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.