Her mother has been asked to cater an event showcasing Cuban food and bringing Americans and Cubans closer together. It doesn't go well. A Hemingway artifact is stolen and one of the waitstaff is killed...

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published August 17th.

Besides learning about various Cuban foods, there are squabbles between the guests, Haley almost gets killed, and her mother's career is almost ended. Haley is going to help the family of the dead man, help her mom, and solve the mystery of who stole the medal or die trying. She almost does...

I am happy that this series is continuing. I liked the Key West/Cuban. Hemingway mix. Burdette's style of writing helps you feel as if you are walking the streets of Key West and smelling the food and the ocean breezes. The mystery is well plotted, and I savored it to the very end.

Death on the Menu by Lucy Burdette is the eight installment in Key West Food Critic Mystery series but can be read as a standalone.

This is the first book in the series that I have read and although I did get into the story I feel that it would have been better had I read the previous books before starting this one.
Hayley is super busy. Apart from writing for the magazine she has promised to help her mother cater the most prestigious event. While there Key West's prized medal is stolen. Suspicion points to Gabriel busboy and family friend who conveniently goes missing.
Gorgeous setting, delectable and mouth watering food are only bits and pieces of this faboulous read.
Well written and clever mystery make this an irresistable book for both mystery and food lovers.

This is a fun cozy series and this book is 8th in the popular series.

I love the setting of Key West Florida and how the author places the reader right into the beauty, sights and smells of Key West. Haley Snow is one of my favorite protagonist and once again is on the case of a murder. She is smart , savvy and knows her food ! The description of the food is sublime.
Haley is assisting her Mom who is a caterer with a Cuban festival in Key West. She also is a food writer for the local newspaper. Her pursuit of all things food is entertaining and makes this series a fan favorite. The descriptions of the Cuban daily coffee, the sweets and the dishes will have your mouth watering for a trip to Florida . The descriptions are so well written that the reader can taste the food.
Haley has a engaging cast of friends in this series. She lives on a houseboat with her elderly friend who she saved from a dreary life in a retirement home. They enjoy many long evenings on the houseboat with cocktails and are a perfect match for each other. Haley has unique relationships as well as work relationships that always assist her with her sleuths from chef's to fortune tellers to newspaper friends. I love the varied supporting charcters and how each has its own addition and flow with the sleuthing to the Key West Vibe.
I enjoy this series for the location, the food, the sleuth and the fast paced writing. This series is enjoyable and the perfect escape to Key West for armchair travelers. Its a fun series that I am always happy to return to.
I recommend the entire series. Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

Jumping into this series at book number 8 and I cannot believe I haven't been a fan from day 1. How am I just finding this absolute treasure?! A PERFECT book to read in the humid heat of summer, I was whisked away on thoughts of houseboats and ocean breezes and dropped into an incredible mystery. I cannot even begin to choose what I loved most. The characters are fantastic and you can tell from one book that they remain true to themselves and don't evolve for the simplicity of the story. I haven't tried any recipe from the book but I can't wait to. I'm on vacation right now though, so sadly, wait is what I'll have to do. Hayley is a heroine made for the screen. I sincerely hope her stories get picked up and shared with a televised audience. Her love interest doesn't play a huge role in the book but their relationship still manages to grow in depth throughout it. Being a lover of history, I felt that the information about Hemingway, Truman, and the cultural relations between the U.S. and Cuba added an authenticity to the story that made it even more engaging for me. I truly recommend this book and can't wait to find more of Lucy Burdette's books to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Lucy Burdette for the chance to read this book and share my thoughts and opinions with others.

This book is number 8 in the series and is the first I have read. I was not lost and was able to enjoy the story without wondering what about Lucy's past. The author gives you enough of the details for you to understand.
I enjoyed the well-crafted story; the characters are great and have depth.

Hayley is our amateur sleuth who is also a food critic for the local Key Zest.
Her mother has started a catering business and needs Haley's help at a high-brow three-day conference at the Harry Truman Little White House in Key West and surrounding locations. Hemingway's Nobel prize medal, on loan from the Cuban government goes missing during the day. That evening's festivities ends with one of the helpers, Gabriel, turning up dead.

What I liked best was the quick energetic start of the story which drew me into the town. The character interaction was wonderful. The small knit town of Key West and its regular inhabitants wasn't an everyone knows everyone kind of place. There are plenty of people in the know but they don't know it all. Also, the police may be bad mouthed by the characters are not being overly bright but the ones we meet in this story are competent individuals with strong characters. By that I mean they don't feel threatened by a nosy journalist.

This was a delightful read and a good addition to my collective library on cozy writers with good stories and great recipes. I can't wait to try the Cuban roast. I've wanted a good recipe for a while and now it appears I have it.

So, if you like Diane Mott Davidson or Joanne Fluke, I pretty confident you'll like this series. If you haven't tried it, you should.

I look forward to starting from the beginning, with the ones in my TBR pile and savoring every book.

I was hungry the whole time I was reading this story. The food sounds amazing. Hayley is helping her mother with her mother's catering business. As Hayley helps at a big party that is supposed to be a bridge between Cuba and Key West, a Nobel prize is stolen and a man ends up dead. Hayley promised the family she would help find who committed the murder, but there are so many suspects. Even a couple of her friends. As she searches for a killer and a thief, another member of the victim's family is attacked. Will she be able to find the killer before someone else dies?

DEATH ON THE MENU
Can one be homesick for a place one has never visited? I would have said no, but after reading Lucy Burdette’s Key West mysteries, I feel a bit homesick for sunsets on the beach, Conch Tours, John Martini sculptures (I looked them up — playful! and looked up gumbo limbo trees, too). Now I want some key lime pie . . . as well as flan, mojito cake, and Cuban Mix sandwiches (recipes included).
Those sandwiches are a perfect segue into the complication of DEATH ON THE MENU, a conference on Key West-Havana relations set at the Truman White House and the Hemingway House, with an exciting opening evening . . . special guests (I’m not telling) marred by the disappearance of a valuable piece of history (still not telling), a tragic death, and (am I shallow for caring so much about this detail?) spilled flan. Hayley Snow and friends are up to the challenge, and also wise to learn lessons like cherishing time together. Miss Gloria is inspiring, and deserving of loyalty.
The quotes beginning the chapters are well-chosen and apt, adding more to think about.
I was sold from the dedication:
For immigrants everywhere, who dare to leave what they know and love in search of a better life.

Analogies or lessons for life —
Cuban guayabera shirts should be standard in all hot climates.
Sometimes beautifully planned and executed desserts end up spilled or spoiled.
Life can be like a wreck of a houseboat “with good bones,” with enough work, it can be grand.
“You work bits and pieces of information around until it all drops into place —“
Be yourself: The bride who wanted s’mores instead of wedding cake is a lesson in individuality. My great-niece did her one better, with s’mores right after the wedding and cake at the reception.

I enjoyed this book. Good writing; interesting mystery to be solved; and the pace of the book was nice. The setting drove the story and the author made me feel as if I were there in the story. Since I had not read other books in this series, it took me just a short time to get all the characters lined up correctly in my mind, but it does work well as a stand-alone book, too. This is an enjoyable cozy mystery.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Haley Snow Key West Food critic is back! She has got herself right in the middle of the Cuban- American Conference taking place in Key West. I LOVED the history and buildings that had to due with Truman and Hemingway. The descriptions of the settings now have me wanting to go visit Key West, although not during Hurricane season.
Wonderfully entertaining characters with a great mystery and twists and turns that kept me turning pages.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Hayley and the gang are back! The characters are entertaining, and the plot twists kept me glued to the book. The descriptions of the food and the scenery are wonderful. Hayley always finds herself in the thick of things, and I love to find out if, and how, she's going to get out of certain situations. If you love food, pets, and a great cozy mystery, then this is the book and series for you.

Cute - a light sweet read. Dragged a little in the middle. I would read more from this author. I would recommend to friends

Death on the Menu is quite possibly my favorite book in Lucy Burdette's Key West Food Critic Mystery Series. Cultures are merging as a delegation from Havana meets with a delegation from Key West at the famed Harry Truman Little White House. Hayley Snow is helping her mother cater the event, and on the first evening one of their staff is murdered and Ernest Hemingway's Nobel Prize is stolen! Hayley's up to her eyeballs, as usual, in all the happenings as she tries to determine who killed Gabriel, and keep herself and her roommate Miss Gloria safe at the same time. Very cozy, very well written, and very yummy recipes are included, plus a nice surprise twist at the end. A+++

Lucy Burdette’s Death on the Menu is a quick cozy read with a likable heroine, delicious Cuban food, and an intriguing mystery. However, the plot could have been better crafted and I wish there was much less focus on the romance between Hayley and her detective boyfriend.This is the eighth instalment in the Key West Food Critic mystery series but it can be easily read as a stand-alone.

Our protagonist is food critic Hayley Snow who is helping her mom with the catering at the prestigious Havana/Key West conference. The event quickly turns controversial with tensions brewing between the Cuban and American guests. Before dinner is even served, someone steals Ernest Hemingway’s Nobel Prize gold medal. Gabriel, a helper at the event, becomes a suspect. However, he is soon murdered. Gabriel’s family enlists Hayley to help clear his name and solve his murder. Hayley’s plate is overflowing. Will the murderer strike again? Can her mother’s catering business survive? Is she ready to take the next step in her relationship? And just who is moving in to the house boat next door?

Hayley is one of my favorite cozy protagonists. She’s brave, smart, and relatable. I also adore her sidekick, the spunky octogenarian Miss Gloria. However, I’m not a fan of Hayley’s relationship with her detective boyfriend, Nathan. I hate his patronizing attitude towards her. I also think that Burdette focused too heavily on their relationship drama.

The mystery is decently paced and has some interesting twists. However, I wish the plot had been a little more developed. The big reveal could have been better written. I also don’t think the murderer’s motives and behaviour were as clear and well-thought out as they could have been. The ending felt very rushed to make time for the relationship drama between Hayley and Nathan.

Death on the Menu is a fun cozy mystery with a great heroine, nice twists, and lots of mouth-watering food. I love the vivid descriptions of the locations, people, and history of Key West. I especially like the inclusion of Cuban recipes at the end of the book. Although I wish the plot was better crafted and the romance was less present, this book is a great addition to the series. I can’t wait to read more about Hayley’s sleuthing and cooking in Key West!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Each chapter begins with a food or tasting inspired quote. I am not as much a foodie as some but I did find these passages interesting.
Haley Snow is a food critic as well as a really good cook. She has an inquisitive mind which helps when she becomes involved in investigations. She is also good with people and loyal to those she cares about. This diplomatic event her mother is catering can make or break the catering business.

It seems it can also make or break some other careers and relations between the Key Community at large, the United States and Cuba. This event, and Haley's participation in it, will also have far reaching effects on her romantic relationship.

Because of the circumstances surrounding everything that happens, the police have limited time to figure out who committed the crimes before any evidence and all the suspects scatter.
While she claims she doesn't want to investigate, for various reasons, Haley is in position to discover information and motives no one else has access to.

While the plot seems food centric, there is a lot of information on the area and the famous author Hemingway. There is something in the book for any reader. The problems and crimes are definitely not simple to solve.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy shared with me.
The rating is my own.

I haven't read the others in this series (yet!) but loved this as a stand alone and can't wait to go back and read more!

Death on the Menu is the second mystery in Lucy Burdette's Key West Food Critics series that features food critic Hayley Snow. Haley is attending a Cuban/American conference at the landmark Truman's Little White House. Her mother's new business just happens to be catering the event. During the dinner, Hemmingway's Nobel Prize gold medal for The Old Man and the Sea disappears , as well as one of the busboys. His body is later found stabbed to death. Haley has to investigate numerous suspects with little time to help solve the murder before the conference ends.

Will the murder and theft destoy her mother's new catering business? Is Haley ready for the next step in her relationship with Nathan, her police dective boyfriend? Who is buying the house boat docked next to Haley and Miss Gloria ( her octogenarian roommate)? Can Haley help uncover the murderer and the thief? This is a fast paced mystery in the unique setting of Key West with a great plot and a cast of intriguing characters. The book also includes delicious Cuban recipes. I highly recommend Death on the Menu for your next mystery read.

I received an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Death on the Menu by Lucy Burdette is the 8th book in the series featuring Hayley Snow, Key west food critic.
This story involves the Key west/ Havana conference and tension runs high when the famous noble prize medal belonging to Hemingway disappears. No sooner is the missing medal reported, that a dead body is found, and rumors that the missing medal and the murder are somehow connected.
Even though Hayley is warned against investigating, she cannot help herself and she tries to piece the mystery together.

This story wasn't as exciting for me and I was a bit disappointed. There were times that the story grew stale and it lacked the laugh out loud moments that I have come to love about this series.
My rating is more of a 3.75 star for this book.
I volunteered to read an ARC of this book offered by the publisher and NetGalley.

This is the 8th book in the Key West Food Critic mystery series, and I really enjoyed it. I've read all the books in this series and look forward to more. In this book, Haley continues in her job as a food writer for Key Zest magazine. Her mother is a caterer and Haley says she'll help out with the latest job, the Havana-KeyWest conference. It's a big contract and hopefully, it will lead to more business for Haley's mom if all goes well.

Haley's police officer boyfriend Nathan doesn't want Haley to have anything to do with the conference. He thinks it's risky - there have been threats and security will be tight. Unfortunately, Natan is proven correct when Hemingway's medal is stolen and one of the caterer's assistants is found murdered. Haley has to see justice done and wants to find the killer.

Great plot and interesting characters made this book an easy read. The recipes at the back were keepers too!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Haley Snow, food critic for Key Zest magazine is right in the middle of the Cuban-American Conference in Key West. The three day conference is to promote better Cuban-American relations and promises to be a high profile occasion. Haley's mother has gotten the catering contract for the event, and much to her boyfriend's (police detective Nathan) unhappiness, will be working the conference and in the thick of things. Only nobody expects things to be a stolen Nobel Peace Prize medal of Hemingway's or a murder. Yet Haley, her mom and step-dad, and roomie Miss Gloria are all smack dab in the middle of the worst break in Cuban-American relations possible.

The story was full of history and buildings that involve Hemingway, President Truman, and more recent presidents. The author does an excellent job telling you about the island and the architecture as well as history as the story unfolds. She also emphasizes Cuban cooking, since Haley is writing about that and her mother is cooking Cuban recipes for the conference. However for me, that was over done to the point that half-way through the book I had to take a break. Cuban overload. I have been to Key West and appreciate the Cuban influence, but not every food has to be Cuban! Too much of a good thing made it difficult to finish the book.

However the conclusion is exciting and surprises along the way make the reader hope the next book will take a different topic, because I still want to read the next book and see what happens!