The Main Corpse

I couldn't finish it. Davidson's characters have no depth, and in the case of her son at least, are utterly ridiculous. While teens are naturally surly, this kid takes first prize in contentiousness. If the author spent a little more time trying to develop her characters and plot and a little less time trying to churn out books on an assembly line, they might be more readable.
Trying to imagine Dorothy Sayers reaction if she read one of these . . .

Another winner in the Goldy series. The only negative thing that I can say about this book is the way Bo and Goldy got Marla out of jail. In my opinion, it was a tad far fetched and what was even more bizarre was that Goldy didn't even get charged for it. But.... it is just a story and sometimes it is okay not to be perfectly aligned with reality. And once again, the recipes are tasty.

The Main Corpse by Diane Mott Davidson is the sixth of the Goldy Bear mysteries. It's an especially wet spring in Aspen Meadow and Goldy has to schlep her aging van up into the mountains to cater at the site of an old gold mine. Unfortunately the investment company behind the mine is having some trouble — first the secretary has gone missing and then one of the principles is murdered.

After everyone at the Gold Mine party has heard the dead man and Marla (Goldy's very wealthy best friend) arguing over the assay reports, she's the prime suspect. Things get even worse after Marla and her boyfriend are attacked while camping and he goes missing. Marla is arrested on the assumption she beat her boyfriend unconscious and pushed him into the show more river.

Normally in these Goldy Bear books, the local sheriff office is above suspicion, especially since book four, when Goldy and Tom are married. This one though is different and while Tom doesn't say it outright, Goldy comes to realize that there's probably corruption afoot.

As she doesn't have her usual legal means of support in her investigations, Godly resorts to some unusual (and illegal) methods for helping Marla and to prove that her friend is innocent.

Bear in mind, I listen to this series as pure ear-candy. These audio books are my go-to for times when I want something mildly distracting and very entertaining. If you expect realism in your mysteries, look elsewhere. show less

1.5**

Goldy Schulz is once again involved in a crime in her community, which distracts her from her catering business. Once again her best friend Marla will be involved. Once again her cop husband Tom will warn her (at least 5 times) to not get involved in investigating. Once again she will ignore him and get herself into a jam (and we’re not talking raspberry). At one point Goldy muses: Poor Arch. He should have had a better mother. Not someone who went tearing off at every opportunity to solve crimes. A mother who stayed in her kitchen where she belonged and left police work to the police … I couldn’t say it better myself.

I've read a number of these mysteries and found them entertaining and delicious at the outset, but now I'm show more tired of the formula. The recipes are still great, but the plot is thin, and the dialogue repetitive. I’m only reading them because they are quick and satisfy a challenge. show less

Goldy Schulz, owner of Goldilock’s Catering, is going through a dry spell. Her best friend, Marla Korman, is recovering from a heart attack and dating a rather shady guy name Tony Royce of Prospect Financial Partners. Marla convinces Tony to hire Goldy to cater a picnic st the opening of his new investment venture, Eurydice Gold Mine. At the picnic Marla has a huge argument with Tony’s partner concerning the assay reports on the mine. The next day Tony’s partner disappears along with 3.5 million from the company’s bank accounts. The early June weather in the high Rockies is causing flooding, landslides and horrible icy road conditions. Goldy’s dectective husband, Tom, is having trouble with his boss. Matter of fact, his boss show more pulled him from the disappearance case. Something is seriously wrong and it all leads back to the Gold Mine. Goldy is determined to figure out what is going wrong. Missing persons, missing money, a paramilitary group with explosives, felons, bad soup, landslides, and a lack of clients make this a June to remember for Goldy.

This was a much better book than the previous installment in the series. Humor, witty dialogue, and action keep the story moving along at a fairly brisk pace, with enough twists and turns to keep me reading. show less

Number 6 in Davidson's funny Goldy Schultz murder mystery series delivers its usual mixture of improbable escapade and terrific recipes. In this one, Davidson adds a sad-sack bloodhound to the usual mix.

Another case of nosy Goldy solving crimes 'outside the box' - somehow she always rises from a pile of merde smelling like a rose. The cast of characters expands, the mystery in this one is more convoluted, and one of the players - Goldy's new helper - is left out high and dry at the end. Not the best one in the series, but the recipes continue to delight.

Note: I've read later ones in this series, and it does get better. This one seems to be an anomaly.. hope it's the only one.