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Poisoned by pie? The residents of Key West, Florida can't believe it, but that doesn't solve the problem of a homicide victim in Marilyn's pie shop. Bad becomes worse when the shop owner's daughter is suspected.

206 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 9, 2015

257 people are currently reading
588 people want to read

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Summer Prescott

61 books47 followers

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5 stars
272 (36%)
4 stars
193 (25%)
3 stars
210 (27%)
2 stars
60 (7%)
1 star
16 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 77 reviews
Profile Image for Sheri.
2,111 reviews
October 4, 2015
A Lime To Kill (A Key West Culinary Cozy #1) by Summer Prescott

Marilyn has a pie shop in Key West Florida. Her twenty-one year old daughter comes to work for her. Then a regular customer dies out side of the shop, and it is discovered he murdered, killed with poison. Marilyn's daughter is the number one suspect.

Marilyn is very likable, a hard working divorced woman. The sunny Florida setting gives a relaxed feel, even though a murder has been committed. The story flows at a rapid pace.

The characters are well developed, and you get a feel that you are part of the community,and story. The plot is original, with some funny moments. Overall this was an enjoyable read. I recommend A Lime To Kill to those who love a (sweet) cozy mystery.
Profile Image for Georgiann Hennelly.
1,960 reviews25 followers
July 25, 2016
Marilyn and Tiara Her Daughter own and operate a Bakery in Key West. They make Key Lime pies. Business is doing great so Marilyn hires a new Baker who seems made for the job.
Than one of their regular customers Fergus dies after eating at the Bakery. Now the hunt is on to catch a killer. A short well written story . I look forward to reading more books in this series.
Profile Image for Tari.
3,627 reviews102 followers
July 31, 2019
This was a really good shorter mystery, great plot and characters. I didn't guess whodunit at all--I thought it was some other person all together. I love the idea of a pie shop and the mother-daughter team. I'm not sure if there's more than just one more book or what, but it'll be interesting to see if anything develops between Marilyn and the handsome detective Bernard or her daughter Tiana and the cute yoga instructor, Drew.
Profile Image for Renee G..
75 reviews8 followers
May 7, 2021
Hooray for cozy mysteries

I never thought I’d be into “cozy” books but I’ve read a few recently and they are a blast. Marilyn was a great heroine.
673 reviews15 followers
October 2, 2020
Marilyn Hayes has moved to Key West, Florida and started a new business. Her shop, SubLime Sweets, specializes in Key Lime Pies. Her daughter, Tiara, goes over the books and informs her that she is doing well and can afford to hire additional help. The first new employee is another baker, Susan Dwyer. Susan has experience and fits in nicely with Marilyn and Tiara.

One day while Marilyn is delivering some pies for a garden party, Susan and Tiara are handling the numerous customers at the shop. One of the regular customers, Fergus Downey, leaves the shop with his order, then turns pale and collapses. Unfortunately, he dies on the way to the hospital. Following a brief investigation, Detective McNabe, an officer from the Special Investigations Division of the Miami PD, suspects Tiara of poisoning Fergus.

How did Fergus really die? Was it natural causes or murder? If murder, who killed him and how? Can Marilyn prove her daughter's innocence and uncover the actual killer?

This is the first book in a new series. It has wonderful characters with realistic situations. There are plenty of twists, turns, and red herrings to keep the reader guessing clear to the end. The short chapters also make for quick and easy reading. I am looking forward to reading more stories in this wonderful series.
Profile Image for Vicky.
Author 26 books69 followers
September 2, 2020
Decent story but poor editing

Thoughts: This was a cute, short cozy mystery that takes place on Key West. The characters are good and the recipe for Key Lime Pie delicious. But there are some issues.

What I liked: It’s a decent, if short, story with good characters and a great recipe. The ending worked for the story.

What I didn’t like: It desperately needs a better editor. The point of view is all over the place and there are several grammatical issues that—had they been the only things wrong, I could have overlooked, but altogether, it definitely needs a better editor. Also, the “chat” about Tiara’s past never happens, which seemed to be a big plot point as it was discussed several times. It needed to be resolved. I believe this story could have easily been expanded to include more detail and resolve some plot point issues.

Recommendation: For a quick read, it’s okay. Not great, but okay. I will look into other books by this author if for no other reason than her story intrigued me.
Profile Image for Dawn.
570 reviews12 followers
June 25, 2016

Marilyn owns a pie shop in Key West specializing in Key Lime Pie. Her daughter comes to work for her between college graduation and her dream job. One of Marilyn's loyal customers collapses in front of the shop and chaos ensues. Fergus dies and his death is declared a homicide. Marilyn's daughter, Tiara, is the prime suspect.

The first in a series, A Lime to Kill does a good job introducing us to the main characters. The plot moved steadily and the murderer was not obvious. On to book two!
Profile Image for Kay (Brigidsmomma) Compton.
765 reviews28 followers
July 15, 2015
This was very good. A new series by Ms Durand. This one is all about pies and Key Lime pies and other desserts with a key Lime component. Takes place in Key West, and has some really interesting characters. I think this will be a good series, and I am looking forward to seeing what the second in this series is like...
Profile Image for Rachel.
229 reviews7 followers
August 6, 2015
I absolutely loved this book. What a fun murder/mystery. I have to admit that I had figured out who the murderer was as soon as the murder was discovered. However, I never thought of the reason behind the murder! I definitely plan to get the next book in this series.
Definitely recommend.
Profile Image for E.
1,875 reviews
May 28, 2020
Love this author and read anything that she writes. This is a new to me series. Nothing like key lime goodies to make you hungry while you read this awesome book. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
27 reviews1 follower
September 3, 2017
A really fun series to create the perfect vacation atmosphere

Even though this series is an older one from mega-talented author and publisher, Summer Prescott, this is my first time reading it… And I'm totally enchanted… I chose to begin reading this series at this particular time in honor of a beloved brother Li friend who is vacationing with his family in Key West. These wonderful lime-themed books set in beautiful Key West – trusting and believing the whole series will be as awesome as this first installment is – are the perfect way to create my own "armchair vacation" to Key West, while simultaneously beautifully bridging the miles between myself and my very missed brotherly friend. They also happen to be a whole lot of fun to read, as cozy mysteries go – chock-full of suspense, amazing top-quality story content, very interesting and intriguing well-rounded characters, a very vivid and well-crafted setting, an interesting and engrossing plotline, and they really make me hungry and absolutely crave key lime pie…

Set, of course, in Key West, Florida, this first installment in Summer Prescott's phenomenal Key West cozy culinary mystery series, A Lime To Kill, centers around heroin and pie shop owner Marilyn and her daughter Tiara. Frustrated with the financial end of her business, Marilyn accepts her daughter's offer to take care of the business end of running her pie shop. soon, in addition to taking on Tiara as an assistant at the pie shop, Marilyn also hires a new employee named Susan. Things are going remarkably well with her business until one exceptionally busy day when everything seems to go south in a hurry. Repairmen are called in to fix ovens on the blink, Marylin is out making a pie delivery, leaving the shop in the hands of her daughter and new employee to run until she returns. SuddenlyS, amidst all the chaos, after consuming a key lime pie stuffed strawberry, a regular customer literally drops to the ground having what appears to be a heart attack.Things go from bad to worse when the man dies en route to the hospital, and soon it becomes evident that what appeared to be a heart attack was actually poisoning connected with the strawberry he ate at the pie shop. Soon both Marilyn and her daughter are among the suspects, and the plot thickens when disturbing details about Tiara surface.

This first Key West culinary cozy mystery from Summer Prescott is a definite must-read page turner. once you finally learn who the killer actually is, it just makes you hungry for more key lime pie and more phenomenal mysteries in this extraordinary series. whether older or newer, classic or current, this series stands testimony to the fact that no matter what you read from Summer Prescott, you're definitely in for a gripping, engrossing, fun, and truly delicious mystery that will keep you guessing and turning pages to the very end of the book. And, once you finish, you'll definitely be hungry for a whole lot more. All this with no graphic sexual or violent content makes these cozy mysteries the perfect reads for bookworms of all ages. Put simply, I cannot highly recommend this book or this series enough. My only single regret is that the maximum limit for star-rating of books is only five. Truly this book and this whole series deserves far more. Too bad we are not able to give books a zillion-star rating, because, were that possible, this book most definitely would earn said rating…
Profile Image for Share.
607 reviews6 followers
March 22, 2023
This was an easy to read/follow cozy mystery. I don't read cozy mysteries too often but because this takes place in Key West, I was immediately drawn to it. Despite the fact I have only been to Key West once in my life, it made such an impression on me. I consider it one of my favourite places I have visited. And, to be honest, I love Key Lime Pie. lol

Marilyn is the owner of a popular bakery in Key West who specializes in making...what else? Key Lime Pie! Business is booming and her daughter Tiara encourages her mom to expand her business. Tiara hops in to help and hires another baker to assist them. Things are going great until one of the regular customers dies in a suspicious death. Detectives say he was poisoned and Marilyn and Tiara are being questioned.

In all honestly, the book was super predictable but I enjoyed it. It flowed well, had great character development and was easy to whip through in one setting. The book is very short. I see it is part of a series and I am actually looking forward to reading more.

3.75 stars...rounding up to 4 stars for goodreads ratings.
889 reviews
June 20, 2023
Cute beginning to a new series of books. One of the regular customers of the key lime pie restaurant is poisoned and in order to save her business, Marilyn Hayes is determined to find out who was responsible especially since the detective seems to think that her daughter had something to do with it. Once she sits down with her computer and does some research, she figures it out. Hope to read more of this series.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
1,158 reviews13 followers
November 12, 2020
This is the first in the series. The main character is Marilyn who owns a shop that makes everything Key Lime. Her daughter comes to work with her and then one of her favorite customers is murdered. Almost in the shop while she is out doing a delivery. Can she figure out who did this before they come to take her daughter to jail ?
Profile Image for Joni.
658 reviews
Read
May 21, 2020
A great start to a new series. I love Summer Prescott books and this one is no exception. I like the interaction between the characters and the detective. I also love key lime pie....so Summer you had me at the title. Keep writing....please
Profile Image for Susan Clark.
547 reviews2 followers
July 23, 2021
Delicious Mystery!

Okay, I cannot wait to read more books in this series. This first entry promises to be a joy to more like this. The main character is a sympathetic woman whom we feel that we recognize. Everything is believable. More, please
Profile Image for Debra Jo Reads.
1,007 reviews56 followers
April 4, 2023
I’ve read a few other series by Summer and they are short but packed with a punch.

I found this one just didn’t hold that same vibe. It was the first in series so I’ll read at least book 2 before I give up.
864 reviews7 followers
December 31, 2023
this is a quick read cozy taking place in Florida. A Pie shop owner becomes unwittingly involved in helping to solve a murder that takes place in her shop. She is attracted to a police detective while trying to save her daughter.
Profile Image for Sheila Burke.
1,250 reviews3 followers
June 24, 2024
This book was pretty good. This is the first book in the Key West Culinary series by Summer Prescott. I found the story creative and interesting, and held my attention all the way through. Worth the time to read.
Profile Image for Loretta TheMoodyRedhead.
1,043 reviews4 followers
October 28, 2024
Kind of a cute book for the first off several in its series. I don’t like it as well as Prescott’s others, but I typically don’t like the first as well. The first is when all of the characters are introduced and it’s sort of boring.

Next is book 2 Key Lime Die.
Profile Image for Teresa.
2,245 reviews16 followers
February 11, 2018
This was a fun quick read. I like having a short mystery every now and then. This one fit the bill! I want to try some of the key lime desserts sole at SubLime. They sound delicious!
1,338 reviews
May 23, 2020
I liked the characters and the writing style. This is a short cozy but it was perfect for a rainy afternoon.
Profile Image for RaChelle Holmberg.
1,862 reviews24 followers
May 11, 2021
Found on freebooksy, this was a very cute and cozy book. Yum to the key lime pie recipe!
4,417 reviews43 followers
April 7, 2022
Who killed Fergus and how and why??? Marilyn just doesn’t give up, does she??? I enjoyed the story and recommend the book.

Profile Image for Betty.
136 reviews3 followers
June 25, 2022
Loved this book. Sad when it ended.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 77 reviews

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