A Poisonous Palate: A Key West Food Critic Mystery
By Lucy Burdette
Crooked Lane Books
August 2024

Review by Cynthia Chow

Newly married and living with her husband on a houseboat in Key West, food critic Hayley Snow has been involved in a multitude of murders and criminal investigations. So it’s surprising that it’s taken this long for her to have been approached by someone else wanting her to consult on their own mystery. Catherine Davitt is returning to Key West to research Ernest Hemmingway for a book she is writing on his toxic relationships, but she wants Hayley’s help in solving the mystery of a friend who went missing in 1978. Veronica was one of a group of twenty-somethings camping out together in Big Pine Key, and after she suddenly disappears Catherine is the only one to report her as missing. Considering the intertwined romantic relationships and drug use due to the “square groupers” of marijuana bales that washed up on shore, the police were less than diligent in investigating the case. While the private detective Catherine hired found nothing concrete, her suspicions are bolstered when she and Hayley discover the body of one of those same fellow campers before they can question him. Ned was a four-time married owner of a decrepit motel whose failed relationships mirror those of Hemmingway, the famous and infamous author of the short story collection, “Men without Women.”

While the responding police very assertively discourage Hayley from once again investigating, she and her best friend/houseboat neighbor Miss Gloria can’t help but be drawn into the case. Hayley isn’t entirely sure that the rather unlikable Catherine didn’t have a part in Ned’s murder, and may even perhaps been jealous enough to have taken out her still-missing friend. Hayley’s Key West detective husband provides sound counsel and a ton of emotional support, while her other friends do the same, all the while sharing meals she plans to review for her Key Zest magazine articles. So when not tasting delicious Floridian meals, Hayley and Gloria track down the remaining campers who have still remained in the Keys. A still-handsome veterinarian, a waitress, Ned’s many exes, and even Catherine “Kit-Kat” herself all become suspects in literally stabbing the motel owner dead.

This 14th in the series shines a light on Ernest Hemmingway and his fascinating and very complicated relationships with the women in his life. Hayley herself has managed to escape the cycle of toxic love relationships, but she recognizes how many of those around her may have fallen into their traps. Fans of the series will enjoy not only the scenic tour through Key West and its cuisines, but also be entertained by the reappearances by Hayley’s close circle of friends. Hayley’s matured throughout the series, and seeing her close relationship with her husband has proven to be ever so rewarding. Chapter-heading quotes from famous food critics and writers add color to the novel, as do excerpts from Catherines 1978 diary. The fast pace and surprising conclusion will satisfy mystery readers, while foodies will appreciate recipes and delicious descriptions of Hayley’s meals. This is another fun novel written by an always reliable and creative author.

I am a sucker for cold cases so I really enjoyed this one. As always, I loved the setting and the characters. Sure, I found Hayley’s reason for investigating flimsy; she’s long past her friends and family being accused so random strangers seek her out based on word of mouth. That said, the mystery itself was interesting and I had no idea who the murderer was until the very end. So, all in all, a fun jaunt in Key West.

#APoisonousPalate #NetGalley featuring Haley Snow and Miss Gloria is the newest addition to this series and really well done.
Catherine Davitt has returned to the Keys to research a book about Hemingway’s wives, but she’s also on the hunt for the truth about her missing friend, Veronica. She reaches out to Haley, asking for her help in finding out the truth about Veronica's disappearance from a campsite that a few young adults were part of.
When Haley begins asking questions, she soon learns that the people involved would rather not relive the events, so it takes some time for Haley to unravel the clues.
I really enjoyed this book, the story was well written and I had no idea who was responsible for Veronica's disappearance, the ending was definitely a surprise.
Miss Gloria is my favorite character in this series, I love her energy and her gumption to always be a part of the investigations Haley becomes involved in.
This is one of my favorite in the series so far, and Miss Gloria really saved the day with her plan!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

In “A Poisonous Palate”, the fourteenth book in Lucy Burdette’s Key West Food Critic Mystery series, food critic Hayley Snow finds herself not only investigating a decades old disappearance but a modern day murder. While Hayley isn’t quite sure she can trust the woman who asked for her help in the disappearance, she is still intrigued by the case and starts interviewing people. But she needs to be careful – not everyone is happy about the past being dug up.

This was a really enjoyable mystery. I love the Florida setting and Hayley’s job as a food critic – don’t read these books on an empty stomach! Another favorite of mine is Miss Gloria – the octogenarian who helps Hayley solve cases and isn’t above acting like a helpless old lady if needed to help solve the mystery. And Hayley needs all the help she can get with these mysteries – both are complex with characters not always telling the truth or leaving out important facts. Although the disappearance happened years ago, by the end of the book readers will feel like the know Veronica, the girl who disappeared, and feel like they too spent time camping in tents, eating questionable food, and drinking and drugging too much. The ending, when the killer is revealed, is filled with just the right amount of tension – truthfully I almost felt sorry for the killer. Very well done by Burdette!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I really struggled with this book. The ploy was really interesting and I kept reading to find out the ending, but I wasn't a big fan of the characters. Especially Catherine. I loved Gloria and Hayley was ok. There was just too much of the telling of every day life. I even got tired of hearing about every meal they ate. I loved the small deer. Didn't know that was a thing so I learned something new. The book just felt like it was drug out.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane and the author for my copy

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. A Poisonous Palate is the fourteenth book in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series. This time, Hayley investigates a decades old disappearance. Someone is killed, and another person goes missing. Hayley has plenty to investigate, much to the reader's delight. Hayley and Gloria are great characters, a major high point of this series. The storyline is strong and the mystery kept me interested throughout the book. A Poisonous Palate is n enjoyable book, perfect to help you put your worries behind.

A plot that is a feast for the brain! Cold case, current case and everyone involved is lying about something driving our inquisitive food critic to keep stirring the pot to get to the truth! This plot will have you drooling, I mean seriously the food sounds delicious and after all, Haley is a food critic to food has to be an integral part of the story. However, the food isn't the only good thing. The cold case, the current mysterious case and all the lies surrounding both have Haley digging to find the facts of the past which she thinks may also solve the present! This series is always entertaining, but this book takes the mystery to a new level of whodunit to really whet your appetite and have you turning page after page late into the night to find out what really happened. I do think that this book is my new favorite of the series. The author creates compelling characters and even more engaging storylines for the characters that wrap through the mystery to make the entire story all that much more gripping and unputdownable! I can't wait for my next visit to Key West via Haley Snow and her collection of family and friends! Someday I'll make it to Key West in my real life, but for now it is a lot of fun to visit via Haley and pals!

This is the fourteenth book in the Key West Food Critic mystery series. Once again Lucy Burdette paints a vivid picture of Key West. Key West is definitely on my bucket list, but if I never get to go, I can see the place in my head thanks to these books.

Hayley is asked by a woman to help her investigate the disappearance of a friend of hers 40 years ago. I love mysteries with a cold case angle. The way the author introduces the idea of toxic relationships is very intriguing. As always part of the charm of this series are Hayley’s friends, especially her tarot-reading friend, Lorenzo, and Miss Gloria, who continues to show how life should be led in your eighties.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for my free Advanced Reader’s Copy. I gave this mystery 5 stars. The author kept me guessing until the end who the killer was. While it is the 14th in the series, I do think it is one you could just jump in and read as a stand alone.

A Poisonous Palate is book #14 in the A Key West Food Critic Mystery series by Lucy Burdette.

This was an interesting twist. Hayley is contacted by a woman , Catherine, whose friend disappeared 40 years earlier in Key West. When a person they speak to is murdered and Catherine disappears, it seems too much of a coincidence for the cases not to be related. I was kept guessing until the end. I always end up hungry when reading this series. I appreciate the recipes at the end.

Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Even if it's not my favorite it's a good and solid cozy mystery. Lucy Burdette delivers another solid story that kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Book 14 in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series. I have read books 12 and 13 so I was already familiar with the characters. One day I would love to go back to books 1- 11. If only there was more time!!!

In a Poisonous Palate Hayley Snow, food critic and amateur sleuth, is sought out by Catherine Davitt to help solve a decades old disappearance. Hayley is intrigued but her husband, Nathan, is wary and he may well be right. Is Catherine really sharing the truth and is the reality going to put Hayley into danger?

I really enjoyed the character of Gloria who is eighty years plus and is still living life to the fullest. I loved the descriptions of everyday life on the houseboats. Best of all were the culinary quotes at the beginning of each chapter, some of which were very funny and well worth reading aloud to anyone prepared to listen.

An excellent read.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
My family went to Key West in the winters during my childhood. I bought earlier books in this series for my mother and I to read. I read the entire series at once to catch up for this latest book. It has been nice to reminisce about the island’s restaurants, bars, piers, festivals, quirks, history, and architecture. The mystery part of the stories has been good and not repetitive which must be difficult this far into a series. The relationship between the main character and her husband has always felt lacking and I don’t fee the author invested enough time in writing this part of the series to make it believable. They are hardly ever together on page and never seemed to have a romantic connection to the point where I was surprised when he proposed, shocked when she accepted, and genuinely didn’t think they would follow through with the wedding. Also she seems to lose track of her “best friend” Connie who had a baby and I swear several books go by before the friend or baby is mentioned again. Im not even sure they share the name of the best friends baby until a few books after she was born. The most believable relationship in the book is with the octogenarian roommate/neighbor, Gloria. And earlier books in the series had a lot of fat-shaming language in them which the author seems to have toned down in recent books.

3.5 stars, rounded down
A Poisonous Palate takes us into the life of Hayley Snow, food critic and writer. She is married to Nathan a police detective. Her best friend is Miss Gloria, a lady of experienced years and tons of gumption. They live on houseboats in the Key West.
All it takes for Hayley to get involved in a decades old mystery is raising her curiosity. Catherine Davitt manages to do that. Catherine and Veronica come to the Keys in the 70s. Veronica goes missing and is never found. There are italicized sections in which Catherine tells part of the history as the story progresses.
This mystery had some dark overtones. There are drugs and sex and Hemingway. I know the last bit may not make sense but you’ll have to read it to find where Hemingway comes into it.
The story is well told. The life happenings of Hayley and friends are woven in well, although the wedding of Danielle feels a bit of an afterthought.
There just isn’t much light to the end of this story. I enjoy spending time with Hayley, Miss Gloria and the other people Hayley is close to, so I like the book without feeling like it is one of the better ones in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the chance to read A Poisonous Palate.

A Poisonous Palate by Lucy Burdette was one that I flew through and could not wait to find out how it was going to end. The story keeps a steady pace with not a boring page one. If you enjoy a cozy mystery or just a great read in general then I night recommend picking this book up.

Haley Snow, a food critic, frequently finds herself entangled in murder cases, much to the frustration of the local authorities. However, this time is different, when an author contacts Hayley for help with a missing person case, a person that went missing in 1978.

I’ve read every book in this series and love the Key West setting. The characters are always interesting, and I especially enjoyed this book for its unique twist involving the search for someone who has been missing for a long time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

4.5⭐ rounding up
Fourteen books in, and this is definitely one of my favorites in the series. Haley Snow, food critic for the Key Zest, personifies an insatiable curiosity that served her well in helping solve past murders. But is this cold case a murder or missing person? Along the way, the idea of toxic relationships as illustrated by the life of Ernest Hemingway, a one-time Key West resident, becomes an integral key to understanding what happened back in 1978 to the vivacious Veronica when she went missing from the hippie encampment. Twisty plot that kept me guessing.

A great addition to an incredible series! Wonderful characters in an incredible setting. This book will keep you guessing until the end.

This story takes off like a starter's gun! Bang and they're off! A Poisonous Palate is a fast moving mystery with an abundance of suspects from the past and the present. Plus delicious food and recipes.

This was a more complicated case at least it seemed that way but once again Hayley and Miss Gloria made a really good sleuthing team. And Miss G did something so awesome it ended up saving Hayley’s life from a killer in a wild ‘n crazy showdown. I was definitely surprised at who the killer was.

Everything was wrapped up and explained then of course what does a foodie do when she’s finished with an amateur sleuthing case? She celebrates with food and some awesome friends and family too.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Hayley finds herself involved in a cold case. She is contacted by an author to help figure out what happened to A friend who disappeared many years earlier. When the two of them discover a dead man and then the author disappears, Hayley is very curious. With help from Miss Gloria, A retired cop and the sheriff's department, Hayley works to find answers. This book keeps you reading and is a great addition to this long running series. I love how Hayley continues to evolve and her relationships grow. The mystery is a good one and the recipes divine!