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Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery #13
Dark Tort
The New York Times bestselling author cooks up a knockout treat featuring the irrepressible caterer Goldy SchulzGoldy Schulz has a lucrative new gig, preparing breakfasts and conference-room snacks for a local law firm. It's time-consuming, but Goldy is enjoying it -- until the night she arrives to find Dusty, the firm's paralegal, dead.
"I tripped over the body of
Dusty Routt at half past ten on the
night of October 19. . . ."
The poor young woman also happened to be Goldy's friend and neighbor, and now Dusty's grieving mother begs Goldy to find out who murdered her daughter.Just because the police are on the case doesn't mean Goldy can't do a little snooping herself.
While catering a party at the home of one of the firm's lawyers, she manages to overhear an incriminating conversation and ends up discovering a few clues in the kitchen.
Before long, Goldy is knee-deep in suspects, one of whom is incredibly dangerous and very liable to cook Goldy's goose.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
609 people are currently reading
2290 people want to read
About the author
Diane Mott Davidson
76 books2,323 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 476 reviews
April 30, 2023
Book Review
3+ of 5 stars to Dark Tort, the 13th book in the "Goldy Bear Schultz Culinary" cozy mystery series, written in 2006 by Diane Mott Davidson. Although I love this series, I would have purchased this book no matter what... the cover is delicious. I love chocolate and had a thing for cooking torts right around the time this book was released. The desserts came out great, but I didn't use her recipe, as I have one of my own! Anyway... back to the book review... the clever title play in this one is amusing, given it's all about a law firm. And a character named Dusty... and someone "bites" the "dust." OK, two bad puns in a row, I better wrap this one up. A good mystery for the series. Fun characters. Typical book in the series. Worth a read. I know we're coming up on the end of the series, which is a good thing... as 15 should be the max. The setting is the best part of this one, as Goldy gets to travel all around town, more than usual, and learns a lot about the law!
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.
3+ of 5 stars to Dark Tort, the 13th book in the "Goldy Bear Schultz Culinary" cozy mystery series, written in 2006 by Diane Mott Davidson. Although I love this series, I would have purchased this book no matter what... the cover is delicious. I love chocolate and had a thing for cooking torts right around the time this book was released. The desserts came out great, but I didn't use her recipe, as I have one of my own! Anyway... back to the book review... the clever title play in this one is amusing, given it's all about a law firm. And a character named Dusty... and someone "bites" the "dust." OK, two bad puns in a row, I better wrap this one up. A good mystery for the series. Fun characters. Typical book in the series. Worth a read. I know we're coming up on the end of the series, which is a good thing... as 15 should be the max. The setting is the best part of this one, as Goldy gets to travel all around town, more than usual, and learns a lot about the law!
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.
Read
December 3, 2021In this 13th book in the 'Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery' series, Goldy Schulz, who's a professional caterer and amateur sleuth, sets out to discover who killed her neighbor. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Goldy Schulz, who has a catering business in Aspen Meadows, Colorado, caters delicious breakfasts for a local law firm and occasionally provides food for lawyer-client meetings.
Things take a bad turn when Goldy arrives at the law firm one night - to prepare for the next day - and stumbles over the body of her young neighbor Dusty Routt. Dusty had been training to be a paralegal for the law firm and was meeting Goldy for a cooking lesson.
Dusty's mother doesn't trust the police and begs Goldy to find out what happened to her daughter. Goldy, who's solved many murders in the past, agrees. To find Dusty's murderer, Goldy does her own sleuthing AND gets inside information from her husband Tom Schulz, who's a sheriff's detective.
As Goldy is snooping around she discovers that there have been shenanigans at the law firm, including extramarital affairs. Goldy also learns that Dusty may have stumbled on irregularities in the affairs of Charlie Baker, a deceased client and famous artist, whose possessions she was inventorying.
As all this is going on, Goldy caters a birthday party for one of the firm's lawyers; gives driving lessons to her fifteen-year-old son Arch (which are ALWAYS a disaster 😊); hosts Arch's recently discovered half-brother; prepares recipes with her assistant Julian; chitchats with her best friend Marla; snuggles with her hubby Tom; and so on.
There are plenty of suspects, but Goldy sorts through the flotsam and jetsam to solve the case.
