SWEET REVENGE
Diane Mott Davidson
Avon
Mystery
Hardcover: 9780060527334
Paperback: 9780060527341

An unlikely list of suspicious items and an equally unlikely list of villains are found in the newest culinary mystery offering by Diane Mott Davidson. The worlds of map collecting and map sales are cut-throat businesses. Knives enveloped in snowballs, Rohypnol, stolen maps and the ghost of a dead murderer are featured here. First and foremost, our heroine, Goldy Schulz --- proprietor of Goldilocks Catering in Aspen Meadow, Colorado --- always seems to end up in hot water. SWEET REVENGE is no exception.

Goldy has come a long way since her first culinary mystery 14 books ago. Her confidence, cooking skills and expertise have increased exponentially. In SWEET REVENGE it is the Christmas season, always a very hectic time in the catering business. A large scoop of trouble is brewing: Why did Sandee Brisbane return to Aspen Meadow? After murdering Goldy's ex-husband, she threw herself off a cliff into a raging forest fire. Or did she? "The specter appeared on November 25, which fell on the Friday after Thanksgiving, when I was on my way to Smithfield and Hermie McArthur's house to book two parties." Former District Attorney Drew Wellington would be invited to one of these parties. However, due to an unforeseen circumstance, he would be unable to attend.

Larry Craddock, another map dealer, has Goldy in his sights. Sometimes, when people have been sold a fake document, they don't go directly to the police. Some take matters into their own hands and try to exact revenge. Unfortunately, this guy won't rest until everyone is miserable. He accosts Goldy, as well as her former assistant, Julien, and starts verbal altercations throughout Aspen Meadow. What is his beef?

One great consistent theme in Davidson's books is the cooking. Every time Goldy makes espresso and adds a heaping tablespoon of whipped cream, you can almost taste the creamy, rich mixture. Her recipes are usually not too complicated and are added in an appendix in the back of the book. Cleverly designed, the What-The-Dickens Holiday Breakfast for the library staff and volunteers includes charming Dickensonian names: Great Expectations Grapefruit, Chuzzlewit Cheese Pie, Tale of Two Cities French Toast, Bleak House Bars, Hard Times Ham, Christmas Carol Coffee Cake. But the best part is that there are also recipes for Chicken Divine (a lower fat recipe for Chicken Diane), Prudent Potatoes au Gratin, Stylish Strawberry Salad, Unorthodox Shepherd's Pie, Deep-Dish Cherry Pie, Got-a-Hot-Date Bars, Pina Colada Muffins and Door-Prize Gingerbread.

The bottom line is this: If you appreciate a good mystery with several recurring characters, lots of culinary undertones, great recipes and some Goldy family history, you should savor Diane Mott Davidson's books. Reminiscent of a new age Miss Marple with a good business mind, sense of humor and great cooking skills, Goldy is sure to please. Bon appetit!

    --- Reviewed by Marge Fletcher

Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com.

© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.

Back to top.