BEACH BOOK BONANZA GIVEAWAY!!!

Fabulous Romantic Suspense Author Dana Marton and several of her equally talented romance author friends have grouped together to offer a giveaway for a $50 gift card, to your choice of either Amazon or Barnes & Noble.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Make sure you check the Facebook Author pages of all these talented ladies, as many are running book giveaways as well.  These ten authors write in many different Romance styles and genres, so go find something new to read and love.
 
Here's a list of participating authors in no particular order - click on their names to be taken to their Facebook Author pages!:

Dana Marton     
Jayne Rylon
Debra Kayn
Robyn Peterman
Cat Johnson
Alannah Lynne
Leah Braemel
Ciara Knight
Virna DePaul
Paige Tyler
 

Resurrection in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law Series #5) by Jana DeLeon

(I purchased this book.)

Blurb:
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jana DeLeon, RESURRECTION IN MUDBUG, aka The Return of Helena Henry!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the bayou…

Jadyn St. James is excited to start her job as game warden in Mudbug, Louisiana, and hopes it is the beginning of a new and improved life. She expected to run across any number of odd occurrences in the small bayou town, but she never thought her life would be in danger within a matter of days. And that’s not even the worst thing.
Helena Henry was hell on wheels—both alive and dead—when she resided in Mudbug, and a year in heaven hasn’t improved her one bit. Now, she’s back and has brought trouble with her.

When it becomes apparent that a major crime is occurring in Mudbug, Colt Bertrand is more than frustrated to be saddled with an inexperienced game warden, especially one who looks like Jadyn. But it soon becomes apparent that they need to put their differences aside if they expect to solve the crime, and more importantly, stay alive.

Review:
Helena's back and Mudbug's got her!  Specifically it's Maryse, Mildred, and Jadyn who are the unfortunate locals who can see and hear the not-so-dearly departed Helena Henry.  Turns out she's pissed off God, which is completely believable (and oh, so funny to hear her describe it)!  When she turns up in Mudbug, and pops back into Maryse's life (literally, of course), Maryse and then Mildred are aghast, afronted and afeared, all with good reason.  But when they realize Maryse's newly arrived game warden cousin, Jadyn, can see her as well, they now something bad's going to happen.  As fans of this delightfully nutty series already know, Helena is visible to new people when they are in mortal danger.  Nobody knows if Helena is the deadly bad luck charm, or if those in mortal danger simply gain the ability to see and hear Helena in all her sartorial splendor (Jana DeLeon has outdone herself with the funny and horrifying outfits conjured by Helena).
Pretty soon somebody's shooting at Jadyn, right after she walks into in a deadly smuggling operation her first day on the job.  As Jadyn tries to solve the crime, stay alive, and assist the hunky sheriff Colt Bertrand, she must also deal with Helena and her "help".
The perfect blend of zany antics, laugh-out-loud humor and a really good mystery make this a delightful adventure in Mudbug!


I love the cover with Helena's ghostly leg!


Check out the sidebar on the right and click on Jana DeLeon's name for my other reviews of her books!


Check out Jana DeLeon's website.


  

Lady Susan by Jane Austen

Blurb:
Beautiful, flirtatious, and recently widowed, Lady Susan Vernon seeks an advantageous second marriage for herself, while attempting to push her daughter into a dismal match. A magnificently crafted novel of Regency manners and mores that will delight Austen enthusiasts with its wit and elegant expression.

Review:
Lady Susan is a story told exclusively through letters sent between the characters.  (It's called an epistolary novel - in case somebody else was wondering.)  I can't believe I never read this book before, as I love Jane Austen.  But it was well worth the unintentional wait.
The first several pages were rather confusing, as I figured out who was who and what their relationships were and what events were being referred to, both past and present.  But once I sorted these matters out, Lady Susan was a delightful, snarky, insightful window into the personalities of the widow Lady Susan, who happens to be a manipulative coquette (polite terminology for a slutty flirt), her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, her daughter, her best friend, and her latest conquest.
I'm no psychiatrist, but I'd say Lady Susan is a textbook example of a sociopath - she is narcissistic, charming, intelligent, has no shame or guilt, views her daughter as a pawn and tool, and considers the emotional pain of others to be a personal triumph.  These characteristics, while horrible, make her an incredibly entertaining character.  The letters penned by Susan to her equally immoral friend are refreshingly honest, as she brags to her confidante about her gleeful success in stealing the affections of the married Mr. Mainwaring, and her delight in making his wife unhappy.  Susan also shares her feelings about her poor daughter Frederica, who she detests and actively seeks to make miserable.  All of her machinations have a two-fold goal:  to manipulate those around her for her entertainment and personal gain, and to find herself a suitable second husband.
Will Lady Susan get her comeuppance?  Will she force her daughter into marriage with a man in love with the mother?  Will Lady Susan's sister-in-law convince her infatuated brother she is a lying coquette?  I couldn't wait to find out  - absolutely loved this one!


 Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817)

Novels:
Sense and Sensibility (1811)
Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Mansfield Park (1814)
Emma(1815)
Northanger Abbey (1818, posthumous)
Persuasion (1818, posthumous)

Short Fiction:
Lady Susan (1805)

Various other works of poems, prayers, letters, etc.


For more information check out the official Jane Austen website, or the Jane Austen Society of North America.


This BBC production with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth is the definitive film version of Pride and Prejudice (IMHO - but I'm still right!).



 

Cowboy With A Cause (Harlequin Romantic Suspense) by Carla Cassidy

(I purchased this book.)

Blurb:

"I'd apologize for kissing you, but I'm not all that sorry."  Dancer Melanie Brooks had escaped small-town Oklahoma, giving up the country for Broadway's bright lights. Yet after her mother's funeral called her back, her own health issues forced her to stay. Now her tenant, too-hot-for-his-own-good Adam Benson, is giving her a reason to dance again. But has a killer set his sights on her, too?
Adam knows a little something about fresh starts. As for his beautiful neighbor, he doesn't see a wheelchair—he sees a woman who understands. But as the heat grows between them, he can't avoid the feeling that more than her big-city past haunts her—and that danger has been lurking, waiting to strike….

Review:
Published in December 2012, this was a really nice romantic suspense novel.  Melanie is an interesting heroine - she's angry and bitter after being confined to a wheelchair due to an injury shortly after her mother's death.  She lost her mother, her ability to walk, and her dance career in the space of a few weeks, so her bitterness is understandable.  When we meet Melanie she's had seven months to adjust to life in her childhood home, and is short on money and living on disability.  Her plan to rent out the second floor brings Adam to her door, and his presence starts to bring Melanie out of her angry bubble of self-pity.  Adam's kindness and insistence that she can do anything make Melanie start to believe in herself, and the ability to have a life.  Falling in love with Melanie is the start of Adam's healing as well.  Adam has become mired in his own despair due to family tragedy, and by convincing Melanie to move on with her life, he does the same to himself.
The romance and attraction between them felt sweet and natural.  The intensity of their relationship is heightened by the presence of a killer who is after Melanie. All in all, a very satisfying blend of romance and mystery.  I look forward to reading more Carla Cassidy books.



Check out Carla Cassidy's website.  She has written over eighty books!
Carla Cassidy on Goodreads.

 

Pirate Dave and His Randy Adventures (Career Ending Romance Spoof) by Robyn Peterman

(I downloaded this during a free Amazon offer, it is currently still free on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.)

**This book and review is for readers over the age of 18**

Back of the Book Blurb:
After all was said and done, the disgusting novella meant to destroy a story stealing New York Time’s best-selling author’s career was successful. Rena, an accountant with no discernible literary talent, and her band of adorable porno writing grannies came up with the worst piece of literature, (and I use that word loosely), that was ever written. Amazingly enough, it became a cult classic. Who in the hell knew there was an underground need to know and love a Time-Traveling Vampire Warlock with erectile dysfunction and his conjoined lady loves, Laverne and Shirley?
Apparently the need is there and now so is the full version of their story . . .

** Special Note from Author Robyn Peterman **
This is a spoof. A profane romance spoof not meant for anyone under 18. I was threatened lovingly and repeatedly by my readers to write the full version of Pirate Dave. He was born of the need to create a horrific career ending romance novel to destroy a really bad, nasty villainess . . . and Thank you Buddha in a tube top, it worked! I laughed my way through writing this and I hope you will enjoy this small slice of my warped brain. NO, this is not what I normally write, but I certainly had a good time penning it! If you want to read the real romance story, you’ll have to peruse HOW HARD CAN IT BE? You’ll find the first three chapters at the end of the hot mess you’re about to read . . . And now, I give you the career ending novella, (hopefully not mine) otherwise known as PIRATE DAVE AND HIS RANDY ADVENTURES.


Review:
Published in May 2013, this was delightfully silly, raunchy and dirty.  I learned more creative euphemisms for the male genitalia and swear words in this one novella than I've acquired in the last 10+ years. 

This is the story of Pirate Dave, a narcissistic time-traveling vampire warlock with a permanent erection, a crew of scurvy, smelly, and terrified pirates, and a long-term Scrabble war via cellphone with Poseidon.  As the story opens, Pirate Dave is braving an earthquake to locate his ultimate concubine, who actually turns out to be a two-fer, as she's one half of conjoined twins named Laverne and Shirley. 

Thankfully the story mainly takes place in 1492, because Laverne and Shirley do not seem to mind Dave's lice-infested chest hair, or his "manly" body odor.  Personal hygiene is not a primary concern for pirates, thank you very much.  In between accidentally slaughtering his crew, boinking Shirley, screaming insults at Poseidon (who responds with well-placed lightning bolts), and time-traveling for antibiotics and shopping binges, Dave manages to cross paths with a blind troll, a surgical team at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, and an immortal hag with giant fake boobs.
Truly a renaissance man!
This novella had me laughing, snickering, giggling and constantly yelling to my bemused husband, "Hey Honey, have you ever heard this one?" Even my manly stud of a mate learned a few things from Pirate Dave, my friends.
Everyone needs a little Pirate Dave in their life.  Bawdy smut with laugh-out-loud humor is a rare combination.  Go download this little gem!




Thank you, Ms. Peterman, you are obviously one cool, intelligent woman and a broad I would love to hang out with.


For more information, visit Robyn Peterman's website.
Click on the images below to go to Amazon.

   

Seductively (Playing for Hearts #2) by Debra Kayn

(This manuscript was sent to me by the author for consideration.)


Book Blurb:
Independent and goal orientated, Diana Spenner has set her sights on buying the old Ferriday House and running her own Bed and Breakfast by the end of the year. Nothing will sway her from her plans, especially the famous hockey player Dominic Chekovsky, who can't take no for an answer. But, when Dominic strolls into Cottage Grove and begs her in his thick Russian accent to keep his adoring female fans away from him, she's not going to turn him down—because the job pays half a million dollars.

Dominic Chekovsky life is out of control. American women go crazy around him. They invade his personal space, leave their husbands for him, and make his life hell. Except, Diana. She's the one woman who always turns him down, no matter how many times he asks her out on a date. Now he's desperate. He needs Diana's help to figure out why she's the only female immune to his charm, so he can continue to play hockey in the United States. Maybe when Diana finally allows herself to say yes to having sex with him, he'll be over his wild fascination with the one woman who always tells him no.

Warning: Sexy Russian accent, big ego, and thick, hard thighs on ice. Go Sharks!

