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

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The Food Channel has come to Walnut Falls, Ohio. Chef Remmsey and Chef Finetti will be facing off in a Restaurant Rivals competition. The competition barely gets underway when shots are fired at Chef Remmsey from a purple El Camino with Chef Finetti behind the wheel. Chef Finetti is quickly arrested, but bookstore clerk, Holly Harkins, who was there when the shooting occurred, believes the wrong man has been arrested. She just has to prove it and not get herself killed!

The concept of this story is cute and fun—a quick read for a gentle pick-me-up. As a fan of foodie reality shows, I was ready for some drama to be cooked up.

Holly Harkins possesses a secret skill that enabled her to make a key observation, which significantly advanced her investigation. She is smart and likable, and there is plenty of room for character development in future stories.

What drove me a little crazy was the names of the Food Channel chefs: Gus Finetti, Robbie Fray, Jobert Hervine, Jordan Remmsey, etc. Hades Kitchen is mentioned, and of course, Gus Finetti is on a quest for America’s best diners, dives, but drives a purple El Camino instead of a Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible. It was funny at first, but soon it felt like piling on. I know it was all in good fun.

The mystery was easily solved, but I had a great time tagging along with Holly around the charming town of Walnut Falls and meeting the residents.

If you are looking for a lighthearted little escape, Diners, Dives, & Drive-Bys may be just what you need, and the price is right!

*This book is from my private collection. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, keeps you guessing

I actually had no idea whodunit. This was a great story. I was kinda surprised Gus wasn't used more but I think the plot worked out better with him more in the background. I have to admit I yelled at Holly more than once as she kept turning down Samuel's dinner invitations. Definitely a series I want to continue

[Kelly O’Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun surprise. Diners, Dives & Drive-Bys fully leans into its Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives inspiration—and it absolutely works.

The Food Network parallels were hilarious without feeling overdone, and the authors sprinkled in witty pop culture references that genuinely made me laugh. It felt clever and playful in a way that made this stand out from a more traditional cozy mystery.

What really impressed me was how character-driven this story felt. Even though it’s a shorter read, I walked away feeling like I really knew the town, the friendships, the visiting chefs, and all of the chaos that comes with a reality TV show filming in town. The dynamic between longtime friends and new characters made the story feel fresh and engaging.

The mystery itself kept me invested, but I think the real standout here is the concept for the series as a whole. Each book centers around a different reality TV theme, which feels unique and gives the series a lot of potential. After reading the preview for the next book, I’m definitely interested in continuing.

Overall, this was witty, entertaining, and a little different from your typical cozy mystery—and I had a great time with it.

[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.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready for a fun read!

A reality food channel show, two restaurants, several chefs, a little romance, a famous homeless man named Kenny..you will enjoy discovering who the criminal is!

[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!

[JoAnna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, great read.

[Jacque Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diners, Dives, & Drive-Bys

Had a great time reading this. Got all the emotions of the town and the people. Felt like you knew them after a while. You liked almost everyone. Even if you wanted to kick their butt at times.

[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.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this cozy mystery that takes place in a small town in Ohio. The Food Channel comes to the small town for 2 restaurant renovations and even though the 2 main characters from the Food Channels names are changed you can basically guess who they are supposed to be lol. I mean the title of the book kind of gives it away who the one character is lol. I enjoyed the story and trying to guess who was behind it. I totally didn’t guess who it was. Great story.

[Pamela Faust · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little story about a town in Ohio who is having the Food Channel over for a contest. Holly Harkin was the lead investigator (even though she worked in a book store) and she has a talent with remembering numbers. It’s a good thing nobody was really hurt and the author’s admiration of all things Food Channel was interesting. A guy named Gus Finetti, instead of Guy Fierri, was funny.

[Valorie Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was okay!!!!!

This first book of the series was okay!!!!
Holly a worker at a bookstore, and the baristas had to find out what happened to someone on the show.
The bookstore owner was a very grumpy old lady that kinda messed up part of the book for me. You may like the book, it's not what I'm used to reading.

[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.

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much wasted potential!

If this was written by a human (and not AI generated), then shame on you! This had great potential as a satirical fun adventure, but it was sooo BORING! Struggled to get to the end.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy mystery with a reality TV twist, Diners, Dives & Drive-Bys blends small-town charm, culinary drama, and a dash of danger. Set in Walnut Falls, Ohio, it’s a fast-paced whodunit that’s both heartfelt and humorous.

[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.

[Kimberely N. · Rating 2 out of 5]

typical cozy mystery

Amusing small town cozy mystery featuring characters that suggest Guy Fieri and Gordon Ramsey. A short escape novel, light reading.

[Jody Weems · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute

Cute story of girl who moves to a small town to lead a sad simpler life, then has to solve a mystery when a man is stabbed outside her bookshop.

[Mariah Melecio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oddly charming and a quick read.