"A Scone of Contention" by Lucy Burdette is the eleventh installment in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series, but it doesn't quite reach the heights of its predecessors. While it continues to offer the charm and culinary delights that fans of the series have come to expect, there are some shortcomings in this particular book.

The premise of a honeymoon in Scotland adds an exciting twist to the series, but the narrative becomes cluttered with too many characters, including the addition of Nathan's family and Miss Gloria. The story attempts to balance sightseeing and mystery-solving, but it often feels disjointed as it navigates between different subplots.

The mystery itself, involving a possible poisoning and a suspicious death, is intriguing, but it takes a backseat to the family dynamics and travelogue aspects of the book. This makes the pacing a bit uneven, and the resolution feels rushed.

Despite these criticisms, Burdette's writing maintains its cozy and engaging style. Hayley Snow remains a relatable protagonist, and the culinary descriptions continue to shine. However, for fans of the series, "A Scone of Contention" may not be the standout entry they were hoping for, as it lacks the focus and tight plotting of earlier installments.

I really liked this cozy mystery episode of the Key West Food Critic Mysteries. This time, we don't stay in Key West - we're off to Scotland. Hayley Stone, her husband Nathan, and her friend Ms. Gloria take off to visit Nathan's sister and her husband, and for a not so romantic second honeymoon. I loved the story-telling and the descriptions of the Scottish scenery was really interesting, and I loved the book quotes at the beginning of each chapter. The recipes at the end were awesome too - now I have scone recipes to give a try! I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me an e-copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

I have enjoyed the books I have read in the Key West Food Critic series. Though I haven’t read all of them, I have bought every book in the series. This particular book was a delight to read because the majority of it took place in Scotland. The characters are well developed and you will love Hayley and her husband, Nathan, as well as their 80-plus-year-old neighbor, Gloria. There are lots of characters introduced but it is easy to keep up. There are twists and turns and multiple mysteries occurring … both in Scotland and the U.S. The sites the group visited and the foods they enjoyed had me ready to book a ticket on the next plane to Scotland. This is a great cozy mystery and I can’t wait for their next adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this book incredibly interesting the author really kept me hooked until the end. very well written I highly recommend.

I have enjoyed Lucy Burdette's series since the beginning and have loved every installment. It's been so much fun to see how Hayley Snow has grown over the course of the series. She's always been a strong-willed character which makes her such a joy to read. "A Scone of Contention" finds Hayley having gotten a fairytale ending with Nathan (which has been a long time coming) but their honeymoon plans take a quick turn when they stumble into a murder. As the mystery deepens, their honeymoon becomes more chaotic with Hayley and Nathan's romantic getaway incorporating murder, poison, time with Nathan's sister, and all set against the stunning backdrop of Scotland. Another great mystery in the series. I can't wait to see where else Hayley's journey will go.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Love these little murder mystery novel. Great beach/weekend read.

Hayley and her husband travel to Scotland for a delayed Honeymoon. Nathan is there to play golf, while Hayley is bursy touring kitchens for her magazine article. While riding on a ferris wheel, a man falls to his death. Was it an accident or was it incidental?

I found this story very charming. The characters wee full of personality and there was always something happening with them. I did find the plot a little weak. There also wasn't many red herrings or a lot of investigation on Hayley's part. However, there are tons of recipes at the end of the book. I can't wait to try them. I would recommend this book to cozy mystery readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. Compared to other cozy mysteries I have read I really felt I knew the main characters and cared what happened to them. The mystery kept me guessing until the end. One thing I felt was a bit distracting that in the first chapter or to there were some comments that I am assuming related to earlier books that were confusing to me. This is the first book that I have read by this author, Overall a very enjoyable read.

The Key West food critic takes on Scotland in the eleventh book of the series and the setting out shown the storyline. Nothing about the mystery itself captured my attention. There was no reason to be invested as it involved friends of Hayley’s new husband’s sister who really were just background noise. The real mystery I was interested in, what was happening back in Key West, was barely a side note tacked on at the end. As always Miss Gloria was a hoot and I when Hayley contemplated how little time we’d have left with the octogenarian my heart broke with her.

Hayley Snow and her new husband, Nathan, are heading to Scotland for their honeymoon. It is an unconventional honeymoon with Nathan's family tagging along. When Hayley witness a man falling to his death from Falkirk Wheel the new couple are at the center of a murder investigation that may involve the family friends they are visiting.

This cozy mystery is the perfect book to curl up with in front of the fire with a cup of tea. The author takes us to a new land, talks about the food in great detail, and provides a whodunit mystery to solve. It did not disappoint.

If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, you know Lucy Burdette knows how to weave a good cozy. This is the 11th book in The Key West Food Critic Mystery series. Haley and Nathan are finally married, and he’s taking her to honeymoon in Scotland to meet his sister Vera. Unfortunately they’re not alone, they’ve got Haley’s dear neighbor Miss Gloria and Nathan’s mother along.
When they arrive, Vera wants to show them attractions she’s writing about in a new book. One of them is the Falkirk Wheel, a boat lift. While they’re at the Wheel, they watch a man fall off and die. Haley is suspicious of Vera and her friends but she’s on her honeymoon. Her inner detective gets her investigating after all.
The mystery wasn’t easy for the reader to solve, a plus for me. The descriptions of Scotland and the scenery are fantastic. 4 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A SCONE OF CONTENTION by Lucy Burdette
The Eleventh Key West Food Critic Mystery

Hayley and Nathan's honeymoon is not quite the intimate getaway they planned. Staying with Nathan's sister, Vera, and brother in law is only part of it. Not only is Miss Gloria accompanying them, but Nathan's mother has decided to join their visit to Scotland as well. While William has commandeered Nathan into a golfing tournament, Hayley and Miss Gloria are accompanying Vera to some of the more haunting places of Scotland as Vera attempts to finish the book she and her partners are writing. But something's rotten in the state of Scotland. First, one of the partners gets ill during a dinner party, with her spouse yelling "poison!", then the group witness a man fall to his death. It soon becomes obvious something more than artistic differences is driving these people apart. Will Hayley be able to sort out the truth? Will Hayley and Nathan have any romantic time together on their honeymoon? Or will a killer ruin it all?

A SCONE OF CONTENTION had me hankering for a scone from page one. And I still want one. A cinnamon scone or just a simple cheese scone, for which the author does provide a recipe, although I'd prefer a real one, warm from the oven and handed to me. While food definitely plays a part I was also intrigued by the thin places, where the veil between heaven and earth have lifted. I loved learning about them and would like to learn more.

While I wouldn't count SCONE OF CONTENTION as a great honeymoon, I certainly would rate it as a great mystery! A literary versus media conflict, most of the characters hiding things, and a determination to bring the truth out make this eleventh Key West Mystery a knock out. A feisty Miss Gloria who becomes vulnerable pulls at the heart strings and an ongoing mystery back home kept me engrossed.

Although the majority of the novel takes place in Scotland and not Key West, we still get to enjoy plenty of good food and the antics of the feisty Miss Gloria, and while we may not have the Key West pets, we do get the company of a few Scottish felines. We also get to visit some of the highlights of Scotland vicariously.

SCONE OF CONTENTION is a delightful mystery that shows how conflicts of the past can impact the present. I enjoyed this trip to Scotland with a nip of whiskey, a slather of butter on a hot scone, and a devilishly good mystery. My only hope is that Hayley and Nathan get a few days to themselves to celebrate a real honeymoon!

A Scone of Contention Earns 5/5 Cinnamon Scones…Entertaining Adventure!

Finally…let the honeymoon commence! Food critic Hayley Snow and Nathan Bransford are spending their long awaited honeymoon in the land of the kilt, Scotland, but interruptions are aplenty with food, family, and felonies! Lucy Burdette sends the Key West crew abroad in this eleventh book in her Key West Food Critic Mystery, and with humor, wit, a few perilous predicaments, and some tasty treats, readers, like me, had a marvelous cozy time. Hayley and Nathan are surprised to be joined by Nathan’s mother, her friend, his sister, and her husband who offer more than their share of problems, conflicts, and endearing moments, but it’s the man they witness falling off the Falkirk Wheel (fascinating structure) that puts the honeymoon on the back burner and a murder investigation up front and personal. Having honed, over several investigations, her suspicious nature and due to her interactions and relationship with her detective husband, Hayley can’t believe the idea of “accident.” She even finds it hard to ignore a possible suspect is her mother-in-law’s friend. But, will this be a bonding moment between her and her mother-in-law? Burdette’s writing style was again very entertaining with vivid descriptions of Scotland (bucket list worthy), well-plotted mystery with misdirection to challenge my inner detective (pleasantly surprised by the solution), characters (I hope to see them again) soliciting lots of emotions (admirable and frustrating), and some peril to add excitement. Outside the engaging murder, the sister-in-law’s story was intriguing, the family endearing by the end, and everything wrapped up well. Bonus! The recipes offer a nice variety to bring Scotland home: Susan Hamrick’s Cock-a-Leekie Soup, Shepherd’s Pie, Cheese Scones from Grace’s Kitchen, Sam’s Sort of Scottish Creamed Vegetable Soup, Cranachan, Banana Date Scones, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Coronation Chicken, Scottish Cheese Shortbread, and Cinnamon Scones from the Kitchen of Violet and Bettina Booth. Love it! Don’t Miss this cozy!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Hayley and Nathan are off to Scotland on their honeymoon, complete with neighbour Miss Gloria and Nathan’s mother. Not the most romantic of escapes but they seem content to stay with Nathan’s sister and her husband who whisks Nathan off on a three day golf tournament. You would think that would be enough to put a damper on a honeymoon but is the attempted poisoning of a guest at a dinner in their honour that sets things awry.

