Double Shot

Starred review from September 13, 2004
The divine diva of the culinary cozy returns with a crime novel that will have fans of Goldy Bear Schulz, caterer and caffeinated sleuth, cheering as they race for the nearest pastry shop. The 12th carb-laden installment of Goldy's adventures (Chopping Spree
, etc.) offers as its main course a toothsome corpse –du jour: Goldy's abusive ex-husband, Dr. John Richard Korman ("the Jerk"), whose shenanigans have annoyed a long-suffering Goldy and enlivened Davidson's series since its debut 14 years ago. After Goldy arrives at her new catering center to prepare for a memorial luncheon, she's attacked; when she comes to, she discovers that her kitchen is full of spoiled food and overrun with mice. She immediately suspects her longtime nemesis Korman, who's out of prison after serving less than a year for aggravated assault and living lavishly in Aspen Meadows with Sandee Blue, his "fifty-fourth conquest"—a young stripper, according to his other ex, Marla, Goldy's entertaining sidekick. When Korman attends the almost-sabotaged event, he argues with Goldy over their son, Arch. Shortly afterward, he turns up dead alongside Goldy's missing gun, making her a prime suspect in an aromatic brew of murder and mayhem. This marks a turning point for Davidson, as the elimination of Korman provides a much needed jolt to the series. Her latest noir-flavored cozy may attract new readers to a sleuth who feverishly cooks through any crisis and whose recipes are now gathered at the back of the book. (Warning: do not read on an empty stomach!) Agent, Sandra Dijkstra
. 9-city author tour.

Goldy, of Goldy Bear Catering--"Where everything is just right"--learns that her abusive ex, John Richard Korman, a.k.a. "the Jerk," has just been released from serving time for aggravated assault. Several violent attacks later, Goldy believes that John Richard is to blame...right up until she finds his body. Barbara Rosenblat's performance is as delicious as the usual medley of mouth-watering recipes sprinkled liberally throughout Davidson's book. Rosenblat makes mincemeat of the catty Aspen Meadow's Christian women's group, whose buxom and brainless snow bunnies emerge as so much puff pastry. Her rendering of strippers, thugs, and twisted clerics adds just the right spice to Goldy's twelfth culinary adventure, guaranteeing that Davidson's recipe for murder and mayhem won't lose its appeal, even with the low-carb diet craze. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine