The Key Lime Crime is a very light read which provides a mystery story but mostly celebrates Key West, its ubiquitous key lime pie, and the lifestyles of its natives and tourists. Three of the main characters live on a houseboat. The other main character, Helen, is a reluctant tourist who seems uninterested in the life and food of the vacation destination but very interested in helping her police officer son solve crimes. In addition to creating some stereotypical characters to flesh out a murder story, Burdette also includes the real David Sloan, a Key West author known for ghost tours and key lime festivals. As a fictitious food critic, Haley Snow researches stories for her small-town newspaper and entertains her mother-in-law, Helen. By following Haley’s adventures as she navigates on her scooter through the busy streets, the reader gets a tour of Key West and the attractions that have made it famous.
When Haley and her mother-in-law take a Conch Train Tour and discover that Claudette Parker, a new pastry shop owner, has been murdered, the crime mystery begins, and we begin to get a feel for the restaurants, streets, and attractions in Key West. Also, through the other fictional characters, we get to know some of the rich and famous and the zany expectations when they either live in or visit Key West.
