Launch Day: Lucy Burdette's A Dish to Die For!!!

JENN McKINLAY: Waiting for the latest release in a series you love is both grueling (WHEN WILL IT COME OUT?) and thrilling (IT'S HERE! IT'S FINALLY HERE!). Being a long time fan of our Lucy's Key West Food Critic Mystery series is one such rollercoaster ride for me and guess what? IT'S HERE!!! TODAY IS THE DAY!!!

BUY NOW

Now I have the dreaded decision to make. Do I devour the book the day it comes out or read it in small bites? Or should I wait, saving it for a day where I need a pick me up? Maybe I need to read the entire series again before I start the latest book so that it's all fresh in my mind? What to do...decisions...decisions.

Graphic by Christie Conlee

But back to the book! Here's a description to tantalize you:

National bestselling author Lucy Burdette returns to Key West for another delectable dish of secrets, intrigue, and murder.

Peace and quiet are hard to find in bustling Key West, so Hayley Snow, food critic for Key Zest magazine, is taking the afternoon off for a tranquil lunch with a friend outside of town. As they are enjoying the wild beach and the lunch, she realizes that her husband Nathan’s dog, Ziggy, has disappeared. She follows his barking, to find him furiously digging at a shallow grave with a man’s body in it. Davis Jager, a local birdwatcher, identifies him as GG Garcia, a rabble-rousing Key West local and developer. Garcia was famous for over-development on the fragile Keys, womanizing, and refusing to follow city rules—so it’s no wonder he had a few enemies.
 
When Davis is attacked in the parking lot of a local restaurant after talking to Hayley and her dear friend, the octogenarian Miss Gloria, Hayley is slowly but surely drawn into the case. Hayley’s mother, Janet, has been hired to cater GG’s memorial service reception at the local Woman’s Club, using recipes from their vintage Key West cookbook—and Hayley and Miss Gloria sign on to work with her, hoping to cook up some clues by observing the mourners.
 
But the real clues appear when Hayley begins to study the old cookbook, as whispers of old secrets come to life, dragging the past into the present—with murderous results.

Doesn't this mystery sound delicious? This is the 12th book in a series that just keeps getting better and better. 

What's being said: “Key West food critic Hayley Snow proves once again that she understands crime as well as cuisine . . . A complex tale of murder and deceit.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Culinary cozy fans are in for a treat.”
—Publishers Weekly

Now tell us, Readers, what do you do when the latest in a favorite series is released? Read it that day? Wait and save it? Read it in small bites to make it last? Or devour it?

What We're Writing @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: We've just finished making the transition from Connecticut to Key West--it doesn't seem like it should be that hard, but boy am I discombobulated. And in the middle of the trip, the ebook edition of UNSAFE HAVEN was released, so I've tried to let the world know about that. (Hardcover and audio to come December 7.) 

Meanwhile, I also finished the the first round of edits for A DISH TO DIE FOR, number 12 in the Key West food critic mystery series that will be out next August. Here's the cover--so pretty! Now the second round of edits is in my inbox--I am very happy about how this turned out. I’ve told you a little bit about that book here, and it's available for pre-order now!

But what am I actually writing? The opening for book number 13, which basically at this point has no name, no cover, and don’t tell my editor, but no distinct plot. Writer Edwin Hill proposed an interesting approach to National Novel Writing Month on Facebook a couple of weeks ago. He planned to try to write 1500 words a day for a prescribed number of days and then go back and outline the book based on what he'd produced. Kind of an interesting idea. And it does match my sense over the last few books that I don’t know what a book is about until I’ve written some of it. So we’ll see what Actually Happens, but I will offer you a snippet of Key West #13 and hope you find it intriguing! I'm enjoying bringing Violet and Bettina, the scone sisters from A SCONE OF CONTENTION, to visit Key West...

Chapter Two

Violet and Bettina were the last passengers to disembark. Swathed in plaid wool, they entered the arrivals area blinking like badgers emerging from a den into the light and the crowd. Miss Gloria shrieked with excitement and flapped her glittery sign.

