In this 8th book in the series food critic Haley Snow is helping her mom with a catering gig at an important event.  The event is to bring together Key West and Cuba.  But when an important artifact goes missing and there is a murder on the first night of the event, the catering gig may be a bust.  Of course Nathan Haley's hunky detective boyfriend warns her to stay away from the investigation.  But when the family of the deceased ask for help, Haley can't resist.  

This is the first book in this series I have read.  I think as a reader I should have read the books before it.  I felt like it would have helped me with getting to know the characters better, gave them more depth.  I especially would have loved to know the whole story behind how Haley came to be in Key West.  

I enjoyed reading this cozy mystery.  It had a little bit of everything in it.  It had danger, mystery, love, friendship and family.  This book had tons of interesting and highly entertaining characters.  It was a steady paced read that will keep you guessing till the end.  The only thing I really did not like was the political aspect of the story.  I find that story line a tad boring and overkill.  But the book did have a lot of interesting history behind it to make up for it.  The ending was wonderful and I even cried a bit.  Yes I cried!  I am such a baby.  

Overall this book was a great cozy read.  It includes some really good recipes in the back of the book, that I must try.  Yummy!!!  I would love to read more of these books and get to know Haley and the gang a bit more.  So if you like Jimmy Buffet and a good dose of who done it, then this book is for you.  Pick it up today.  

*ARC provided by Cozy Mystery Review Crew

Strongly

Love this series! What's not to love.... Key West, food and a smart heroine. Hayley Snow has a full plate. Besides her regular job as food critic for Key Zest magazine and her agreement to help her mother's big catering gig, she finds herself in the middle of the investigation of another murder. Lots of Key West history, charm and characters liven the book. Plus the descriptions of the food will make your mouth water.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to see this series back and in action! This book found me right back at home with all of the characters that I held near and dear. Still funny, still crazy, still utterly charming! The setting was written to perfection, the mystery itself was perfect, I loved the backstory and the history. I am so happy this series is back and better than ever!

The ending of this book made the entire book for me. It took a little too long to solve the mystery and I really didn’t care much for the crime. Hayley was (mostly) smart about her efforts in sleuthing which I appreciate. I also liked her deepening friendship with Torrance.

Setting: Key West. Probably my “favorite” of all of these that I read. I am still really not sure why I read these “cozy mysteries”. The callous regard for human life is really hard to get past… reading these books did, however, make my trip to KW more lively and interesting.

One of the best « grand gestures » I’ve read!

This series is beginning to feel like a multi-volume Dickensian novel that's reaching its conclusion. Our heroine has learned a lot along the way, made new friends, and matured. Family and romantic tangles are getting sorted out. Then, when you least expect it, you get insights into deep social issues (in this case, the conflicts that roil the Cuban-American community) and a dastardly villain brought to justice.

Side note: I don't keep kosher myself, but the number of recipes that involve either shrimp or pork, sometimes with cheese, in this book is enough to make me go running for a bagel.

Loved it

This series had been one of my favorite since book one. I love all the characters. I was surprised by who the killer was and very pleased by how Hailey and Nathan's relationship is progressing. Very much looking forward to the next adventure.