Hayley has to juggle a visit from her mom, her friend as a primary suspect, a man she thought was interested in her, and keeping her boss happy with her reviews. This cozy mystery is a great second book for the Key West Food Critic Mystery series.
is is the second book in the Key West Food Critic cozy mystery series. Hayley Snow has become more established as a food critic and she is lucky enough that there is a food and cooking festival in town and she gets to review it all!
Best quote from the novel “The majority of Americans don’t care whether their food is better. They care whether it’s familiar”
Death in Four Courses by Lucy Burdette
Cozy Mystery Novel with Recipes by Lucy Burdette
Book Review
Murder Mystery Books🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪
Book Review Outline and Tone:
One of the best parts of reading is to live vicariously through great characters. Hayley Snow is one of those characters that it is fun to imagine being her. She is relatable enough with her daily work and life struggles and fun enough to imagine sampling food and writing about it. In this novel, the reader meets Hayley’s mom. They have a very realistic relationship. Hayley loves her mom, but still has issues from her childhood.
Hayley’s mom is visiting from New Jersey to attend a convention where cookbook authors share their knowledge and inspire their fans. At the opening panel discussion, one author is a bit too honest about his feelings in regards to other authors and food critics. When Hayley finds him dead in a decorative fountain after the speech, the mystery begins.
Hayley’s good friend Eric quickly becomes the primary suspect. Hayley spends the novel juggling her investigation, reviewing the conference for her job, trying to figure out if Bransford is interested in her, and keeping her mom entertained.
Strengths of this novel include the relatable characters and the fantastic pacing. Events unfold in a way that keeps me reading and I’m sure you will enjoy it too.
The author: Lucy Burdette
Like so many cozy mystery authors, Lucy Burdette is a pen name for Roberta Isleib; she is a clinical psychologist and author of three book series. She has written 12 books in the Key West Food Critic series and book 13 is due to be released in 2023. She is also the author of a Golf Mystery Series and the Advice Column Mysteries. Many of her books have been on the short lists for awards and The Key Lime Crime won a bronze medal in the Florida Book Awards. She is active on many social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. She also has an active Pinterest account. On Goodreads, she does a great job answering questions. Be sure to reach out to her on some platform to let her know you enjoyed her book.
What is not to like?:
Will they? Won’t they? Can they just be honest with each other? I’m looking forward to the resolution with Hayley and Bransford.
The verdict:
Hayley Snow is living the life! A food critic in Key West, FL. I recommend this series and I recommend a trip to Key West!
Books to Read 📕📗📘📙 4/5!
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).
Hot Fudge Pie
From Death in Four Courses
by Lucy Burdette
Assemble the ingredients
Easy dessert to make: 5/5 on the Easy as Pie scale 🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧
Melt the butter and the unsweetened chocolate together. (You may use the microwave just be sure to cover the bowl, as it will splatter.
One of the b best things about is that they are microwave safe. I also love that there are 3 sizes, non slip and have a pour spout.
Good Grips, no slip when mixing. Each bowl has a spout for easy pouring. Dishwasher safe.
To the melted butter and chocolate, add the sugar
mix in the flour, and salt. Mix thoroughly. A good sturdy silicone spatula like is all you need for this recipe.
Then add eggs and vanilla.
I always use when measuring liquids. I love that there are so many sizes to choose from.
Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch pie plate and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve warm with ice cream.
(Author’s note [from Lucy Burdette]: My friend Linda Juliani gave me this recipe and I’ve made it many times. It’s perfectly fast and easy and yet has all the advantages of a homemade dessert. You can bake it while you eat dinner and then eat it hot out of the oven. With ice cream.)
Best Dessert 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰
Easy Dessert 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰
Hot Fudge Pie from a novel Death in 4 Courses
Ingredients
- 1 stick of butter
- 3 squares unsweetened chocolate
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 4 Tbsp flour
- dash salt
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Melt the butter and the unsweetened chocolate together. (You may use the microwave just be sure to cover the bowl, as it will splatter.
- To the melted butter and chocolate, add the sugar, flour, and salt.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Then add eggs and vanilla.
- Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch pie plate and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.
What would I do differently next time?
I am not a fan of nuts in baked goods, but if you are, adding chopped walnuts would be a good addition. I am a fan of chocolate upon chocolate, I might even sprinkle the top of the pie with mini chocolate chips prior to baking.
Will I make it again?: Yes! 😋😋😋😋😋 My family has already asked me to make it again.
If you are a fan of chocolate, try these recipes. Cocoa Snaps from Strawberry Shortcake Murder. Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake from Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Murder. Stout Brownie Torte from Death by the Dozen. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies from Death of a Pumpkin Carver.
These are fantastic!
