Crunch Time (Culinary Mystery Series #16)

an entertaining whodunit

In Aspen Meadow, Colorado, an arsonist burns down the rental in which chef Yolanda Garcia and her Great Aunt Ferdinanda lived. Shook, the pair moves into the abode of former cop turned private investigator Ernest McLeod. However, soon after the two females move in, he is murdered and his house set on fire.

Goldilocks Catering owner Goldy Schulz invites her friend and the aunt to move in with her as the Fatally Flakey caterer will not allow a homicidal arsonist to scare her from doing the right thing for friends. Her husband Sheriff's Department investigator Tom and police officer John Bertran as Ernest's former partner lead the inquiry. When someone tries but fails to break into Goldy's home, a cop moves in to protect the three women. However Goldy, who not one to stew in silence, investigates who targets Yolanda and Ferdinanda, and why.

The latest Goldy Colorado culinary cozy (see Sweet Revenge) is an entertaining whodunit as once again the amateur sleuth competes with law enforcement to uncover the identity of the culprit. The mystery is personal as the killer murdered a friend and threatened to harm another long time pal of the heroine (the chefs worked together in a defunct restaurant), but it is the home invasion partly thwarted by Jake the bloodhound that sets Goldy in motion. With a strong late spin, fans will relish this taut suspense thriller.

Harriet Klausner

8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

Long But Likeable

Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz tries to help her longtime friend and fellow chef Yolanda Garcia when the rental house shared by Yolanda and her Aunt Ferdinanda is destroyed by arson. The women move in with friend and private investigator Ernest McLeod but he is shot dead and his house is set on fire, nearly killing Goldy, Yolanda, Ferdinanda, and nine beagle puppies that Ernest had recently rescued from a puppy mill. Goldy invites the women to stay with her family while the murder is investigated but after an attempted break-in, an ex-boyfriend stalking Yolanda, and Goldy discovering clues about missing gems that Earnest was investigating before being killed, no one is safe and no one is spared being the killer's next target.

I'm a fan of Davidson's series about Goldy Schulz and while I mostly enjoyed this newest book, parts of it dragged on too much for me and I found myself skipping over whole paragraphs and even pages. For some reason everyone seemed to be more into "in your face" lengthy interrogations than what I remember in past titles. There were several side stories going on with various characters in this book and while some of them didn't seem to be important to the story I felt Davidson did a decent job connecting them while not letting their stories distract from the main conflict. The biggest surprise for me though was the one in Goldy's personal life revealed toward the end. You'll have to read it yourself to find out what that is.

4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

read Dark Torte instead

I was really disappointed. My favorite Goldy books are when I feel like I am in her kitchen watching her cook while she tells me a great story. This one felt like she was running around in a frenzy trying to solve this murder, barely cooking, and Archie was an afterthought. I was thinking, she can't help herself. She has an obsessive compulsive disorder.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Terrible Book

This book is by far the worst I've ever read. But let me correct that. I was so bored by this book I was unable to finish it. I returned it to the library without getting half way through it. I think the author has run out of viable ideas for plots.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Too Much Already

Just finished reading Crunch Time and I have loved all the Goldy books-this one was way over the top. Too much of her breaking into and stealing things that would not be good in court. A few laughs but most of the time I was just shaking my head saying "Oh no, Not AGAIN!" because Goldy was doing something she should not be doing time and time again. As I say, Too Much Already! Diane took a good thing and went too far over the edge.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A tasty bite from Diane Mott Davidson

Goldy Schulz, owner of Goldilocks Catering in Aspen Meadow CO, has her work cut out for her in the latest culinary mystery by Diane Mott Davidson. Goldy's assistant Yolanda has broken off her relationship with wealthy Kris Nielsen, followed by her apartment being burned to the ground. She moved in with local PI Ernest McLeod, but he has been murdered. Goldy, Yolanda, and her Cuban refugee aunt Ferdinanda, are at McLeod's house when a mysterious bald man lobs molotov cocktails into the house and boom! another house gone. Tom, Goldy's husband, is an investigator for the Sheriff's department and has suspicions about Yolanda's involvement. Goldy convinces him to let the two women stay with them for a short period of time. Of course, Goldy can't keep her nose out of the murder and the mayhem commences.




Add in nine adorable Beagle puppies, mysterious house breaking adulterers, and missing gold and diamonds from a Cuban refugee family, and the plot becomes quite complicated. Tom continues to be a big lovable guy who worries about his inquisitive wife. Son Arch is now in high school and has become a fencing aficionado. Goldy's best friend,Marla ( the second wife of Goldy's deceased first husband, commonly known as "the jerk") has a significant role in this book. Ferdinanda is an interesting character with lots of spunk even though she is wheelchair bound after a hit and run accident. I loved her snarky comments throughout the book. There are several secondary characters who add the red herrings but it all comes together in the end. As always, Ms. Davidson has done a great job of combining all the elements much like the yummy recipes at the end of the book. Fans of the series will enjoy this book. My only negative- we didn't see enough of Julian, Goldy's former apprentice.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Not Bad

Having read the other books in this series, I decided to purchase this book. If you've read the others and enjoyed them you'll like this book. An easy read, more light hearted than an intense murder mystery. The Goldy character is beginning to grate on my nerves. I can't imagine the police putting up with a civilians interference, just kept thinking mind your own business

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Author Obviously Struggle With This One

Goldy Schultz, Colorado caterer, is in hot water again as she tries to help her friend, employee and fellow chef, Yolanda Garcia. It seems Yolanda is having a bit of bad luck after breaking up with her "boyfriend". The rental she is sharing with her great aunt Ferdinanda burns to the ground and arson is suspected. Then they move in with cop turned private detective Ernest McLeod. Shortly thereafter Ernest is killed and his house goes up in flames. Goldy, Yolanda, Ferinanda and nine puppies rescued from a puppy mill, barely escape with their lives.

Goldy takes them all in thinking that her house will surely be safe since her husband is a cop but they are not even safe there. The house is almost burglarized but Golldy's son foils that attempt. Then another body is found.

Goldy decides it is Crunch Time and jumps from the frying pan into the investigation of the fires and the murders. Can she stay one step ahead of the killer and keep herself from being their next victim?




My Thoughts
I have enjoyed this series since Catering to Nobody (Goldy, Book 1) but by the 16th installment it must get harder to write for characters. I really had a hard time finishing this book. The main plot and subplots were very good and I love these characters but the book seem so dragged out and really long. It is over 400 pages and 100 could have easily been cut. The last installment came out in April of 2009 which leads me to believe the author may have struggled a bit with this one and it shows.

An the positive side, Aunt Ferninada is hilarious, her little digs and her amazing wheelchair carried this story.

If you are a fan of this series you will want to read it to keep up with the characters you love but I recommend picking it up at the library unless you have the whole series collected on your keeper shelf. It will be interesting to see if this is the last we read about Goldy Schultz or if the author brings back a new installment more like the previous editions I loved.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Amazon Vine Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

great new story with goldy ans friends.

loved it

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended!

Just finished reading this book- she gets better all the time- very innovative, and very intertaining.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

It's getting a bit stale.

So I've read all the books, I like the character but really the plot is getting stale. How many people can be murdered in a sleepy little suburb of Denver? Diane, Please send Goldy on vacation or something and let someone be murdered there. Let's make it a little more exciting and different!

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

If you are a fan, you'll like it.

Well I've read all the other books in the series, so I thought well why stop now. Her last books are not as good as the first ones. This one is ok, but the main problem I have with it,is how involved Goldie gets in her husbands cases. She sits in when he interogates a suspect and constantly interrupts, like she knows more then her husband. To me it's annoying. Goldie should stick to cooking and snooping.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Fun Series

This is #16 in the Goldy Schultz series and as usual Goldy puts herself in the middle of a murder investigation. I liked the new characters Yolanda & her aunt Ferndinanda especially the aunt, she made me laugh. This one had a lot going on puppy mills, marijuana, cheating husbands and a hooker who used to tutor Arch! Poor Tom still thinks just maybe this will be the time when Goldy actually tells him what she's doing and just maybe she will listen to him when he tells her to stay out of it, Oh Tom will you never learn! I enjoyed this one better than Fatally Flaky, these books are just good escapism and a laugh or two. The author always keeps you guessing who did it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Help

I generally enjoy the "Goldy" books. Light hearted and fun to read, but this was not one of the better ones. Too much running around town, too many characters to keep track of, and little to no appearance if some of our favorites like Julian. Not a favorite. Maybe the next one will be better.

Davidson has been my fav

I have collected and read em all. Diane is great. This lastest is a bomb....wonder if she really wrote it. The whole Cuban thing is contrived, and the beloved characters absent or neglected. Maybe it' s timefor a new series, I think the audience will aiways enjoy Goldy and her core crew, then weave in the new. Do not omit or neglect the tried and true. I did not finish this one,and I did not appreciate the new characters

good book

Very good book. I really enjoy all of Diane Mott Davidson's book and was really looking forward to her "new release" only to find out that is this same book. Are they really trying to rip readers off!! What a cheap shot!!

Love the Author, Love the Book!

I love the Goldy series and never miss a book! Love, love, love Diane Mott Davidson!

Ready for another!!

Love reading about Goldie and her family. It pulls you in and you feel like you are there with her

Don't waste your time.

I usually love reading Diane Davidson's books but Crunch Time is one of her worst books. I was hoping that Goldy was the victim. The book was so boring it took me days just to finish it. I'll make sure I read her next reviews before buying another one of her books.

highly recommended

I have read all of Diane Mott Davidson's in the Culinary Mystery Series, and have enjoyed everyone of them. I especially liked this one because finally Goldie is happy with her life and looking forward to the future, whatever it may bring.