The novel isn't as good as the early books in the series (IMO). The stories were more interesting when Goldy was a single mother struggling to make a living who had to deal with an abusive (but colorful) ex-husband named John Richard Korman (aka 'the jerk'). It was satisfying to see Goldy and her friend Marla plot against the troublemaker.
It's great that Goldy is now settled down and happily married, but the cozies are less exciting. Still, this is a pleasant read to pass an afternoon.
FYI: There's food preparation throughout the story, and - for people whose taste buds are stimulated - the recipes (including crustless asparagus quiche) are furnished at the end.
Crustless Asparagus Quiche
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
August 23, 2007
Almost didn't buy this because her last book sucked so much. This one wasn't nearly as bad, but still wasn't that good. The main problems with this one is that Goldy has no plausible reason to be involved with the investigation, that she goes about it in such a haphazard way, and she leaves the vital clue lying around for a week, only to discover it just as the killer comes to polish her off. Then there's the fact that she and her husband Tom have multiple conversations where they tell each other things they should already know, and the strained dialog (like when Goldy asks a young woman if the murdered girl had had any "romantic liaisons"). I really enjoyed this series more when Goldy had real obstacles to overcome and her involvement with the murders was more immediate and personal.
March 12, 2018
It has been years since I read a "Goldy Bear" mystery and it was kind of weird to be back in her world. There were people and events that I had totally forgotten about or just plain don't remember at all. It was like knowing people, but really having to relearn who they were again.
This one was very good - I had no idea and was really kind of shocked. The story was very good and I enjoyed listening all afternoon on my lazy Sunday. I look forward to the other two I have left to read before the series is finished for me.
This one was very good - I had no idea and was really kind of shocked. The story was very good and I enjoyed listening all afternoon on my lazy Sunday. I look forward to the other two I have left to read before the series is finished for me.
June 30, 2023
First, I did not know this was a series, until I started reading and realized there were some references to some past histories.
But, I kept on reading, and hoped the author would fill in the blanks. She did.
So, for those who might be concerned, you can read this as a stand-alone.
This is a mystery cozy series with some recipes.
The title, probably was a bit of a give away, yes?
Here is the premise of this #13: Goldy Schulz, who's a professional caterer and amateur sleuth, sets out to discover who killed her neighbor.
It is a quick and light read, but a slow moving plot.
I don’t know if it has anything to do with the fact that it is a continuing character or not.
If you like foodie type of books, you will enjoy the cooking.
She has a way of tidying things up towards the end.
But, I kept on reading, and hoped the author would fill in the blanks. She did.
So, for those who might be concerned, you can read this as a stand-alone.
This is a mystery cozy series with some recipes.
The title, probably was a bit of a give away, yes?
Here is the premise of this #13: Goldy Schulz, who's a professional caterer and amateur sleuth, sets out to discover who killed her neighbor.
It is a quick and light read, but a slow moving plot.
I don’t know if it has anything to do with the fact that it is a continuing character or not.
If you like foodie type of books, you will enjoy the cooking.
She has a way of tidying things up towards the end.
February 26, 2017
I always love the Goldy Schultz mysteries, so when I saw this at my father's assisted living library, I borrowed it. As always, it was sweet but formulaic. With Goldy, you know that, whatever the nasty crime, she will solve it and, while she does, scarf up a ton of espresso and make a ton of great food (recipes always included). One summer a book group I belonged to each read a different Goldy Schultz and made a recipe from the book. We all ate together. Wasn't anything that wasn't delicious. Try it!
May 7, 2018
Okay, so this is a did not finish for me. I just couldn't get past the sub-par writing. The strange way Goldy responded to discovering the body, and the bizarre sensation of the characters not being characters but paper cut outs just put me off.
July 7, 2013
I was surprised how much I liked this book. I picked it up cheap at a library sale, figuring I wouldn't mind reading just one more food-themed mystery.
Dark Tort begins with Goldy literally stumbling over her friend Dusty's body. When Dusty's mother charges her with finding out what happened, Goldy, who has questions of her own already, begins sleuthing around (as much as a busy caterer can) to find some answers.
Two things really impressed me: I felt that the characters were well-developed, rather than relying on "types". That's not to say each and every character was given a complex back-story and multi-faceted personality. Some of them were just friendly or colorful or snobby, but those were characters the reader didn't necessarily see much of. On the whole, the characters felt realistic to me.
