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Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery #10
Sticks & Scones
Celebrated for her unique blend of first-class suspense and five-star fare, Diane Mott Davidson has won scores of fans and earned a place on major bestseller lists across the country. Now she dishes up another dangerously tasty treat of murder and mystery.
For Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, accepting a series of bookings at Hyde Castle is like a dream come true. It’s not every day that she gets to cook authentic Elizabethan fare--especially at a real castle that was brought over from England and reassembled stone by stone in Aspen Meadow. Goldy is determined that everything will go right--which is why, she figures later, everything went terribly wrong. It begins when a shotgun blast shatters her window. Then Goldy discovers a body lying in a nearby creek. And when shots ring out for the second time that day, someone Goldy loves is in the line of fire. Suddenly the last thing Goldy wants to think about is Shakespeare’s Steak Pie, 911 Chocolate Emergency Cookies, or Damson-in-Distress Plum Tart. Could one of her husband Tom’s police investigations have triggered a murder? Or was her violent, recently paroled ex responsible? With death peering around every corner, Goldy needs to cook up some crime-solving solutions--before the only dish that’s left on her menu is murder.
For Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, accepting a series of bookings at Hyde Castle is like a dream come true. It’s not every day that she gets to cook authentic Elizabethan fare--especially at a real castle that was brought over from England and reassembled stone by stone in Aspen Meadow. Goldy is determined that everything will go right--which is why, she figures later, everything went terribly wrong. It begins when a shotgun blast shatters her window. Then Goldy discovers a body lying in a nearby creek. And when shots ring out for the second time that day, someone Goldy loves is in the line of fire. Suddenly the last thing Goldy wants to think about is Shakespeare’s Steak Pie, 911 Chocolate Emergency Cookies, or Damson-in-Distress Plum Tart. Could one of her husband Tom’s police investigations have triggered a murder? Or was her violent, recently paroled ex responsible? With death peering around every corner, Goldy needs to cook up some crime-solving solutions--before the only dish that’s left on her menu is murder.
348 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
247 people are currently reading
2286 people want to read
About the author
Diane Mott Davidson
76 books2,324 followers New York Times bestselling author Diane Mott Davidson wrote three novels before one was accepted for publication—when she was 41. She has since written 14 more mysteries, all featuring Goldy the caterer. In addition, she has written short stories and poetry for various publications. Davidson has won the Anthony Award from Bouchercon, and has been nominated for the Agatha, another Anthony, and the Macavity Award. In 1993 she was named Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Writer of the Year.
Davidson was educated at St. Anne's School in Charlottesville, Virginia, where her English teacher, Emyl Jenkins, encouraged her to become a writer. She attended Wellesley College, where she was named a Wellesley Scholar, before transferring to Stanford University, from which she graduated with a double major in Art History and Political Science. Several years (and one child) later, she received her MA in Art History from Johns Hopkins.
Davidson has volunteered for numerous organizations. She was a tutor in a correctional facility, rape-victim counselor, and served for 10 years on the Board of Examining Chaplains of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado. For years she taught the adult Bible study at her parish, where she was also licensed to preach.
Davidson has been married to her husband, Jim, for almost 40 years. They have three sons, a daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and a basset hound.
Davidson was educated at St. Anne's School in Charlottesville, Virginia, where her English teacher, Emyl Jenkins, encouraged her to become a writer. She attended Wellesley College, where she was named a Wellesley Scholar, before transferring to Stanford University, from which she graduated with a double major in Art History and Political Science. Several years (and one child) later, she received her MA in Art History from Johns Hopkins.
Davidson has volunteered for numerous organizations. She was a tutor in a correctional facility, rape-victim counselor, and served for 10 years on the Board of Examining Chaplains of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado. For years she taught the adult Bible study at her parish, where she was also licensed to preach.
Davidson has been married to her husband, Jim, for almost 40 years. They have three sons, a daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and a basset hound.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 337 reviews
March 18, 2020
Book Review
4 out of 5 stars to Sticks & Scones, the 10th book in the "Goldy Bear Schultz Culinary" cozy mystery series, written in 2001 by Diane Mott Davidson. When the book is about scones (which I absolutely love), Shakespeare (which is a favorite), and a castle that's been torn down in England and re-built in Colorado (how cool is that), the book had a very small chance of going wrong. And it didn't! It was a good mystery, eccentric but fun characters and very tasty-sounding recipes. I never make any of them for two reasons: (1) too many cookbooks to choose from already on my shelves and (2) I rarely use a recipe to cook. I kinda skim it, get the basics and then do whatever I want to do. It's worked in all but two occasions. Both were in baking. Sometimes the ingredients only work together a certain way. I digress... this was a good one in the series. I enjoyed the whole premise of Hyde Castle and would love to build a place like that myself!
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
4 out of 5 stars to Sticks & Scones, the 10th book in the "Goldy Bear Schultz Culinary" cozy mystery series, written in 2001 by Diane Mott Davidson. When the book is about scones (which I absolutely love), Shakespeare (which is a favorite), and a castle that's been torn down in England and re-built in Colorado (how cool is that), the book had a very small chance of going wrong. And it didn't! It was a good mystery, eccentric but fun characters and very tasty-sounding recipes. I never make any of them for two reasons: (1) too many cookbooks to choose from already on my shelves and (2) I rarely use a recipe to cook. I kinda skim it, get the basics and then do whatever I want to do. It's worked in all but two occasions. Both were in baking. Sometimes the ingredients only work together a certain way. I digress... this was a good one in the series. I enjoyed the whole premise of Hyde Castle and would love to build a place like that myself!
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
March 2, 2009
It is not often that you pray for the heroine or hero of a story to suffer a gruesome end at the hands of the villain, but this is one. The heroine is possibly the most annoying main character in any book that I have ever read. The plot line can best be described as 'weak as water' relying almost solely on coincidence. The characterisations are incredibly shallow and 2 dimensional. All in all, a very ordinary thriller indeed. This one was a real struggle to finish.
October 22, 2014
I thought this would be more entertaining than it was. The adolescent son was a complete jerk (as a mom I'd have thrashed him a good one the first time he mouthed off to me). The caterer appeared ditzy and disorganized and relied on too many others to do her job - the young friend Julian, the supplier, etc. And way too many red herrings and wild goose chases in the "mystery" part of it. I like books that include cooking/food, and especially when there are recipes, but I rather struggled through this story, unfortunately.
August 27, 2012
Creative and fun. That's what I thought this book would entail when I read the title and scanned through the pages - recipes were inserted throughout. Unique, huh?
It definitely was creative. The main character is a caterer so food was a big theme. A little too big, though. The lengthy descriptions of preparing dishes, menus, and planning events detracted from the main part of the story - who is the killer? who stole the rare stamps? who shot a bullet through the main character's front window?
The fun part was also a distraction. The main character had comical views of most situations, which would be great for a non-mystery novel because it's entertaining. But when I read a mystery novel I want to be drawn in by the suspense. I want to feel the fear of the characters, to sense the tension in the air. I didn't feel any of that when I read this book. I just kept thinking, is it going to get intense sometime soon? And it did, in the last 10 pages. That was about 250 pages too late for me.
It definitely was creative. The main character is a caterer so food was a big theme. A little too big, though. The lengthy descriptions of preparing dishes, menus, and planning events detracted from the main part of the story - who is the killer? who stole the rare stamps? who shot a bullet through the main character's front window?
The fun part was also a distraction. The main character had comical views of most situations, which would be great for a non-mystery novel because it's entertaining. But when I read a mystery novel I want to be drawn in by the suspense. I want to feel the fear of the characters, to sense the tension in the air. I didn't feel any of that when I read this book. I just kept thinking, is it going to get intense sometime soon? And it did, in the last 10 pages. That was about 250 pages too late for me.
October 16, 2020
This was an enjoyable diversion. Its been quite some time since I visited Goldy & her catering business. There were almost too many threads in this story and wasn't sure how it will all come together. In one AM somewhat shot out the window in Goldy's house, she discovered a body near the venue she was to cater & her husband is shot by a sniper, all before 9AM!! More to come as things unfold. There were plenty of potential suspects, so many dislikable people.
February 13, 2018
This is my 7th foray into the Goldy Bear series (although not in order), and I just can't anymore. Goldy, for all her investigating and putting herself into dangerous situations, is just a weak character. Arch is an obnoxious little twit. I mean, his father is just out of jail for assault, his mother has a TRO against him as he has assaulted her in the past, the window of their home was shot out in the middle of the night, and he's jumping around trying to get Goldy to contact the Jerk for a visit at 6 in the morning. I think she showed great restraint in not backhanding him. Frankly, Tom is the only main character I can stand, but his insistence in calling his wife Ms. G is downright obnoxious.
As for the story, the mystery wasn't bad, which is the only reason I finished it (and didn't give it 1 star). Plus the setting of a castle is a nice bonus.
As for the series, I'm done. I have 4 more on the shelf and they are being put in the trade-in bag. Bleh.
As for the story, the mystery wasn't bad, which is the only reason I finished it (and didn't give it 1 star). Plus the setting of a castle is a nice bonus.
As for the series, I'm done. I have 4 more on the shelf and they are being put in the trade-in bag. Bleh.