Review:
This was a really fun and sweet romance.  Dominic is one hot hero (Hockey player. Russian. Big blonde athlete.  Enough said.) and my only complaint is I really wanted this book read to me by a deep-voiced man with a Russian accent, preferably one sitting next to me on the couch, rubbing my feet and ........OK, I digress, but this sexy little (112 pages) story really ignites the fantasy part of my brain.
Diana is a very disciplined, hard-working woman with the crystal clear goal of owning a bed and breakfast.  She's been working in the hotel business for several years and is ready to start her own business.   And as much as she dislikes Dominic and the lifestyle he apparently lives, she is not going to turn down half a million dollars for posing as his girlfriend for two weeks.
Naturally there is more to Dominic than meets the eye, and Diana is in deep trouble.  Ignoring her physical attraction to Dom was hard enough, but discovering the fact that he's a really nice guy makes it impossible to keep her feelings neutral. 
Dominic's sweet wooing of Diana is romantic and touching, even as her resistance to his advances feels realistic and smart.  I loved the fact that as the reader, I felt romanced by Dominic even as Diana does.  Little by little I switched my loyalties from Diana to Dominic as his true nature is revealed, rooting for both of them and their happy-ever-after.

 Check out my review of Breathing His Air.


Find Seductively on Goodreads.

Check out the Debra Kayn's website.

   

Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke

(I purchased this book.)

Back of the Book Blurb:
It's the summer of 1879, and Annie Fuller, a young San Francisco widow, is in trouble. Annie's husband squandered her fortune before committing suicide five years earlier, and one of his creditors is now threatening to take the boardinghouse she owns to pay off a debt.

Annie Fuller also has a secret. She supplements her income by giving domestic and business advice as Madam Sibyl, one of San Francisco's most exclusive clairvoyants, and one of Madam Sibyl's clients, Matthew Voss, has died. The police believe his death was suicide brought upon by bankruptcy, but Annie believes Voss has been murdered and that his assets have been stolen.

Nate Dawson has a problem. As the Voss family lawyer, he would love to believe that Matthew Voss didn't leave his grieving family destitute. But that would mean working with Annie Fuller, a woman who alternatively attracts and infuriates him as she shatters every notion he ever had of proper ladylike behavior.

Sparks fly as Anne and Nate pursue the truth about the murder of Matthew Voss in this light-hearted historical mystery set in the foggy gas-lit world of Victorian San Francisco.

Review:

Published in December 2009, this is a wonderful blend of mystery, with a touch of romance, set against a period backdrop of 1879 San Francisco.  I was completely absorbed from the beginning, as the reader sees Annie in her dual roles as a boarding-house owner and in her role as Madam Sibyl (love the appropriate name).  It's fascinating that the word "respectable" needs to be placed in front of the phrase "boarding-house", as they were frequently fronts for a much older profession.  Annie is young, extremely smart, capable, and just barely hanging on to her status and her inherited boarding-house through the profits earned by Madam Sibyl.  Annie had been left destitute when her husband killed himself, after spending the considerable fortune Annie had brought to the marriage through her dowry.  Unable to overtly use her considerable financial and business skills to support herself due to societal constraints, Annie is forced to rely on the charity of her in-laws, and is shunted from one to another until she inherits the house.

When one of her favorite clients and friends dies unexpectedly, Annie believes it to be murder, and has to convince the family lawyer Nate Dawson, who happens to be young, handsome, hunky and open-minded.  His affection for Annie and his tolerance for her escapades is sorely tested, however, as Annie's investigation puts her in all kinds of dangerous situations.

 Annie and Nate feel like real people, and I found myself alternately cheering for Annie and scared to death for her, as she poses as a maid and hunts for clues to the murder.  The setting and situation are so clearly described, I could feel the societal constraints holding Annie back at every turn, always requiring that she dress, speak, and behave a certain way, whether as a respectable widow or as the maid she pretends to be for part of the book.  I was frustrated for her, even as she found methods to work within and around these class rules.
Fascinating story, with a well-crafted mystery, realistic characters, and a lovely romance - highly recommended!

Check out the author's Goodreads page.

Check out the author's website for more information.

Meet the Author

M. Louisa Locke is a retired professor of U.S. and Women’s History, who has embarked on a second career as an historical fiction writer. The first two published books in her series of historical mysteries set in Victorian San Francisco, Maids of Misfortune and Uneasy Spirits feature Annie Fuller, a boardinghouse owner and clairvoyant, and Nate Dawson, a San Francisco lawyer, who together investigate murders and other crimes, while her short stories, Dandy Detects and The Miss Moffets Mend a Marriage, give secondary characters from this series a chance to get involved in their own minor mysteries.

Locke's fiction garnered awards from the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and the IndieBRAG and have been consistent best   sellers in the historical mystery category. Locke is also the president of the Board of Directors of the Historical Fiction Authors Cooperative.

Currently living in San Diego, Dr. Locke is working on Bloody Lessons, the next full-length installment of her Annie Fuller/Nate Dawson series. For more about M. Louisa Locke and her work, see http://mlouisalocke.com/. 

    

Release Day 99 cent Special!! Deathtrap (Broslin Creek Series) by Dana Marton

(Disclosure - I received a copy of this from the author. And as of May 20, 2013, I am Dana Marton's Virtual Assistant.  I have been a fan of Dana's books for quite a while, and I've reviewed several of her books on this blog over the years.)

Buy from AMAZON
  
Buy from B&N

Book Blurb:
Deathtrap is the chilling romantic suspense story of Captain Ethan Bing and Sophie Curtis:
She'd been "the sick girl" for most of her life.  She refused to go straight to "the weird girl".  Heart-transplant recipient Sophie Curtis has been in her own antiseptic bubble for so long, she just might not be able to venture out into the real world again.  Her spooky body memories are scary enough, but then she finds herself in the cross hairs of a killer.

"Love was blind, people said.  But lust was blind, deaf and reckless."  Ethan Bing hadn't been a great romantic before he became a cop.  Whatever shred of optimism he had left after becoming Broslin Chief of Police had been seared out of him by the unsolved murder of his wife two years before.  A new case brings the killer within reach just as Sophie pops into his life.  She gets through his defenses like no other before, but soon it becomes clear that she's been selected as the killer's next victim. 

Review:
The opening grabbed me right away, with the incredibly vivid imagery of a northeast forest (I'm from the Adirondack mountains of upstate NY and the author really nailed the feeling of being in the woods, with the beautifully colored leaves, the sun dappling through branches and hitting the forest floor, etc).  As a setting, it made such a peaceful contrast to the bloody homicide, creating such a very strong sense of place.  But what kept me reading was the clear, well-developed characters.  Each one has intriguing and telling little details making them seem very real and relatable.

I can't remember how many books I've read where I can barely remember the characters after the book is done, or I have no clear sense of them while reading.  But Sophie and Ethan Bing (I just think of him as Bing, LOL!) really linger in my mind.  Lots of authors can spin a great story, but the memorable characters are what keeps a reader coming back - what good is an amazing adventure or incredible plot without an amazing person for us to identify with, and live vicariously through, you know? 

The gradual buildup of Sophie and Bing's trust and friendship, paralleled with the murder mystery unfolding and linking more to Ethan Bing's wife's homicide, was nuanced, detailed and believable.  Sophie's past as a sick, dependent woman, and Bing's as a failed protector and husband, were illustrated very well by their hesitation and refusal to assume these old roles as they fought their mutual attraction.  Sophie's strange experiences with transplant memories, causing her to "remember" suspicious locations, is subtle and spooky.

One of my favorite things about Deathtrap was a big stray dog named Peaches, who gently insinuates himself into Sophie's life and heart.  Peaches was a great addition to the cast of characters!  Maybe it's just because I'm a dog person, but Peaches' presence was a really effective device to highlight Sophie's before and after transplant life.  Plus, I kept expecting Peaches to provide a clue to the identity of the heart donor, what with his cocking his head and looking at Sophie with a puzzled expression.  Crotchety neighbor Lester was also an interesting secondary character, with a richly detailed backstory of a sad love story, which was a great juxtaposition to Sophie and Ethan's situation.  The solving of the mystery and the revealing of the killer was also very satisfying, and nicely pulled together all the clues.  I wasn't sure who the killer was until close to the end - love that.

