I just reviewed A Poisonous Palate by Lucy Burdette. #APoisonousPalate #NetGalley.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, in fact I couldn’t put it down. The murder mystery really had me guessing right until the end. I love the KeyWest backdrop to the story and the recipes at the end are an added bonus. I highly recommend.

In A POISONOUS PALATE by Lucy Burdette Haley Snow meets with Catherine Davitt at the Hemingway house where Catherine is researching Hemingway and his wives for a book she is writing. Haley agrees to help Catherine solve the mystery of her friend who went missing from a Key West commune back in the 1970s.

It is fun to return to Key West and enter Haley Snow’s world. Her husband, Nathan, and her elderly friend, Miss Gloria, are both included in this story. The well-constructed plot is accentuated by Catherine Davitt’s writings. I also enjoy reading about the connections made to Hemingway and his wives. I wonder what will happen next in the Key West Food Critic’s mystery series. Thank you, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of A POISONOUS PALATE.

Catherine has returned to the keys for research. M]this is about a book on Hemenway’s wives. .She is also there to check out her missing friend Veronica. Catherine ends up asking Haley for help with the mystery of Veronica’s disappearance. Once Haley begins her investigation
She realized that the people who knew Veronica do not want to be involved. It’s because they don’t want to be involved that it takes Haley a lot longer to figure out what is going on but eventually she does unravel all the clues and finds out what really happened to Veronica.
This was the first book o read in this series and I really enjoyed it, I do have to say the ending was very surprising, I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

Hayley Snow receives an email about a forty-five-year-old missing person’s case. She is intrigued. After discussing it with her friends, Hayley decides to meet up with the woman and find out what her story is.

The woman, Catherine, spins an interesting yarn and without much of a struggle, Hayley is roped into driving her to a few places where Catherine and her friend hung out. At one of these places, Catherine, and Hayley, stumble across the body of one of the people she used to know back in the day.

Coincidence?

Hayley - and the police - entertain the possibility it is not. Hayley contemplates whether it is possible Catherine went to the motel in the morning, killed, then returned to her hotel to be picked up by Hayley at ten, in order to have Hayley with her when she ‘found’ the body. But if Catherine had plotted this, then why did she go into the office alone and discover the body on her own. If Hayley was supposed to be her alibi, why not make sure Hayley was her alibi all the way?

Hayley decides to speak to a few people from Catherine’s past without her. To see if they tell a different story, or talk more freely. Surprisingly, they do. Very few are deterred by the bombardment of questions Hayley unleashes on them.

It irked me that Hayley was not very good at asking questions. She asks too many questions without waiting for answers and she doesn’t ask good follow up questions. When Arthur says: “But when I think back on that last night before she disappeared, I think that can’t be true.” Hayley does not jump on the opportunity to ask: So what happened that night. Rather she asks a completely unrelated question. (Later Miss Gloria mentions that “Nobody’s exactly told us what occurred that last night.” Of course not! If you don’t ask. They don’t even have to be evasive about it.)

Then Catherine herself disappears, but this does not seem to get more than an eyebrow raise.

Hayley continues her investigation, she has become intrigues by the old missing person’s case.

When food critic Hayley Snow receives an intriguing email about a mysterious, decades-old disappearance, her curiosity is piqued. Writer 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. Hayley quickly agrees to help investigate and they hit the road to see what clues they might find.
Back in the late 1970s, Catherine and her friend Veronica were part of a group of lost souls camping in the mangroves of Big Pine Key, until Veronica vanished, and the sheriff’s office cleared out the camp. Catherine and Hayley begin interviewing Big Pine Key residents who were around at the time of Veronica’s disappearance, but uncover more questions than answers. Catherine and Hayley stop to speak with a motel owner who frequented the fringes of the commune, but they find him stabbed to death. Then Catherine also goes missing, and signs point to a connection between the old case and the new murder. It’s up to Hayley to unravel the knot of secrets and lies before time runs out. Fun cozy series made even better with the included recipes! Highly recommend!

A fascinating mystery with believable characters and a intriguing plot. When a girl goes missing and her friend comes to get answersb20 years later it makes for a good mystery. I enjoyed the setting as well as the story.I had not read any other books in this series but it did not matter when reading this one. I would recommend this book.

A Poison Palate is part of the Key West Food Critic mystery series. I have not read all of this series and this story was easy to keep up with. Hayley Snow is a food critic that has made a name for herself as an amateur detective. An email sends Hayley down a rabbit hole with a disappearance in the 1970’s to a current murder and a missing person. Even though the whodunnit was not a big shock, the mystery twists and turns for an enjoyable cozy with fun characters. My voluntary, unbiased, and non mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Hailey finds herself investigating a cold case disappearance of a girl in 1978 by a strange email request. While interviewing the people still around, she stumbles unto a murder victim, and the instigator of the investigation disappears. What in Hemingway is going on? With the help of Miss Gloria and Nathan, she follows the clues to find why the girl disappeared in the first place, and who the more recent murderer was. This book was a little more complicated and serious than the others in the series, and I only guessed who the killer was right before the reveal. Recipes included.

As a former Floridian, I always enjoy the virtual visit to Key West to catch up with Hayley and her circle of friends. As usual, she's beyond busy, keeping her food column fresh, helping Danielle with her wedding, and, yikes, another murder. Well, maybe two murders. One a cold case, decades cold, in fact, and the other a murder Hayley stumbled across while trying to help out Catherine Davitt, a writer who wants Hayley's help delving into the decades old disappearance of a friend. Then, after they stumble across a body, Catherine disappears, too. Was she the murderer and simply using Hayley or has something happened to her, too? Needless to say, Hayley, an admitted snoop, simply feels driven to investigate against all the advice of not just friends but police investigator husband Nathan. He pretty much knows he's wasting his breath, of course, although fears she may stir up the proverbial hornet's nest and find herself in danger. And wait until you hear what Nathan's been up to!

I won't detail the plot much further other than to note that there are plentiful suspects. This book is 14th in the series but works well as a standalone although new readers will find themselves wanting to catch up on missed episodes when past sleuthing escapades are mentioned, most in the company of 80-something years old Miss Gloria who is a delightful character and part of the reason Hayley finds herself (and Nathan) living on a houseboat. In the process of reading, you'll find yourself soaking up the atmosphere of South Florida, especially the almost mythical Keys. You'll even get to tromp into a mangrove swamp. When not learning about old hippie havens in the area and some prime eating places, you'll be busy learning a great deal about Ernest Hemingway's Key West era, not to mention delving into his possible inner demons.

As for the murder, it's an intriguing one weaving past into present and reviving old emotions and secrets some would wish remained buried. Hayley seems almost obsessed with the case. Honestly, I'm always surprised at the ease with which both sources and suspects respond to her not always subtle questioning. She rarely pushes too far, albeit she frequently has to get in one more question that sours the atmosphere. Will this get her in trouble? Oh, you already know that answer. Even Danielle's wedding seems to take the backseat to her thoughts about the investigation although she tries to focus. There's a great deal of driving around and talk, too, between Hayley and Miss Gloria, much of it sharing bits of Florida lore as well as observations they make. Don't let Miss Gloria's age make you underestimate her. She's sharp and knows when the befuddled ol' lady routine might be helpful, too.

Bottom line, there's lots going on with some of the past being shared by journal/diary entries by Catherine about the decades old disappearance of her friend. The explanations of why/what that relationship involved are also quite interesting. Toxic love isn't always romantic love, let's just say. I thoroughly enjoyed spending some time with Hayley, Nathan, and Miss Gloria, especially those more relaxed moment on the house boat. It's those relationships and the connections between other friends that keeps drawing me back to this series. Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for inviting me over for an early visit to the house boat to catch up with Hayley and the rest. I always feel like I've been to the Keys, not to mention in need of something yummy to snack on as I read and ponder those recipes at the end. Yummy.

Haley’s curious nature got her hoodwinked into the mystery of the woman who went missing thirty years ago. Rehashing the past can be dangerous, especially when it collides with the present. Secrets long forgotten came to light along with present danger. This story was mildly engaging with minimum intrigue and excitement.

I had read the first four or five books in this series, but it had been a while since I caught up with Hayley, so I was excited to get the newest adventure from #Netgally and #CrookedLaneBooks. I remembered why I enjoyed the series, love the Key West vibe, Hayley's friends, family, and neighbors, and the whole food scene. I also remember what bothered me about this series, and that is that Hayley does things that no intelligent woman with so much going for her would do. In this case, Hayley is contacted on the internet by a woman coming back to the area where she had done her best wild child rebellion back in the 70s. She contacts Hayley, wanting help to discover what happened to a friend who disappeared all those years ago. She has read about Hayley and wants her help. After meeting Catherine only twice, she is dragged into this mystery that now includes the murder of one of the original players. When Catherine also disappears, Hayley still decides she is going to get answers no matter what it means to her husband, friends, one whose wedding she's in the middle of, and the police and sheriff's departments. Unfortunately, the lack of concern for everyone who matters to her in favor of an investigation she has no one she attached to involved in and how it plays out is just over the top for me. Maybe you will feel different.

In this installment of the Key West Food Critic series amateur sleuth and food critic Hayley is asked to solve a cold case from decades earlier. A Poisonous Palate is simply fun, has dialogue that flows, has characters that are well-developed, realistic and likeable, and has an engaging and entertaining plot. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, or would like to try out the genre, I highly recommend this book.

Hayley Snow, Key West food critic is back and she’s asked to help solve a decades old mystery by a stranger, Catherine. As Hayley and Catherine start to investigate, the plot thickens and all of the possible suspects seem to have a motive. I found the mystery intriguing but do wish there was more of Miss Gloria and the other usual characters. I look forward to reading the next intrigue that Hayley becomes involved in.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the arc.

In this installment of the Key West Food Critic series Haley Snow receives an email regarding a girl that went missing decades ago. The missing girl's friend, Catherine is going to be in Key West for a week and heard about Haley Snow's ability to solve crimes. Catherine wants Haley to help her find out what happened to her friend so many years ago. Haley tries to fight the urge but her curiosity wins out so she and Catherine start investigating.

Catherine and her friend were involved with a cult in the 1970's and a few of the members stayed local so that's where they will start. After chatting with a local waitress they decide to talk to a motel owner next. Unfortunately they find that he's been murdered.

Haley and Catherine decide they aren't giving up and make plans to continue their investigation. When Haley goes to Catherine's hotel room to pick her up she finds the door unlocked and Catherine is missing.

Is Catherine in trouble? Did Catherine murder the motel owner? Haley has to decide who is telling the truth and who is keeping secrets.

Although many of Haley's choices aren't what I would have made, this is still a great installment of a great series, and the recipes at the end are a bonus!

#APoisonousPalate

Another terrific read from author Lucy Burdette. This is one of my favorite series, I've given up on most cozy mysteries because they all seem to recycle the same old plots, and the main characters are often idiots. That's not the case here. I don't know how she does it, but each book is different from all the ones that went before--and even better than all the ones that went before, which is a tough trick. Hayley Snow id a great character, and all the supporting players are distinct and well fleshed out.

"A Poisonous Palate" by Lucy Burdette is a culinary mystery masterpiece that tantalizes the taste buds while keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Burdette's impeccable storytelling weaves together delectable descriptions of food with a gripping plot that will leave you guessing until the very end. With rich characters and a vivid Key West backdrop, this novel is a delightful feast for the senses. (I received an advance reader copy of this book, and all opinions are my own.) Burdette's expert blend of suspense and culinary flair makes "A Poisonous Palate" a must-read for mystery lovers and foodies alike.

Return to Key West island and Hayley Snow. This is the 14th book in the awesome "Food Critic" mystery series. Hayley and her police detective husband, Nathan are back solving a crime. This is a most awesome read! Filled with suspects who all have motives. The reader will be guessing until the end. Solid mystery. Thanks #Netgalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

This is the "14th" release in the charming "Food Critic Mystery Series" set in the Florida Keys. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own. The charachters are likable and the food critic aspect of Key West dining is a fun aspect of this series for readers.

In this next in series our protagnist Haley is intriqued by a email from a old friend asking for help solving her friend's mysterious disappearance. Haley is never one to turn down a friend and she investigates with the help of Miss Gloria her neighbor and friend.. This investigation takes Haley to a new direction away from the Keys to a new location in Florida . The sleuth kept me guessing to conclusion and the clues and red herrings abound. A enjoyable next in series.

Key West, island-life, pet-dog, local-law-enforcement, recipes, food-columnist, foodie, murder-investigation, murder, secrets, lies, series, houseboat, octogenarians, family-dynamics, friendship, friends, relationships, relatives, amateur-sleuth, friction, missing-persons, confrontation*****

Hayley Snow is a food critic and her husband Nathan Bransford is a local police detective. Whenever the occasion arises, she winds up sharing the sleuthing with her fantastic octogenarian neighbor, Miss Gloria (who's a real hoot and will not be left out). This time a rather manipulative author contacts Harley for help in resurrecting a forty year old cold case of a woman she knew who simply went missing. The author is on Key West for info on toxic relationships centering on the es-wives of Hemingway. And then they find the body of someone from those years ago and it all goes pear shaped.
Excellent read filled with relatable characters, suspense, and a whole lot more.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I just ADORE this series. I started it earlier this year when I found it on a list of recommended cozy mysteries for foodies. And that promise definitely delivered! This is another fantastic cozy mystery from Lucy Burdette and her wonderful characters. A little more gritty than your common cozy, but not enough to take away the relaxing vibe we all know and love from this genre. I really had no clue who the murderer was and I was taking notes in my journal the whole way through! A top 5 installment.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC!