Hayley Snow is working as an ambassador. Informally, of course. As the food critic for Key West’s culture magazine Key Zest, she has the chance to review Cuban restaurants in her Florida town and to talk about the culture and history of the food of Cuba for her readers. But this weekend, she has the chance to do more.

It’s the weekend of the Havana/Key West Conference, and her mother has taken on the catering for this important event. She has planned out several delicious dishes that feature the flavors of Cuba as well as Florida, but she needs help. So Hayley and her octogenarian roommate Miss Gloria have offered to help. Hayley knows it will be a long weekend of food prep, serving, cleaning, and doing anything else her mother needs. But this conference will feature leaders from Key West and from Cuba, so she knows how important it is.

But even before the conference gets started, her boyfriend calls her aside and asks her to think again. As a detective, Nathan has access to information that Hayley doesn’t, so it makes her pause when he asks her not to be a part of the conference. But he can’t give her specifics, and she’s promised her mother, who has bought all the food and has already done a lot of the prep. Hayley feels she has to go through with it. Even the next day, as they go through the security check to get to the Little White House, an important place in American/Cuban history and where there is a display of artifacts from Ernest Hemingway.

Hayley is ready to get the conference started, but the protestors outside make her feel conflicted. Even with surprise guest Jimmy Buffett showing up to entertain the group, the conference attendees are on edge. And then Hemingway’s Nobel prize goes missing. The gold medallion had not left Cuba since the author had gifted it to the country, and the first time the Cuban government allows America to borrow it to display, it goes missing. Hayley tries to see if she can help find it. But before she can get very far, Gabriel is found dead. Maria was working with Hayley’s mother in the kitchen, and her brother Gabriel had come to help out also. And now he’s been killed.

Hayley has been in the middle of the conference, so she feels like she’s in a unique position to help figure out who would murder Gabriel. But can she figure it out before the conference is canceled, or before someone causes an international incident?

Death on the Menu is Lucy Burdette’s eighth book in her Key West Food Critic Mystery series, featuring the culture of Key West and lots of beautiful food writing. This book features a lot of descriptions of Cuban food, which was hard to read because I didn’t get to eat any of it. All those Cubano sandwiches! I did struggle with that, but I liked the story. There were some amazing surprises, and I really learned a lot about America’s history with Cuba and about Hemingway (although I did already know about his cats).

I listened to this one on audio, and narrator Laura Jennings really brought this story to life. I love to read, but my eyes have been especially tired lately, so listening to the audio book for Death on the Menu really helped me out. It’s a powerful story and some great characters. And I did love the ending for this one. This book has something specal.

Egalleys for Death on the Menu were provided by Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley, but I got the audio book myself through Audible.

This is another great book in the Key West Mystery Series.

Hayley Snow is helping her mother cater one of the most prestigious events in Key West. The event isn't without controversy. Its intent is to find common ground between the Cubans and the Americans, and not everyone is happy about it.
The first crisis is when Hemingway’s Nobel prize gold medal for The Old Man and the Sea, is discovered stolen from its case. It was on loan from the Cuban government.
Shortly after this discovery, the body of a busboy working for Haley's mom is found.
The events certainly seem connected, but Haley and the police have different ideas how they're connected.

Hayley Snow, a food critic for Key Zest magazine, is excited to be working at the 3-day conference at the prestigious Harry Truman Little White House. She is supposed to be helping her mom with her catering but when Hemingway’s Nobel prize gold medal for The Old Man and the Sea, is stolen Hayley can not help but get involved in her own investigation. There is no shortage of suspects, can Hayley solve the crime?

This is the eighth book in the series but my first book. This book can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. I had no problem with confusion or following the storyline, though I feel I would understand the characters’ backstories if I read the previous books. The mystery moves at a fast pace with several twists and turns along the way. This is an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more in this series.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced by anyone.

I enjoyed the other book I read from this series and was looking forward to another trip to Key West, FL. However, this one was a disappointment. I felt like it was nothing but a political argument which I get enough of in my everyday life. I don't want to spend my escape time reading about a political disagreement. And then you factor in that the main character's mother has managed to be hired to cater a huge catering event, and it becomes completely unbelievable.

I do love the primary characters, especially Hayley's roommate, Miss Gloria. The relationships developing were entertaining and the quirky characters kept you chuckling.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Lucy Burdette delights with this wonderful mystery that delves into Key West and Cuban culture, cuisine, and murder. The setting is a KeyWest-Cuban conference designed to bring the cultures together being held at the Harry Truman Little White House in Key West. When Ernest Hemingway's Nobel Prize Medal (on loan from Cuba) goes missing and one of the waitstaff is murdered, accusations go flying and the conference is jeopardized. Hailey feels drawn to investigate, not only to save the reputation of the Little White House but also to help the family of the murder victim, which puts her at odds with her boyfriend, Nathan, a Key West Police detective. Will Hailey sit on the sidelines, or will her love for Key West and her friends make her determined to solve the murder?

Death on the Menu transported me to Key West, immersed me in its culture and cuisine, and kept me on the edge of my seat as Hailey works behind the scenes to help salvage the conference. My mouth was watering at the descriptions of all of the delicious food, and I was so happy that the recipes were included! Hailey and friends and family do not disappoint, and I highly recommend this much-awaited addition to the Key West Food Critic series.

This is the first book I have read in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series, but I had no problem following the story of figuring out the characters. The backdrop for this mystery is a Havana/Key West conference with the hope of developing some business and economic partnerships. During the opening event of the conference, there is the theft of an important Cuban artifact as well as a murder which causes many of the delegates to boycott other events. The murder victim;s family has asked Hayley to find out what happened to him, and she can't resist to do some sleuthing. There was quite a bit of political undertones to the story that involved the cuban population in the US as well as the anger from Cuba toward the American Government allowing these refugees to remain in the country.

Hayley Snow is a food critic for a magazine in Key West, FL. She finds herself investigating this case much to the chagrin of her boyfriend and Detective Nathan Bransford. I liked the character of Hayley. She's funny, headstrong, smart, a great daughter and friend. She is helping her mom with the catering during the three-day event and when she is asked to help with a different activity, she jumps right in, of course getting information is always a motivator as well. There is also a personal story going on as well, with Hayley's friend and neighbour Miss Gloria worrying about what will happen with the houseboat next to them. Hayley also has her magazine writing to do so she is kept hopping in this one. Death on the Menu contains good writing and engaging characters. Lucy Burdette has done a great job with the setting of Key West, including various shops and sites. Of course, no story set in Key West would be complete without mention of Ernest Hemingway. The story itself was a bit slow for me. It had a lot of build up to the reveal, but just never really pulled me in like I had hoped. I also figured out the culprit relatively early in the story, which might be why I did not enjoy it as much as others. Because I enjoyed the characters and setting, I will give another in this series a try, perhaps going back to the beginning might benefit me.

Having the series back is probably one reason I loved this book so much. The food and mystery were a close second to my love level. I always feel swept away to Key West when I read one of Lucy’s books. She puts so much of the setting into vivid detail that you could smell the ocean breeze.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

I have been on a trend lately starting new cozy mystery series not at the beginning but at say book 7 or 8! Not how I usually like to do things BUT Death on the Menu by Lucy Burdette is a treasure of a cozy mystery which I am very glad to have read.

Death on the Menu begins with Hayley Snow helping her mother with a three-day event at the Harry Truman Little White House in Key West, Florida. Hayley is helping to cater a Cuban/American conference – a coup for her mothers fledgling catering business. As this is a controversial event, Hayley’s beau, Nathan Bransford would like Hayley to stay away but that won’t happen as her mother needs Hayley’s help in addition to the help of Miss Gloria – Hayley’s octogenarian roommate. I loved the inter-generational aspect as Hayley valued her friendship and the feelings of Miss Gloria – especially when Hayley fretted over who their new neighbour would be on Houseboat Row.

There are many notable guests at this conference. Miss Gloria is a big fan of one of the guests – President Obama. I loved the metaphors to describe Miss Gloria’s level of enthusiasm for these particular guests:

“She was a major fan of the past president and, even more so, his wife. She craved seeing one of them in person-the way that toast yearned for jam, that hot biscuits called for butter, that peach pie pined for vanilla ice cream.”

So Hayley and Miss Gloria are working the event and what happens? Seems that a theft may have occurred. Seems that Hemingway’s Nobel prize gold medal for The Old Man and the Sea, is discovered missing from its case. Unfortunately for busboy Gabriel, he is the prime suspect. Gabriel’s family ask Hayley help to clear his name. Shortly thereafter, Gabriel seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time as he turns up dead. So how was he involved in all this?

The path with which Hayley takes to discover the truth is filled with many misdirection’s, funny moments (just love Miss Gloria) and a few romantic “awe” moments. I was pleasantly surprised that I did not figure out whodunit until the very end… and this makes for a very satisfying cozy mystery.

I recently went to Cuba for a vacation (in fact only a mere month before I read this book) so Hemingway and Havana were fresh on my mind. At the beginning of the conference, Hayley describes the following scene:

“The band began to warm up on the stage, delivering blasts from a trio of glorious trumpeters wearing fedoras and crooning from a sexy Cuban man in a white suit and cowboy hat. I felt as though I’d been dropped into the Buena Vista Social Club in old Havana.”

I felt like I was back on vacation as I had gone to the Buena Vista Social Club in old Havana. I listened to excellent music throughout the vacation. Reading Death on the Menu took me right back to my lovely vacation – minus being part of solving a murder.

The descriptions of the food were spot on and I could just smell the food and the feel of the daiquiri slowly going down my throat. It was tiring to say the least to this reader trying to keep up with Hayley juggling her sleuthing along with her day job as a food critic at Key Zest magazine.

While this is the first book by Lucy Burdette that I have read, I predict it will not be my last. In fact, I have the next installment of the Key West Food Critic Mystery series, A Deadly Feast, already downloaded from the publisher ready to read.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

This book was such a fun read! I love that the book is set in Key West, Florida and every detail is so clear, it's like I'm back there again. Even though this is the eighth book in the Key West Food Critic mystery series, I didn't know that when I began reading and it wasn't a hinderance at all. I'm excited to go back and read the series from the beginning. The characters are likeable and the book snagged me at the start. The mystery was interesting and although there were some clues, the culprit really seemed a mystery until the end. I highly recommend this cozy mystery.

I received a free copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Although it seems like it took forever for me to read this book, I am so lucky to have had it given to me. I started to read this book and quickly realized two things. The first was that Haley Snow was a familiar character as I had read a couple of books with her in them and the second was that all the relationships were completely different than in the last book I read. I checked and realized that I had missed the majority of the series. I stopped reading this book, went back and read the others that I had missed and I am so very glad that I did. The progression of the main character's personality and resolve gained natural momentum in each book. It was fantastic to see how the author had built the growth of the character into the story lines with a gentle hand that helped enhance the stories and your connection to the character. It was delightful to spend so much time in Key West with the character, her sidekicks and of course the mysteries....although the food descriptions may have contributed to my sudden spike in growth of my waistline!!! This book is fantastic. I absolutely think that it may be my favorite in the series so far. The mystery was complex and intriguing, but the characters definitely bring to life the book. If I had to say something negative, it would be that the books will leave you with a strong desire to visit Key West, but can that really be a negative??? I absolutely can not wait to revisit Haley and her gang in Key West in the next book. Fingers crossed that the author is working on it now!!!

I requested this one off of Netgally out of a whim and I am glad I did, I really enjoyed the story.

Let me start off saying I have never read anything from this author and this should also tell you I have never read any other books in the series so I was amazed that I never really felt as if I needed to start with the previous books. I do love hitting standalone in series.

I enjoyed the characters, mystery, and the bit of politics that was added into the mix. The author puts your imagination to work as you about a treasured Cuban award come up missing during the event. The author also gives you quite a few Cuban recipes in the back of the book for you to try.

I recommend this one to anyone that likes a good Cuba/US relations mystery.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I enjoyed books where the location is almost a character in itself. Let’s face it, Key West is a natural. Between the Hemingway House kitties and The Little White House and all the interesting places and personalities, this book captures all of its eccentricities in a very loving manner.
It is a cracking good story too. On the special weekend designed to soften relations between the island and Havana less than 100 miles away, feelings run deep and hot between those who escaped to freedom and those who stayed behind. Those conflicting emotions run close to the surface and every little mistake can spiral into a major dispute. So when the award Hemingway won for The Old Man in the Sea, a coin that until this weekend had remained in Cuba, disappears, there is quite a commotion. Then when one of the workers helping cater the dinner for the events is found with s knife in his chest, it is clear things are not going to progress smoothly.
Hayley has been drafted to help her mother cater the most important event of her fledgling catering business. Her help is welcomed as well by the local police as they attempt to keep things under control and solve the murder. I always appreciate when an author is able to blend the involvement of the heroine into the investigation in a way that makes sense, This one does it well.
The actual murderer turned out to be a surprise so the events leading to the resolution kept me guessing. I rather enjoy that.
I give it four purrs and two paws up. If there had been more of the Hemingway cats, I might have even gone up to a five.

When trying to smooth Cuban/American relations, a murder before dessert is not the way to start things off.
This is the 8th book in the Key West Food Critic Mysteries by Lucy Burdette. Hayley Snow, an avid foodie and food writer for Key Zest magazine, is helping her mother cater a conference between Key West and Havana at the Harry Truman Little White House. All seems to be going well, until shots ring out as they are ready to serve dessert.
As always, Burdette writes a tightly plotted book. She gives the reader loads of information about the island community and its history without boring the reader with too many details. There are plenty of suspects, some of which you end up considering, eliminating, then considering again.
The characters are great as always. When picking up a new Key West book, it is like catching up with old friends. The relationships continue to grow and change with each book, so her world lives and breathes with time.
This is a fantastic addition to the series. Who knew that books about murder mysteries could make me want to visit Key West so much?

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review.

In Lucy Burdette’s eighth Key West Food Critic mystery, Hayley Snow is at it again. Not only is she Key Zest’s food critic but is somewhat of an amateur sleuth. Hayley’s mother is tasked with catering a three day conference between Key West and a Cuban delegation at the Harry Truman Little White House and has asked Hayley to help with the event. Hayley’s mm really needs this event to go well to help her fledgling catering business. On the first night of the event, Hemingway’s Nobel Medal for “Old Man and the Sea”, which was on loan from the Cuban Delegation is stolen and Gabriel, one of the people assisting Hayley’s mom goes missing and is suspected of taking the medal. Maria, Gabriel’s sister, ask Hayley to help, as it turns out, Gabriel is found dead! Can Hayley figure out what happened to Gabriel and the medal before anyone else turns up dead? Also, can Hayley keep up with her job and relationships while solving the mysteries going on in Key West?

Lucy Burdette continues to add wonderful and interesting storylines to this cozy Mystery Series! Not only are they great whodunnits, but the characters are fun and interesting and keep you wanting to know more and hear more from them.

I absolutely loved this story! Hayley is fun to follow and I love the colorful and wonderful characters that surround and support her. Truly a fun and great read that I highly recommend!

I received a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well written, the mystery was good and the food was enough to make me wish I could eat it as I was reading. I look forward to more by this author.

Location, location, location....oh and food! What more could this book have to make it an excellent read? It's tropical, it's fun, it's filled with flavorful Cuban recipes, it's Key West. Of course it is also filled with murder shrouded in a mystery with an international flair. Cuba and Key West. Hayley Snow, food critic and catering assistant is very excited to be helping her Mom's fledgling business play host to the Cuban delegation at President Harry S. Truman's Little White House. Although tension is in the air so is the excitement of this brave new venture until murder and theft take place. The priceless Nobel prize medal awarded to Key West's own Ernest Hemingway for his Old Man and the Sea which was on loan from Cuba goes missing and the suspected thief is found dead. Names need to be cleared, a national treasure found and a murderer caught all while serving the equivalent of a state dinner and maintaining international relations. Hayley has her job cut out for her as she creates wonderful Cuban dishes (recipes in the back of the book), critiques local eateries (great sandwiches) and helps her family and friends to solve the crime. Loved this book and can't wait to give the series to my Mom (an alumni of Key West high class of 1965) as a Christmas gift. An excellent read even though it does have some poly-sci undertones regarding the plight of the Cubans under Castro's regime.

This is book 8 in this series but it can be read as a stand-alone. Hayley Snow is a food critic for the style magazine Key Zest in Key West Florida. But she has a bad habit of getting herself involved in crimes and then trying to solve them.

This book focuses on a conference between prominent people in Key West government and the like from Cuba as they try to develop a working relationship between the two countries since Key West has a large population from Cuba. The conference is held at the Little White House which was President Truman's getaway and Ernest Hemingway's Key West home. Hayley's mom who owns a catering company is supplying all the food for the conference. When one of her wait staff and helpers in murdered, things promptly go awry.

I really enjoyed learning more about Key West as well as Truman's Little White House and Hemingway's Key West home. There was also a lot of detail regarding the Cuban cuisine in Key West and even recipes are included at the end which I liked. But I just didn't find myself connecting with Hayley during the story. I also found some disconnect between the quotes Burdette used at the beginning of each chapter and the chapter itself. I also would have like to have seen a few more clues that would have led to who the culprit might be. Finally, tarot cards are used once by Haley to determine what she should do regards her relationship situation which bothered me. Alcohol also came into play many times at the conference.

Overall, an okay book, but I don't think I would read any others in the series.

** I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Death on the Menu by Lucy Burdette is A Key West Food Critic Mystery. Hayley Snow is helping her mother cater a three-day event at the Harry Truman Little White House in Key West, Florida. Catering the Cuban/American conference is a coup for her fledgling business. Nathan Bransford, Hayley’s boyfriend, would prefer if Hayley bowed out since it is a controversial event and protestors will be present. On the first day of the event, Hemingway’s Nobel prize gold medal for Old Man and the Sea on loan from Cuba disappears. It is the first time the medal has ever left Cuba and the Cuban delegates are outraged. Despite searches of the house and staff, they are unable to locate it. That night as the flan is being served, Gabriel is found stabbed to death in the kitchen closet. Gabriel’s family asks Hayley to investigate his death and get justice for the family by finding his killer. Despite Nathan’s objections, Hayley plunges into the case. Miss Gloria and Hayley are worried about the houseboat for sale next to them. The last tenants were party hearty types that continually disturbed the residents of Houseboat Row. Plus, Hayley has articles to write for Key Zest magazine and little time to sample the local Cuban cuisine for her critique. Hayley is in for a busy weekend in Death on the Menu.

Death on the Menu contains good writing and engaging characters. Lucy Burdette does a wonderful job at world building. She includes various shops and sites in Key West. Her descriptions bring the area alive. I do not recommend reading Death on the Menu without having read An Appetite for Murder which will give you an introduction to Hayley, her friends, her job, and the area. I liked the inclusion of Key West history and information about Ernest Hemingway (adds to the world building). There are some lovely cozy moments in the story along with tasty food descriptions. I am a fan of Miss Gloria and I envy the pair living on a houseboat (except when a hurricane is approaching). I like Miss Gloria’s love of sequins (it is cute) and Hayley’s love of high top tennis shoes (I adore my Converse and have them in different colors/prints). While I am not a fan of Nathan, he does do something at the end that puts him a better light. I did feel that Death on the Menu is a slow starter and the pace throughout the book was slow. The mystery was interesting, but I wish it had been more of a challenge to identify the guilty party. I felt that some details were missing from the story (what is the mother’s name and the name of her catering business for example). There are recipes included at the end. They include Cuban roast pork, black bean soup, mojito cake and flan. I thought the ending was sweet, romantic and upbeat. Join Hayley Snow on her latest sleuthing adventure in Death on the Menu.

Hayley Snow's mother has landed a catering gig for a high-profile US-Cuba conference at Key West's Harry Truman Little White House. But things go wrong from the first day when Hemingway’s Nobel prize gold medal is stolen from its case. The prime suspect is Gabriel, one of the new busboys working the event. Anxious to clear his name, Gabriel’s family asks for Hayley's help but then Gabriel's body is found stabbed to death in the storeroom. Who killed Gabriel and where is the medal? Hayley has to juggle her Key Zest magazine duties, helping her mother with the catering, and her sleuthing to find the truth.

This was a welcome return of the Key West Food Critic mystery series with a new publisher.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Lucy Burdette's Death on the Menuis the latest book in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series. Haley is the food critic for Key Zest magazine in Key West, Florida. She agrees to help her mother cater a three day conference between American and Cuban officials. The tense event gets worse when Ernest Hemingway's Nobel prize gold medal goes missing and worse still when a body is found. Haley investigates to help the family of the dead man and hopefully save her mother's catering reputation. I loved reading all about Key West and the Cuban food. A few times I was concerned that the touchy subject of immigration would overshadow the story, but the author handled it very well. Overall it was a very enjoyable book.