Sister Vera is collaborating with friends from university on a book about “thin” places in Scotland where the spiritual world meets the real world. The project is being high jacked which does not sit well with Vera. Vera may also be suffering from memories of an abduction from her teenage years which has caused a huge rift in her relationship with her mother. Tensions run deep but when a stranger plummets to his death from the Falkirk Wheel, questions arise about a connection to the project and the new people Hayley has just met.

I twigged to the villain from the beginning of the book but the travelogue of places and experiences in Scotland more than compensated for the lack of surprise. It would make someone who has never visited Scotland want to go and for those who have visited there, want to return again. The killer is brought to justice and the motive was what I suspected. But there were sufficient surprises and revelations to keep me entertained. Four purrs and two paws up.

Key West newlywed Haley Snow journeys to Scotland for a most unusual honeymoon, one that is filled with family and fatality. Now here is a critic after my own heart, a food critic who is more foodie than critic. This upbeat character is surrounded by equally upbeat friends, like Miss Gloria, an extremely feisty lady of mature years. Plenty of interesting suspects and each with a motive for murder. A great blending of the regular characters and the new ones, plus the No need to read previous books to be able to follow along, but just think of all the recipes you would be missing. I plan on trying the Cock a Leek soup recipe with a side of cheese scones for a comfy cozy meal.

A Scone for Contention: A Key West Food Critic Mystery
By Lucy Burdette
Crooked Lane Books
2021

Review by Cynthia Chow

It shouldn’t be surprising that food critic Hayley Snow and Nathan Bransford are about to embark on anything but a conventional honeymoon vacation. After a long delay and recently finalized renovations on their Key West houseboat, the newlyish-weds are finally leaving for a much-anticipated honeymoon in Scotland. Not only will Hayley be able to visit the landmarks made famous in the kilt-filled Outlander, she will be able to taste regional delicacies as a roving traveling correspondent and submitting sections for Florida’s Key Zest Magazine. This trip also allows Hayley to finally meet Nathan’s rather mysterious sister Vera Campbell, although now it seems that Nathan’s mother has jumped aboard to make the honeymoon something of a family reunion. The more the merrier at this point, since Hayley’s houseboat neighbor Miss Gloria has already been invited to join them on what would be her first trip away since she became a widow decades ago.

Nathan is whisked away by his brother-in-law for some much anticipated golf playing, so Hayley and Miss Gloria join Vera as she photographs historic sites for her travel book highlighting Scotland’s “thin places.” Considered to be sacred areas where the veil between heaven and earth are thin and overlap causing psychic sensations, the depictions of these have become a topic of conflict between Vera and her co-author. Gavin wants to make the guidebook more of an interactive experience, integrating a virtual reality Oculite headset that would allow readers to “visit” the locations and feel the same sensations of those living in those historical times. It’s a little too real for Miss Gloria, who was already devastated to learn of the tragic betrayals between her people and Vera’s husbands. Gavin’s wife suffers her own very real bout of food poisoning during a dinner hosted by one of Vera’s friends, a poisoning that is soon determined to have been intentional. After witnessing yet another death while visiting the tourist attraction Falkirk Wheel, Hayley and Miss Gloria begin connecting the dots that lead back to Vera and her college friends. Nathan is already distracted by the ability to tee off of courses tread upon by Tiger Woods (and he knows he couldn’t stop them if he tried), so when not tasting Bake-Off winning scones, Cullen skink, and cock-a-leekie soup, Hayley and Miss Gloria continue their trend of uncovering secrets while getting their fill of delicious culinary treats.

This 11th in the series takes Hayley and her friends out of the quirky Key West setting and lands them in the equally gorgeous and thrilling Scotland isles. The author makes the most of its unique history and cuisine, with recipes included for the adventurous. Tourism, and how it is marketed and promoted, is a challenge facing many towns where pop culture-linked and Instagram-friendly attractions overshadow and overwhelm historical accuracy and respect for the cultures. Here that topic is handled thoughtfully, as Vera attempts to maintain the integrity of her research while having to bow to economic realities. The relationship between Haley and Miss Gloria has always been heart-warming and fun, with Hayley being the one to put the brakes on Gloria’s rather exuberant and adventurous behavior. Tying their Scottish mysteries back to Florida is the uncharacteristic behavior of Hayley’s best friend’s husband Ray, who was involved in a Key West shooting and yet refuses to say why. An additional treat are food-centric quotes from outstanding mystery and culinary writers at the start of every chapter, all which should help readers looking to add to their to-be-read list. Hayley and Nathan have an enviable new marriage, but the bond between Hayley and Gloria make this the real treat in this funny, scenic, food-friendly mystery.

Lucy Burdette’s A Scone of Contention is a lacklustre cosy with a boring and forgettable mystery, odd situations, and too many uninteresting characters. I used to love this series but I absolutely struggled with this book. I think I’ll give the next entries a miss. This is the eleventh book in the series but it can be read as a standalone.

Food critic Hayley is off on her Scottish honeymoon with her husband Key West detective Nathan. However, her trip becomes quite crowded with the addition of fun octogenarian friend Miss Gloria and Nathan’s stoic mother Helen. The honeymoon becomes even more of a family affair as the group is staying with Nathan’s mysterious sister Vera. While Nathan is whisked off to play golf with his brother-in-law, the women spend their time touring Scotland’s popular mystic places with Vera as she struggles to meet the looming deadline for contentious group book project with her friends. However, things soon take a deadly twist: a dinner guest is poisoned and later, a man falls to his death from the Falkirk Wheel. Although Vera and her friends claim not to know the dead man, Hayley has her doubts. She is also suspicious of the roiling tension and history among them. Hayley must navigate this new place and solve the mysteries before the killer strikes again!

The entire premise of this book is so odd! I couldn’t buy the idea of Hayley and Nathan’s honeymoon with so many random family members tagging along. And, in an even stranger twist of events, Hayley and Miss Gloria just happily tag along through Scotland while Vera and her friends clash over their odd group book project. Although I really dislike condescending and stuffy Nathan (he’s actually not bad in this book!), a honeymoon without a husband makes zero sense!

The weak mystery plot absolutely drags! It is boring, disjointed, and lacked suspense. There were so many missed opportunities for a good plot twist but there wasn’t a single one! The book just plods along from one event to the next. I figured out the murderer and their intentions very early on because it’s glaringly obvious. I never believed that anyone was in danger. I wasn’t invested in the murder victim nor the suspects. There was the opportunity to have a really great cast of viable suspicious suspects but the characters are woefully underdeveloped. Furthermore, there is a minor mystery occurring in Key West with Hayley’s friends and it was such a pointless addition that it could have been cut in favour of developing the main mystery.

Hayley is a kind and relatable protagonist. She’s usually very interesting but she is very weak in this book. Spunky Miss Gloria and Hayley’s reticent mother-in-law Helen are both good additions. However, the storyline with Miss Gloria’s spiritual connection to Scotland’s bloody past is ridiculous, way too drawn out, and could have been toned down. There was also a missed opportunity to have Miss Gloria and Helen help more meaningfully in solving the case. Hayley’s sleuthing attempts took truly unbelievable turns and I hated her bumbling and blunt interactions with suspects and witnesses.

There are also way too many characters who are little more than flat cardboard cut-outs. The relationship between Vera and her mysterious Scottish friends is so uninteresting. Although we are supposed to feel emotionally connected with Vera because of her painful past, she is utterly distant and chilly. The book’s dialogue is unnatural, stilted, and filled with info dumping and conversations which go nowhere.

I appreciated the change of scenery. I liked reading about Scotland and all the delicious food but the writing felt like a tour brochure with very little emotion. However, I really enjoyed the vibrant and lovingly written Key West scenes.

A Scone of Contention is a dull and dragging cosy with so much missed potential. The only things I liked about this book are the location, the food, the adorable animals, and the added recipes. I am so disappointed because I love Hayley and her adventures but I really cannot see myself continuing with these books. I would only recommend this if you’re an absolutely devoted fan of the series.



🧀 cheese out of 5!

Hailey and Nathan finally get to take their honeymoon.... although with Nathan's mom and Miss Gloria tagging along. Since they are staying at Nathan's sister's house, and her husband has a golf tournament he signed Nathan up for, it's not exactly a private trip. Then, at a dinner party, one of the guests is poisoned, and a tourist spot, a stranger falls to his death. Are these incidents related? Was the stranger known to the sister-in-law and her friends?

I imagine this book is exactly what it would be like if you went to visit family for your honeymoon, hilarious. This was the second book I read in the Key West Food Critic series. I am going to have to go back and read the first nine because I have enjoyed #10 and #11 so much.

I love all of the places they visited in Scotland, Lucy did a great job of bringing these places to life and making me want to go and visit them. I love that Hayley was still writing food critic pieces for the paper while on her honeymoon. A lot of people don't get to leave everything behind when they go on vacation. Cannot wait for # 12 in the series!

In this installment Lucy and her cast of characters travel to Scotland and have a mystery to investigate while there. The plot was very interesting and I enjoyed traveling along with them. There were plenty of twists to keep me guessing.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.