The other thing I found cool was that Dusty's mother doesn't just let the police handle the investigation because she and her family have been routinely shunted aside as 2nd-class citizens. Dusty's ambition and the bigotry of the suspects comes up over and over in the course of Goldy's investigation. I wouldn't say that Diane Mott Davidson tackles these issues, but she does raise them, which I appreciated.
Dark Tort begins with Goldy literally stumbling over her friend Dusty's body. When Dusty's mother charges her with finding out what happened, Goldy, who has questions of her own already, begins sleuthing around (as much as a busy caterer can) to find some answers.
Two things really impressed me: I felt that the characters were well-developed, rather than relying on "types". That's not to say each and every character was given a complex back-story and multi-faceted personality. Some of them were just friendly or colorful or snobby, but those were characters the reader didn't necessarily see much of. On the whole, the characters felt realistic to me.
The other thing I found cool was that Dusty's mother doesn't just let the police handle the investigation because she and her family have been routinely shunted aside as 2nd-class citizens. Dusty's ambition and the bigotry of the suspects comes up over and over in the course of Goldy's investigation. I wouldn't say that Diane Mott Davidson tackles these issues, but she does raise them, which I appreciated.
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July 29, 2011This one was signed by Diane for me at my first author signing.
October 21, 2010
I find myself defenseless when it comes to Diane Mott Davidson ... I read her ! Good or bad I read her, and this was more good than bad, but not THAT good. Sorry, Diane.
My main complaint is that Diane has become redundant. How so, you ask ? In trivial word usage for one thing. Goldy is forever having "a shot of latte" or a "triple shot of latte" or "expresso latte" from her little machine in the kitchen-to-die-for until I wonder if many of her continual crisises happen because she is so jacked up on caffeine !
Dark Torte is the story of the discovery of yet another body. This of Dusty over whom Goldy trips when entering the Law Offices where she caters breakfasts (recipes included, of course). Dusty is dead, naturally, and the rest of the book is spent solving her murder. I had it solved by mid-book which is another disappointment as Diane usually keeps me engaged much longer. I did read on needing to solve the very many sub-plots which were more interesting in some cases than the main plot.
Sorry to not sell the book, Diane. But then, that's not MY responsibility. Maybe a "shot of dulche latte" will help ease the pain.
My main complaint is that Diane has become redundant. How so, you ask ? In trivial word usage for one thing. Goldy is forever having "a shot of latte" or a "triple shot of latte" or "expresso latte" from her little machine in the kitchen-to-die-for until I wonder if many of her continual crisises happen because she is so jacked up on caffeine !
Dark Torte is the story of the discovery of yet another body. This of Dusty over whom Goldy trips when entering the Law Offices where she caters breakfasts (recipes included, of course). Dusty is dead, naturally, and the rest of the book is spent solving her murder. I had it solved by mid-book which is another disappointment as Diane usually keeps me engaged much longer. I did read on needing to solve the very many sub-plots which were more interesting in some cases than the main plot.
Sorry to not sell the book, Diane. But then, that's not MY responsibility. Maybe a "shot of dulche latte" will help ease the pain.
November 8, 2023
this book was ok but it wasn't one of my favorite I borrowed from my mom . I coulded finish it because got kinda boring for me.
March 9, 2018
AUTHOR Davidson, Diane Mott
TITLE: Dark Tort
DATE READ 03/08/2018
RATING 4.5/B+
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF Mystery/2006/ Harper Collins/ 282 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE #13
FIRST LINES: I tripped the body of my friend Dusty Routt at half past ten on the night of October 19.
CHARACTERS Goldy Schulz/caterer
TIME/PLACE: 2006/Colorado
COMMENTS It has been some time since I read the Goldy Schulz series and it was good to revisit. Goldy now has a consistent job with a local law firm, preparing breakfasts, snacks for meetings and other events. Her young neighbor, Dusty is working there as a paralegal and is getting cooking lessons from Goldy. When Goldy shows up one night to prepare for the next day's breakfast she finds the dead body of her friend and neighbor. Dusty's mother has not had a good history with local law enforcement and asks Goldy to look into things for her.
TITLE: Dark Tort
DATE READ 03/08/2018
RATING 4.5/B+
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF Mystery/2006/ Harper Collins/ 282 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE #13
FIRST LINES: I tripped the body of my friend Dusty Routt at half past ten on the night of October 19.
