Mystery/Thriller Reviews

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson

Bantam, March, 2002
Paperback, 301 pages
ISBN: 0553584707
Ordering information:
Amazon.com


Catering to Nobody
by Diane Mott Davidson Bestselling mystery author Diane Mott Davidson has become the gold standard for culinary mysteries, with her eleventh Goldy Bear mystery slated for release this June. Bantam recently bought the paperback rights to the backlist, and has reissued the first book in the series, Catering to Nobody. In the series' debut, we meet caterer, divorcee and single mom Goldy Bear Korman from Colorado. She's left her abusive wealthy husband (from henceforth known as The Jerk) and is trying to make it as Aspen Meadow's first caterer. But her catering business gets shut down when her father in law, Dr. Fritz Korman, is poisoned at a wake for her son's teacher that Goldy is catering. The teacher supposedly committed suicide, but certain things about the case just don't add up. Events get more complicated from there on, as Goldy tries find a murderer, get her catering business opened again, and avoid being the next victim of a ruthless killer.

The first Goldy mystery is a real gem. With likeable and believable characters, snappy dialogue and delicious recipes sprinkled throughout, it's easy to see why this series became a hit. It's also fun to see a single Goldy flirting with the handsome cop Tom Schulz. This first entry in the delectable series is a must-have for Goldy fans.


Death of the Last Villista by Allana Martin

St. Martin's Press, August, 2001
Hardcover, 224 pages
ISBN: 0312265735
Ordering information:
Amazon.com


Death Trading post owner and sometime amateur sleuth Allana Jones is up to her cowboy boots in Hollywood, murder and scandal when a film crew arrives in Polvo, Texas to make a documentary about the fortieth anniversary of the release of a famous film about Pancho Villa. The lead actor in the original Villa film is now a big tv star, so there is quite a bit of interest in the original film. On the original film set, a consultant was killed before filming ended. The consultant was a former Villa follower named Jacinto Trejo and the circumstances of his murder remain a mystery to this day. When the documentary crew arrives at Texana's trading post, things immediately begin to go wrong. An RV is blown up, and a young boy is missing. When Texana finds out that the missing boy's mother was the lover of Jacinto Trejo, she starts to dig into the past to find a murderer who is very much in the present.

Allana Martin does a marvelous job of bringing to life the stark beauty and simplicity of the area between Mexico and Texas known as La Frontera. Hot, dry and dusty, the area also has little pollution and beautiful sunsets. The pacing is slow and measured, much like life in La Frontera, and the writing is excellent. The mystery and the depiction of Texana's life both make for interesting and entertaining reading.


Reunion in Death by J. D. Robb

Berkley, March, 2002
Paperback, 384 pages
ISBN: 0425183971
Ordering information:
Amazon.com


Reunion in Death
by J. D. Robb In her latest case, New York detective Eve Dallas is pit against a smart ex-con named Julianna Dunne. Detective Dallas sent Dunne to prison, but she's out now and up to her old tricks. When wealthy older men start dying from poison, it's clear that Dunne is responsible. And what's worse, she's killing strangers just to get back at Eve for putting her behind bars.

As Eve works to track down and stop Julianna, she will take a very traumatic trip down memory lane, confronting the terrible demons of her own abusive childhood. But she has the help of her devoted and oh-so-sexy husband Roarke, as well as the friends and co-workers who she tries (without much success) to keep at arm's length. This is classic J.D. Robb: it's tough, gritty and full of heart, with an excellent group of secondary characters. A world away from her books written as Nora Roberts, the futuristic In Death series is edgy and raw... and absolutely addictive.


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