Key West The Newspaper

Killer Takeout (NAL/Signet), Lucy Burdette’s 7th Key West mystery, will be launched with a book signing party at Key West Island Bookstore on April 7 from 5 to 7, with many of Lucy’s “characters” in attendance.

“I was delighted when bookstore owner Suzanne Orchard invited me to launch the book at her store,” said Burdette, a Key West resident. “And then I cooked up the idea of inviting my characters to attend and sign books too. Recurring characters based on Key West people such as Lorenzo the tarot card reader (aka Ron Augustine) and Officer Steve Torrence have become beloved to my readers. Sharing the day with them feels special.”

KILLER TAKEOUT, the seventh installment in the Key West food critic mystery series, features Hayley Snow, an aspiring food critic and amateur sleuth living in America’s southernmost island paradise. Key West residents will recognize local details such as Houseboat Row, Robert the doll, the zombie bike ride, Mallory Square, and local eateries including Garbo’s Grill.

In KILLER TAKEOUT, the action kicks off during Fantasy Fest week, with a possible murder during the zombie bike ride, and a major tropical storm gathering speed below Cuba. Key Zest magazine has assigned food critic Hayley Snow 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. Meanwhile, Hayley’s office mate, Danielle, recently elected Queen of Fantasy Fest, is also buzzing between festivities and fundraisers. But when Danielle’s 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 her friend gets crowned a killer.

Burdette’s (aka Roberta Isleib) first mystery series included 5 books featuring Cassie Burdette, an aspiring golf professional. Her Advice Column series featured Rebecca Butterman, a fictional psychologist who lived in Connecticut. Isleib/Burdette’s books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She is a past-president of Sisters in Crime, a national organization founded to support women crime fiction writers.

About the Key West mystery series:

“Complete with a clever plot, a cast of familiar and amiable characters, a buffet of food and all the wackiness of Key West, “Fatal Reservations” displays Burdette at peak form and whets the appetite for Hayley’s next case.”—Jay Stafford, Richmond Times-Dispatch

And the Florida Book Review has said “in a crowded cozy market, Lucy Burdette’s Key West Food Critic series stands out among its peers.”

For more information, contact Roberta Isleib/Lucy Burdette [email protected] or Suzanne Orchard, (305) 294-2904.