Reviewer: Connie Payne
Title: Fatally Flaky - 15th in the Goldy Schulz Culinary Mystery series
Author: Diane Mott Davidson
Publisher: Wm Morrow
ISBN-13: 9780061348136 (Hardcover)
Release Date: April 2009
Genre/Sub-genre: Mystery
Year/Setting: Present day/Aspen Meadow CO
Overall Rating: 3.5
Sexual Content Rating: None (implied)
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: Mild
Violent Content Rating: Minimal/Moderate
Diane's Website: www.dianemottdavidson.com
Creating sumptuous appetizers and main dishes for a wedding reception should be relaxing for Goldy Schulz. Murder and Bridezilla shouldn’t go together, but unfortunately, in this case, they do…
She’s just about had it with Bridezilla. Goldy’s planned and re-planned Billie Attenborough’s wedding reception numerous times. Now Bridezilla/Billie wants to add fifty people to the guest list and change the location of the ceremony and reception to the Gold Gulch Spa. Two days before the blasted, uh, blessed nuptials.
But the stress and worry doesn’t stop there. The owner of the spa and Goldy get along best by avoiding each other—there’s a rocky history there. Beloved local doctor, Doc Finn, is found dead at the bottom of a ravine—death by murder. Goldy’s godfather, Jack, is doing his own investigating into the death and is acting peculiar—even for him.
When Jack dies after being attacked at the spa, Goldy is beside herself with confusion and grief. But sitting around crying and brooding—grieving—as everyone is telling her to do, isn’t going to bring Jack back or solve the puzzle. Exactly what was Jack searching for at the spa? What did he find? Do any of his clues hold the answer to Doc Finn’s murder?
She doesn’t have the answers to any of those questions. Yet. One way to find the answers is to finagle a way to work in the spa’s kitchen. What she learns is both confusing and eye-opening and dangerous to her health.
While Goldy’s extreme impulsiveness may cause groans and frustration on the reader’s part and some clues are overt causing the reader to urge Goldy to catch up, it’s important to remember not to take Fatally Flaky too seriously.
Ms. Davidson creates a recipe of entertainment for the reader by sifting together murder and subterfuge, then carefully folding in dubious and well-liked characters, delicious food and ruined receptions, and a setting filled with suspicious mishaps and suspects galore.
Fans of this series will enjoy this morsel of intrigue and mayhem and appreciate the diversion offered from everyday life.
Connie
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