November 30, 2017
Why do I continue to fall for these books? Maybe it is the catchy titles; in which case, kudos to the publisher. Goldie never changes; she conjures ridiculous scenarios out of her imagination, then puts herself and others in danger attempting to check them out. I don't know how, with all the other developments, she ever manages to successfully cater an event. The recipes are an interesting touch, but why would one start a breakfast project that has no hope of being completed before everyone has to leave? And how does everyone manage to recover so quickly from their hideous injuries? Seriously, near death one day and home the next? Not sure why I stuck it out and finished it, but the ending should surely convince me not to fall for the next Goldie Bear Kindle deal that comes along!
September 24, 2009
Goldy the caterer is out solving crime, risking life and limb and saving her family again. I swear she gets knocked on the head in every novel. How does this woman not have brain damage?
Alas no good recipes in this one.... Not one for scones and plum tarts
Alas no good recipes in this one.... Not one for scones and plum tarts
March 12, 2022
Goldy the caterer is at it again: trouble (and bodies) seeks her out, this time while catering at an authentic English castle reassembled in her home town of Aspen Meadows, CO. Her homicide detective husband, Tom, is out of town when their window is shot out so teenaged-son Arch and Goldy move into the castle. I enjoy hearing Goldy's discussions of why she chooses particular foods for an event and her thoughts on preparation and presentation. The wacky characters of Aspen Meadows, set into the ski country of Colorado, continue to entertain. The mystery -- well, not so much. On this title, I tended to enter in and exit out.
Celebrated for her unique blend of first-class suspense and five-star fare, Diane Mott Davidson has won scores of fans and earned a place on major bestseller lists across the country. Now she dishes up another dangerously tasty treat of murder and mystery.
For Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, accepting a series of bookings at Hyde Castle is like a dream come true. It's not every day that she gets to cook authentic Elizabethan fare--especially at a real castle that was brought over from England and reassembled stone by stone in Aspen Meadow. Goldy is determined that everything will go right--which is why, she figures later, everything went terribly wrong. It begins when a shotgun blast shatters her window. Then Goldy discovers a body lying in a nearby creek. And when shots ring out for the second time that day, someone Goldy loves is in the line of fire. Suddenly the last thing Goldy wants to think about is Shakespeare's Steak Pie, 911 Chocolate Emergency Cookies, or Damson-in-Distress Plum Tart. Could one of her husband Tom's police investigations have triggered a murder? Or was her violent, recently paroled ex responsible? With death peering around every corner, Goldy needs to cook up some crime-solving solutions--before the only dish that's left on her menu is murder.
I think this is my first Goldy book. Kind of a fun book, and I like Barbara Rosenblat as narrator.
Celebrated for her unique blend of first-class suspense and five-star fare, Diane Mott Davidson has won scores of fans and earned a place on major bestseller lists across the country. Now she dishes up another dangerously tasty treat of murder and mystery.
For Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, accepting a series of bookings at Hyde Castle is like a dream come true. It's not every day that she gets to cook authentic Elizabethan fare--especially at a real castle that was brought over from England and reassembled stone by stone in Aspen Meadow. Goldy is determined that everything will go right--which is why, she figures later, everything went terribly wrong. It begins when a shotgun blast shatters her window. Then Goldy discovers a body lying in a nearby creek. And when shots ring out for the second time that day, someone Goldy loves is in the line of fire. Suddenly the last thing Goldy wants to think about is Shakespeare's Steak Pie, 911 Chocolate Emergency Cookies, or Damson-in-Distress Plum Tart. Could one of her husband Tom's police investigations have triggered a murder? Or was her violent, recently paroled ex responsible? With death peering around every corner, Goldy needs to cook up some crime-solving solutions--before the only dish that's left on her menu is murder.
I think this is my first Goldy book. Kind of a fun book, and I like Barbara Rosenblat as narrator.
March 7, 2008
This was my first book of Ms Davidson's books and I really enjoyed it.
I've read a few mysteries with recipes and they had all fallen short, so this book was a pleasant surprise.
There was a lot going on in this book, but I believe the author did well with keeping it all straight for the reader without being to obvious. The characters and events were interesting and I hated having to take breaks from reading.
Goldie is an interesting character, her actions being realistic and not always wise; she is also a very real and relatable one. She not only has to deal with the drama and mystery of murder and mayhem, but she has a temperamental teen and a cop husband to stress about. But she manages all the drama in her life with realistic reactions and passionate zeal.
The story and the cooking information were nicely intertwined and all the food talk tortured me wonderfully. I especially liked the story setting in transported castle with all its history entwined into the story and the historically based foods the characters request and create.
I highly recommend this books for a good fun read that tantalizes your appetite for cuisine, history, and suspenseful mystery.
I've read a few mysteries with recipes and they had all fallen short, so this book was a pleasant surprise.
There was a lot going on in this book, but I believe the author did well with keeping it all straight for the reader without being to obvious. The characters and events were interesting and I hated having to take breaks from reading.
Goldie is an interesting character, her actions being realistic and not always wise; she is also a very real and relatable one. She not only has to deal with the drama and mystery of murder and mayhem, but she has a temperamental teen and a cop husband to stress about. But she manages all the drama in her life with realistic reactions and passionate zeal.
The story and the cooking information were nicely intertwined and all the food talk tortured me wonderfully. I especially liked the story setting in transported castle with all its history entwined into the story and the historically based foods the characters request and create.
I highly recommend this books for a good fun read that tantalizes your appetite for cuisine, history, and suspenseful mystery.
March 24, 2009
One of the perks of reading a book about Goldie, the caterer is that there are actual recipes included. I have only tried one or two, but it is nice to know that there is a source of delicious, and usually a chocolate delight.
The plot of this book seemed a little more convoluted. Part of it takes place in a castle, which is interesting.
If you find a character that you like, it is pleasant to be able to return and join that person in another adventure.
One drawback of this book is that there isn't as much about Marla, the other ex-wife.
The plot of this book seemed a little more convoluted. Part of it takes place in a castle, which is interesting.
If you find a character that you like, it is pleasant to be able to return and join that person in another adventure.
One drawback of this book is that there isn't as much about Marla, the other ex-wife.
April 19, 2010
Book 10 in the Goldy Culinary Mysteries.
Before she can even begin solving the mystery of a restored (and haunted) castle, Goldy has to deal with multiple threats to her own and her family's safety. Right around the time her violent ex-husband gets released from prison, someone shoots out her front window and another incident results in a serious gunshot wound for Tom.
Arch, who used to be a highlight of the series, is so utterly obnoxious that he makes even my brattiest students look like little rays of sweetness and light.
Recipes are included at the end.
Before she can even begin solving the mystery of a restored (and haunted) castle, Goldy has to deal with multiple threats to her own and her family's safety. Right around the time her violent ex-husband gets released from prison, someone shoots out her front window and another incident results in a serious gunshot wound for Tom.
Arch, who used to be a highlight of the series, is so utterly obnoxious that he makes even my brattiest students look like little rays of sweetness and light.
Recipes are included at the end.
May 27, 2023
Goldie is trying to cater a series of events at a transported castle, when somebody with a shotgun shoots her living room window. It's almost more of a psychological thriller than a cozy.
I got awfully tired of Goldie by the end.
I got awfully tired of Goldie by the end.
January 23, 2020
As always, I enjoyed this book in this series
March 20, 2018
This is book #10 of the Goldy Bear Culinary mystery series and the storyline is still going strong. Goldy is like a dog with a bone is her relentless pursuit of the truth. She’s smart, sarcastic and has a good heart. And I still really enjoy all the side characters.
With some series I would be starting to burnout by now. Happily, that is not happening with this one.
With some series I would be starting to burnout by now. Happily, that is not happening with this one.
June 16, 2022
Got a little convoluted at the end as I was trying to figure out who did it and had a hard time following it...but, as always, I love Diane Mott Davidson books with the inclusion of food and recipes!
January 1, 2009
The perfect audio book to keep me occupied during the many miles I just had to drive between Charleston and Rabun County Georgia. A light, entertaining mystery, that had me wishing for the recipes in the book!
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Celebrated for her unique blend of first-class suspense and five-star fare, Diane Mott Davidson has won scores of fans and earned a place on major bestseller lists across the country. Now she dishes up another dangerously tasty treat of murder and mystery.
For Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, accepting a series of bookings at Hyde Castle is like a dream come true. It’s not every day that she gets to cook authentic Elizabethan fare—especially at a real castle that was brought over from England and reassembled stone by stone in Aspen Meadow. Goldy is determined that everything will go right—which is why, she figures later, everything went terribly wrong. It begins when a shotgun blast shatters her window. Then Goldy discovers a body lying in a nearby creek. And when shots ring out for the second time that day, someone Goldy loves is in the line of fire. Suddenly the last thing Goldy wants to think about is Shakespeare’s Steak Pie, 911 Chocolate Emergency Cookies, or Damson-in-Distress Plum Tart. Could one of her husband Tom’s police investigations have triggered a murder? Or was her violent, recently paroled ex responsible? With death peering around every corner, Goldy needs to cook up some crime-solving solutions—before the only dish that’s left on her menu is murder.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Celebrated for her unique blend of first-class suspense and five-star fare, Diane Mott Davidson has won scores of fans and earned a place on major bestseller lists across the country. Now she dishes up another dangerously tasty treat of murder and mystery.
For Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, accepting a series of bookings at Hyde Castle is like a dream come true. It’s not every day that she gets to cook authentic Elizabethan fare—especially at a real castle that was brought over from England and reassembled stone by stone in Aspen Meadow. Goldy is determined that everything will go right—which is why, she figures later, everything went terribly wrong. It begins when a shotgun blast shatters her window. Then Goldy discovers a body lying in a nearby creek. And when shots ring out for the second time that day, someone Goldy loves is in the line of fire. Suddenly the last thing Goldy wants to think about is Shakespeare’s Steak Pie, 911 Chocolate Emergency Cookies, or Damson-in-Distress Plum Tart. Could one of her husband Tom’s police investigations have triggered a murder? Or was her violent, recently paroled ex responsible? With death peering around every corner, Goldy needs to cook up some crime-solving solutions—before the only dish that’s left on her menu is murder.
October 14, 2016
More holes than the proverbial Swiss cheese. I felt like I'd fallen into one of Ms. Mott-Davidson's garderobe's and couldn't get out. Alice Through the Looking Glass. No, that was a different story. But wait! There's more! Doesn't a garderobe go completely down into the moat? And there's no escape at the bottom of it, never mind the grillwork? We're asked to believe that an entire castle is moved from England to America, and it STILL has more rooms than the Winchester house. But alas, no ghosts. But the garderobe wasn't CLEANED first? Then the moat was completely drained . . . The recipes are American, but with English names, never mind Old English suggestions could have been used . . . The last couple of chapters went for an exciting ending, but failed. Pass on this one.
June 26, 2017
I chose this book as it fulfilled a category on my Book Challenge, a yellow cover. Though mystery is one of my favorite genres, I had to stop reading about a third of the way through. I found the characters shallow and poorly developed, the plot marred by various unrelated subplots, basically a scattered mess of trite dialogue that often went nowhere. The beginning of the book, where the author spewed a massive list of characters and information about previous books in the series, apparently in a move to bring the reader up to speed about her protagonist, should have been a red flag, but I chose to wade through it in hopes it would get better. It didn't. Lesson learned.
July 3, 2017
This is the 4th Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery I've read, and it started out better than the others. I thought it was headed toward 3-star territory, until I got to the 'who done it' chapter. I didn't find the main character's son, Arch, as annoying as I usually do. The set up was a bit more interesting than her other novels, but it all fell apart for me at the end. The concept of actual recipes peppered throughout the book is novel, but does she ever make anything that doesn't have at least one stick of butter? I'll be glad when I've weeded the last of these books out of my 'to read' pile.
January 3, 2011
Mystery, murder and food and recipes, what a combination!
Cops and robbers as the main character lives with a cop
and she, herself gets involving trying to solve murders
while she is stirring up some scones or something.
I've read her other books and like her.........
Cops and robbers as the main character lives with a cop
and she, herself gets involving trying to solve murders
while she is stirring up some scones or something.
I've read her other books and like her.........
May 20, 2017
Goldy is just downright annoying; a henny-penny drama queen who creates all these imaginary scenarios and then freaks out - constantly. I couldn't wait to finish this dismal book. Definitely crossing Davidson off my list of authors.
April 11, 2016
terrible and just plain stupid!
August 8, 2018
It’s been a long time since I’ve picked up a Goldy Schultz mystery and I was partly reminded as to why. Don’t get me wrong. This wasn’t an awful read but it did have some cringe-worthy moments. It’s a good reminder as to why the cozy mystery isn’t my favorite subgenre of mystery.
Goldy’s husband, Tom, is on the east coast following a lead about a stamp heist, stamps worth in the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands a piece. He was lead there by a young man, Andy, who had gotten swept up in this mess trying to pay off a different bad decision that might lead to his father’s death by heart attack.
Goldy is home alone with her son Arch worrying about everything. She has earned that right because part of the worry is her abusive ex (Arch’s dad) might be getting out of prison and her own catering career might be tanking because she reported Charde and Buddy Lauderdale, very wealthy clients, after Buddy shook his infant daughter so hard she blacked out. The Lauderdales, having bought their way free of charges are out to ruin her, and potentially sue for loss of reputation. That’s when someone shoots out her front window.
Goldy and Arch end up at Sukie and Elliot Hyde’s castle. It’s an honest to goodness castle that he’s trying to pass off as a conference center and hotel. She was meant to be doing a series of Elisabethean themed dinners for him. To her horror, soon Andy is dead, Tom’s been shot, someone from his past has resurfaced (and she sees it as a threat to their marriage), the Lauderdales are redecorating for the Hydes and Goldy’s ex shows up with his newest conquest, Viv who seems to have dated half the town.
My problem with this wasn’t so much the mystery as it was all the outside nonsense. It had enough melodrama for two books but not enough potential suspects. I mean most of the suspects are somehow linked to Goldy and each other and all are so obnoxious you just want them all to be guilty. I found the end too over the top Hollywood for belief and Goldy’s insecurity and jealousy made this hard for me to read in places.
I’ve read several in this series. Who knows, I’ll probably read more. At least the recipes were interesting and not all baked goods. (That always makes me sad when the recipes are all cookies and stuff as I’m diabetic).
Now for a minor spoiler. There comes one point when Goldy confronts someone she thinks is selling the stolen stamps and at first passes herself off as a police investigator before backing off that story. All she really does is make him take off in the middle of the night. If this was the real world, she’d probably be arrested for obstruction. At best, she just lost the actual cops a valid lead. And this is what bothers me with cozies. Sometime I wonder why I read so many.
Goldy’s husband, Tom, is on the east coast following a lead about a stamp heist, stamps worth in the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands a piece. He was lead there by a young man, Andy, who had gotten swept up in this mess trying to pay off a different bad decision that might lead to his father’s death by heart attack.
Goldy is home alone with her son Arch worrying about everything. She has earned that right because part of the worry is her abusive ex (Arch’s dad) might be getting out of prison and her own catering career might be tanking because she reported Charde and Buddy Lauderdale, very wealthy clients, after Buddy shook his infant daughter so hard she blacked out. The Lauderdales, having bought their way free of charges are out to ruin her, and potentially sue for loss of reputation. That’s when someone shoots out her front window.
Goldy and Arch end up at Sukie and Elliot Hyde’s castle. It’s an honest to goodness castle that he’s trying to pass off as a conference center and hotel. She was meant to be doing a series of Elisabethean themed dinners for him. To her horror, soon Andy is dead, Tom’s been shot, someone from his past has resurfaced (and she sees it as a threat to their marriage), the Lauderdales are redecorating for the Hydes and Goldy’s ex shows up with his newest conquest, Viv who seems to have dated half the town.
My problem with this wasn’t so much the mystery as it was all the outside nonsense. It had enough melodrama for two books but not enough potential suspects. I mean most of the suspects are somehow linked to Goldy and each other and all are so obnoxious you just want them all to be guilty. I found the end too over the top Hollywood for belief and Goldy’s insecurity and jealousy made this hard for me to read in places.
I’ve read several in this series. Who knows, I’ll probably read more. At least the recipes were interesting and not all baked goods. (That always makes me sad when the recipes are all cookies and stuff as I’m diabetic).
Now for a minor spoiler. There comes one point when Goldy confronts someone she thinks is selling the stolen stamps and at first passes herself off as a police investigator before backing off that story. All she really does is make him take off in the middle of the night. If this was the real world, she’d probably be arrested for obstruction. At best, she just lost the actual cops a valid lead. And this is what bothers me with cozies. Sometime I wonder why I read so many.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2025
Years ago, a rich Coloradan bought a crumbling British castle, shipped it stone by stone to the Rockies, and rebuilt it with every modern upgrade money could buy. Goldy Bear, caterer and perennial trouble magnet, lands the gig to feed guests inside those ancient walls. After the fallout from her last adventure left clients scarcer than honesty in politics, she jumps at the chance.
The night before her first shift, a bullet shatters her kitchen window. Her husband Tom—cop, rock, and current New Jersey stamp-theft chaser—won’t land home for days. Goldy stares at the glass on her floor and wishes he would hurry.
With her house taped off as a crime scene, the castle owners offer her and her almost-fifteen-year-old son Arch a guest suite. She accepts before the echo dies.
Excitement sours fast. She finds a body floating in the creek that winds past the battlements. Tom finally strides through the door just in time to help haul the corpse out—then gunfire cracks again. This time the bullet finds Tom.
The story drags through the middle like overproofed dough. I almost set it down at two stars. Then the final act snaps tight: a teenager swings a sword at Arch’s head, Goldy races an enraged killer through hidden passages, and every heartbeat counts.
Meet the supporting cast while you’re at it. Arch’s father, fresh from prison, struts in with a girlfriend whose cups runneth over and whose thoughts barely fill a thimble. The castle lord bounces between eccentric and unhinged; his Swiss wife scrubs every surface until it shines, then vanishes before she becomes more than a quirk.
Read this for the recipes, the castle, and the last-dash sprint. The middle wanders, but the finish line justifies the trip.
The night before her first shift, a bullet shatters her kitchen window. Her husband Tom—cop, rock, and current New Jersey stamp-theft chaser—won’t land home for days. Goldy stares at the glass on her floor and wishes he would hurry.
With her house taped off as a crime scene, the castle owners offer her and her almost-fifteen-year-old son Arch a guest suite. She accepts before the echo dies.
Excitement sours fast. She finds a body floating in the creek that winds past the battlements. Tom finally strides through the door just in time to help haul the corpse out—then gunfire cracks again. This time the bullet finds Tom.
The story drags through the middle like overproofed dough. I almost set it down at two stars. Then the final act snaps tight: a teenager swings a sword at Arch’s head, Goldy races an enraged killer through hidden passages, and every heartbeat counts.
Meet the supporting cast while you’re at it. Arch’s father, fresh from prison, struts in with a girlfriend whose cups runneth over and whose thoughts barely fill a thimble. The castle lord bounces between eccentric and unhinged; his Swiss wife scrubs every surface until it shines, then vanishes before she becomes more than a quirk.
Read this for the recipes, the castle, and the last-dash sprint. The middle wanders, but the finish line justifies the trip.
November 26, 2017
Sticks and Scones by Diane Mott Davidson - mixed but enjoyable
I recently won the tea and mystery sweepstakes on bookcrossing.com and this was the first of the books I received.
I've read a lot of American fiction and a lot of American crime, but this one I found quite difficult. It was so folksy American. There were things I had to look up to check what they were (temperatures really confused me. I wondered why she thought -3 was cold until I realised later in the book she probably meant fahrenheit). I hated the pro-gun stance and I got really annoyed that Goldy's husband kept calling her Miss G. Really? Do Americans do that? Now that all makes it sound like I didn't enjoy the book. Wrong. The story itself was a nice little mystery. Kept me guessing until the end.
So, Goldy Shultz is a caterer married to a cop. One night, while he is away, someone shoots out the living room window. There follows a number of murders and crimes. Are they all connected or individual? Done by one person or more? Goldy has got the back up of a number of locals and her husband has his enemies too. The crimes could have been aimed at either of them and committed by any of a number of characters. I really wasn't sure who had done what until it was all tied up at the end.
Sadly, I wasn't particularly taken with the main characters so I doubt I'll hunt out any of the rest of the series but I did enjoy reading it. Thank you so much Harobed82 for sending it to me.
I recently won the tea and mystery sweepstakes on bookcrossing.com and this was the first of the books I received.
I've read a lot of American fiction and a lot of American crime, but this one I found quite difficult. It was so folksy American. There were things I had to look up to check what they were (temperatures really confused me. I wondered why she thought -3 was cold until I realised later in the book she probably meant fahrenheit). I hated the pro-gun stance and I got really annoyed that Goldy's husband kept calling her Miss G. Really? Do Americans do that? Now that all makes it sound like I didn't enjoy the book. Wrong. The story itself was a nice little mystery. Kept me guessing until the end.
So, Goldy Shultz is a caterer married to a cop. One night, while he is away, someone shoots out the living room window. There follows a number of murders and crimes. Are they all connected or individual? Done by one person or more? Goldy has got the back up of a number of locals and her husband has his enemies too. The crimes could have been aimed at either of them and committed by any of a number of characters. I really wasn't sure who had done what until it was all tied up at the end.
Sadly, I wasn't particularly taken with the main characters so I doubt I'll hunt out any of the rest of the series but I did enjoy reading it. Thank you so much Harobed82 for sending it to me.
January 25, 2019
A fun title (I need a book with a pun in the title for a current reading challenge) and like mysteries and baking this so seemed like a great combination. I appreciated (haven't actually tried any yet but intend to) the recipes interspersed in the book and did not mind the rather length cooking/baking descriptions. This book featured Elizabethan or old English recipes that certainly don't occur in most of the cookbooks I have (with the exception of the scones).
Perhaps I needed to start with the first in the series as this was #10, but I found this one to be an overwhelming deluge of clues, false leads and suspicions plus characters to whom I felt very unsympathetic. The superficial characters were not developed in a way that made me care about them at all and the main character, Goldy, the caterer and detective, was especially snarky and juvenile. And then there is the action - I felt like it contained one improbably event after another or at least the combination seemed highly unlikely. I suppose if one is looking for a crazy, read-in-one sitting book that also makes your mouth water and gives you some Elizabethan era tidbits,this .might fit the bill. Possibly my less than favorable review is also colored by the ease of Goldy in her caterer role despite finding a dead body, having her husband shot at and injured, suspecting said husband of infidelity and a smorgasbord of other trials and yet carrying on in the kitchen without missing a beat. Somehow, that doesn't square up with my kitchen experiences and possibly I simply resent her competence......
Perhaps I needed to start with the first in the series as this was #10, but I found this one to be an overwhelming deluge of clues, false leads and suspicions plus characters to whom I felt very unsympathetic. The superficial characters were not developed in a way that made me care about them at all and the main character, Goldy, the caterer and detective, was especially snarky and juvenile. And then there is the action - I felt like it contained one improbably event after another or at least the combination seemed highly unlikely. I suppose if one is looking for a crazy, read-in-one sitting book that also makes your mouth water and gives you some Elizabethan era tidbits,this .might fit the bill. Possibly my less than favorable review is also colored by the ease of Goldy in her caterer role despite finding a dead body, having her husband shot at and injured, suspecting said husband of infidelity and a smorgasbord of other trials and yet carrying on in the kitchen without missing a beat. Somehow, that doesn't square up with my kitchen experiences and possibly I simply resent her competence......
June 10, 2021
Arch has got a brand-new obsession—fencing! At one time, it was magic, then skiing and now dueling with foils. What’s next? Horse racing? (Oh wait, horsey phases are for girls…)
One thing I’ve noticed with previous mysteries in this series is that Goldy doesn’t seem to solve mysteries, per se. her snooping just brings her a little too close to the truth and then the killer catches her, snarls out a confession and poor Goldy has to run for her life while dodging the murderous fiend.
But this novel redeems that—mostly. She manages to ferret out the miscreant involved, unearths a mystery, figure out the train of clues and where they lead, locate a stash of purloined goods without the confession. Good for her!
However, once again, she deduces the culprit while fleeing for her life. She also suffers a potentially lethal injury. Honest to Pete, this woman gets hurt more often than her cop husband, as he humorously points out to her. All this on top of the damage inflicted by her physically abused ex-husband, who broke one of her thumbs in three places and injured both of her shoulders. It’s a wonder she isn’t in a wheelchair or drooling from her head trauma.
The subtext of this mystery is about keeping secrets, although the author gives that away as she does in other novels. But what Ms. Davidson lacks in subtlety, she more than makes up for in the continuing growth, curiosity, intelligence and skills of Goldy Schulz and her extended family.
One thing I’ve noticed with previous mysteries in this series is that Goldy doesn’t seem to solve mysteries, per se. her snooping just brings her a little too close to the truth and then the killer catches her, snarls out a confession and poor Goldy has to run for her life while dodging the murderous fiend.
But this novel redeems that—mostly. She manages to ferret out the miscreant involved, unearths a mystery, figure out the train of clues and where they lead, locate a stash of purloined goods without the confession. Good for her!
However, once again, she deduces the culprit while fleeing for her life. She also suffers a potentially lethal injury. Honest to Pete, this woman gets hurt more often than her cop husband, as he humorously points out to her. All this on top of the damage inflicted by her physically abused ex-husband, who broke one of her thumbs in three places and injured both of her shoulders. It’s a wonder she isn’t in a wheelchair or drooling from her head trauma.
The subtext of this mystery is about keeping secrets, although the author gives that away as she does in other novels. But what Ms. Davidson lacks in subtlety, she more than makes up for in the continuing growth, curiosity, intelligence and skills of Goldy Schulz and her extended family.
January 10, 2023
Sticks & Scones by Diane Mott Davidson is the 10th book of the Goldy Bear mystery series set in contemporary Colorado. Goldy, a professional caterer, is excited to be catering Elizabethan fare in a castle. But before she can get started, an unknown adversary shoots out her living room window. She and her son move into the castle for their own safety, as her sheriff husband Tom is out of state on a case. A chapel associated with the castle is the site of one of her catering banquets. She goes to scope it out - and discovers a dead body. It's one of the perpetrators in the robbery Tom is investigating in New Jersey. Tom is on his way home, and Goldy waits for police to arrive.
Tom arrives first at the crime scene, where a hidden sniper shoots him. He's rushed to the hospital, but manages to tell Goldy first, "I didn't love her". So Goldy is frantic for Tom's survival, but also plunged into doubt. She resolves to do some sleuthing herself, since Tom can't. Another concern: ex-husband "The Jerk" is out on parole.
Goldy solves the robbery case, finds hidden loot, meets Tom's long-ago fiancée, and whips up fabulous catered meals along the way. She survives boiling water poured over her as she escapes the castle. Her son survives attack by a fellow fencing student. Plenty of mishaps and side plots in this entertaining story. Plenty of recipes, too: Castle Scones, Figgie Salad, Stained Glass Sweet Bread, 911 Chocolate Emergency Cookies, Queen of Scots Shortbread, Damson in Distress Plum Tarts, Shakespeare's Steak Pie (with Upper Crust Pastry), Huevos Palacios (with Boulder Chili), Shuttlecock Shrimp Curry, Penny-Prick Potato Casserole.
Tom arrives first at the crime scene, where a hidden sniper shoots him. He's rushed to the hospital, but manages to tell Goldy first, "I didn't love her". So Goldy is frantic for Tom's survival, but also plunged into doubt. She resolves to do some sleuthing herself, since Tom can't. Another concern: ex-husband "The Jerk" is out on parole.
Goldy solves the robbery case, finds hidden loot, meets Tom's long-ago fiancée, and whips up fabulous catered meals along the way. She survives boiling water poured over her as she escapes the castle. Her son survives attack by a fellow fencing student. Plenty of mishaps and side plots in this entertaining story. Plenty of recipes, too: Castle Scones, Figgie Salad, Stained Glass Sweet Bread, 911 Chocolate Emergency Cookies, Queen of Scots Shortbread, Damson in Distress Plum Tarts, Shakespeare's Steak Pie (with Upper Crust Pastry), Huevos Palacios (with Boulder Chili), Shuttlecock Shrimp Curry, Penny-Prick Potato Casserole.
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