CHARACTERS Goldy Schulz/caterer
TIME/PLACE: 2006/Colorado
COMMENTS It has been some time since I read the Goldy Schulz series and it was good to revisit. Goldy now has a consistent job with a local law firm, preparing breakfasts, snacks for meetings and other events. Her young neighbor, Dusty is working there as a paralegal and is getting cooking lessons from Goldy. When Goldy shows up one night to prepare for the next day's breakfast she finds the dead body of her friend and neighbor. Dusty's mother has not had a good history with local law enforcement and asks Goldy to look into things for her.
September 7, 2019
Golfy caters breakfasts at a law firm. This morning is different; she stumbles on the body of one of the paralegals, a good friend named Dusty. There's no shortage of suspects. Does this have anything to do with a hit and run? With a local painter falling to his death? And what's with Goldy not being able to make a Journey Cake?
What happened to the expensive bracelet that Dusty promised to tell Goldy about? Was the motive robbery? Or something more sinister?
These books make me want to cook (and eat). The process of preparing food is spelled out in so many ways. Sometimes, it feels sensual in these books.
This is the 13th in the series. It is getting annoying that Goldy still has bald tires on her catering van. We know that she and Tom are not that hard up....but yet, the ramshackle nature of the van persists.
Otherwise, a passable mystery. I think I've red all but one in the series, if not all of them (I actually think I read this one maybe when it came out in 2006, but did not remember it, or who dun it). The various mysteries in the book, about the painter, the paralegal and why she was murdered, all dovetailed at the end.
What happened to the expensive bracelet that Dusty promised to tell Goldy about? Was the motive robbery? Or something more sinister?
These books make me want to cook (and eat). The process of preparing food is spelled out in so many ways. Sometimes, it feels sensual in these books.
This is the 13th in the series. It is getting annoying that Goldy still has bald tires on her catering van. We know that she and Tom are not that hard up....but yet, the ramshackle nature of the van persists.
Otherwise, a passable mystery. I think I've red all but one in the series, if not all of them (I actually think I read this one maybe when it came out in 2006, but did not remember it, or who dun it). The various mysteries in the book, about the painter, the paralegal and why she was murdered, all dovetailed at the end.
July 25, 2023
Looking forward to making the recipes.
October 17, 2016
This is the thirteenth book in the series and we are moving right along. Goldy got a steady gig catering breakfast meetings for a law firm. Her neighbor, Dusty works at the law firm and she was teaching Dusty how to cook. Goldy shows up for their weekly cooking lesson and she finds her friend dead on the floor. All Goldy knew was Dusty wanted to talk to her about something but is not sure what. It gets stranger the more Goldy investigates and she feels she should since she knew the victim. The mystery gets stranger and stranger the deeper she digs in to solve the mystery.
March 11, 2022
This book in the series was disappointing. There was too much repetition in Goldie’s internal monologue, and way too much happened in 24 hours to seem realistic. I’ve really enjoyed the other books in this series that I’ve read so far, which I think adds to my disappointment. I hate to say it, but it’s like this book is a filler novel pushed out by the publisher.
May 26, 2021
I HAVE FOUR BOOKS OF THE SERIES THAT I NEVER GOT AROUND TO READING. THIS BOOK IS MY FIRST AND I LOVE COOKING MYSTERIES AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST. IT MAKES ME EAGER TO READ MORE OF THEM!
SHE IS A GOOD WRITER AND THE BOOK MOVES RIGHT ALONG. CHARACTERS ARE LIKABLE AND BELIEVABLE.
SHE IS A GOOD WRITER AND THE BOOK MOVES RIGHT ALONG. CHARACTERS ARE LIKABLE AND BELIEVABLE.
February 15, 2009
At this point, Goldy should be a veteran sleuth. So it comes as a surprise when she's even more clueless than ever in the 13th book in the series.
I have always really enjoyed Goldy's recipes and I was disappointed that there weren't as many of them in this book. The descriptions of the food are always nice though. Davidson has always had a better style with food than she does with characters (Marla was wearing orange sequined jeans? I didn't know Denver and its suburbs were stuck in 1988.)
