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Sophie Katz Murder Mystery #7
Chaos, Desire & a Kick-Ass Cupcake
Nothing cures a case of the doldrums faster than a terrifying murder... Mystery writer and dabbling amateur sleuth, Sophie Katz, knows her career and her fiery love affair with P.I. boyfriend, Anatoly Darinsky can survive anything except decaf and boredom. So, when Anatoly passes up a mysterious stalker case, Sophie decides to take it on herself...just for the drama of it all. But when people involved in the case start dying under suspicious circumstances and the stalker sets his sights on Sophie what started as a recreational undertaking quickly becomes an obsession. Is art and passion really worth risking your life for? And if not, will Sophie to walk away before it's too late?
344 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 2017
58 people are currently reading
574 people want to read
About the author
Kyra Davis
29 books1,521 followersNew York Times bestselling author of JUST ONE NIGHT, DECEPTIVE INNOCENCE, the Sophie Katz mysteries, SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING and the upcoming DANGEROUS ALLIANCE, JUST ONCE MORE and JUST ONE LIE (July 28th, 2015).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 17, 2017
Sophie is back!
It’s been awhile since Sophie Katz put words towards a novel, but life with Anatoly has settled down into a cozy routine. Out of boredom, she invites herself to help him on his next case (Anatoly is a private eye), a very sick man comes in convinced he’s being poisoned as well as being followed. Big Pharma and the government are behind what’s happening to him, he says.
Anatoly thinks he’s a crackpot, but Sophie isn’t so sure.
Friends Marc (and her hairstylist), Maryann, Dena (adult toy shop owner) , and Jason are on hand to lend their support as Sophie tries to find proof that might help convince Anatoly to look more into the case he turned away!
Once things get rolling, it was hard to put down! So glad that Sophie is back in action!
It’s been awhile since Sophie Katz put words towards a novel, but life with Anatoly has settled down into a cozy routine. Out of boredom, she invites herself to help him on his next case (Anatoly is a private eye), a very sick man comes in convinced he’s being poisoned as well as being followed. Big Pharma and the government are behind what’s happening to him, he says.
Anatoly thinks he’s a crackpot, but Sophie isn’t so sure.
Friends Marc (and her hairstylist), Maryann, Dena (adult toy shop owner) , and Jason are on hand to lend their support as Sophie tries to find proof that might help convince Anatoly to look more into the case he turned away!
Once things get rolling, it was hard to put down! So glad that Sophie is back in action!
December 31, 2017
The Sophie we know and love is back. She was well worth the wait! Love this series and can’t wait for more.
November 24, 2020
I love Sophie Katz and her stories!! Need another book, action, mystery, comedy, sex and love all wrapped in this book!!!
June 13, 2021
It's been a while since I've been in the world of Sophie Katz. I forgot just how chaotic this world could be. The title really should have clued me in.
In a way, I'm glad I stuck it out and finished this series, even knowing that the last two books were a little bit too much for me. While this book did leave us on a bit of a wild cliffhanger, I'm under the impression that there this is the series finale. And let me tell ya, we went out with a bang.
Sophie really dove into the deep end with this one. But the thing is, I was keeping up with Sophie every step of the way. Every clue she uncovered, I was right there with her, clicking things into place. It was kind of fun to be on par with the protagonist of my novel.
This book was definitely a mind-fuck and a half at some points. The scope of the mystery was so broad at the outset, I was legitimately worried for a while that this was going to end up being way bigger than it ended up being. In the end, the scope narrowed down, and that's when things started to get interesting. At least, for me.
However, one line in this book really stuck with me: "If someone tells you they're doing something for the greater good what they're really telling you is they're about to do something very bad. Good deeds don't have to be justified." This is a quote that's going to stay with me for a very, very long time.
Despite the cliffhanger hint of potentially more to come, if this series ends here, I think that would be a good thing. I enjoyed my adventures with Sophie Katz, but her brand of chaos is just a little to much for me these days.
Sophie's mysteries were fun-filled, dramatic, and full of adrenaline. I enjoyed getting to know her, and her world. But now it's time to start getting to know a whole new world of mystery. Good thing I have a series waiting on standby!
In a way, I'm glad I stuck it out and finished this series, even knowing that the last two books were a little bit too much for me. While this book did leave us on a bit of a wild cliffhanger, I'm under the impression that there this is the series finale. And let me tell ya, we went out with a bang.
Sophie really dove into the deep end with this one. But the thing is, I was keeping up with Sophie every step of the way. Every clue she uncovered, I was right there with her, clicking things into place. It was kind of fun to be on par with the protagonist of my novel.
This book was definitely a mind-fuck and a half at some points. The scope of the mystery was so broad at the outset, I was legitimately worried for a while that this was going to end up being way bigger than it ended up being. In the end, the scope narrowed down, and that's when things started to get interesting. At least, for me.
However, one line in this book really stuck with me: "If someone tells you they're doing something for the greater good what they're really telling you is they're about to do something very bad. Good deeds don't have to be justified." This is a quote that's going to stay with me for a very, very long time.
Despite the cliffhanger hint of potentially more to come, if this series ends here, I think that would be a good thing. I enjoyed my adventures with Sophie Katz, but her brand of chaos is just a little to much for me these days.
Sophie's mysteries were fun-filled, dramatic, and full of adrenaline. I enjoyed getting to know her, and her world. But now it's time to start getting to know a whole new world of mystery. Good thing I have a series waiting on standby!
January 15, 2018
1. I want that cupcake recipe. It might solve myriad Thanksgiving table crises and potentially bring peace to the Middle East.
2. Mr. Katz is the perfect name for a cat. Ms. Dogz is a stupid name for a dog.
3. Sophie and Anatoly would be exhausting to be friends with.
4. I'm glad to know Anatoly does have clay feet and a conscience. Not that I believed he was perfect (that whole brooding secretive crap would be annoying and awful), but this was the first book where I saw him screw up and really have trouble coming to terms with it.
2. Mr. Katz is the perfect name for a cat. Ms. Dogz is a stupid name for a dog.
3. Sophie and Anatoly would be exhausting to be friends with.
4. I'm glad to know Anatoly does have clay feet and a conscience. Not that I believed he was perfect (that whole brooding secretive crap would be annoying and awful), but this was the first book where I saw him screw up and really have trouble coming to terms with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2018
I love Sophie
I love Kyra Davis and Sophie. She is an amazing writer and her characters are so well thought out and executed that it feels like I know them personally. I would love to go for a night on the town with Sophie, Dena, Mary Ann and Marcus. This book had me believing in conspiracy theories but also thinking Sophie was crazy. I can't wait to read another Sophie Katz book. I wish I could read Dying to Laugh as well.
I love Kyra Davis and Sophie. She is an amazing writer and her characters are so well thought out and executed that it feels like I know them personally. I would love to go for a night on the town with Sophie, Dena, Mary Ann and Marcus. This book had me believing in conspiracy theories but also thinking Sophie was crazy. I can't wait to read another Sophie Katz book. I wish I could read Dying to Laugh as well.
September 15, 2018
After a much too long hiatus, so glad to have Sophie back! Not the strongest storyline, and please can I lend my services as a copy editor to clean up some of the typos(?!), but a light hearted, fast-read mystery nonetheless. Recommend reading the preceding book in the series again before diving into this one—feel like I am missing out on the significance of some of the developments at the end of the book.
April 23, 2018
I've never been disappointed by a Kyra Davis book and this one is no exception. Fabulous writing and great characters that I wish I knew in real life. Can't wait for another book! Easy read and great pace. Still remember discovering this author while roaming my local bookstore and so glad I picked it up.
June 13, 2019
Not quite as funny as the rest of the series, but still good! Most of the characters seem a little grumpy (like Marcus - too bad!) and worn down in this one. There are many editing errors throughout the book. Now that I’ve reached the end of the series, I need to find the next sassy heroine(s) to enjoy. I do hope Kyra Davis writes more adventures for Sophie!
July 17, 2018
This one was self published and the typos and errors show it. It was nice to revisit the characters but the pacing was slow. I think it was a good story that could have used the benefit of good editors.
January 5, 2019
I was so thrilled to see another book in this series! I loved this story and the series is so fun. The writing is so good; the plot and subcharacters are phenomenal. The narrator is spectacular too, she really brings Sophie to life! I hope to see more in this series!!!
January 10, 2018
Yay! Sophie, Anatoly and the gang are back! It's been way too long between books. I loved revisiting old friends and can't wait to see where this series goes in the future.
March 5, 2018
I love everything about these books! I love the way she writes, the characters, and how there is humor mixed in to a murder mystery. Please don't wait so long to write the next one!
April 14, 2018
She's back!!
How I have missed Sophie and her tribe. A delightful mystery and I'm hoping that the cliffie at the end means we will have another Sophie book.
How I have missed Sophie and her tribe. A delightful mystery and I'm hoping that the cliffie at the end means we will have another Sophie book.
February 12, 2022
I am so obsessed with this series, I just found the first book, Sex, Murder & a Double Latte, about 6 months ago and haven’t been able to stop since. I can’t wait for more!
November 26, 2017
Chaos, Desire & A Kick-Ass Cupcake: Sophie Katz 7
Reading in chronological order recommended but not necessary
In A Nutshell:Sophie zany lady writer detective has lost her mojo. Until the crazy (or not) Aaron London asks P.I. Anatoly Darinsky, beau of Sophie for help. He says the system is conspiring against him. Anatoly says no, but Sophie promises to find out who is trying to kill Aaron. Except he dies, that day. Entertaining and adult.
