The Mango Murders: A Key West Food Critic Mystery
Cozy Mystery
15th in Series
Setting – Florida
Publisher : Crooked Lane Books
Publication date : August 12, 2025
Print length : 288 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8892421652
Kindle ISBN-13 : 979-8892421669
ASIN : B0DMTQ5QXH
The turquoise waters of Key West are stained with pink in this explosive 15th installment of the Key West Food Critic mysteries from USA Today bestselling author Lucy Burdette.
Food critic Hayley Snow’s employer, Key Zest, is throwing the event of the season, a lavish cocktail party catered by Janet Snow, Hayley’s mother. As Hayley boards the luxurious cruise, she anticipates a smooth sailing soirée filled with shimmering cocktails, mouthwatering mango-infused delicacies, and new supporters for the e-zine. But as the boat sets sail, the festivities take a tragic turn when an explosion rocks the vessel, plunging the party guests into chaos.
In the days that follow, Hayley learns that a local culinary entrepreneur died in the explosion and it was no accident–someone on board had a deadly agenda. With the tropical city of Key West as her backdrop, Hayley navigates a web of secrets and lies. Her investigation takes her from the shadowy corners of island politics to fierce competition between high-end event caterers and personal vendettas.
With the clock ticking and the stakes higher than ever, Hayley must rely on her keen intuition to unmask a cunning culprit before they strike again.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Key West’s annual Sunset Celebration has been a huge event since the 1960s. This year, Key Zest – the e-zine that aspires to be the go-to source of information on all things Key West- is throwing a fete to attract new advertisers and draw attention to “outshine” the competition aboard the Pilar Too, a handcrafted wooden Hemingway yacht lookalike on a much larger scale. Hayley’s mom, Janet, is catering the affair, hoping to draw attention to her business as well.
All the guests have arrived and are enjoying yummy mango-infused delicacies and special cocktails when an explosion blows everything out of the water. The Coast Guard, the Key West Fire Department, and even other pleasure boats rush in to rescue people from the water as parts of the yacht, personal items, and even catering items float around them. Hayley was battered from her tumble into the water; some had more serious injuries, but one unidentified person lost their life.
It turns out the death was no accident. A competitor of Janet’s who wasn’t on the guest list is the victim, and Hayley is in the middle of another murder investigation that takes her deep into island and catering business politics filled with secrets and lies.
On top of a murder on her plate, Miss Gloria is turning 85, and her family is coming to Key West for several events Hayley has planned.
It is so good to be back in Key West with Hayley, Nathan, Gloria, and their friends and family. There is never a dull moment. Hayley and Nathan are blissfully happy most of the time. He doesn’t like her worming her way into his cases, even though he knows she is good at getting to the truth. He just wants to keep her safe. Gloria is a spitfire as always, especially when her daughters-in-law are in town. Janet and Sam are supportive rocks for everyone. Nathan’s mom, Helen, always cracks me up. She loves helping Hayley sleuth. All of Ms. Burdette’s characters are genuine, even the ones that try everyone’s nerves.
The author plotted out a marvelous mystery. A yacht blowing up is a quick way to grab everyone’s attention, mine included. While tragic, it could have been so much worse. Hayley getting involved was a given, but this was a complicated mystery. Was the deceased the intended victim? The ship was filled with Key West movers and shakers. Or was the target Hayley’s boss, Palamina? Or her mom, Janet? Hayley, sometimes assisted by Helen, followed each and every clue, sometimes circling back to approach things in different ways. But it was while Hayley was alone that the case took a surprising twist, followed by a very interesting reveal, an entertaining rescue, and a great takedown.
Amongst all the sleuthing and snooping, people were celebrating Miss Gloria’s 85th birthday with several fun events. It is just sad that when her family comes to town, they only have one mission on their minds. Getting her to leave Key West, her home, and the place where she is happy. She has made strong friendships and built her own Key West family. I think now they have realized that, but you never know.
I loved all the mango drinks, cakes, and dishes, but what hit home with me was Janet’s Tuna Noodle Casserole. Her’s has a few more ingredients in it than our family recipe, and we use cream of celery soup instead of cream of mushroom, but I think every Midwest household grew up with some version of this casserole as a family staple. I added all the ingredients to the grocery list this week, so I will be delightfully enjoying some myself soon.
The Mango Murders is filled with characters that I love who continue to evolve in wonderful ways in each new story. Ms. Burdette has surrounded them with a complex mystery that surprised me in more ways than one. Of course, the backdrop of Key West is an amazing setting that I wish I could run away to and visit often. The final chapters had me smiling ear to ear and so excited to read next year’s 16th installment of this fabulous series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
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About the Author
New Jersey–born clinical psychologist Lucy Burdette, a.k.a. Roberta Isleib, is the author of twenty-two mysteries, including A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS, the latest in the Key West series featuring food critic Hayley Snow (Crooked Lane Books). The tenth book in her Key West food critic mystery series, THE KEY LIME CRIME, won the Florida Book Award’s bronze medal for popular fiction. Her first thriller, UNSAFE HAVEN, was published by Severn House in 2021. Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. She’s a past president of Sisters in Crime and is currently serving as president of the Friends of the Key West Library.
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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.
, the latest in the Key West series featuring food critic Hayley Snow (Crooked Lane Books). The tenth book in her Key West food critic mystery series, 
, won the Florida Book Award’s bronze medal for popular fiction. Her first thriller, 
, was published by Severn House in 2021. Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a past president of Sisters in Crime and currently serving as president of the Friends of the Key West Library.
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