Davidson's writing has always been pretty weak. It seems like she's consulting her Thesaurus a bit too much as she throws in random smart-sounding synonyms that are totally out of place (she'll say "I felt allergic to..." instead of "I don't like..."). But the plot has always seemed to move along and I liked the construction of the story. In this book though, she's really losing her touch. The "investigation" is random and haphazard. Some of the clues are so obvious that you want to reach through the pages and slap Goldy (it took you a week to draw the connection to New Mr. O? Come ON!) And other plot points are so poorly explained that you can't figure out where the story is going at all.
I hear the 14th book is out already and I'm wondering if I can stomach another helping of sweet, clueless, obnoxious Goldy.
I have always really enjoyed Goldy's recipes and I was disappointed that there weren't as many of them in this book. The descriptions of the food are always nice though. Davidson has always had a better style with food than she does with characters (Marla was wearing orange sequined jeans? I didn't know Denver and its suburbs were stuck in 1988.)
Davidson's writing has always been pretty weak. It seems like she's consulting her Thesaurus a bit too much as she throws in random smart-sounding synonyms that are totally out of place (she'll say "I felt allergic to..." instead of "I don't like..."). But the plot has always seemed to move along and I liked the construction of the story. In this book though, she's really losing her touch. The "investigation" is random and haphazard. Some of the clues are so obvious that you want to reach through the pages and slap Goldy (it took you a week to draw the connection to New Mr. O? Come ON!) And other plot points are so poorly explained that you can't figure out where the story is going at all.
I hear the 14th book is out already and I'm wondering if I can stomach another helping of sweet, clueless, obnoxious Goldy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2011
Another cute story from author Diane Mott Davidson in the Goldy Baer Catering Culinary series. In this story, Goldy's friend and neighbor is found murdered in the law office that she worked at....and Goldy is the one who found her. She literally "stumbles" over her. And then it is off to the races as Goldy once again tries to find the killer while keeping up with her catering appointments and trying to stay alive herself. I had put these books aside for a while, but am glad to get back to them. I especially liked the fact that this installment contained all of my favorite characters to some degree. Tom was back to being the teddy bear he is, Arch is in high school and is still shy, but no longer a moody jerk, and Julian Teller is back in all his glory. A great cozy mystery read ... Keep them coming, Diane!
June 23, 2009
This book was okay. I certainly agree that the quality of this series has slowly been declining. The books are becoming predictable and less and less believable. I don't know if the ideas are running out or what. The murder seems distant from the main characters, the plausibility of the story seems insane, and the actually writing seemed a little strained as well, mostly in word choice and flow.
I still enjoyed the book, it was a quick read and pretty light. And sometimes a formula book (catering + murder + hubby = story) is all I need.
I still enjoyed the book, it was a quick read and pretty light. And sometimes a formula book (catering + murder + hubby = story) is all I need.
October 14, 2009
This was in a pile of books from a friend and, while I've liked Goldy and her antics in the past, it's worn quite thin and it's the same old, same old. This book involves catering for the breakfast crowd at the old law firm and finding a body (gasp!)(ho-humm) that Goldy recognizes as that of a neighbor girl who works for the firm and who was supposed to meet Goldy for a cooking lesson. I think if Davidson would stop doing a running commentary on what Goldy's discovered every other page and beef up the plot a little, she'd still be in the running.
August 24, 2014
This was a recording of a Diane Mott Davidson book. I have a particular voice I hear when reading a Goldy mystery, and the actress reading this got it all wrong. Although Goldy sympathizes with the grieving in her stories, she is not overly sad, and there is a self-deprecating ineptness in her catered affairs. Also, she has great descriptions of food. The actress got it all wrong. She was horribly sad, had none of the humor and irony so present in the writing, and the editor had cut out all of the recipes. This is the last one I listen to.
July 16, 2015
S.L.O.W....very slow moving plot. Seriously. Nothing happened until the last 3 chapters and then it was if the author said, "OK, that's enough pages, let's tie this thing up and be done with it." Not impressed.
June 5, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. All of her cooking made me very hungry! I like the way she describes her characters. You really feel like you get to know them. I recommend this book.
January 18, 2014
Ok, I admit I read mysteries. Mott is enjoyable, entertaining and a light read.
November 28, 2011
Goldy stumbles uupon the body of friend and neighbor, Dusty Routt, at the law firm where she is catering meals. It sets off a whole new investigation.
