I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Crunch Time
by
Diane Mott Davidson
amateur sleuth, cozy mystery in a hardcover edition that was published by William Morrow on April 5, 2011 and has 471 pages.
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Sixteenth in the Goldy Bear Culinary Mysteries cozy mystery series set in the Aspen area in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado with an amateur sleuth of a chef.
My Take
While I enjoy the homey qualities of this series — Tom is so very patient and I just love the descriptions of the food that everyone creates in this story, I’m getting rather tired of Goldy. She’s so nosy and I don’t really see where she can really do that much anymore now that pretty much everyone in town knows about her detecting. I’m rather surprised that Tom hasn’t dumped her for being such a pain. And I miss Julian. Nor was there much interaction with Marla or Archie; things are rather tame without the Jerk. Not that I didn’t cheer when he died! This story just has a rather tired feel to it. Not helped at all by the evasions and actions of Yolanda and Ferdinanda.
Then there’s the irritating details within the story because I’m sorry, there is no way that a standard wrench is adjustable enough to handle bolts for a potrack and the handle of an electric skillet. Nor do you have to be a “real data-processing geek” to know that you need a USB hub if you need more USB ports than are available. Come on, come up with a real geeky question . . .!
So what if Kris and Harriet are cruising up the street when Goldy walks out of Frank’s Fix-It? She’s taken whatever it is that Humberto took there and not something belonging to Kris . . .!?? Then, duh, Davidson has Goldy going on and on…and on . . . actually, the entire story she’s been going on . . . about how no one actually gets things fixed at Frank’s and that they’re all stoners. Why wouldn’t it be the safest place to stash stolen goods? I think Davidson was simply trying to fill up space with this interior monologue. She’s been doing this throughout the story and it’s been rather irritating.
The Story
When Yolanda loses her job when the spa restaurant is shut down for sprinkling their guests’ food with cocaine — they thought the guests would think the spa was the reason for their extra energy and spirit, Goldy hires her as a precautionary measure against Tom’s advice.
Then Yolanda’s roommate, Ernest, is murdered, his house is burnt down, and Yolanda is blaming her ex-boyfriend, Kris, for it. She claims he’s stalking her although she refuses to give Goldy or Tom anything with which to work. An ex-cop turned private eye, Ernest, was investigating a variety of cases including a puppy mill, Yolanda’s stalker, a cheating husband, and an old case of stolen jewels. I swear it’s like Peyton Place in Aspen Meadows as Goldy chases down one idea or lead after another driving her husband quietly nuts with her illegal activities.
The Cover
The cover is as yummy looking as ever. My mouth was watering as I read the ingredients for the Crunch Time Cookies . . . drool!
