FATALLY FLAKY
Diane Mott Davidson
William Morrow
Mystery
ISBN: 9780061348136
FATALLY FLAKY is Diane Mott Davidson’s 14th culinary mystery starring Aspen Meadow, Colorado’s favorite caterer/sleuth, Goldy Schulz. Married to a policeman and longtime resident, Goldy uncovers many local mysteries and often faces dangerous, if not nearly deadly, situations herself. Included in the index are 10 mouthwatering recipes made with ingredients readily available in her plentiful pantry.
Aspen Meadow, Colorado is a delightful mountain town west of Denver. Here Goldy owns and manages a catering company. In the last few years she has seen steady growth in her business as residents use her catering for all special occasions, meetings, events and weddings. In FATALLY FLAKY, Goldy works with her talented assistant chef Julian preparing for the wedding from hell. Bridezilla returns! “Weddings are like olives. They can be the pits.” Julian, the vegetarian chef Goldy trained years ago, assists her with larger gatherings.
To make matters worse, there is a murderer on the loose who recently killed Goldy’s godfather’s friend, drinking buddy and fellow fisherman, Dr. Finn. That will not be the last murder or attempted murder we will see.
Having read all of Davidson’s books, I admit to two favorite recurring themes: Goldy loves her espresso, and she has an incredible walk-in refrigerator/freezer that houses every fresh and frozen ingredient known to man or chef. In FATALLY FLAKY, Goldy invents an iced espresso with whipping cream over ice. Using four shots of espresso in every drink, it is no wonder she is usually “buzzed.” This is how she starts every day. Coeur a la crème, Cuban bread, Fatally Flaky cookies with vanilla butter cream frosting, and black-and-white cake are just a few of the recipes found in the index.
There is one spot in Aspen Meadow where you wouldn’t normally find the cookery of Goldy Schulz: Gold Gulch Spa. It is a local resort for women hoping to lose weight and pamper themselves for a few days. Their smoothies are famous and addictive. There is just one thing that seems unusual: everyone who leaves after a few days suddenly wants to return. Often they need to seek medical attention. It is not necessarily healthy to hang around Gold Gulch Spa. Worse, their owner/manager, Victor, makes life very difficult for Goldy. Why does he see her as such a threat? What might he be hiding in the Smoothie Cabin, where secrets abound?
Sometimes in a mystery novel, the reader finds that the characters have previous relationships with one another. These can certainly spice up a story, as in this case. Late in the book, Davidson unveils the relationship among several central characters. All of a sudden, FATALLY FLAKY goes from third gear to fifth gear in three seconds flat! Everything suddenly makes sense. The loose ends are tied up neatly in little bows. All in all, this is a deliciously presented slice of mystery, without the accompanying calories.
--- Reviewed by Marge Fletcher
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