Death in Four Courses: A Key West Food Critic Mystery

Near the start of Burdette’s yummy sequel to An Appetite for Murder, Key West, Fla., food critic Hayley Snow brings her mother, down from New Jersey for a visit, to a weekend food-writing conference she’s covering for the style magazine Key Zest. At the opening ceremony, the keynote speaker, culinary wunderkind Jonah Barrows, denounces “the bizarre and the inedible” (e.g., “musk ox sprinkled with elderberries and served on twigs”) and vows to follow a policy of “utter transparency” in restaurant reviewing. This sort of honesty doesn’t go down so well with at least one of the conference participants, as shortly thereafter Hayley notices Jonah’s body floating beneath the water lilies of an ornamental pool. Outspoken Mom provides tart commentary as Hayley once again turns sleuth. Anyone who’s ever overpaid for a pretentious restaurant meal will relish this witty cozy. Agent: Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Management. (Sept.)