A Day in the Life of Hayley Snow by Lucy Burdette

Some weeks I can’t ignore the fact that people consider my new hometown, Key West, as their personal playground. Adult rated, I must add. The Fantasy Fest celebration leading up to Halloween with its gigantic parade is one of those weeks—people get crazy down here. And it’s hot as Hades, too: Hot enough to fry two eggs with a side of bacon on the pavement as my adorable octogenarian roommate Miss Gloria likes to say. She also says don’t waste your time worrying about the big storm hanging out below Cuba. . .not easy, but I’m going to try!

My dear friend Danielle has been crowned the queen of Fantasy Fest this year, and that means I need to support her – I can’t crawl into the bunk on my houseboat and emerge when those 90,000 outsiders finally leave the island. She’s worked so hard to raise money for charity—and ended up blowing her competition out of the water. Not literally, of course, but from the way that woman is acting, you might think so.

Since it’s impossible to pretend normal life can proceed this week, I will fortify myself with cafe con leche and glazed donuts and write a round-up about fabulous takeout food on the island. No one in her right mind would actually try to eat in a restaurant packed with all these zany visitors.

I’ve got one more item on my to-do list: I need to keep my mother from flipping out about her upcoming wedding to sweet Sam. I swear, if she lets this guy get away, it could be cause for matricide!

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Killer Takeout is the seventh book in the Key West Food Critic mystery series, published by Obsidian, April 2016.

It’s Fantasy Fest at Key West, and food critic Hayley Snow is ready to celebrate. But a killer seems intent on crashing the party. . .

Every year, Key West’s weeklong Mardi Gras–style festival has tourists and locals alike lining up for costumed revelry and delicious eats. Key Zest magazine has assigned Hayley to write a piece on the fest’s grab-and-go food, so she’s planning on hitting up the mobile eateries while checking out the party preparations.

Hayley’s office mate, Danielle, recently elected Queen of Fantasy Fest, is also buzzing between festivities and fundraisers. But when her former royal rival gets taken out, Hayley needs to put down her party hat and her pen and figure out who served up a side of murder—before Danielle gets crowned a killer.

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Praise for the National Bestselling Series
“Lucy Burdette writes evocatively about Key West and food . . . [a] charming series.”—New York Times Bestselling Author Diane Mott Davidson

About the author
Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib) is the author of 15 mysteries, including Killer Takeout, the latest in the Key West series featuring food critic Hayley Snow and her houseboat roommate, Miss Gloria. Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a past president of Sisters in Crime. In the throes of a mid-life crisis, Lucy realized that the work of the detective in a mystery has quite a bit in common with long-term psychotherapy: Start with a problem, follow the threads looking for clues, and gradually fill in the big picture. So her career move from clinical psychologist to mystery writer turned out to be a natural progression. Like her food critic character in the Key West series, she is passionate about food. [Photo by Carol Tedesco]

Visit Lucy at www.lucyburdette.com, on Facebook, @lucyburdette, Instagram and Pinterest.

Giveaway: Leave comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Killer Takeout. US entries only, please. The giveaway will end April 18, 2016 at 12 AM EST. Good luck everyone!

All comments are welcomed.