“Welcome! We are so thrilled to have you here in our country.” She hugged them each in turn and they hugged her back. “Give me your coats,” she said, “you’re going to roast if you stay all wrapped up as if you’ve arrived in the Highlands.” I moved forward to take their carry-on bags and pecked them each on the cheek.

“Welcome to Key West!” I said. “Miss Gloria has been dying to show you around our town.”

As I remembered, the two sisters looked very much alike, though Bettina was a little taller and stockier than her older sister and had distinctive pale blue eyes. They had similar haircuts, short gray bobs, and wore skirts that fell to their knees and sensible lace up shoes. 

Once we collected their two enormous suitcases, we loaded up the Buick and headed home. The two sisters oohed and ahhed all the way across town, even though the jaunt from the airport to Houseboat Row was not the most scenic that the island had to offer. 

“Wait till we show you the town,” send Miss Gloria. “You are going to love our bakeries too. Have you ever had key lime pie?” 

We piled out of the car and Miss Gloria herded them up the wooden finger of the dock that led to our boats. Behind them, I dragged the two heavy suitcases. I wondered if they’d brought baking equipment with them to take on their tour. I knew that serious chefs carried their knives with them, but for bakers? A special rolling pin? Pastry cutter? Or an implement I hadn’t even thought of? I hoisted the bags onto the deck of my friend’s home.

“Thank you,” Miss Gloria said. “We can take it from here.” She turned to the ladies. “Hayley offered to cook tonight so you don’t have to go out and face the restaurant scene when you’re so jetlagged. But first we’ll get you settled. I hope you’ll be comfortable in what used to be Hayley and Nathan’s bed. Though if she could cram a six-footer into that space along with a territorial cat, two little ladies should do just fine.”

“Cocktails in half an hour,” I said and headed back to my own houseboat to peel the shrimp and make a salad. I’d gone through a million recipes preparing for their visit. Key West pink shrimp was a no-brainer, but in what form? 

Miss Gloria nixed a few ideas as too spicy and possibly foreign sounding. “I don’t remember eating anything spicy in Scotland,” she’d said. In the end, we’d agreed on garlicky, buttery, Worcestershire-laced baked shrimp with lots of good bread from Old Town bakery to sop up the sauce.

With my prep work completed, I went out to the deck to look for signs of my dinner guests. I was expecting Miss Gloria and the ladies half an hour after I dropped them off. Maybe they'd all passed out and weren't in the mood for dinner at all. But her deck was empty except for T-bone and Sparky, so I popped over and tapped on the screen door. Inside, the three ladies were clustered around Miss Gloria’s police scanner. My friend looked up, a guilty expression on her face.

“Sorry luv,” said Bettina, looking from my friend to me. “Are we running late?"

PS Hallie persuaded me to watch my first-ever episode of the Great British Baking Show and having that in the back of my mind is helping me write my Scottish ladies. I still haven't quite decided why they are touring the US as guest bakers. Suggestions welcome!

A Scone of Contention, Cover Reveal! @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: Far in advance of a published book, I receive an email from my editorial contact at Crooked Lane, asking for ideas about the cover art, including a summary of the plot. That email came in August for A SCONE OF CONTENTION, which will be in stores next August. 

I always have ideas about the cover, as by this point most of the story is written and I've been collecting photos all along. I began to picture what scene might be most evocative. Much of Scone takes place in Scotland, with a pivotal scene in the gorgeous but forbidding mountains around Glencoe. So I suggested those mountains, along with tartan plaid, a plate of scones, and the requisite cat. (Remember that since this is a cozy foodie mystery series, there does need to be food on the cover, along with some suggestion of menace, and the cat. The cat is pretty much mandatory--even though the characters are in Scotland, and Evinrude, Hayley's striped tiger, is at home in Key West.) Here's what came back:

My first reaction when I saw the draft was that the artists did not use my ideas. But the more I looked, the clearer it became that they did exactly what I asked for. I had been picturing a small table set up in the mountains--almost like a picnic (which doesn’t really fit with the plot but it’s fiction.) The artists (Griesbach/Martucci) put the table with baked goods inside, looking out on the gorgeous Scottish scenery. Which is perfect! Here's the tiniest bit of the Glencoe scene:

Helen was waiting for me on the deck in back of the building, but there was no sign of Miss Gloria.

“Is she coming?” Helen asked, looking behind me and adding a laugh. “I’ve never seen anyone so excited about choosing the right gifts for her friends. She is such a treasure. I hope I have half of her energy when I get to her age.”

“I lost track of her,” I said, peering around the deck and getting an uneasy feeling. I was the one who’d been fooling around in the gift shop, not Miss Gloria. I hadn’t noticed her in there at all. I tried to think where she would’ve gone. 

“Maybe she started off on the nature trail on her own? Or maybe she saw Vera and went with her? Or probably she made a stop in the rest room.” 

But the slight uneasiness I'd noticed was developing into a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. My friend had been quiet all morning, never so quiet as during and after the little film that described the massacre of the MacDonald clan. I should have stuck closer to her, not spent so much time perusing recipes. I should have noticed signs that she might be troubled.

“She’s probably gone looking for the ruins of the cottage,” I said. “And that worries me because she takes these emotional things so hard.”

We studied the map describing the various nature trails and took a narrow path carpeted in grass in the direction of the ruins, where the farmers of the MacDonald clan had lived in the late 1600s. As we drew closer, we saw piles of stones covered in moss and lichens that would have been the foundations of their cottages. 

My heart rate began to rise as I heard a terrible moaning noise. In the distance near the green stones, I spotted Gavin trotting toward the noise from the opposite direction. But no sign of Miss Gloria.

Readers: How important is a cover when you're considering whether to buy a book? I wonder if this is different for people who read hard copies vs ebooks? Are you ever bothered that the cover doesn't reflect the content?

A SCONE OF CONTENTION can be preordered now. And if you're a Netgalley/Goodreads etc reviewer, the ebook is available for download. 

The Key Lime Crime is here! @LucyBurdette

 JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Today's the day! We know a lot of you have been watching, waiting, and dying to find out what's happening with Hayley Snow, her new husband, Nathan Bransford, their family, friends and always, shall we say, distinctive Key West neighbors. 

It's always a treat (in more ways than one) to dive into Lucy's world of tarot-card readers, gorgeous scenery, houseboats, romance and recipes. (OMG, the food. Do NOT read one of Lucy's books on an empty stomach, y'all.) But escaping to Key West seems even more important this year, when we're all, for the most part, staying close to home. 

Back in March, when the lock-down was new, I reread most of Lucy's backlist (previous books) because when I'm deep in her feels-so-real fictional world (more on that from her, later) it's almost like being in Key West with old friends. I can feel the warm breeze, listen to the crowds on Duval Street - everything except taste the Key Lime Pie. For that, I'm going to follow the recipe in her latest novel...


LUCY BURDETTE: With a longer than usual wait between books and a postponement due to the pandemic and this past week the interminable power outage from Isiais, I wondered if THE KEY LIME CRIME would ever arrive. But now it’s here and I’m thrilled about the reviews and excited to share the story with you! As I was writing this post, and thinking about telling you what kinds of real-life events triggered parts of the story, I was kind of shocked to realize how many of them there were.

I got a little giggle from an early reviewer who said she hadn't thought she could enjoy a book based on key lime pie. However, not only did she love the book, she was now craving pie…(in case this should happen to you after reading, I did post a recipe on Mystery Lovers Kitchen.) I had to wonder how she’d feel if she’d had to taste all those pies? John informed me after we’d eaten our way around town, that he doesn’t even really like key lime pie! He’s such a good sport.

KLP from Old Town Bakery

I didn’t only taste—I also took a key lime baking class with three super fans who happened to be in town that week. It couldn’t have been more fun and of course it went right into the new book as a scene.

At the Key Lime Pie Factory

I’ve added a couple of new characters this time out. Hayley’s mother-in-law has come to visit. Since this is the tenth in the Key West series, I’ve learned that the best way to start a new book is thinking about what’s happening in my characters' lives, and also which characters I will focus on. With this book, I went in realizing that some readers felt unsatisfied about Hayley's relationship with her new husband. I wanted to figure out how to show why he is the reserved man that he is, and why his family has been mysteriously missing from his life. Aha! Enter his mother, who has descended on the island with no advance notice and a definite axe to grind. Add the gruesome murder of a pastry chef dressed in a Santa costume and the new crime-solving team is off...

Speaking of that body in a Santa suit, this display triggered the plot this time. How could a mystery writer not imagine what might have happened if the stuffed Santa was actually a real person, a dead body?

Back to new characters, David Sloan, a real pie baker and key lime entrepreneur, is a big part of this book. He lives in Key West, writing books, running ghost tours, organizing events such as the Cow Key Bridge Zero K run. He graciously agreed to be part of THE KEY LIME CRIME, but perhaps I’d better not turn my back on him… 

Lucy and David at Key West Island Books

I'm so sad that I won't get to see any of you in person, but I have several wonderful online events set up--they are all free, but you'll need to register to attend. I hope you'll support these amazing independent booksellers:

August 9, 5 pm: At RJ Julia Booksellers with my sister, Susan Cerulean, moderated by Hallie Ephron!

August 11, 5 pm: At Copperfish Books, Punta Gorda FL!

August 18, 6 pm: Books and Books, Key West, interviewed by Deborah Crombie!

August 22, 5 pm EST: At Poisoned Pen Bookstore with all of the Jungle Red Writers!

And finally, Suzanne Orchard at Key West Island books will happily ship you a signed copy.

And should you want to know more about the book, writing, or me, this wonderful article by Pem McNerney tells all... 

And finally T-bone reminds you that he makes his debut in this book too, and he requests that each of you read about him...

Reds, how do you feel about real life mixed into your fiction?

JULIA: You know, one Jungle Red Writer is good, but two are better! In today's Red Hot News, you could win a copy of Hallie Ephron's CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR starting today! Use this link at Goodreads for a chance at one of 50 copies. Contest ends on August 25, so get your entry in soon.

Lucy on Writing Police

LUCY BURDETTE: It’s a strange time to be writing murder mysteries involving police officer characters. Before I post a snippet of what I’m working on (Key West food critic #11, as yet unnamed) I wanted to say a few words about that. 

Steve Torrence on left, Chief Sean Brandenburg on right

I feel very lucky and grateful that my police model for the Key West mysteries is based on information from my friend, former police officer Steve Torrence—who happens to be one of the most ethical, thoughtful people I know. Several years ago, I attended both the Citizens' Police Academy and the Key West ambassadors’ program and learned a lot about traffic stops, the county jail, issues with homelessness, SWAT team maneuvers, police dogs, and many other topics important to policing. I came away from those experiences admiring how the Key West police department handles a very tricky town (many visitors, not all well behaved.)

As a small, older, white woman I have never had reason to fear the police. In Key West, I was only afraid one time, when I was pulled over by a police car for running a stop sign on my bicycle. I was scared because I'd been caught breaking a law, not scared for my life. (You will see that incident used in the next Key West mystery, THE KEY LIME CRIME, coming August 11.) 

My experience is a different universe than that of George Floyd and many others, particularly people of color. Should this change the way I write mysteries? I don’t know the answer. But I intend to listen as hard as I can to figure out how to be a part of the positive change that needs to happen in our country. And maybe that includes taking a hard look at how I write my police characters…

Now on with the book in progress…Right before this scene, Hayley Snow is doing some foodie research on Duval Street, when the sound of gunshots rings out.

Chapter Two 

My face ended up smooshed near the white-stenciled words on the curb above the drain that warned potential litterers “anything discarded here will wash into the ocean.” 

The gutter smelled of stale beer, and cigarette butts, and pizza, but strongest of all, the stink of my own fear. I curled into the smallest human ball possible, knowing that I could still be an open target for a crazed shooter. Should I get up and run to help Miss Gloria? Nathan had drilled the same safety information into her head as he had mine, with great patience. I had to think she’d be hunkered down behind the art gallery furniture. Or maybe she’d been smart and quick enough to run inside. 

Hearing more muffled shouts but no gunshots, I crab-walked toward the better cover of a nearby trash can. I peered around the edge to see what was going on. I heard the sound of footsteps pounding and two different voices yelling, “Drop the gun! Hands above your head! Police!”   

Then I heard the clatter of gun on pavement and saw two hands stretched high above the heads of the crowd. Tourists and bystanders had begun to push toward the scene while two fierce police yelled at them to move back. More officers came running down the street, some with guns drawn and some with police dogs loping beside them. 

“Stand back,” a tall officer shouted to the crowd. “You need to clear the area.” 

Miss Gloria came up behind me and tapped my shoulder. “I think you’re okay to come out from behind the trashcan now. The only bad guy they seem to have trapped is Ray.”  

“Ray?” I stood up and brushed the grit off my knees, realizing I had scraped them raw in the flurry of activity. Ray was my dear friend Connie’s husband, father of the adorable baby Claire, and a very talented and peace-loving artist. I could not imagine him getting into an altercation with the cops, especially over a gun.  

She took my elbow and we moved to the sidewalk, close enough that we could hear the men talking. Shouting was more like it. 

“I panicked,” Ray was explaining. “I heard gunshots and got spooked. I would never shoot anyone, I swear. My gallery manager was there--she saw everything—"  

“You’ll need to come to the station,” said the biggest cop, the same man who had pulled me over for running through a stop sign on my scooter after Christmas. He was intimidating because of his size and his bald head, but he seemed like a nice enough man. If you liked tough police personas. Which being married to one, I supposed I did. Before migrating to Key West, I didn’t know one single policeman. I’d never imagined I’d end up with so many police officers in my life. 

What do you think Reds? Should recent current events change the way we write mysteries?

And please don't forget--DEATH ON THE MENU will be out in mass market paperback on July 28, and THE KEY LIME CRIME will be published in hardcover, ebook, and audio book on August 11!

What We're Writing--Lucy Burdette

LUCY BURDETTE: What challenging times we are in! Nothing is yet normal in Key West--people are suffering because of not being allowed to work, only a few places are open for business, and all visitors who aren't residents or don't have work are stopped by the authorities at the top of the Keys. That blockade may sound draconian, but it helps us feel a bit safer. (Apparently, this is called a "travel bubble" and it's what New Zealand will be doing with its neighbor, Australia.) Everyone is scared but Keys folks are trying to keep a sense of humor, as you can see by this sign I found posted at the Schooner Wharf bar. And the one below posted across from the Courthouse Deli.

My concentration for reading is slowly improving, and I've insisted to myself that I will not waste this time searching the news for word about which superhero scientist will save us from this pandemic... So that means I am writing, albeit more slowly than usual. 

In order to remember what was happening in the 11th Key West mystery (partly set in Scotland,) I had to go back to the beginning and read all the through. I won't ask you to do that! But here's a little review since it's been a while: Hayley and Nathan have traveled to Scotland for their delayed "honeymoon" and in the end, invited Miss Gloria to go with them. They are guests in the home of Nathan's sister, Vera, and her husband, and this scene takes place on the first night of their visit.

I heard a soft tap on the door. 
“Come in.” 
Miss Gloria’s elfin face appeared. 
“Everything okay?” I asked. 
“It’s beautiful here, isn’t it? I can’t wait to see more of the countryside.” She paused, plucked at her topknot of white hair. “But I am a little worried.” 
I patted the bed beside me. “About what?” 
She crossed the room and perched on Nathan’s side of the bed. “It might sound silly. But I didn’t realize that Vera’s husband is a Campbell. I never asked you their family name.” 
“And that’s a problem because…?” 
“Because my mother’s people were McDonalds.” 
She stopped speaking, as though that was all I needed to know. But it explained nothing to me. 
“Say a little more about that?” I suggested. 
She heaved a troubled sigh. “My ancestors lived in the Highlands, in Glencoe where we will be going with Vera, I’m sure. It’s well known for being a thin place. And many of those same people were massacred by the Campbells. William’s people.” 
She looked so distressed that I needed to understand. Clearly, I should have been reading more Scottish history. “And how long ago did all this happen?” I asked. 
“In the 1600’s. But they wiped out most of the clan. And we have long memories. I still sense that loss right here.” She pressed her hand to her chest and I could almost feel her heart pounding like a little bird. 
“I can imagine how distressing that bit of history would feel,” I said. 
Though in truth, I couldn’t quite imagine getting that upset about something so long ago. On the other hand, I didn’t know the details of the massacre, and I was a lot younger than Miss Gloria. More concerned with the here-and-now, than my ancestors’ lives. This was likely a failing of my own. 
“Let’s get a little rest. We’re both exhausted. And then we can figure out what to do when we’re fresh.” I reached over to give her a hug.  

Though honestly, what was there to do? Demand reparations from our host, Nathan’s brother-in-law, for what his ancestors did four hundred years ago?  

Photo by Liz Acar

I'm inching along in the story and enjoying getting back into the characters' lives and seeing Scotland again, at least on paper! Meanwhile, the launch of THE KEY LIME CRIME is coming this summer. (I would love to have you pre-order...) I couldn't be more excited about the reviews! Here's a snippet from Publishers' Weekly: 

"Charming characters, an appealing setting, and mouthwatering bonus recipes make this a perfect choice for foodie cozy lovers. "

Are you thinking of places you'd like to travel once it's safe again? We really want to visit New Zealand:). In the meantime, be careful out there Reds--we love you guys a lot!

Lucy is Juggling Happiness and Scotland @lucyburdette

LUCY BURDETTE: It’s amazing to me that as long as I’ve been writing, I’m still discovering new things about myself as a writer. This week it’s that I can’t write two things at once. 

I can work on one book and promote another, or write one blog while writing a book, but I can’t seem to work on two books at once. And of course that’s what I’m trying to do. I think this may be because it’s hard to get into a character's head, and so moving to another character in another story means starting all over. 

You might think (I did) that you should be able to pick up wherever you left off. But it doesn’t seem to be so. I want to get a lot done on two projects, a deep revision of Chasing Happiness (formerly The Happiness Connection), and the first draft of food critic mystery number 11. I’ve spent the past week switching from one to the other and feeling stuck with both. And yet I have a fear that if I move ahead with one I’ll forget the other.

So meanwhile, I’m posting a snippet of the Scottish Key West mystery (#11) because it made me laugh as I was writing it. Hayley and Miss Gloria are in Nathan’s sister’s living room, unwinding from an eventful and difficult day…

Once we’d finished the washing up and stored the leftovers in the freezer, Miss Gloria insisted on pouring us another finger of whiskey to sip in front of the telly. We watched the end of the BBC news, and there was not a word said about America or her policies or politics. Honestly, it was nice to have a breather from the problems that dogged us at home.

Deep into an episode of a TV series based on Ann Cleeves’ Shetland, I heard a car outside in the driveway and then somebody crashing into the garbage cans. Before I could panic about a possible intruder, Nathan and Warren clattered into the room, wearing kilts—the full dress version with what looked like animal pelts hanging from their waists and swords tucked into their skirts. This time, Nathan looked completely comfortable in his costume, as if he had grown up roaming the Scottish moors. For the first time, I could really understand why Claire went all wobbly seeing the redheaded Jamie in his kilt in Outlander.

I stood up to kiss him hello. “Who are you, you gorgeous hunk of male flesh, and what have you done with my husband?”

