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Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada
I am a lawyer in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada who enjoys reading, especially mysteries. Since 2000 I have been writing personal book reviews. This blog includes my reviews, information on and interviews with authors and descriptions of mystery bookstores I have visited. I strive to review all Saskatchewan mysteries. Other Canadian mysteries are listed under the Rest of Canada. As a lawyer I am always interested in legal mysteries. I have a separate page for legal mysteries. Occasionally my reviews of legal mysteries comment on the legal reality of the mystery. You can follow the progression of my favourite authors with up to 15 reviews. Each year I select my favourites in "Bill's Best of ----". As well as current reviews I am posting reviews from 2000 to 2011. Below my most recent couple of posts are the posts of Saskatchewan mysteries I have reviewed alphabetically by author. If you only want a sentence or two description of the book and my recommendation when deciding whether to read the book look at the bold portion of the review. If you would like to email me the link to my email is on the profile page.

Monday, January 24, 2022

An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette

(40. - 1112.) An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette - Hayley Catherine Snow has fallen in love with Key West but life is complicated. Her ex, Chad, is mean and has swiftly replaced her with Kristen. (I am always sad when a divorce lawyer, actually any lawyer, acts badly.) She has no job and is running low on money. Hayley and her cat, Evinrude, are staying in a tiny bedroom on the houseboat of her friend, Connie, in exchange for some work in Connie’s cleaning business.

Hayley desperately wants to become the food critic for Key Zest, a new magazine. Food is her passion though she also enjoys passionate personal relationships. At the same time she is procrastinating. A deadline looms for submitting draft reviews. She struggles to find the focus to write. She is uncertain over which reviews to send to Key Zest. She agonizes over the wording. Dithering reflects her personal college motto:


“When in doubt, wait it out.”


She recognizes that:


It hadn’t worked well then it wouldn’t now either.


Hayley is excited when a freelance article on key lime pie in Key West is accepted by the Key West Citizen newspaper. Her joy is destroyed when Kristen is murdered by poisoned key lime pie.


With the police very suspicious of her, she starts asking questions about Kristen.


Possibly the greatest rationale for her innocence is her respect for food. She abhors the very thought of a key lime pie with additives which would produce “a disgusting green color”.  It is a distinction too subtle to even mention to the KWPD.


Uneasy with the police focus upon her, Hayley starts querying almost everyone seeking information that might confirm she was at home at the time of the murder or implicate another.


Hayley is bright and breezy to the edge of bubbly. Her heart is upon her sleeve. She has a hard time not blurting out what is on her mind and a habit of rambling on. At the same time she is analytical though prone to overthinking leading to mental paralysis (see above). She is the opposite of an angst ridden noir detective. Having her get around on a scooter was perfect. She felt real to me.


The characters are lively and Key West is vividly portrayed. From the buildings to the roosters wandering the streets to the restaurants to the weather I was drawn to wanting to return to see and experience Hayley’s Key West.


2 comments:

  1. I really like the setting for this one, Bill. I can see how it'd be a great choice for the story. And Hayley sounds like an upbeat person with a positive outlook. This really seems like a great sort of read when you need something that's not so heavy, dark, or brooding. Glad you enjoyed it.

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    1. Margot: Thanks for the comment. "Upbeat" and "positive" are excellent words for describing Hayley. I used to think they described most Americans. I no longer feel that way. I miss "positive" America.

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