A Dish to Die For: A Key West Food Critic Mystery

Burdette’s solid 12th Key West Food Critic mystery (after 2021’s A Scone of Contention) finds Hayley Snow, a food critic for Key Zest magazine, taking a beach trip to an island north of Key West, Fla., along with Nathan Bransford, her police detective husband, and their two dogs. There, one of the dogs uncovers a body in the sand that turns out to belong to restaurant and bar owner Gerald Garcia. During the Covid pandemic, Garcia refused to close his eating and drinking establishments, and he was rumored to be bankrolling the lobbyists promoting cruise ships. In short, the victim had many enemies with multiple motives to want him dead. Hayley and Nathan help the sheriff’s department investigate. Meanwhile, Hayley discovers a cookbook published by the Key West Woman’s Club in 1949 hidden in a drawer at the club. The glimpses of life in Key West decades earlier adds historical color to the somewhat perfunctory sleuthing. Recipes for such delectables as banana cream pie and pigs in a blanket round out the volume. Culinary cozy fans are in for a treat. Agent: Paige Wheeler, Creative Media. (Aug.)