Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am so excited to have Lucy Burdette as my guest today!!
I love it when she stops by for a visit!
Guest Post from Lucy Burdette
Like my character Hayley Snow in the Key West mysteries, I was born and raised in New Jersey. We had sledding parties, and ice skating parties, and a real Christmas tree cut from a neighborhood farm. We served hot chocolate and sugar cookies to Santa, and carrots to Rudolph and company. There was a candlelight service on Christmas Eve and piles of presents and many relatives and a roast turkey on Christmas day.
Hayley and I are getting adjusted to Christmas in our Key West paradise. Though we miss the snow and the snappy cold air and our friends and family most of all, there’s something pretty magical about lights on a palm tree.
I’ll let Hayley describe one of her favorite holiday displays from Death With All the Trimmings:
We stopped to admire the Christmas lights on Southard Street that had won second place in the town-wide competition. A school of blue fish flashed by, lighting up in sequence across two sides of the home. Above the faux water line—a string of blue lights—Frosty the Snowman manned a rowboat, dipping his oars into the sea over and over. And finally at the far right corner of the house, Santa reeled in one of the bright blue fish. Every inch of the property was decked out with lights, ending with a carpet of white bulbs on the sidewalk that led to the street. Snow!
As you can see, the Key West folks are pretty good at decking out their island for the holiday season. We’ll show you just a couple:
A lighted house seen in Old Town.
One of our favorite holiday events, the lighted boat parade.
And Hayley’s specialty this year–sugar cookies in the shape of palm trees, sunglasses, and roosters!
We send our love to everyone, wherever you may be spending the holidays. We are grateful for each reader and fan of the Key West mysteries. We can’t wait for you to read about Hayley and company’s adventures in Death With All the Trimmings
~Lucy
About This Author
Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib) is the author of 13 mysteries, including the latest in the Key West series featuring food critic Hayley Snow. Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a past president of Sisters in Crime.
facebook: www.facebook.com/lucyburdette
twitter: www.twitter.com/lucyburdette
pinterest: www.pinterest.com/robertaisleib
website: www.lucyburdette.com
blogs: www.mysteryloverskitchen.com and www.jungleredwriters.com
Death With All the Trimmings:
A Key West Food Critic Mystery
5th in Series
Cozy Mystery
An Obsidian Mystery
An Imprint of New American Library
Published by The Penguin Group
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451465900
E-Book File Size: 2448 KB
ASIN: B00JJXHKK2
The only snow in Key West this Christmas is Hayley Snow, food critic for Key Zest magazine, who is not getting time off for the holiday…or time off from murder.
It may be Christmastime, but thoughts of peace on earth, good will toward men, don’t seem to extend to the restaurant biz. Hayley has been assigned to interview Edel Waugh, chef/owner of Key West’s hottest new restaurant. But off the record, Edel reveals someone’s sabotaging her kitchen and asks Hayley to investigate.
Things heat up fast when the restaurant is set on fire—and a body is discovered in the charred wreckage. Is someone out to destroy the chef’s business—or actually kill her? Amid holiday festivities like the lighted boat parade and visiting relatives who stir up mixed emotions, Hayley needs to smoke out an arsonist and a killer who may turn up the heat on her next…
INCLUDES RECIPES!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Oh I wish I was spending the holidays in Key West!! Even with Murder and Mayhem trying to ruin Christmastime for Hayley and the rest of our friends.
Lucy Burdette has created such wonderful and vibrant characters from Hayley Snow to her roommate, 80 year old Miss Gloria, to chef of the newest restauranteur in Key West. Edel Waugh is a woman that wants everything exactly perfect and she rides her staff hard to make sure everything is up to her standards. Could that be why her restaurant is in the center of all the action? Hayley is bound and determined to figure that out.
The plot continues to thicken as the story continues. Hayley’s mother gets involved and and even Miss Gloria finds herself in trouble. There is so much happening in this story. Key Zest Magazine may be faces some changes, Hayley’s significant other Wally has his hands full not only with the magazine, but his mother is facing a serious health crisis as well. Hayley is trying to help as much as she can but she meets Edel Waugh and gets wrapped up in all the drama surrounding her that she barely has any time to herself at all. Her relationship with Wally is basically at a stand-still, but it not because they want it that way. She does find time to meet with Lorenzo, the tarot card reader. He warns her there is trouble brewing but that doesn’t stop her from “investigating” the happenings at Bistro on the Bight. There are also several events taking place like the holiday lighted boat parade and the town wide decorating contest and there are tourists everywhere. You will not be able to put this book down.
Lucy’s stories are more than just mysteries. There are some serious issues stirred within the mix of the story and the quotes at the beginning of each chapter can be wise or comical.
“We must have pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of pie.” ~David Mamet, Boston Marriage
or
Revenge is like serving cold cuts. ~Tony Soprano
Lucy Burdette has topped herself with this story. I love the setting. I love these characters. I enjoyed everything about this book. I gobbled it right up and am hungry for more. Fatal Reservations: A Key West Food Critic Mystery
Thanks to the people at Penguin I have 2 copies to give away!
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This stop is also part of the Death With All the Trimmings
Be sure to check out all the stops for more guest posts, reviews and giveaways!
Tour Participants
December 1 – Back Porchervations – Review
December 2 – Chloe Gets A Clue – Interview
December 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Cozy Wednesday
December 4 – Community Bookstop. – Review
December 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review, Guest Post
December 6 – Mystery Playground – Interview, Giveaway
December 7 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review, Giveaway
December 8 – off
December 9 – Brooke Blogs –Guest Post, Giveaway
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”