The Grilling Season : A Culinary Mystery (The Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery Series)

Rating:
Summary: Definitely makes you hungry!
Review: This is one of the popular "female mystery solver" series you don't have to follow in sequence. But it doesn't hurt if you do. I think this is her best so far. The characters have by now become really well developed. A couple of her previous books have had moments in which the characters' actions or words didn't quite ring true, but I didn't have that sense in this one. Well paced, very well thought out, satisfying conclusion. It was a little too long for my taste at 400 pages, but amazingly well worth the time.

Rating:
Summary: Funny and entertaining!
Review: This is only the second Mott-Davidson book I've read, and I love her characters and the author's sense of humor. She is really, really funny. While the plot wasn't brilliant, it was good enough. It kept me turning the pages and guessing who done it until the end. However, the caterer's kid Arch needs an attitude overhaul. What an absolute brat! First Goldy is abused by the jerk, and now she's getting psychological abuse from a 14-year old? PUH-LEASE. Spare me. Goldy should sent Arch to boot camp or have him volunteer in an abused women's shelter so he can get a dose of the real world.

Rating:
Summary: The Pot Could Use Some Stirring
Review: This is the author's latest offer in her cordon bleu series about Goldy Schulz, an expert chef and caterer. Divorced from an abusive first husband, she has recently remarried. Her new husband is kind and supportive, a homicide investigator at the sheriff's department. Although she has been divorced from John Patrick, an obstetrician, for many years, Goldy, who has a teenage son from her first marriage, also has a heap of unresolved business to work through. She must carry this baggage with her as she attempts to solve the murder of her ex's girlfriend, Suz Craig. Suz, the executive vice-president of the local HMO, has many enemies. So the answers don't come easily after John Patrick is arrested for the murder. Spurred on by their son, who is convinced that his father is innocent, Goldy reluctantly investigates the murder. Although she is secretly happy that her ex is finally in jail where he belongs, at least for acts of violence against her, Goldy begins to question John Patrick's guilt. Burdened by her friendship with Patricia, who is close to a breakdown and seeking revenge for the loss of a newborn she blames on Goldy's ex, Goldy attempts to solve the mystery of who murdered Suz Craig. That is, when she is not creating recipes, cooking and baking, and catering to local patrons in need of her services. What bothers this reviewer about Goldy is her inability to move on. She has a wonderful husband with whom she claims to feel safe, a successful business, and a son she adores, but she remains a victim in her relationship with John Patrick, allowing him to continue to emotionally and physically abuse her without retribution. Get some counseling, Goldy. What bothers me about the book itself is the attention to cooking and baking and recipe-making--not my cup of tea, but for some readers, it may be just what they're looking for, an entertaining mystery spiced up with actual recipes and cooking hints interspersed in the plot.

Rating:
Summary: A little too contrived and shallow!
Review: This is the first of Diane Mott Davidson's book that I have read and it will probably be my last one. I find her characters shallow and unrealistic. The plot of the mystery is confusing with too many extraneous characters, all with some prior relationship to the detective/cater Goldy. Most of her sleuthing is done in the middle of the night as she is unable to sleep. Is it believable that her cop husband sleeps through her midnight detective work with only a mild reprove to Goldy after the fact? I haven't tried the recipes but hopefully they are better than the mystery.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This was the first one by Diane Mott Davidson that I tried. I liked it so much I read all of them! The recipies were great!

Rating:
Summary: Great read - love the recipes
Review: This was the second of Davidson's books that I have read. I really enjoyed it and I love the recipes in the book. This is just something that I have never seen before and it is fun to hear how she makes the items and then to see the actual recipe. A neat idea!

Rating:
Summary: Comfortable Read With Recipes Worth Keeping
Review: When an author has published more than one book, comparisons are bound to be made. This wasn't my favorite but it was, nevertheless, an enjoyable read. The recipes, as always sound wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: Detective/Caterer solves crime with gourmet flair.
Review: While this book was a fun and fast read, as a caterer I would like to know who does the dishes and shops for all of the last minute things that are always needed. The story was interesting and you keep guessing until the end. I can't wait to try the included recipies!