Cozy Mystery of the Month and Audio Book of the Week - Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson
Read by Barbara Rosenblat

From Amazon.com:
Get ready for a smorgasbord of delicious suspense prepared by Goldy Bear, an irrepressible mistress of menus and amateur sleuth. Filled with a cast of colorful characters and superb recipes, Catering to Nobody is the first in a series that has made Diane Mott Davidson a best-selling author and the Queen of the Culinary Mystery.

Goldy Bear, recently divorced, has made a home for herself and her young son in scenic Aspen Valley, Colorado. There, calls for Goldilock's Catering have been steady enough to pay the bills. But when a mourner is felled by rat poison during a funeral buffet Goldy is serving, the police quickly close her business. Now it's up to Goldy to find the rat who has tainted her food and her reputation.

Diane Mott Davidson whips up a spicy mixture of cooks and crooks, and veteran narrator Barbara Rosenblat brilliantly conveys Goldy's intelligence, wit, and energy. As the mystery unfolds, its tension is sweetened by delectable recipes, including Goldy's Dream Cake, Dungeon Bars, and Honey Ginger Snaps.

My Take:
I listened to this in audio so this is also an audio of the week.
The above description says that Goldy was recently divorced but I don't know how recently because there was a wife after her.
Anyway, I have wanted to read a book by Diane Mott Davidson for awhile so I decided to just take the plunge and listen to this one.
This was a pretty good mystery because it had me guessing until close to the end. One of the local teachers committed suicide and Goldy is hired to cater the funeral dinner. One of the mourners is poisoned by rat poisoning and her business is shut down. In order to get it opened again she must find out what is going on. There is alot of things going on in this little town. Goldy has a really weird relationship with her ex (to say they had a bad divorce is mild) and his family. She is also friends with her ex husbands second wife. Her son Arch seems to be slipping away into the world of role playing games. And her roommate is having mood swings among other things.
This book had a bit more language than I like but not an over abundance. I don't really know how I felt about the narrator. At times I thought she did a great job and at other I just found her voice annoying.
I still like HannahSwenson better but I think I will read (or Listen) to more in this series. If you want the recipes I would suggest the paper book as it is hard to follow in the audio and almost impossible to find after.
This was one of my Audible selections.

Cozy of the Month - Between A Wok and a Hard Place by Tamara Myers

Between a Wok and a Hard Place by Tamara Myers

From Amazon.com:

Ever since her new husband flew the coop, Pennsylvania Dutch inn owner Magdalena Yoder has had plenty of time to kill. But the suspicious death of an Asian tourist proves that time is not the only thing around here that's getting murdered! Magdalena follows the trail to the local Amish community where a dangerous secret is being concealed, and a killer who's really using his noodle awaits! .

My Take:
I always laugh through out any of these wonderful mysteries.  I understand a bit where Magdalena Yoder is coming from considering I live in Lancaster County PA. It is amusing the way that the people of Hernia are described and the way that people misunderstand things and take what is said at face value.  It Kinda reminds me of an adult Amelia Bedelia.  The mystery kept me guessing up until the very end and I look forward to more antics between everyone in Hernia PA. 

Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke Cozy Mystery of The Month

Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke

From Goodreads.com:
 It's June in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and for Hannah Swensen, that means bridal showers galore, plus a massive fundraising event in need of confections—not to mention a killer who never learned that charity begins at home...

Early summer brings plenty of work for Hannah, even before Mayor Bascomb's wife drops by The Cookie Jar to place an order ...for eleven-hundred cookies! Stephanie Bascomb is organizing an elaborate three-day event to support local charities, and though it's a worthy cause, Hannah almost flips when her business partner, Lisa, suggests setting up an apple turnover stand. Hannah's never made a turnover—but, pushover that she is, she places her faith in Lisa's mother-in-law's recipe and agrees to be a magician's assistant in the fundraiser's talent show...

Dozens of pastries and one hideous purple dress later, Hannah has to admit that stepping out of her comfort zone has been fun as well as profitable. The only snag is the show's host, community college professor Bradford Ramsey. Hannah and her younger sister Michelle each had unfortunate romantic relationships with Ramsey, and when the cad comes sniffing around between acts, Hannah tells him off. But when the curtain doesn't go up, she discovers Ramsey backstage—dead as a doornail with a turnover in his hand...

Now, to protect her reputation and Michelle's, Hannah must get to the bottom of the professor's bitter end. There are plenty of scorned suspects, including an ex-wife who feels cheated in more ways than one, and a prominent local who may have been using Ramsey to avenge her own randy spouse. But who was unstable enough to snuff out Professor Love? A killer who's flakier than puffpastry—and far more dangerous...

Includes Over Ten Cookie and Dessert Recipes!

My Take:

I love the whole Hannah Swenson Series,  but  the books seem to be taking turn where almost the half the book is taken up with reintroduction of characters and such and we haven't even gotten to the mystery yet. 

This time the person who is murdered is the professor that Hannah had an affair with in college.(which is the only time that she seems to do anything questionable on the romance front, except for leading two men on)  After his murder they find out that she wasn't the only jilted student as the suspect list gets longer and longer. 

Lake Eden for being a small town sure does get alot of murders.  And everyone in Hannah's circle of friends seems to get in on the act to help solve them. 

As usual the book has many delicious sounding recipes (I haven't tried any of them yet but I hope to soon)

Hannah still needs to make up her mind about whether it will be Norman or Mike.  I mean these are two truly patient men to be waiting for her to make up her mind. 

The ending introduces a new person who just may shake things up a bit in the next book.  We will see.

This book was taken from my personal library.

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson Cozy of the Month

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson

From Amazon.com:
 Get ready for a smorgasbord of delicious suspense prepared by Goldy Bear, an irrepressible mistress of menus and amateur sleuth. Filled with a cast of colorful characters and superb recipes, Catering to Nobody is the first in a series that has made Diane Mott Davidson a best-selling author and the Queen of the Culinary Mystery.

Goldy Bear, recently divorced, has made a home for herself and her young son in scenic Aspen Valley, Colorado. There, calls for Goldilock's Catering have been steady enough to pay the bills. But when a mourner is felled by rat poison during a funeral buffet Goldy is serving, the police quickly close her business. Now it's up to Goldy to find the rat who has tainted her food and her reputation.

Diane Mott Davidson whips up a spicy mixture of cooks and crooks, and veteran narrator Barbara Rosenblat brilliantly conveys Goldy's intelligence, wit, and energy. As the mystery unfolds, its tension is sweetened by delectable recipes, including Goldy's Dream Cake, Dungeon Bars, and Honey Ginger Snaps.

My Take:
I listened to this in audio so this is also an audio of the week.
The above description says that Goldy was recently divorced but I don't know how recently because there was a wife after her.
Anyway, I have wanted to read a book by Diane Mott Davidson for awhile so I decided to just take the plunge and listen to this one.
This was a pretty good mystery because it had me guessing until close to the end.  One of the local teachers  committed suicide and Goldy is hired to cater the funeral dinner.  One of the mourners is poisoned by rat poisoning and her business is shut down.  In order to get it opened again she must find out what is going on.  There is alot of things going on in this little town.    Goldy has a really weird relationship with her ex (to say they had a bad divorce is mild) and his family.  She is also friends with her ex husbands second wife.  Her son Arch seems to be slipping away into the world of role playing games.  And her roommate is having mood swings among other things.
This book had a bit more language than I like but not an over abundance.  I don't really know how I felt about the narrator.  At times I thought she did a great job and at other I just found her voice annoying.
I still like HannahSwenson better but I think I will read (or Listen) to more in this series.  If you want the recipes I would suggest the paper book as it is hard to follow in the audio and almost impossible to find after.  
This was one of my Audible selections.

New Sidebar feature

In November I will be starting a new sidebar feature kinda along the same lines as my audiobook of the week.

This will be the Cozy Mystery of the Month.  I really love Cozy Mysteries and want to work them into my reviews and tbr mountain so I thought this might be the Incitive I need.  I don't think that I can work in more than one a month but  I will be highlighting one a month. 

The first one up with be


Elvis and the Dearly Departed by Peggy Webb


I won't have a review till later in the month because I am still working on this one but keep an eye on the sidebar for one.