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Diners, Dives, & Drive-Bys
★★★★★ "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!
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!
- GenresCozy Mystery
145 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2025
176 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
David Korson
17 books12 followersI 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!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 14, 2026
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.
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.
January 1, 2026
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.
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.
January 31, 2026
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!
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!
January 5, 2026
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!
What a fun little story to read. Great portrayal of "familiar " characters in real life television, with added mysteries to slueth and solve!
January 13, 2026
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.
January 10, 2026
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.
February 4, 2026
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.
January 27, 2026
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.
January 8, 2026
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.
January 30, 2026
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.
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.
January 31, 2026
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.
December 23, 2025
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.
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.
December 31, 2025
Enjoyable
Enjoyable, casual, easy, read. Nothing fancy, just a good story with nice characters. Reading it was like watching real like, simple and clean.
Enjoyable, casual, easy, read. Nothing fancy, just a good story with nice characters. Reading it was like watching real like, simple and clean.
January 25, 2026
typical cozy mystery
Amusing small town cozy mystery featuring characters that suggest Guy Fieri and Gordon Ramsey. A short escape novel, light reading.
Amusing small town cozy mystery featuring characters that suggest Guy Fieri and Gordon Ramsey. A short escape novel, light reading.
February 23, 2026
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.
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.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews