Since I enjoy watching cooking competition shows, I liked the premise of this story. The characters were engaging, especially the Scone Sisters. The mystery was well-developed, even though the suspect pool was not that large. The author also does a good job of capturing Key West.

This is such an adorable cozy mystery I can’t wait to pick up more in this series. This book follows Hayley a person in charge of a British baking competition in key west when Haley bed and breakfast gets burned down and one of the baking competitors end up dead we follow as they try to figure out what happened.

This was a cute cozy mystery it is the 13 th on the series and this is the first book I read. The characters seem really well fleshed out and I want to read some of the previous entries in this series. The writing is fun and fast paced I could use a little more humor in this cozy romance but I still really had a good time. I hope to read more from this author in the future. I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

What I liked about this book is the behind-the-scenes of how a baking contest was run, the food descriptions, and the Scone sisters were the highlight of the book for me. Now what I didn't like was the actual mystery part of the book because to me it was so predictable I had already figured out who the killer was and that was frustrating to me. Because now I have to finish a book knowing who the killer already is.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the review copy.
I received an ARC and am giving my thoughts my own..

"A Clue in the Crumbs" by Lucy Burdette is a delectable mystery that combines the savory world of Key West cuisine with a gripping murder investigation. Food critic Hayley Snow, alongside her charming friend Miss Gloria, finds herself in the midst of a culinary competition turned crime scene when the Scottish Scone Sisters' visit takes an unexpected turn.

The author skillfully weaves together the excitement of The UK Bakes!--Key West Edition with a cleverly crafted mystery. The plot unfolds with the arson of the sisters' accommodation and escalates when a murder occurs, casting suspicions on the inn owner's wife, Rayna. Burdette keeps readers on the edge of their seats as the trio of elderly ladies and Hayley navigate the challenges of a murder investigation while participating in a baking contest.

The characters are charming and well-developed, adding a delightful layer to the story. Hayley's passion for food and her determination to uncover the truth create a compelling protagonist. The Scottish Scone Sisters bring a touch of humor and warmth, balancing the tension of the murder mystery.

The pacing is excellent, with the murder mystery seamlessly integrated into the backdrop of a baking competition. Burdette skillfully sprinkles clues throughout the narrative, allowing readers to piece together the puzzle alongside the characters. The suspense builds steadily, and the twists keep the story engaging until the satisfying conclusion.

"A Clue in the Crumbs" is not only a feast for mystery enthusiasts but also for those who appreciate culinary delights. The descriptions of Key West cuisine and the baking competition add a flavorful dimension to the narrative, making it a delightful read for foodies.

In summary, Lucy Burdette's "A Clue in the Crumbs" is a four-star culinary mystery that combines delectable descriptions of Key West's culinary scene with a well-executed murder investigation. With a cast of endearing characters and a plot full of twists and turns, this book is a treat for readers who enjoy a perfect blend of mystery and gastronomic delights.

This series is normally a favorite, but this book fell a bit short. The mystery lacked the flow of the previous books. The cooking show with the visiting sisters was so unorganized. Real life is super messy, but I like for the fictional places I visit to not need to try so hard.

I enjoyed this mystery! I hadn't read this author before but it won't be my last one. The story kept me guessing which is something that I love in mysteries. And the characters were so much fun!

A Clue in the Crumbs is a cute cozy mystery with a cast of eclectic characters. I loved The Great British Bake Off type plot and the Scottish Scone Sisters were so much fun. The murder mystery itself was lacking for me but I enjoyed the story as a whole and would love to go back and read more of the series. This one worked fine as a standalone, so don't feel like you need to start at the beginning. I also loved the relationship between Hayley and Miss Gloria and found myself wishing I could be a part of their friend group.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I do enjoy a good cosy mystery, add in some yummy food and a great setting, Key West and a house boat and some wonderful fun characters and this one was a thoroughly enjoyable read that had me guessing. This was my first time meeting food critic Hayley Snow and her off-sider Miss Gloria and it was good to meet them.

Hayley and Miss Gloria are thrilled to be welcoming the Scottish Scone Sisters Violet and Bettina to their home town to do a new TV bake off show, Key West Edition, but things go upside down when the B & B they are supposed to be staying in goes up in flames, easily fixed they can stay on the houseboat with Miss Gloria but when the owner of the B & B is found murdered and it turns out that his wife Rayna is one of the contestants in the show, Hayley and Miss Gloria go into full investigative mode with the help of Violet and Bettina.

Will they find the fire bug and the killer before anyone is hurt, are they the same person? Will the bake off show still go ahead? I am glad I picked this one up and I look forward to getting around to reading more in this series, I do recommend this one to anyone who loves a good cosy mystery.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

Lucy Burdette has done it again in her amazing books. her characters are well written. Haley Snow with her police husband make a great team. Just like her food critic she does an amazing job trying to work and help with the scone sisters, she really was amazing. I didn't see it coming who the real killer is. An enjoyable read couldn't wait to see who wins and who is the killer.

Another great installment in the Key West Food Critic mystery series. I love Ms Gloria and Hayley and I was so happy to see Bettina and Violet join them in this mystery. I hope we haven't seen the end of Violet and Bettina and that Tim gets to join them on their new adventures.

I always love reading the recipes at the end of the stories; someday I will actually make some of them as they all sound tasty.

Daisy agrees to participate in a podcast by Trevor Lundquist, and during the course of the interview, he receives a tip about evidence of a 20 year-old crime to be found in a chest coming up for auction. Out of curiosity, Daisy and Jonas go to the auction with Trevor and buy all 4 of the trunks for sale. There seems to be nothing them, yet someone tries to break into the storage area where they were kept. And then a murder, possibly connected to the anonymous call. Daisy is resolved not to get involved. After all, her wedding is coming up in a few short weeks, her daughter Jazzi is getting ready to leave for college, her other daughter is having some issues in her relationship with her husband, and there's another township event coming up. But she soon gets pulled in, first by the police, asking for help calming down the victim's wife. And then by Trevor, as he keeps recklessly pursuing this mystery for his podcast, often dropping her name as being part of it. Once again, the author has provided an enjoyable and challenging mystery, while focusing on family and friends relationships. This series truly meets the challenge of a cozy mystery - minimal violence and bloodshed, and tons of personal interactions (rated PG), typical personal issues, and sheer joy at maintaining good relationships. Looking forward to the next story in this series. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book received through NetGalley and all opinions are strictly my own.

A Clue in the Crumbs ~ Key West Food Critic #13 (by Lucy Burdette) 4*
I have read several of the books in the Key West Food Critic series and have loved every one of them! This one had so many positive aspects:
1) I love Miss Gloria … She is a perky elderly lady who is a delight to be around. She is one tough cookie and I love seeing what trouble she and Haley get into with every story.
2) Violet and Bettina, the Scone Sisters, from Scotland were a hoot. Having met them in the previous book, I loved having them travel to the US to host the UK Bakes — Key West Edition cooking show. They had the best personalities and I wanted to meet them and hope they would become good friends. What delightful ladies with great personalities and outlook on life.
3) The mysteries are intriguing and keep you glued to the pages. You will be flipping through them as fast as you can to see what the next day will bring and helping to solve the mystery.

I am a huge fan of this series and find my stomach growling at the food they enjoy as they dine out in restaurants or at home on their houseboat. I want to buy a boat so I can be their neighbor!

This is the 13th book in this delightful, long running series. Hayley Snow and her pal, Miss Gloria, welcome some British Baking stars to Key West for a competition. As always there is a wealth of fascinating detail about baking and food, which makes sense as Hayley is a professional food critic. The ambiance of Key West is captured perfectly, as it is in the other books in the series. When a murder occurs, we feel confident Hayley and Miss Gloria will start their detecting work and solve the crime. There are enough red herrings and plot twists to keep us turning the pages. A terrific read!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Every time I read one of the books in the series, I want to morph down to Key West. It seems like such a cool and fascinating place and life on the houseboats is never dull. As the book begins, Hayley and Miss Gloria are awaiting the arrival of the two Scottish ladies, the Scone Sitters, at the airport. They are bringing their hit baking show to the US and will hold try outs in Key West. Things do not go smoothly from the get-go.

Two contestants have questionable baking skills and the third one who is a whiz has a husband who barges in and demands that she not compete. There is then a fire at the B & B the couple own and where the two Scottish ladies are booked to stay. Then the abusive husband is found murdered in a nearby alley. Between trying to get the shows in the can, keeping the three older ladies safe and trying to figure out which one of the contestants or the elusive agent of the ladies is the killer, Hayley is run off her feet. Good thing her cop husband is so supportive.

With lots of intrigue and deceits swirling in the background, Hayley and the reader sort through the confusing tangle to uncover the villain. It was an enjoyable jaunt to the southernmost tip of North America. Five purrs and two paws up.

There were a few things that I loved about this book. I enjoyed seeing how a baking contest was run, the descriptions of food found throughout the book and the quirky fun Scone Sisters (judges for the contest). The Scone Sisters were the characters that really kept me reading through this cozy.

The mystery is what fell flat for me. I had a suspicion on who the killer was and was right. What was more intriguing to me was the burning down of the B&B. Also, where was the luggage and what is going on with the travel agent? Not usually what I tend to focus on in a cozy mystery.

I would recommend this book for fans of food related books. I would not recommend this as a cozy mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the review copy.
 
I received an ARC and am giving my thoughts voluntarily.

A Clue in the Crumbs takes place in March around St. Patrick’s Day, which is a fun time to set a cozy mystery. This book features Bettina and Violet, the Scottish sisters, who we met in Scones of Contention. The sisters have become famous in the UK. They are now in the United States looking for cooks to participate in their reality baking show. They are excited to start off their search in Key West. Haley’s elderly neighbor, Miss Gloria, is excited to be able to spend more time with the sisters.

As always Lucy’s descriptions of Key West make me feel as though I were walking through the streets of the area. This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. This is another hit in the Key West Food Critic cozy series. I would not recommend starting with this one, just because part of reading a series is knowing the characters and seeing their interactions with old and new characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I gave this novel a solid 4 stars. Don’t hesitate to pick this one up!

The Key West Food Critic series was brand new to me when I discovered this book on NetGalley. I do enjoy a good cozy mystery and this did not disappoint. I enjoyed learning the characters and have already gone back to my library to read some of the previous books in the series.

This was a fun read but the phrase “to die for” was so over-used in this book! A Clue in the Crumbs is book 13 in Lucy Burdette's A Key West Food Critic Mystery series. I had not previously read any of the books in the series, and although there appear to be recurring characters, I found it easy to follow so reading previous books is not necessary. I love the relationship that Miss Gloria and Hayley have, it feels so real and true to life. Thank you for the advanced copy!

The Scottish Scone Sisters are in Key West for a special edition of their baking show. In spite of a missing contestant, a cranky baker, and almost inedible food the sisters the maintain their happy disposition. However, more trouble is coming.

There are interesting details about Key West, along with historical snippets, which add depth to this story. I've enjoyed reading all the books in the Key West Food Critic series and look forward to more in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Violet and Bettina Booth, aka the Scottish Scone Sisters, have come to Key West to visit Hayley and Miss Gloria and to host the UK Bakes!—Key West Edition. Due to a fire at the B&B where they were supposed to stay the sisters end up staying on Miss Gloria's houseboat, right next door to Hayley.

They all arrive on the set where the cooking show will be filmed to meet the three local bakers. One is Rayna, she and her husband own the B&B that had the fire. The other contestants are Harry Sweeting and Martina Bevis. Rayna's husband storms the set to get Rayna to drop out and come home and the next night he is found dead with evidence that lands Scottish Scone Sisters at the top of the suspect list.

Do the sisters have a recipe to get them out of trouble? While UK Bakes!—Key West Edition continues, Violet, Bettina, Gloria, and Hayley keep their eyes peeled for any clues. They report everything they learn to Haley's police detective husband, Nathan, but the murderer is right on their tail. Can the killer be caught or will UK Bakes! lose its hosts and two of its biggest fans?

___

These characters are so much fun. I love the relationship that Miss Gloria and Hayley have, it feels so real and true to life. Hayley and Nathan's relationship is so comfortable. Nathan is so patient and kind with Miss Gloria and in this story with Bettina, and Violet. Having Hayley's mom and Sam nearby enables them to participate in everything Hayley gets wrapped up in. I also like Lorenzo, Hayley's Tarot Card reading friend. Sometimes he is very involved in the story, sometimes she only visits him once. This time he was actually invited to dinner on her houseboat and that let him know and us readers too how important he is to Hayley. I loved that Bettina and Violet were able to visit Key West, they are just so much fun.  Miss Burdette has created such strong characters and they continue to grow and be relevant. That is not easy to do in a long-running series.

The author has put forth a complicated mystery starting first with the fire that was clearly arson, then the murder which led to other events, including a missing agent. All kept the pages turning quickly. It is always fun when Miss Gloria tags along with Hayley in a quest to get answers but adding the Scone Sisters was marvelous. They were up for everything and anything and took to snooping like pros. Ms. Burdette threw some nice twists to shake things up and misdirect. I had discounted the actual guilty party completely. The exciting showdown and reveal surprised me. And what a showdown it was!

As always Ms. Burdette's descriptive style sets each scene wonderfully. I was able to visualize every place from Williams Hall where the baking show was filmed to Miss Gloria's and Hayley's houseboats to all the places around Key West where the characters traveled. She also had me drooling over the food descriptions too. Yes, there are recipes at the back of the book. It was like a little virtual vacation.

A Crumb in the Clues was such an entertaining read! Fabulous characters and a divinely plotted mystery with plenty of humor make it A Perfect Escape. I hope this isn't the last we see of Betina and Violet. Until next year, Ms. Burdette. I can hardly wait.