This story takes off like a starter's gun! Bang and they're off! A Poisonous Palate is a fast moving mystery with an abundance of suspects from the past and the present. Plus delicious food and recipes.

This was a more complicated case at least it seemed that way but once again Hayley and Miss Gloria made a really good sleuthing team. And Miss G did something so awesome it ended up saving Hayley’s life from a killer in a wild ‘n crazy showdown. I was definitely surprised at who the killer was.

Everything was wrapped up and explained then of course what does a foodie do when she’s finished with an amateur sleuthing case? She celebrates with food and some awesome friends and family too.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Hayley finds herself involved in a cold case. She is contacted by an author to help figure out what happened to A friend who disappeared many years earlier. When the two of them discover a dead man and then the author disappears, Hayley is very curious. With help from Miss Gloria, A retired cop and the sheriff's department, Hayley works to find answers. This book keeps you reading and is a great addition to this long running series. I love how Hayley continues to evolve and her relationships grow. The mystery is a good one and the recipes divine!

Catherine has returned to the Keys to find an old friend who went missing years before. She’s also there to write about Hemingway and his many wives. Hayley Snow, food critic and sometime detective, has been asked to help Catherine in her search. The duo goes out to Big Pine Key to see what they can find. A commune gone missing, too much alcohol and drugs cloud memories, and a dead motel owner. And next Catherine goes missing. Who is responsible for this madness? Scary but great mystery.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book. This was an honest review. #campnetgalley

This series is one of my favorites, but this one is not so much. My favorite type of cozy mystery is one that is centered around food, but this one wasn't for me. Hayley was so easily sucked into another mystery by someone she initially believed was guilty that I didn't care. I did like that the case was a cold case of a missing person from the 70's but I did not care enough about the characters involved or even the missing person. With her spunk and how she tagged along with Hayley to question suspects, Hayley's elderly friend Miss Gloria was a shining light to this story for me.

Key West without Hemingway would be like the Macy's parade without Santa Claus. Burdette knows this, and so Hemingway figures in this culinary series in book 14. Burdette has said her goal is to improve with each new novel. She has. Here she skillfully blends a cold case with Hemingway history, weaving in a contemporary cast of characters. Usually characters in cozies are quirky but likeable. Here's the twist: Hayley's challenge is to help an individual who is not likeable. Catherine Davitt tells Hayley she plans a book on the toxicity of the Hemingway wives. She confesses that she also needs to know what happened to her traveling companion who went missing in the 1970's. On a visit to Big Pine Key, Hayley, Ms Gloria and Catherine enter a moldy, ramshackle motel to find a corpse. The cold case heats up; the body is that of one of the suspects from before. Then Catherine vanishes.

Will Hayley find the killer before the killer finds Hayley? As always Burdette has created an engaging plot with multiple layers, including luscious descriptions of Key West meals. A must read for all lovers of foodie cozies!

Full disclosure: I received this ARC from netgalley and Penguin Random House in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

All Hayley wanted to do was help Catherine look for information about her friend Veronica, who went missing in the 1970s but noooooo-now Catherine's missing too and there's been a murder! Hayley, our intrepid food critic, is good at interviewing and investigating, which makes her husband Nathan, a police lieutenant, nuts sometimes. This is sorta-classic cozy territory which pulls secrets from the past into the present and forces Hayley to look down dark(ish) paths. I like this series as much for the characters (and the recipes) as for the mysteries and this is no exception. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's the latest in a long running series that fans will welcome but new readers can enjoy as well.

Terrific addition to a good series. Time spent in Key West is always interesting and enjoyable. Food, friends, murder and this time a cold case. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This is the fourteenth in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series. I found it entertaining but a bit mystifying as Haley soon realizes Catherine isn’t being truthful, is holding something back, or both.

Nathan and her friends want to keep Haley safe but she has a hard time with it even though she tries at times.
It didn’t take me long to peg the killer but the rationale was slow in coming.
I also skipped many of the quotations that begin each chapter as I felt most were not relevant to the story nor did they enhance it for me.

Miss Gloria and Haley’s mother added to the story. I enjoyed it even while shaking my head.

Recipes are included at the end of the book.
Netgalley gave me an advanced reader’s copy and I am not required to leave a positive review.

Hayley lives on Key West on a houseboat with her husband Nathan, a cat names Evinrude, and a dog named Ziggy. A woman named Catherine contacts her about along ago disappearance. Catherine is writing about toxic love relationships between Ernest Hemingway and his 4 wives. While on Key WEst, she wants to look into the disappearnce of her friend Veronica. This ahppened almost 40 years ago when she and Ronnie lived in a camp with other young people. Hayley agrees to help Catherine. Some of the original camp members are still around, but not super helpful. Then one of them turns up dead and Catherine goes missing. Who killed the original camp member, Catherine?, one of the others? Could it even be Catherine?

This was a fun cozy. I enjoy reading about the different food Hayley reviews as well as the food she and her mother make. The myster has some twists and lots of suspects. It is easy-to-read and kept me engaged.

Culinary & Literary Cozy Mystery that follows a Florida food writer and critic who turns sleuth to assist an author hunt down the truth about the decades-old disappearance of her friend.

5/5 stars: This is Burdette's fourteenth entry in the Key West Food Critic series, which is a Culinary and Literary Cozy Mystery that takes place is Florida and features a food writer and critic. Burdette has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Additionally, Burdette's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's a joy to catch up with Hayley and her detective husband, Nathan. I especially get a kick out of her octogenarian best pal Gloria's hi-jinks. I really like how Burdette sets the scene of life in the Keys, from Hayley living on a houseboat, the sticky relationship with tourists, how hurricanes impact everything and it's overall eccentric and complicated history. In particular in this book, tackling the Key's most famous resident, Hemingway and his tumultuous relationships. And one mustn't forget to mention Hayley's adorable little dog, Ziggy and her sassy cat, Evinrude and Gloria's cats, Sparky and T-bone. Oh and I absolutely adore the culinary quotes heading every chapter, reading Hayley's food writing and restaurant critiques and the included recipes sounds yummy. Burdette touches on some sensitive subjects, so take care and check the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, An Appetite For Murder.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lucy Burdette for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Poisonous Palate coming out August 6, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I didn’t actually read the other books in the series. I didn’t realize it was book 14. I was a little lost at first, but I think it was easy to catch up. I thought Hayley was an interesting character. I really enjoyed the dual timelines. I wasn’t expecting a story set in the past as well. It was cool that she had to solve an old mystery as well. I thought the characters were interesting. There were a couple serious topics that didn’t feel as cozy to me. I don’t want to give anything away though. I enjoyed the recipes at the end. I would definitely check out more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries!

A Poisonous Palate is the 14th book in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series by Lucy Burdette. Hayley Snow is a food writer in Key West, FL and she is married to Nathan who is a police officer. Hayley receives an email from Catherine Davitt who is an author and had lived in A commune in Key West in the 1970s. Catherine's friend Veronica went missing and Catherine wants to look into her disappeance. They find one of the commune friends who.still lives in the area dead. I have enjoyed this series especially when Hayley and Nathan got married and the Scone Sisters. Cold Case cozy mysteries aren't one of my favorite themes and while this book was good, it wasn't one of my favorites. Catherine was not likable and the pace in the.middle of the book lagged a little. Hayley asked the same people questions. Hayley, Nathan, and Miss Gloria are wonderful characters and overall the book is good and the ending is very exciting. #APoisonousPalate #KeyWestFoodCriticMysteries #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks

A Poisonous Palate by Lucy Burdette is due to be published August 6th 2024 is the 14th installment of the Key West Food Critic Mystery series with Crooked Lane Books. I only read this one and book 13 of the series but it was okay to read them as standalones. It was easy to follow along without having to have read the whole series but it is my plan to go back and read the whole thing now that I’ve read the last two.

Hayley Snow is the main character in this series. She is a food critic for a magazine. She is married to Nathan Bransford a police lieutenant at the Key West police department.
They live on a houseboat in Key West Houseboat Row. Miss Gloria is an elderly woman who lives next door. Hayley gets an email from Catherine Davitt about her missing friend, Veronica (Ronnie) who disappeared many years ago. She meets with her and decides to help her.
Catherine wants to go to Big Pine where she had been there in a camp in the Mangroves when in her 20's. Both Catherine and Veronica went to FL to escape their families. Hayley and Catherine go to the No Name Pub where they want to ask questions. The waitress, Ginny. was part of the people at the camp when Catherine was there. She tells them that Arthur Combs is now a veterinarin, Ned Newman still owns the run down Ned and Nora Motel and Suzanne is now a cook at a local restaurant. They decide to go to the motel to speak to Ned and find him dead with a knife in his chest. They call the police and Darcy Rogers arrives. Hayley has had run-ins with Darcy before. After they are interviewed Hayley takes Catherine back to her home where Miss Gloria tells them that she knows Ryan Lopez, the policeman who Catherine had spoken to when she reported Veronica's disappearance and plans to speak to him.
Hayley and Miss Gloria go back to Big Pine to speak to him.
He talks to them but they both feel that he knows more than he is saying. He had been the one who went to the camp and closed and demolished the grounds. The next day Hayley and Miss Gloria go to the hotel to pick up Catherine who is staying but find she is not there. She has disappeared.
This is where th story takes off with Hayley trying to find out what happened to Catherine and Veronica.

I just love Haley and her husband and don’t forget her neighbor Gloria .

What an interesting story line. Catherine’s journal was a great addition to help us understand what had taken place. I would never have had the courage to do what Catherine and Veronica did. While I love all these folks, Miss Gloria has to be my favorite. I want to be her when I grow up. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

A Poisonous Palate is the 14th book in the "A Key West Food Critic" Mystery series and the first one I’ve read. I mean look at that beautiful cover - how could I not read a book with a cover like that! I certainly didn’t feel as though I needed to have read the previous books to understand what was happening. Having said that I will certainly go back to the beginning and start reading from book 1 as I enjoyed this one so much.

Hayley Snow is the main character and is a food critic and an amateur sleuth. She is also married to a police lieutenant at the Key West police department. They live on a House boat and their floating neighbour is the elderly Miss Gloria who steals every scene she is in - I loved her!

The book opens with a writer named Catherine emailing Hayley to ask for help looking for a friend who went missing from a campsite in Key West in the 1970s when they were young adults. Some of the group they were hanging out with them are still living in the area and Catherine wants to ask them if they knew anything. So Haley agrees, against the advice of her husband, and off she goes with Catherine to chat to the remaining group members. Not surprisingly they don’t want to talk - and one of the men is particularly sleazy and instantly became my prime suspect. Trouble is, his body is found the next day so I had to cross him off my suspect list. Then Catherine disappears! Eventually all is revealed, and the revelations came as a surprise (which is always good when you’re reading a mystery) and made utter sense.

Overall the mystery is interesting and well plotted, the characters are all realistically portrayed - and here again I have to mention Gloria, I really loved her and she is who I want to be when I get into my 80s!

With thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for my copy to review

Food critic and amateur detective Hayley Snow receives an intriguing email which starts her next mystery. Catherine Davitt spent some time in the Keys in the 1970s but left when her traveling partner disappeared. Now, she's back researching for her next self-help book which concerns toxic love and is using Hemingway's four wives as examples.

Hayley becomes curious about the disappearance of Veronica so many years earlier and is acting as Catherine's chauffeur as they try to find and talk to people who were part of the same hippie community Catherine and Veronica joined.

After a chat with Ginny at the No Name Pub leads to Ned who ran a seedy motel then and still runs it now. Unfortunately, when they arrive at the motel, they find that someone has stabbed Ned in the back and killed him. Then Catherine disappears leaving Hayley to investigate all the old relationships to find out who killed Ned, where Catherine is, and what happened when Veronica disappeared.

I liked the Key West setting. I liked Hayley's curiosity and her wide circle of friends. I liked her relationship with her husband Nathan, and I liked her marriage advice to her friend Danielle. This was a nice cozy mystery complete with recipes.

I enjoyed the beginning & end of the story. The middle just repeats stuff & wanders around which I found boring. I’d like to see the characters develop. #APoisonousPalate #NetGalley

"A Poisonous Palate" the 14th instalment in the "A Key West Food Critic" Mystery series by Lucy Burdette. This is one of my favourite foodie cozy mystery series. I really enjoyed this story and hanging out with Haley, Nathan and Miss Gloria! I must say I really do love octogenarian Miss Gloria and all the things she does and says. I enjoyed learning about Hemingway and his wives too.

Catherine and Hayley stop to speak with a motel owner who frequented the fringes of the commune, but they find him stabbed to death. Then Catherine also goes missing, and signs point to a connection between the old case and the new murder. It’s up to Hayley to unravel the knot of secrets and lies before time runs out.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I liked trying to figure out who killed Catherine’s friend in 1978 and one of the suspects today.

I kept second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Food critic Hayley Snow is asked to help investigate the disappearance of a young woman who was last seen at a communal campground on Big Pine Key in the late 1970s. That intrigued me, and so did the idea that one of the characters is researching a book about Hemmingway. This book offered a great chance to visit a different place and time and the solution to the mystery was suspenseful and satisfying.