March 3, 2018
I enjoyed this book more than the previous one in the series, though there are still the occasional issue. This time, caterer Goldy Schulz, has gotten a regular gig catering the early morning power breakfasts for a prestigious law firm, and the client brunches on Fridays. She's heading in to the law firm on Thursday night to prep for the next morning's client breakfast, when she literally trips over the body of the woman she's meeting, Dusty Routt a trainee paralegal that Goldy is also teaching how to cook. Why Goldy does her cooking at the law firm instead of her own kitchen is not explained. (It is explained that she can't use the Roundhouse, her catering location, due to renovations.) Goldy freaks out (not to mention adding to the mess in the office) and actually tries to revive the obviously dead Dusty before running off to call the police and an ambulance.
In an attempt to find a phone, Goldy runs into a bit of bad luck - her phone is locked in her van and her keys are missing. She runs across the street, finds an all-night copy center, and uses their phone. The guy working at the copy center is Dusty's ex-boyfriend.
Goldy was friend's with Dusty and her mother, and when she goes to visit the mother and ask offer her sympathies, the mother asks Goldy to find out what happened to her daughter. Dusty was a go getter who had managed to (until she was killed) land on her feet, despite some early setbacks in life. This doesn't prevent nearly everyone from criticizing Dusty for making something of her life despite the setbacks.
Goldy, also, is catering various events - including a birthday party for one of the lawyers, where the theme is based on a piece of artwork that is food themed. The artist, Charlie Baker, was a Colorado native, who, first as a hobby, and later, professionally did paintings of food, hand-lettering the recipe at the bottom of the painting. The lawyer's wife asked Goldy to make Journey Cake based on the painting and recipe she was giving to her husband for his birthday. Goldy tries out the cake several times, and it fails each time. She makes an "Old Reliable" cake instead. But the failing recipe isn't a red herring or atmosphere - it's a vital clue. And while, it's easy to figure out that it's a vital clue (The Purloined Letter, anyone?), the ultimate denouement of the novel is still a surprise. That is, as a reader, it's easy to tell that the painting and the recipe are important, but it's still a surprise to find out how and why.
As is usual in the Goldy Bear Culinary Mysteries, Goldy splits her time between investigating the crime(s), digging up clues and gossip, and cooking and preparing her catering events. On the personal front, Goldy is doing much better, and some of the sweetest scenes in the book are between her son and his newly discovered half brother. I hope to see more of Arch and Gus in future books! Goldy seems less hands-on in investigating Dusty's death, more of passing gossip and info to the police, and urging people to come forth with what they know. As usual, there's a life-and-death struggle at the end with the murderer, which I'm not going to spoil.
The social scheme for this book is Dusty's class and background and her mother's. Davidson condemns Dusty and her mom as "welfare people" - even though Dusty has a full-time job, a college education, and is enrolled in paralegal school, with plans of becoming a lawyer. Her character of Goldy doesn't seem to really condemn the 18th century attitudes of the people in Aspen Meadow. Goldy herself doesn't seem as keen to take on a murder investigation either because of her class issues. There's less ridiculous attacks on the police, local, and Federal government in this book than the previous one, though. In fact, because the victim was raised in a poor family (or at least not stinking rich), Goldy seems willing to leave it to the police. At least Goldy isn't accused of murder again.
Dark Tort is a fun and very quick read. I enjoyed that part of the book. Recommended.
In an attempt to find a phone, Goldy runs into a bit of bad luck - her phone is locked in her van and her keys are missing. She runs across the street, finds an all-night copy center, and uses their phone. The guy working at the copy center is Dusty's ex-boyfriend.
Goldy was friend's with Dusty and her mother, and when she goes to visit the mother and ask offer her sympathies, the mother asks Goldy to find out what happened to her daughter. Dusty was a go getter who had managed to (until she was killed) land on her feet, despite some early setbacks in life. This doesn't prevent nearly everyone from criticizing Dusty for making something of her life despite the setbacks.
Goldy, also, is catering various events - including a birthday party for one of the lawyers, where the theme is based on a piece of artwork that is food themed. The artist, Charlie Baker, was a Colorado native, who, first as a hobby, and later, professionally did paintings of food, hand-lettering the recipe at the bottom of the painting. The lawyer's wife asked Goldy to make Journey Cake based on the painting and recipe she was giving to her husband for his birthday. Goldy tries out the cake several times, and it fails each time. She makes an "Old Reliable" cake instead. But the failing recipe isn't a red herring or atmosphere - it's a vital clue. And while, it's easy to figure out that it's a vital clue (The Purloined Letter, anyone?), the ultimate denouement of the novel is still a surprise. That is, as a reader, it's easy to tell that the painting and the recipe are important, but it's still a surprise to find out how and why.
