Crunch TimeDiane Mott Davidson |
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 1/1/2012 |
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Does Diane Mott Davidson develop her mystery lines and twists first or the characters first? In Crunch Time, I'm sure that either is as important as the other. Goldy's friend Yolanda lost her chef's job when the exclusive spa closed. She and her disabled aunt have temporarily moved in a man who is an ex-cop and now private investigator. But now Ernest has been killed - somebody shot him when he was walking to a dentist's appointment. Then someone burns down the house while they are in it with Goldy. Goldy invites them to stay with her until they can find a new place to rent. After Yolanda and wheelchair bound Ferdinana moved in, Goldy and Tom learn Yolanda is being stalked by an ex-lover who is wealthy and violent. Yolanda knows Ernest was working on three cases - a possible purebred puppy mill, following a spouse in a divorce case, and an old theft of family jewels from a Cuban refugee. It's also possible he had started looking into her ex-lover. Goldy is nosy. She knows it. Her husband the homicide detective knows it. The officer who reports to him, Boyd, knows it. Yet that doesn't stop her. Goldy believes she can discover things through her own unconventional methods that the police can't. She may be right, but they're often illegal. She breaks into houses. She steals files. She uses food to set people up. She faces down a prostitute. And she care for her friends and family. She wants to know who murdered Ernest and why. Between her husband the police detective and her own methods, she will find out what is going on in Aspen Meadows. Crunch Time is well done. The mystery story line is convoluted and seems like the different things happening can't be related except through Eric's investigation. But there's more that ties together. Discovering those ties isn't easy. Crunch Time is complex enough that this is not a quick read, but keeps the reader coming back. The Goldy Shultz series is a cozy series that's written first person narrative by Goldy. She's a caterer on her second marriage and has a 16-year-old son. They live outside of Denver. Readers of the series have learned how to survive in all sorts of weather conditions in Colorado. Crunch Time includes a blizzard in September - earlier than many other areas of the country ever experience. There is also the personal side of Goldy's life that affects this book. Then there are the recipes at the end. I don't have the patience to cook nor do I bake often. Even though, there are some tempting recipes here that are worth checking out. Davidson has a solid novel in Crunch Time that keeps the reader guessing and is satisfying. |
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The Culinary Series:
Catering to Nobody |
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These reviews are personal opinions only and in no way reflect other readers' opinions of the books discussed.
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