It's nearly New Year's in Key West, Fla., and newlywed food critic Hayley Snow is juggling her new police officer husband, his enigmatic mother, her octogenarian roommate and an assignment to cover a local key lime pie competition. Things get stickier when Claudette Parker, one of the chef-contestants, ends up murdered. A Key West newcomer with a background in haute cuisine, Claudette had ruffled local feathers with her chichi pastries, including a key lime napoleon. But is that a reason for anyone to want her dead? Hayley and her mother-in-law make a surprising--and surprisingly effective--investigative team in Lucy Burdette's 10th Key West Food Critic mystery, The Key Lime Crime.
Burdette brings back the Key West local color that her readers have come to love: crowds of tourists and performers on Duval Street, ranging from drag queens to magicians to tarot readers. Hayley zips around on her scooter, checking out clues and trying to balance her work and personal responsibilities. Her friends and family, including her capable caterer mother and her cat-loving, sequin-wearing roommate Miss Gloria, also make repeat appearances. Hayley's reserved mother-in-law, Helen, is a surprising new addition. At first, she and Hayley seem like oil and water, but Claudette's murder provides an unexpected avenue for them to work together and come to appreciate each other's strengths.
Warm, witty and full of both delicious recipes and red herrings, The Key Lime Crime is a citrus-infused treat for foodies and mystery lovers. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams