Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery Series

Her inventive recipe for mixing first-class suspense and five-star fare has made Diane Mott Davidson a favorite of mystery lovers and a mainstay on major bestseller lists across the country. Now she has prepared another irresistibly tempting tale spiced with mystery and mayhem. . . .  

For Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, business isn’t just booming–it’s skyrocketing. Her friend Marla is constantly warning her, “Success can kill you.” But Goldy doesn’t take the warning literally until her next booking: a cocktail party for the Westside Mall’s Elite Shoppers Club.

While setting up, Goldy is nearly run down by a truck with no intention of stopping. Then she finds an old friend in a pile of sale shoes–stabbed with one of Goldy’s new knives. Goldy must catch the real killer between whipping up Sweethearts’ Swedish Meatballs, Quiche Me Quick, and Diamond Lovers’ Hot Crab Dip. Why was the victim carrying a powerful narcotic? Who hired a private investigator shortly before the murder? Goldy’s gourmet instincts tell her the final course in this case will be a real killer.

Praise for Chopping Spree

“Today’s foremost practitioner of the culinary whodunit.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Chef Goldy Schulz’s life is a medley of murder, mayhem, and melted chocolate.”—New York Post

“The suspense factor rises higher than a champagne soufflé. Warning: With Goldy sharing her recipes . . . you may want to pull your reading chair up next to the oven.”—People

“A cross between Mary Higgins Clark and Betty Crocker!”—The Sun, Baltimore

“You don’t have to be a cook or a mystery fan to love Diane Mott Davidson’s books. But if you’re either—or both—her tempting recipes and elaborate plots add up to a literary feast!”—The San Diego Union-Tribune

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.

A deliciously deadly novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Prime Cut.

“A surprisingly tart and savory reading experience.”—The Washington Post Book World

When caterer Goldy Schulz is offered a temporary stint hosting a cooking show for PBS, she jumps at the chance. After all, she could use the money—not to mention the great exposure. Plus taping the shows at Colorado’s posh Killdeer Ski Resort will be fun. A little cooking, a little chitchat. What could go wrong?

The answer: everything! When Goldy has to do one of her shows live for a PBS telethon, the broadcast is riddled with culinary catastrophes—from the Chesapeake Crab Cakes right down to the Ice-Capped Gingersnaps. But the deadliest dish of all comes after the cameras go off—and a baffling accident claims a life. Then a series of suspicious mishaps places Goldy’s own life in jeopardy, and she knows she’d better whip up her own crime-solving recipe, and fast—before a deadly dash of danger ends her cooking career once and for all. . . .

Cheesecake, beefcake, and a pair of dueling caterers whet someone’s appetite for murder in this sinfully delicous novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Sticks & Scones

Caterer Goldy Schulz is convinced things couldn’t get worse. An unscrupulous rival is driving her out of business. An incompetent contractor has left her precious kitchen in shambles. And she has just agreed to cater a fashion shoot at a nineteenth-century mountain cabin with her mentor and old friend, French chef André Hibbard.

Together Goldy and André struggle in a hopelessly outdated kitchen to cater to a vacuous crowd of beautiful people whose personal dramas climax when a camera is pitched through a window . . . into the buffet. Then Goldy’s contractor is found hanging in the house of one of her best friends. A second murder follows and Goldy must somehow solve a mystery and prepare for a society soirée that could make—or break—her career.

It’s a mystery that involves the dead contractor’s unwholesome past, a food saboteur, the theft of four historical cookbooks, and an overzealous D.A. who has suspended Goldy’s detective husband, Tom, from the force. What Goldy discovers is the perfect recipe for murder. And she may be dessert!

A chilly reception….

Caterer Goldy Schulz has been hired to host a hockey party. But the proceedings won’t be all fun and games. Unfortunately, her client won’t be satisfied until Goldy adds a hefty serving of revenge.

An ex-husband from hell….

Patricia McCracken is certain that her obstetrician and her penny-pinching HMO are responsible for the loss of her baby. Now she is suing both, and she wants Goldy’s advice on coming out on top. For Dr. John Richard Korman, aka the Jerk, is none other than Goldy’s abusive ex-husband. Goldy knows all about John Richard’s secret life–but even she is shocked when he’s arrested for the murder of his latest girlfriend.

A dish best served cold….

As much as Goldy would like to see her ex get his just desserts, could he really be a killer? Soon she will find herself sifting through a spicy mix of sizzling gossip for clues to a mystery that threatens her catering deadline, her relationship with her son and new husband… and even her life.

She has been called "the Julia Child of mystery writers." Now, Diane Mott Davidson, who masterfully served up The Last Suppers, Killer Pancake, and Dying for Chocolate, returns with an irresistible five-star helping of suspense. When caterer Goldy Schulz takes a job with a multimillion-dollar financial firm, she finds herself in a high-stakes world where someone is out to make a killing….

Goldy, owner of Goldilocks’ Catering, barely weathered a disastrous spring in which relentless rains and driving snow put a real damper on her business.  But now, thanks to her best friend, Marla, the Colorado caterer is suddenly cooking up a storm…lovingly preparing Crab Quesadillas, Tomato-Brie Pie, and Gold Foil-Wrapped Fudge Bars for her wealthy new client, Prospect Financial Partners.

The Prospect Partners’ financial whiz, Tony Royce, with whom Marla is having a tempestuous affair, and Albert Lipscomb, who is personally managing Marla’s money, have hired Goldy to prepare a sumptuous party to kick off their latest venture: the reopening of the Eurydice Gold Mine. Anxious to take advantage of a golden opportunity, Goldy arrives at the mine site early, loaded down with goodies. Yet just when she thinks she can relax, all hell breaks loose–and the main culprit is Marla.

Her best friend is sure the mine venture is a scam. And when, several days later, Albert ends up missing, it looks as if Marla was right. Why, then, is the police captain treating Goldy’s best friend as if she had committed a crime? And how can Goldy keep her fourteen-year-old son Arch and his unreliable bloodhound from making matters worse?

As Goldy works furiously to restore her business by whipping up hot, fragrant Sour Cream Cherry Coffeecake and featherlight Cinnamon Scones, she finds
herself drawn into a most unusual situation of missing partners, stolen millions, and multiple homicides. And only when Goldy can discover which of the victims is the main corpse will she be able to unravel the mystery that threatens to cancel out her friend’s dearest asset–her life.

A lethally tantalizing novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Sticks & Scones

When Goldy, owner of Goldilocks’ Catering, whips up a sumptuous lowfat feast for the Mignon Cosmetics’ company banquet, she discovers just how ugly the beauty biz can be!

On the day of the banquet Goldy finds herself confronting an angry mob of demonstrators—“Spare the Hares”—who object to Mignon Cosmetics’ animal-testing policies. As she carries lowfat fare from her van to the mall where the banquet is being held, she hears an ominous squeal of tires and a horrifying thump. Seconds later a Mignon employee lies dead on the pavement.

Now Goldy is enmeshed up to her sauté pans in a homicide investigation. Could the murder have had something to do with Spare the Hares—or with the exotic flower found near the dead body? Though busy serving up Hoisin Turkey and Grand Marnier Cranberry Muffins, Goldy starts sleuthing at Mignon’s million-dollar cosmetics counter. Soon the caterer-turned-sleuth knows she’ll be next on a killer’s hit list—and it won’t be pretty.

Featuring original recipes for such luscious (and lowfat) dishes as Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus, decadent Fudge Soufflé, and irresistible what-to-do-with-all-the-egg-yolks bread!

A lusciously lethal novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Sticks & Scones

“The main course on Davidson’s latest menu, served with lively pacing and characterization, is satisfying and tasty.”—Publishers Weekly

It should be the happiest day of Goldy’s life. The Colorado caterer is about to tie the knot with the man of her dreams, homicide detective Tom Schultz. But minutes before the ceremony is to begin, Tom phones with an urgent message: The wedding is off, and the reason is murder!
 
Tom was on his way to the church when he stopped to pick up Father Olson—and found the rector shot and dying. Yet by the time Tom’s fellow officers arrive at the crime scene, Tom has disappeared. Has the groom been abducted by the killer? Or has he gotten cold feet and walked out of Goldy’s life?
 
For better or worse, Goldy needs to know the truth. So she puts her exquisitely decorated wedding cake on ice and begins to search for clues. Her fiancé’s life—and her future happiness—will lead her to an unsavory killer whose unholy passion make Goldy a widow before she’s a wife.

Featuring original recipes for such heavenly delights as monster cinnamon rolls, savory shrimp on wheels, and sinful first wasp latkes!

Thanks to her recent adventures in Dying for Chocolate, Goldy Bear, the premier caterer of Aspen Meadow, Colorado, is no stranger to violence–or sudden death.  But when she agrees to cater the first College Advisory Dinner for Seniors and Parents at the exclusive Elk Park Preparatory School, the last thing she expects to find at the end of the evening is the battered body of the school valedictorian.

Who could have killed Keith Andrews, and why?  Goldy’s hungry for some answers–and not just because she found the corpse.  Her young son, Arch, a student at Elk Park Prep, has become a target for some not-so-funny pranks, while her eighteen-year-old live-in helper, Julian, has become a prime suspect in the Andrews boy’s murder.

As her investigation intensifies, Goldy’s anxiety level rises faster than homemade doughnuts. . .as she turns up evidence that suggests that Keith knew more than enough to blow the lid off some very unscholarly secrets.  And then, as her search rattles one skeleton too many, Goldy learns a crucial fact: a little knowledge about a killer can be a deadly thing.

“A classic whodunit . . . the perfect book for food lovers.”—New York Daily News

Goldy Bear is the bright, opinionated, wildly inventive caterer whose personal life is a recipe for disaster, with bills taking a bite out of her budget and her abusive ex-husband making tasteless threats. Determined to take control, Goldy moves her business to the ritzy Aspen Meadow Country Club. Soon she’s preparing decadent dinners and posh society picnics—and enjoying the favors of Philip Miller, a handsome local shrink, and Tom Schulz, her more-than-friendly neighborhood cop. Until, that is, the dishy doctor drives his BMW into an oncoming bus. Convinced that Philip’s bizarre death was no accident, Goldy begins to sift through the dead doc’s unpalatable secrets. But this case is seasoned with unexpected danger and even more unexpected revelations—the kind that could get a caterer killed.
 
Praise for Diane Mott Davidson and Dying for Chocolate
 
“You don’t have to be a cook or a mystery fan to love Diane Mott Davidson’s books.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune
 
“A cross between Mary Higgins Clark and Betty Crocker.”—The Baltimore Sun
 
Includes recipes!

Even though working a wake isn’t Goldy Bear’s idea of fun, the Colorado caterer throws herself into preparing a savory feast featuring Poached Salmon and Strawberry Shortcake Buffet designed to soothe forty mourners. Her culinary efforts seem to be exactly what the doctor ordered . . . until her former father-in-law, gynecologist Fritz Korman, is struck down—and Goldy is accused of adding poison to the menu. Now, with the Department of Health impounding her leftovers, her ex-husband trashing her name, and her business close to being shut down, Goldy knows she can’t wait for the police to serve up answers. She soon uncovers more than one skeleton in the closet, along with a veritable slew of unpalatable secrets—the kind that could make Goldy the main course in an unsavory killer’s next murder.
 
Praise for Diane Mott Davidson and Catering to Nobody
 
“A medley of murder, mayhem, and melted chocolate.”—New York Post
 
“Diane Mott Davidson’s culinary mysteries can be hazardous to your waistline.”—People
 
“Delicious . . . sure to satisfy!”—Sue Grafton
 
Includes recipes!