Image courtesy of Lucy Burdette
With her latest book, A Delicious Deception, Lucy Burdette made two significant changes to her Key West Food Critic series.
At the end of the previous book, The Mango Murders, readers learned that the series’ main character, Hayley Snow, was pregnant. By the opening pages of A Delicious Deception, Florida writer Lucy Burdette had moved the characters off Houseboat Row and into a house on land.
We sat down with Burdette to ask why she made these changes.
Why did you get Hayley pregnant?
I assume you know that it was actually Nathan who did it! But as I was finishing The Mango Murders, I assumed this might be the end of the series. Fifteen books is a lot in this publishing climate. What better way to go than a feel-good story about their next chapter. I was shocked when the publisher asked for more books — now I had to proceed with the pregnancy in progress!
How many books did you think you’d write in the series?
The series has survived several near-death experiences! The first publisher, NAL, cut most of their mystery line after my seventh book. Luckily, my agent was able to sell more to my current publisher, Crooked Lane Books. I figured they’d stop at 15!
What’s next for Hayley?
She’s going back to her job and her regular sleuthing in book 17 (no title yet, suggestions welcome). She will be very cautious as she has a child to think of!
In most of these books, the houseboats on Houseboat Row are almost their own character; why did you move them off the boat, and what is the real Houseboat Row like?
I know how beloved Houseboat Row is for readers, but there was simply no place to stash a baby in their little boat. I was also worried for Miss Gloria and Mrs. Dubisson, who both turned 85 in The Mango Murders. Hayley couldn’t very well move away and leave the ladies to fend for themselves. I love the idea of a kind of compound and hope someone will take me in like that if I’m old and spunky. Houseboat Row does actually exist in Key West, but it’s on the corner of two busy roads so probably not as idyllic as I make it sound.
Read our reviews of other Key West Food Critic Mysteries A Clue in the Crumbs and A Dish To Die For.
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