eventually tie together. However, the mystery sometimes felt like an afterthought. There is little tension until the bitter end. Furthermore, some of the subplots like Miss Gloria’s friendship with her prison buddy could have been trimmed. But, I like the inclusion of the Me Too movement into the plot.

I adore the lovingly detailed descriptions of Key West. I really feel like I’m there with every delicious dish and depiction of places and people. I also love the sweet feeling of friendship and family throughout the book which makes it a perfect holiday read.

Hayley is a great protagonist. She is smart, kind, and relatable. The other characters are well-crafted and interesting. However, there are too many characters and some of them act implausibly. Although I’m not a fan of Hayley’s relationship with broody detective Nathan, I actually did not mind them here because Nathan was slightly less patronizing and controlling than usual.

A Deadly Feast is a quick and entertaining cozy in a fantastically written setting. With all the delicious dishes and sweet interactions between the characters, this book is great for holiday reading. I love that the book includes some mouth-watering recipes. Although I wish the mystery was more developed and that some characters and subplots were trimmed, this is an easy and light read that’ll have you booking a trip to Key West or baking your own version of Hayley’s scrumptious pumpkin pie!

A bit confusing and too many characters. It seemed like a repeat of two or three other books I have read recently.

When I first started this series I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but the author had a plan and I am so glad that I stuck with her. The main character has grown into one of my favorites as she has grown from a bumbling sleuth to a thoughtful and purposeful one. She still gets into sticky situations, but she often figures a way back out. The rest of the characters are delightful and have well developed personalities that only enhance the plot lines that have always been interesting and intriguing! This book in particular may be my favorite in the series so far and when you read the series I think you'll figure out why. Sorry, no spoilers will be posted here so I can't be more specific as I don't want to ruin the story for you. I really can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

Snow and cold outside, but indoors, caught up in Lucy Burdette’s A DEADLY FEAST, I enjoyed Key West warmth, delectable food, and the coziness of friendship — oh, and mysterious death and danger, just to add spice to the story as jalapeños do to fish tacos. Haley and Nathan just want a simple, beautiful wedding at which friends and family can celebrate. Thanksgiving weekend is supposed to be quiet, relatively, for Key West, but “the best laid plans . . .” lead to plenty of excitement. There is also insightful musing and examples about marriages, good, bad . . . and deadly. “Is it better to be adored, or adoring?” Will Haley really learn to “stay out of police business” and wait quietly at home? Would we want her to?
I enjoy the ways in which the circles of friendships intersect to aid others. No one is left out at Thanksgiving, and when a contractor bails or library volunteers are needed, true friends step up.
The recipes are fun to look at even if I don’t end up making them. The quotes at the beginnings of the chapters are suggestive of other books and authors I’ll be looking for.

I love this series. I would read it bust for the relationship between Haley and Miss Gloria!
Add in delectable food and gorgeous men, and I'm hooked.

Thanksgiving is approaching and so is the wedding of Haley Snow food critic to Nathan Bransford police officer.
Haley had just taken a seafood tasting tour and at the last stop a woman in the group collapses and die........poison? Revenge?
Haley is asked baby her friend Analise who runs the tour to investigate. Well, you know she won't turn that down as Haley has a habit of getting herself involved in past cases. Even though Nathan has asked her to stay away and let him and the police handle it.
This was a great way to escape to tropical Key West without having to pack my suitcase and feel warm while being home in cold weather. The food descriptions were mouth watering and made me hungry.
Great characters and a wonderful read.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this book.

An interesting plot with lots of twists that will keep you guessing. The characters are a wide range of personality. The food will make your mouth water.

A Deadly Feast by Lucy Burdette is a delightful trip to the Keys with a chance to wander around some of the streets of Key West which is only one mile wide and six miles long. There were just enough references to local landmarks and streets to spark the memory of anyone who has ever lived or spent some time there, without being overwhelming or feeling like a travelog.
The characters of this series, including Haley, a food reporter and the central protagonist for the series, her police officer fiance, Nathan, her roomate, Miss Gloria and several others including parents and friends, are well written with enough information to help them develop as individuals in the reader’s mind. An added bonus are the recipes at the back of the book, several of which look enticing and may wind up in a “to be tried” recipe box belonging to more than one reader.
This is the sixth in Ms. Burdette’s Key West Food Critic mysteries and my first of the series. Haley is on a food tour for an article she is writing when one of their group drops dead at the last stop. While the story is self-contained within this book, there are hints that Haley has solved mysteries prior to this one, sometimes to the chagrin of Nathan. While she talks about staying out of this one, she keeps agreeing to check into things for one or more of her friends, all while getting ready for her wedding which is supposed to happen at the end of the week.
While Haley is drawn to question what happened to her tour companion, she is also concerned that she may make Nathan unhappy in that he has asked her to let him handle murder and other crimes in his official capacity. Haley tries to walk a fine line between discovering what happened and whether or not it was someone seeking revenge on a local chef and staying true to her promise to Nathan. To complicate matters, Nathan is on an undercover assignment that has him disappearing for most nights with little information regarding his activities. Haley is even more frustrated when she sees his rented SUV parked outside a local strip club. Is he on assignment there or is he engaged in his last hurrah before marrying. There is little emphasis on Haley’s questioning of Nathan’s activities as to why a strip club and, as such, little tension arises from this storyline. Things do get heated when Nathan disappears on Thanksgiving Day, the day before their wedding.
The solution to this mystery comes about more from Haley simply driving around the island than any real detective work the reader sees getting done. Some of Nathan’s activities are central to solving this case and since the reader doesn’t have the chance to get this information until the explanation of who, what, and why, there is little opportunity to solve this puzzle just by picking up clues and avoiding red herrings. It was not difficult to know who the murderer was, even without this information.
This would be a great beach or airplane read, allowing the reader to escape to a tropical island without having to spend a great deal of time concentrating on clues and suspects. It is an easy book to put down and pick up as the reader’s schedule dictates. While it isn’t necessary to read the books in order to follow the action in this one, there are relationships and characters who seem to have been more fully developed in earlier novels within the series. As such, the reader might enjoy reading the books in order so they can watch these developments as they occur.
My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing and advanced digital read copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.