As is usual in the Goldy Bear Culinary Mysteries, Goldy splits her time between investigating the crime(s), digging up clues and gossip, and cooking and preparing her catering events. On the personal front, Goldy is doing much better, and some of the sweetest scenes in the book are between her son and his newly discovered half brother. I hope to see more of Arch and Gus in future books! Goldy seems less hands-on in investigating Dusty's death, more of passing gossip and info to the police, and urging people to come forth with what they know. As usual, there's a life-and-death struggle at the end with the murderer, which I'm not going to spoil.
The social scheme for this book is Dusty's class and background and her mother's. Davidson condemns Dusty and her mom as "welfare people" - even though Dusty has a full-time job, a college education, and is enrolled in paralegal school, with plans of becoming a lawyer. Her character of Goldy doesn't seem to really condemn the 18th century attitudes of the people in Aspen Meadow. Goldy herself doesn't seem as keen to take on a murder investigation either because of her class issues. There's less ridiculous attacks on the police, local, and Federal government in this book than the previous one, though. In fact, because the victim was raised in a poor family (or at least not stinking rich), Goldy seems willing to leave it to the police. At least Goldy isn't accused of murder again.
Dark Tort is a fun and very quick read. I enjoyed that part of the book. Recommended.
February 21, 2020
I listened to the audiobook version of this title. I think they changed readers for the audiobooks because it sounded like a different person than the last book in the series that I listened to as an audiobook. The narrator's raspy voice didn't do the audio version as much justice as the former narrator's did. I kept thinking I'd get used to it, but I never did.
I did catch the double meaning of tort/torte long before it came up in the book. It's a dessert and a legal term so it does double duty in this case since the murder takes place at a law firm where Goldy's been catering breakfasts and lunches--something that apparently started in between the events of the last book and this one as best I can tell.
Goldy's son Arch is learning to drive. Yet Goldy's the one who ends up taking the door off Julian's range rover then leaving trash bags in it for a week or so. Poor Julian!! Also, at the party, it sounded like she asked Julian to take additional trash bags out of the trash bins but when she goes to the repair shop to get the bags after the mechanic demands she come get them, it sounds like only one bag. So which is it? Especially since that trash is what tips off the murderer. Would most people miss one bag of trash from their trash bin? I don't know--maybe.
I did catch the double meaning of tort/torte long before it came up in the book. It's a dessert and a legal term so it does double duty in this case since the murder takes place at a law firm where Goldy's been catering breakfasts and lunches--something that apparently started in between the events of the last book and this one as best I can tell.
Goldy's son Arch is learning to drive. Yet Goldy's the one who ends up taking the door off Julian's range rover then leaving trash bags in it for a week or so. Poor Julian!! Also, at the party, it sounded like she asked Julian to take additional trash bags out of the trash bins but when she goes to the repair shop to get the bags after the mechanic demands she come get them, it sounds like only one bag. So which is it? Especially since that trash is what tips off the murderer. Would most people miss one bag of trash from their trash bin? I don't know--maybe.
March 19, 2020
I like this series, but this was just okay. The ending was a bit convoluted; Nora kills three people to keep the secret that her dad is a thief and save her marriage and tries to kill a 4th because of a secret that may or may not be in her trash. Yeah, Goldy found a pencil image (the kind you would use to find a hidden message, or uncover what was written on the previous page) in the trash showing that Donald wants to get a divorce and Nora is conveniently there with a rope to strangle and drag her to the pond. Well, it turns out Dusty, the girl who died and started this whole mess at the beginning of the book, discovered that her uncle, Richard was stealing from renowned painter, recently deceased from a fall down his stairs (because he was frail from the cancer, or so we thought). Dusty was also having an affair with Donald, husband of the killer. Turns out Nora killed an old woman because that old woman told Charlie the truth about her father and his sticky fingers, so she ran her over. Then, she sunk into Charlie's house and pushed him down the stairs. It was a lot to follow. Despite that, I will be continuing with the rest of this series. I really like Goldy and Tom, and hope to continue to see more of Julian.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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