Diners, Dives, & Drive-Bys

by David Korson, Nicole Korson

★★★★★ "A wonderful tale that has both funny moments and heartfelt ones. The dialogue sparkled, and the pacing never dragged... The mystery was crafted so well that it kept me guessing." — Demetria Head for Readers’ Favorite

In the quaint town of Walnut Falls, Ohio, excitement bubbles as two celebrity chefs arrive to compete in a culinary battle reality show. But when shots ring out in a shocking drive-by, the competition takes a violent turn. Chef Remmsey is the victim of the attack, and Chef Finetti is swiftly handcuffed and charged. The town reels, but local sleuth Holly Harkins suspects a more complex recipe for murder. She's convinced that the arrested chef is just a scapegoat, and someone else is stirring the pot.

Determined to uncover the truth, Holly sifts through the underbelly of the show's glittering facade. With a dash of intuition and a sprinkle of persistence, she follows a trail of clues that promises to reveal the real villain. As the cameras roll on, the stakes rise, and Holly must race against time to serve justice before the final curtain call. In this first installment in the Reality Show Cozy Mysteries, the small screen hides big secrets, and the truth is a dish best served cold.

The Reality Show Cozy Mystery series parodies reality stars, television shows, and celebrity culture. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy a good laugh, quirky yet charming characters, and a light mystery wrapped in reality‑show drama. Download your copy of Diners, Dives, & Drive-Bys today!

Genres: Cozy Mystery

145 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 16, 2025

About the author

I enjoy reading books that are fun, exciting, and relatively clean. So I try to incorporate those qualities into the stories I write. If you like to read teen, young adult, new adult, dystopian, time travel, science fiction, humor, light romance, or action/adventure books with interesting characters and intriguing plots, check out my books!

Reviews

[chandra crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better Than Reality TV

I tried this book on a whim since reality TV really isn't my thing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were so quirky and relatable. It was a great afternoon read.

[Cecilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and Original

What a fun little story to read. Great portrayal of "familiar " characters in real life television, with added mysteries to slueth and solve!

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This book was really not for me. It provided a light hearted story after reading a dark novel, but otherwise I feel like this book fell flat. The story line wasn’t much and honestly the MC shouldn’t have been able to solve the mystery. If it was to be believed that a book shop worker could solve the mystery then there should have been more to the story to add depth and believability. There were places where there was too much information and the information didn’t add to the story. It’s a cozy mystery so I could suspend reality enough, but really what did me in was the name dropping. The names of the stars, other authors, and tv station weren’t cleverly hidden and quick frankly were blatantly used to try to draw in readers. That is a huge no for me. Have enough confidence in your story that you don’t need to use real life so blatantly to try to sell your book. I got this book for free or next to nothing, and I am glad I did.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Main character Holly has a skill she would like to hide from her small town friends, and this ability to remember numbers at a glance is the key to solving a dangerous mystery. She's likable, and her home town is sweet, as is the beginning of a romance. Characters development is slight and the plot is mostly predictable. It's a quick read, and I was relieved when the simple connections from one chapter to the next came to an end.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A depiction of a restaurant make over by a famous chef turned into a competition between two chefs and two local eateries in a small town. The characters were likeable and involved in trying to solve who the culprit was for creating halvoc with the production.

[Beryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay

Not a bad read on the whole. The names and discriptions of the competitive chefs was distracting. They were too close to real life chefs and it took away from the story.

[Georgina Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Enjoyable, casual, easy, read. Nothing fancy, just a good story with nice characters. Reading it was like watching real like, simple and clean.