“It is I, Nathan the conqueror, and I’ve come to sweep away a wee Scottish lassie,” he said, sounding a little tipsy and absolutely giddy. He grabbed me by the waist and swung me into an embrace.

I couldn’t help giggling once he’d released me. “And how much whiskey have you two drunk because maybe Miss Gloria and I have some catching up to do.”

He flopped down on the couch beside our friend. “We’ve had the most amazing day. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be playing the same course where Tiger Woods won the British Open? Of course, my drives aren’t quite as long as his.”

Warren cackled and brandished his sword. “No comment, my friend. Nothing you’ve got is as long as his.” They both howled with laughter this time.

Then Nathan gazed around at Miss Gloria and me. “You all look a little glum. How was your day?”

“Kind of brutal,” said Miss Gloria. “There was a death at the wheel.”

Meanwhile, if anyone has any tips about juggling more than one project at a time, I'm all ears!

On another note, if you are a Netgalley reviewer, THE KEY LIME CRIME is available. I can't help looking at what folks are saying. This one gave me a real thrill:

Peter Mayle!! Only four months until THE KEY LIME CRIME, book 10 in the Key West food critic mystery series, will arrive in bookstores everywhere--I can't wait for you to read it! THE KEY LIME CRIME (July 2020) is available for pre-order now...

What We're Writing @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: Obviously today's the day I tell you what I'm writing, and I don't suppose the answer should be "nothing." However, with two mystery conventions and the transition from Connecticut to Key West in my rearview mirror, it's been hard to concentrate. 

Hanging out with the Reds at Bouchercon

My rockstar pals at Crimebake

Tbone visiting the pet relief station in the airport

So how about "What I Should Be Writing?"

For Key West food critic mystery #11, I got approval from my publisher and agent to set part of the book in Scotland. I'm super excited about showing some of the gorgeous places I visited last summer. However, I've discovered that questions about why Hayley is there, and who is there with her, and how they might possibly get involved in solving a murder mystery are not so easy to answer. And I'm also realizing that my notes and photos from the trip are pretty darn skimpy. (Unless, I want to write a book about losing luggage--I'd be all over that.) I know there will be lots of scones, and thin places, and family, and jealousy, but beyond those themes, it's all rather vague. In summary, I've set myself a good challenge and I look forward to discovering the answers. Below is the tiniest beginning snippet:

I snickered. “We gave that up when we asked Miss Gloria to join us. And she’s going to make the trip so much richer. She’s so excited—she’s researching her family tree on Ancestry and she’s made a little map marking where all her relatives might be buried.” 

We were all headed to Scotland, a delayed honeymoon for Nathan and me, and the first trip abroad since her husband’s death for Miss Gloria. Nathan had offered to take me anywhere I wanted to go. I chose Scotland because of Outlander and Shetland, natch, and because I wanted to meet his mysterious sister whom I’d only recently learned about. When I’d broken the news to Miss Gloria, my fellow Outlander watcher fanatic, she’d said mournfully, “Scotland was the next trip Frank and I were going to take. And then poof, he was gone. Dead of a heart attack and not traveling anywhere but to the morgue. I’m so happy for you, Hayley,” she added. She really meant that but she had a shimmer of tears in her eyes.

Later that night, Nathan suggested that we should invite her along. I was shocked. “It’s our honeymoon,” I reminded him. I would have loved to have her travel with us, but I was afraid my new husband would regret it once we were on the road. Traveling with an old lady might be a challenge. Not that anyone who knew her would describe Miss Gloria as old. Some days she showed more zip than me—and I was fifty-something years younger. And if she did happen to droop, the tiniest catnap brought her roaring back to life.

“We’re already spending most of the week with my sister,” he said. “Miss G would only be an improvement.”

There will be lots more to come, and I'm glad that I feel excited about writing it when I read this part over. I have absolutely no idea about a title, so if anything smart comes to mind, please leave it in the comments.

And, I'm super-grateful to have my next book, THE KEY LIME CRIME (July 2020), available for pre-order!

You can order it at an independent bookstore, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and anywhere books are sold!