Cozy Mystery Corner discussion

March

An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette

Here's where to discuss the book and the series.

I found this on Ms. Burdette's web site.

Discussion Questions for An Appetite for Murder
The Killer Coffee Club that meets at the Barnes and Noble in Ithaca, New York, recently invited me to their book club (by Skype.) Their moderator, Nikki Bonanni, nudged me to develop some discussion questions for AN APPETITE FOR MURDER. These led to a lively session–so much fun to talk to folks who have read the book about their reactions!

Book Club meetings are some of my favorite events, so feel free to email me if you’d like to have me attend your group’s meeting! And here are some questions to start the ball rolling.

1. Setting is crucial in the Key West food critic mystery series. What does Hayley Snow notice and/or appreciate about the town that longer-term residents might not?

2. Hayley left New Jersey to be with Chad Lutz rather impulsively. Can you imagine doing what she did? What are the other factors that played into this decision.

3. Food plays a huge role in Hayley’s life. Where did her love for food and eating come from? What would you say is her relationship to food?

4. What would be the best and worst parts of being a food critic in real life?

5. Both Hayley and her mother believe in the power of tarot card readings. How do you feel about fortune telling? Do you find her reliance on Lorenzo believable?

6. Defining the reasons that an amateur sleuth gets involved with solving a mystery (her stake) is always challenging. Talk about Hayley’s stake in solving this murder. What will be challenges of having her investigate future crimes in this series?

Ms. Burdette contacted me and said she'd be happy to answer our questions, or participate in some way! So keep that in mind when reading the book.

I read the first and second one in this series so I will be reading Topped Chef. Good series!

I love this series and author!

I read the fourth in the series earlier this year, and now I have to go back and start over. This works out perfectly because I was going to read the first one this month anyway.

I'm really excited to read this as I have trip to the Keys planned next month and want to get into the setting before I go. :)

Lucy is great at painting setting in her words. That's one of the first things that made me appreciate the series.

I think I have the latest one on my TBR pile. I really struggled with the first two, but I liked the second half of the third book; I could really see the MC evolving. So I'm looking forward to picking up the fourth, Murder with Ganache.

BTW, I can answer question 2: Yes, I can imagine doing it because I have. I met my DH while he was in Florida for a friends wedding and I moved to Australia to be with him 9 months later. That was 7.5 years ago. :)

So I read An Appetite for Murder this last week. You can find my review here.

I enjoyed it very much. I certainly can see why people would have issues with the MC, but I liked her despite the flaws. And, honestly, I could see myself doing some of what she did in the circumstances she was under. Maybe that made me more forgiving of her flaws.

Loved the beginning. Then Hayley started getting on my nerves with her constant references to her mom, and her inability to make decisions. Then it improved and I enjoyed it again. I'm looking forward to the second book. I'm hoping to get more info from the detective's point of view, as his part in the end seemed to just be thrown in as part of a formula.

I'm starting this book today.

So, I'm in the beginning of the book and I'm really enjoying the Key West setting. One question I do have is that Hayley moved to Key West from NJ for Chad, yet her old friends Eric and Connie already live there. Did she used to be from Key West?

I'm a bit confused by that, but maybe it will be explained later.

Just picked up my copy from the library, will start reading this today.

I've read the first and second books in this series. I was drawn to this series because I am a recent fan of Key West and the incredible food found there. The first book was ok. Hayley's indecisiveness was a bit annoying and I did not find the relationship between her and the detective believable. I liked the second book much better. The characters (with the exception of Eric) were much more developed. I also found the relationship between Hayley and her mother very believable and familiar. I'm looking forward to the next two books in the series.

Melissa wrote: "So, I'm in the beginning of the book and I'm really enjoying the Key West setting. One question I do have is that Hayley moved to Key West from NJ for Chad, yet her old friends Eric and Connie alr..."

Melissa,

No, Hayley didn't used to be from Key West. Connie is her college roommmate, and Eric is a friend from home. Both of them happen to be in Key West already, and that was part of the reason Hayley was willing to move down there - she already knew a couple of people besides her boyfriend.

It's not something you usually see in fiction, but I've seen it happen in real life.

I've read all of the books in this series. I love series that involve food as I love to cook and bake. I think the characters in these books are very real and genuine. I feel like you can relate to the characters.

Well, I finished the book. I did enjoy it and it made me really excited about going to Key West.

I agree that the character has room to grow, but that's not really a bad thing at the start of a series. I like to see character development over time and not every series has that. Also, this character is I believe 25 and many of our cozies MC's are more in the 30-ish range.

I love the idea of living on a houseboat. I've already bought the rest of the series and am excited about reading it.

I agree that with Hayley's age, she does have a lot of growth to do. Sometimes I find it hard to remember what I was like 30 years ago, and that makes it harder for me to empathize with younger characters.

I finished the book last week. I know most of our cozies are very charming and never expect the characters to be super serious and scientific but for some reason the fact that when she's really broke she still shells outs for Lorenzo's $20 fee bothers me. It's the only detail that does. I love the setting and would love to visit Key West one day. Also love the fact that she's trying to find her way even though she knows she has made some bad decisions. Will definitively keep reading the series :)

jaxnsmom wrote: "I agree that with Hayley's age, she does have a lot of growth to do. Sometimes I find it hard to remember what I was like 30 years ago, and that makes it harder for me to empathize with younger ch..."

I do think that can be an issue, especially if you are like me and you really need to relate to the characters to enjoy the book. I did enjoy these books but I had to keep thinking in terms of her age. I think the good thing about this is that the character will be able to show growth over time, which is something that most older sleuths don't really do.

Hayley left New Jersey to be with Chad Lutz rather impulsively. Can you imagine doing what she did? What are the other factors that played into this decision.

I can't imagine moving away to be with someone I barely knew. I might have been young and naive enough, but I'm sure I would have been too afraid.

Both Hayley and her mother believe in the power of tarot card readings. How do you feel about fortune telling? Do you find her reliance on Lorenzo believable?

I agree with Jaxie that for Hayley to keep paying Lorenzo when she was supposedly so broke didn't make sense. Especially the times when it seemed she already had a good idea of what he was going to say. I don't believe in fortune telling, but that's not what a tarot reading is - it's more to reveal pathways.

Defining the reasons that an amateur sleuth gets involved with solving a mystery (her stake) is always challenging. Talk about Hayley’s stake in solving this murder. What will be challenges of having her investigate future crimes in this series?

Hayley had to investigate because the police weren't looking at any other suspects once they decided the evidence led to her. That meant her future was at stake, and she wasn't willing to sit by and do nothing. I think in the future, the key will be finding ways for Hayley to have a personal interest in either the accused or the victim.