Dana Marton's writing is the kind that keeps me reading late into the night.  She has the ability to start a story with various threads (the mysterious corporate logo, two murdered women two years apart, heart transplant memories, etc.) and slowly weave them together into a strong and cohesive plot, that is enhanced and illuminated by secondary characters and subplots.  There are no sudden character introductions or wacky plot devices to justify a leap in the action. The mysteries, the character histories, and the characters are well-crafted and cohesive.

If you haven't read her books before, you are missing out!

Although Deathtrap is part of the Broslin Creek series, it is easily read as a standalone novel.

And check out the #1 Amazon Best Selling Romantic Suspense novel Deathscape (the first book in the Broslin Creek Series)!

After a near-death experience, artist Ashley Price is compelled to paint visions of the dead. Then she paints a man buried alive and, recognizing the  surroundings, she rushes to save him.

Instead of being grateful to her for rescuing him, Detective Jack Sullivan accuses her of being in league with a serial killer. He swears he will put her behind bars. Except, the more time he spends with her, the more he falls under her spell. Can he trust her, or is he walking into another deadly trap?

Check out Dana Marton's website!

National bestselling author Dana Marton writes fast-paced action-adventure romances that take her readers all over the globe. She is a Rita Award finalist and the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. She loves writing stories of intrigue, filled with dangerous plots that try her tough-as-nails heroes and the special women they fall in love with. Her books have been published in seven languages in eleven countries around the world. 

  Trilogy for 99cents!         Three Cowboys                        Third Scroll                     The Black Sheep Sheik

Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell

(I bought this book.)


Back of the Book Blurb:

Would you be tempted?

Newly single, Tilly Cole impulsively accepts a job offer in a small town as a "Girl Friday." Fun job, country house, fresh start, why not? But soon she finds herself in a hotbed of gossip, intrigue, and rampant rivalry for the town's most desirable bachelor-Jack Lucas.

Rumors of Jack's "love 'em and leave 'em" escapes abound, and Tilly decides to do the mature, sensible thing... avoid Jack at all cost. But the more time Tilly spends with Jack, the more the rumors just don't make sense. Tilly doesn't know what to believe... and Jack's not telling.

Review:
I think I've been living under a rock, because this is the first book I've read by Jill Mansell, and it's the first I had ever heard of her.  Shocking!  Because this is easily one of the most sparkling, witty, delightful, engaging and every other happy, bubbly descriptor out there.  It's the mimosa of books - bubbly, fizzy fun, with some quality writing thrown in.
Tilly is a rather aimless twenty eight year old, who is dumped by her boring boyfriend.  She heads off to quiet little Roxborough to spend the weekend with her best friend Erin, and impulsively ends up taking a job as a "Girl Friday" to Max, a divorced interior designer with a teenage daughter.  Tilly is definitely aware of local hottie Jack Lucas, and it turns out he is Max's best friend.  But Tilly is determined not to become another notch on Jack's bedpost, and does her best to ignore their mutual attraction.  As Tilly adapts to her new job and life in quaint Roxborough, she realizes small town life is anything but boring.
While reading Rumor Has It, I was completely sucked in by the zippy narrative and quick-witted dialogue of all the characters.  Mansell really has a gift for writing conversations that come alive and feel spontaneous, engaging the reader in the moment.  Her secondary characters are just as interesting as Tilly, Jack and Max.  Max's ex-wife Kaye is a Hollywood actress who comes home to hide after a paparazzi nightmare, Erin is having a love affair with Stella's estranged husband Fergus, and Stella herself is a bitchy, vindictive force of nature.  There is a lot going on in this book besides Tilly and Jack's developing relationship, all of it interesting.
My only issue with this otherwise wonderful book is that, after I finished it, I realized I still had no real sense of Tilly.  I couldn't really picture her in my head (physical descriptions are minimal for the most part), and never felt as if I knew her.  She felt like an acquaintance and I had a window into her life, keeping me as the reader at a distance and not emotionally engaged.  Entertained yes, but not personally engaged.  During the reading of this book I didn't feel disconnected at all, because there was so much else going on plotwise.  But after I had finished, rather than feeling intense satisfaction, I felt as if something was missing.  It's the same feeling I get when I go see a Hollywood blockbuster-action-type movie, and I am thoroughly entertained for 90 minutes but once I leave the theater my brain's already starting to forget what I just watched.  Which is not a bad thing:-) 
Overall a delightful escape  - and who doesn't need that in their life?