The Plot: Aaron London suspects Big Pharma is following him and poisoning him. Anatoly finds stalking in a zip car an unlikely tale. Nor is he convinced that London is mentally stable, especially with his conspiracy theories. Sophie has doubts but promises to follow up on London's fears. He then dies. Was it murder or his schizophrenia and a lack of meds?
The Protagonist(s):Sophie is a cool cat with Joie de vivre. A fun-loving, loyal friend who lives life in the fast lane. She is also fiercely independent and insanely curious. Enter her sleuth personality.
Welcome back, Sophie. I missed her and her friends. They are a mixed trio. Sophie has a love of life and writes. Dena owns an adult toy shop and doesn't suffer fools. Maryann is slow on the uptake if she ever gets it. Yet, this blend of personalities works remarkably well. And the story is not complete without Marcus, her style designer. Between them, Sophie finds love, support, and wisdom.
The plot is a bit crazy and pushes the boundaries, but it's an amusing book and worth reading. I enjoy the innocence of Maryann. And Dena is the solid type of friend we all need. The trio makes me laugh. And that's because the characters are well written.
The story draws you into Sophie's world. The words conjure up vivid pictures of her home, Mr Katz (the cat), the armchair and her tapping away on her computer. I admit I do get bored with the Anatoly and Sophie sex scenes but hey. The house sounds nice.
The plot nicely concludes with a bit of philosophy thrown in and sets us up for the next instalment.
Read it, read it, read it, read it just read it, read it, read it ( to the theme of beat it)
Connect with me on Twitter and FB
See all my reviews
Check out my blog on imjussayin
Book Rating
Sexual Content: 18
Language: 18
Violent: u
Would I read the next oneor reread?: Yes
My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1* Finished the book but didn't like it.
2* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or unusual plot.
5* A great read. A prominent example of the genre.
Reading in chronological order recommended but not necessary
In A Nutshell:Sophie zany lady writer detective has lost her mojo. Until the crazy (or not) Aaron London asks P.I. Anatoly Darinsky, beau of Sophie for help. He says the system is conspiring against him. Anatoly says no, but Sophie promises to find out who is trying to kill Aaron. Except he dies, that day. Entertaining and adult.
The Plot: Aaron London suspects Big Pharma is following him and poisoning him. Anatoly finds stalking in a zip car an unlikely tale. Nor is he convinced that London is mentally stable, especially with his conspiracy theories. Sophie has doubts but promises to follow up on London's fears. He then dies. Was it murder or his schizophrenia and a lack of meds?
The Protagonist(s):Sophie is a cool cat with Joie de vivre. A fun-loving, loyal friend who lives life in the fast lane. She is also fiercely independent and insanely curious. Enter her sleuth personality.
Welcome back, Sophie. I missed her and her friends. They are a mixed trio. Sophie has a love of life and writes. Dena owns an adult toy shop and doesn't suffer fools. Maryann is slow on the uptake if she ever gets it. Yet, this blend of personalities works remarkably well. And the story is not complete without Marcus, her style designer. Between them, Sophie finds love, support, and wisdom.
The plot is a bit crazy and pushes the boundaries, but it's an amusing book and worth reading. I enjoy the innocence of Maryann. And Dena is the solid type of friend we all need. The trio makes me laugh. And that's because the characters are well written.
The story draws you into Sophie's world. The words conjure up vivid pictures of her home, Mr Katz (the cat), the armchair and her tapping away on her computer. I admit I do get bored with the Anatoly and Sophie sex scenes but hey. The house sounds nice.
The plot nicely concludes with a bit of philosophy thrown in and sets us up for the next instalment.
Read it, read it, read it, read it just read it, read it, read it ( to the theme of beat it)
Connect with me on Twitter and FB
See all my reviews
Check out my blog on imjussayin
Book Rating
Sexual Content: 18
Language: 18
Violent: u
Would I read the next one
My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1* Finished the book but didn't like it.
2* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or unusual plot.
5* A great read. A prominent example of the genre.
March 14, 2021
Chaos, Desire and A Kick-Ass Cupcake by Kyra Davis. If your looking for a fun, light, easy amateur private eye series that’s also a little raunchy this is the one for you. This is the 7th book in the series. It follows Sophie Katz, author/part time trouble maker and her sexy, Russian boyfriend/actual private detective Anatoly chase down the bad guys. Along for the ride are Sophie’s eclectic groups of friends including best friend Dena - sex toy store owner/dominatrix, Mary Ann - Dena’s slightly naive but sweetly intentioned sister, and Marcus, Sophie’s wizard of a hair stylist because everyone has a bad hair day.
In this installment Anatoly passes on a stalking case but when the client dies practically in front of Sophie she is determined to find answers even if it means going up against Big Pharma, conspiracy theories, stalkers and who is that guy in the black baseball hat?
Although, Sophie frustrates me at times as she can be stubborn and, in my opinion, a bit selfish - especially in how she communicates with Anatoly I still love her sassy attitude and hilarious, snarky inner dialogue. She is a fun character to read and from the last page it seems she will be back for another adventure.
In this installment Anatoly passes on a stalking case but when the client dies practically in front of Sophie she is determined to find answers even if it means going up against Big Pharma, conspiracy theories, stalkers and who is that guy in the black baseball hat?
Although, Sophie frustrates me at times as she can be stubborn and, in my opinion, a bit selfish - especially in how she communicates with Anatoly I still love her sassy attitude and hilarious, snarky inner dialogue. She is a fun character to read and from the last page it seems she will be back for another adventure.
October 11, 2021
I’ve enjoyed all of the Sophie Katz books. Sophie is an incredible protagonist whose personality molds the narration so much that any reader with an ounce of empathy would actually experience her described emotions as she told her story. The mysteries are always intriguing and unique. The howdunnit and whydunnit are often as important, if not more important than the question of whodunnit. I love that Kyra Davis leaves clues throughout the book so that you, the reader, are not blindsided by a reveal coming in from left field. Do these clues make it easy to guess the end? Some times. Does it ruin the book for me if I do predict it? Hell no. I had a lot of correct predictions while reading this book, but each tiny reveal that affirmed by suspicions was just as thrilling than if I had been totally surprised.
As a testament to how thrilling these books are, I just couldn’t put it down. Every available second I had, driving, doing laundry, cooking, working out, I was listening to the audiobooks or scrolling through the ebooks on my phone. I’ve stayed up till midnight to read, and I’ve woken up at 6:00 am to read (Sophie Katz would not approve).
Anyway. Read this book. It works as a stand alone, but it is much better with the context of the six preceding books. Do it. Read it.
As a testament to how thrilling these books are, I just couldn’t put it down. Every available second I had, driving, doing laundry, cooking, working out, I was listening to the audiobooks or scrolling through the ebooks on my phone. I’ve stayed up till midnight to read, and I’ve woken up at 6:00 am to read (Sophie Katz would not approve).
Anyway. Read this book. It works as a stand alone, but it is much better with the context of the six preceding books. Do it. Read it.
November 2, 2017
Love these books and was very excited to hear that Sophie was making a come back!
This book had everything I love about her books. Murder, romance and friendship. It was missing some of the friendship humor that I have always loved but I still enjoyed the books.
If you haven't read these books before you can start with any of them as they are all stand alone but I would definitely start at the beginning so you can understand the friendships. 😊
This book had everything I love about her books. Murder, romance and friendship. It was missing some of the friendship humor that I have always loved but I still enjoyed the books.
If you haven't read these books before you can start with any of them as they are all stand alone but I would definitely start at the beginning so you can understand the friendships. 😊
February 24, 2018
So happy Sophie and the gang are back at it! The mystery was really good, with lots of twists and turns, and the ending definitely leaves you excitedly awaiting the next book. However, this book seems to miss out on some of the fun friendship humor that was found in the past books. This story left me wanting more of the gang. Sophie, in her quest for excitement, is a bit annoying at times, and her relationship with Anatoly comes across as almost forced.
October 31, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, I've missed Sophie, Anatoly even,,Dena and Mary Ann . There's the right mix of escapism and relevant 2017 blah. quick read and unpredictable ending. I hope we get more Sophie next year
May 24, 2021
Not a fan of this one. I liked the main story. I really disliked the side story. Sophie is sabotaging her relationship. My stomach was knotted for 2/3 of the book. Ending was intriguing but not helpful for her and Anatoly.
November 29, 2024
Not as good as books 1-4
It felt like the author had a writers block when she started this book. I loved 1-4 and 6, but 7 wasn’t so great. I wish there was an 8 so I could see if it was just a fluke.
It felt like the author had a writers block when she started this book. I loved 1-4 and 6, but 7 wasn’t so great. I wish there was an 8 so I could see if it was just a fluke.
December 30, 2024
What a good conclusion to one of my favorite series. I did not give it 5 stars because I wanted to read more. I did not like that it ended on a cliffhanger. I loved the journey I took with these characters and would love to red more by this author.
October 27, 2017
IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK!!
June 15, 2018
Always such a nice read. The Sophie Katz novels have just enough spice and mystery to keep you involved in the story.
July 13, 2018
So nice to have Sophie's back!
August 6, 2018
Much better storyline after book 6.
August 15, 2018
Always love Sophie’s stories. This one everything I expected. A joy and a really good read.
March 23, 2019
Ah, Sophie Katz I have missed you.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews