I’m loving the food related cozy mysteries craze. I don’t get to read as many as I’d like but when I do get the chance I make sure I have food nearby. These books are guaranteed to give you a serious case of the munchies! Especially with Davidson’s books; her descriptions of food preparation leave you dying for coffee cakes, cookies, bread puddings, and in this instance, ham. I probably gained five pounds just reading about the baking process that goes into making some of these goodies.

Goldy Bear, caterer, has been solving crime for sixteen books. I’ve been reading since the first. I think they work fine as stand alones at this point but you are probably better off reading the first five or so in order if you can. In this latest installment, Julian, Goldy’s long time assistant, has gone back to school and Goldy has hired Yolanda Garcia to take his place. The two are doing food prep when Yolanda’s behavior begins to worry Goldy. While cooking is normally a soothing process, Yolanda is skittery and jumpy. Yolanda has recently broken things off with a nasty ex and she claims that is what is causing her nervousness. She and her aunt Ferdinanda have also recently had their home burned to the ground, causing them to move in with Ernest, a friend who happens to be a local PI. When the police show up at the door to tell Yolanda and Goldy the PI friend has been killed, Goldy knows she has a mystery on her hands once more.

Ever one to bend over backwards for a friend in need, Goldy invites Yolanda and her aunt to spend a few days at her house while the police research the crime. But when the two women show up at the house to pack a few things for the overnight stay, the house is firebombed with them still inside. They manage to save themselves and the nine puppies Ernst had in his home, recently rescued from a puppy mill he had been trying to shut down. It looks like Yolanda and Ferdinanda might be longer term guests than originally planned, so Goldy gets to work cooking and solving crime. Which of Ernest’s cases could have gotten him shot? Does it have nothing to do with him and instead to do with Yolanda’s ex? And what kind of coffee best pairs with guava coffee cake?

The Goldy books run on a unique pattern. Goldy’s crime solving technique is actually using relationship ties to get info in addition to searching for clues and interogating suspects. It helps that she is deeply connected to her Episcopalean church and the rest of her community, meaning that she tends to know everyone possibly linked to the crime or at least knows someone who knows them. Those few she doesn’t know (and from whom she needs information), she seduces with homemade baked goods. So a lot of Goldy’s time is spent calling this person or that or chatting up this neighbor or another. This novel follows that familiar pattern, introducing some new characters but keeping loyal gossip providers like Marla still in the thick of things.

I should add that everyone should have a best friend like Marla. Not only does she provide outstanding wines to go along with Goldy’s gourmet cooking, this time around she agrees to adopt several of the puppies. The story of the puppy mill and just what the puppies are being used for is a bit horrifying. While no graphic details are given, even the bare bones knowledge might make the squeamish shudder. I know I was a bit sickened by it. Fortunately, Goldy and her friends are successful in getting the business shut down and finding good homes for the pups.

Pupply love is not the only kind going around. The romance depicted between Goldy and her husband, whom she married in book five, is always sweet. While Tom and Goldy occassionally step on each other’s last nerve, Tom’s infinite patience and Goldy’s bubbly nature lead to some pretty quick make-ups. Their shared love of food, often used as a seduction tool, ensures mostly smooth sailing for their relationship. This time around we are also treated to a romance blooming for Yolanda and Officer Boyd, which is slow and sweet. That actually suited the story line rather well since I would not have expected a woman exiting a bad relationship to want to enter one that is quick and heated.

Speaking of Yolanda, she makes a nice addition to the series. I hope we get to see more of her and her feisty aunt Ferdinanda. The aunt is played mostly for gentle laughs, which works in the cozy format of the books. Also nice about the two characters was the way the abusive relationship with the ex was portrayed. Many times these partnerships are shown as unbelievably violent, making you wonder why the woman didn’t run. This one had a much more subtle, underlying threat to it, which helps us understand how a smart gal could get caught in such a stupid choice.

If the books have a flaw it is the sheer unbelievabilty of them. No caterer should be this involved in crime solving. No husband who was also a policeman would put up with a wife who constantly solved his cases. There is also no way any one human being could survive that many near misses. My pulse has ceased to go up when Goldy is cornered by the criminal; she’ll survive and no lasting damage will be done to any of our other beloved characters either. The other flaw I found in this particular novel was the treatment of Goldy’s relationship with her son Arch. He has always been the center of her universe, but here I felt he was pushed to more of a backburner status. It felt odd given their history. The length also became a bit of an issue over time. I never grew bored but I think of cozies as quick, fun reads. The fun factor was here for sure but the quick? Not so much.

I would recommend this to any fan of cozy mysteries. If you like your suspense tightly woven and nail biting, give it a miss.