Check out the author's website at: http://www.jillmansell.co.uk/


Holy Cover Continuity, Batman!  Check these out:

The Grilling Season (Culinary Mystery Series #7) by Diane Mott Davidson

(I bought this book.)

Back of the Book Blurb:
A chilly reception....

Caterer Goldy Schulz has been hired to host a hockey party. But the proceedings won't be all fun and games. Unfortunately, her client won't be satisfied until Goldy adds a hefty serving of revenge.

An ex-husband from hell....

Patricia McCracken is certain that her obstetrician and her penny-pinching HMO are responsible for the loss of her baby. Now she is suing both, and she wants Goldy's advice on coming out on top. For Dr. John Richard Korman, aka the Jerk, is none other than Goldy's abusive ex-husband. Goldy knows all about John Richard's secret life--but even she is shocked when he's arrested for the murder of his latest girlfriend.

A dish best served cold....

As much as Goldy would like to see her ex get his just desserts, could he really be a killer? Soon she will find herself sifting through a spicy mix of sizzling gossip for clues to a mystery that threatens her catering deadline, her relationship with her son and new husband... and even her life.

Review:
Over the years I've read several books in Diane Mott Davidson's delightful Culinary Mystery Series, but somehow missed this one.  Published in 1998, this is the 7th book in the series about caterer Goldy Schulz and it is as delightful and fun as the rest of the series.  If Nancy Drew grew up and became a foodie, she might be Goldy.  As always, Goldy is juggling her catering gigs (recipes are included!), demanding clients, and the dead bodies she constantly stumbles over.  Although I find her nosiness and willingness to ask  incredibly snoopy questions to be a bit much, the solidly crafted mysteries, intricate small-town relationships and inter-mingled histories make such a wonderful tapestry of plot it is easy to overlook.
The Grilling Season give the reader much more of the backstory about Goldy's first, abusive marriage with the handsome and scummy John Richard.  The abuse is not sugar-coated or related in euphemisms, and it provides a gritty sense of reality to the current murder Goldy is caught up in.  Her friendship with The Jerk's second ex-wife is solid and funny and supportive, providing comic relief.  Goldy's husband Tom is strong and supportive as always, grounding Goldy.  But, as with the other books in the series, Goldy is always struggling with her ability to remain in the present, to remember she  is strong and resilient and a survivor.  And I think that is one of the most appealing aspects to Goldy and this series (well, that and the really lovingly and deliciously described foods!) - Goldy feels real and that makes me care about her.
When she discovers the beaten body of her husband's current girlfriend, her past crashes down on her.  But that is not enough to stifle Goldy's natural curiosity.  Add to that the fact that her son begs her to help prove that John Richard is innocent of murder, and Goldy is back in action.  A quick, fun and satisfying read!





Here is a list of the Culinary Mystery Series from Wikipedia:

1. Catering to Nobody (1990)
2. Dying for Chocolate (1993)
3. The Cereal Murders (1994)
4. The Last Suppers (1995)
5. Killer Pancake (1996)
6. The Main Corpse (1997)
7. The Grilling Season (1998)
8. Prime Cut (2000)
9. Tough Cookie (2001)
10. Sticks and Scones (2002)
11. Chopping Spree (2003)
12. Double Shot (2005)
13. Dark Tort (2007)
14. Sweet Revenge (2008)
15. Fatally Flaky (2009)
16. Crunch Time (2011)