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The Whole Enchilada: A Novel of Suspense
Автор: Diane Mott Davidson
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"Today's foremost practitioner of the culinary whodunit." –Entertainment Weekly
Caterer and sleuth extraordinaire Goldy Schulz jumps from the frying pan into the fire as she tries to solve a puzzling murder that is much too close to home, in this latest entry in the New York Times bestselling culinary mystery series from Diane Mott Davidson.
Amateur sleuth and caterer extraordinaire Goldy Schulz has overcome her share of culinary disasters, not to mention a taste (or two) of death. But all that experience is little preparation when one of Goldy’s best friends collapses and dies at a birthdy party.
The autospsy reveals that the death wasn’t a heart attack as everyone presumed. It was something far more nefarious. Someone added a sprinkle of poison to the victim’s plate. Suddenly, suspicion falls on the caterer who provided the party’s food: Goldy herself!
Then another caterer—a woman who suspiciously resembles Goldy—is stabbed, and Goldy is attacked outside her own house. A devious killer is on the loose, and he wants to serve Goldy up on a platter. But the irrepressible sleuth
Активность, связанная с книгой
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The Whole Enchilada: A Novel of Suspense
Автор: Diane Mott Davidson
Описание
"Today's foremost practitioner of the culinary whodunit." –Entertainment Weekly
Caterer and sleuth extraordinaire Goldy Schulz jumps from the frying pan into the fire as she tries to solve a puzzling murder that is much too close to home, in this latest entry in the New York Times bestselling culinary mystery series from Diane Mott Davidson.
Amateur sleuth and caterer extraordinaire Goldy Schulz has overcome her share of culinary disasters, not to mention a taste (or two) of death. But all that experience is little preparation when one of Goldy’s best friends collapses and dies at a birthdy party.
The autospsy reveals that the death wasn’t a heart attack as everyone presumed. It was something far more nefarious. Someone added a sprinkle of poison to the victim’s plate. Suddenly, suspicion falls on the caterer who provided the party’s food: Goldy herself!
Then another caterer—a woman who suspiciously resembles Goldy—is stabbed, and Goldy is attacked outside her own house. A devious killer is on the loose, and he wants to serve Goldy up on a platter. But the irrepressible sleuth
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2 Stars instead of the 1 star it really deserves only because I finished the book. Can This Be the End of Goldy and her Snooping?This was one of the most convoluted books I have ever read. Mysteries are supposed to be somewhat difficult to figure out, or the readers just would not bother reading them. This book was filled with too many red herrings, a lot of possible plots and interesting ideas that had been started and then never expanded upon. There were so much unnecessary (and boring) details of daily life; clothing, décor etc. – that I eventually wanted to just start skimming the wordy book just to get to something interesting.This novel had more characters than Carter has pills and I wish the book would have come with a descriptive list just so I could keep all the main characters, secondary, tertiary and so on, characters straight. The ending came from virtually nowhere and was quite unsatisfying. Goldy’s usage of her husband’s job on the police force has become a farce. Tom just comes off looking like a fool, as does Boyd and the other police people that are there to “protect” Goldy. No one and nothing can stop Goldy and Marla – even Tom who supposedly upholds the law---for everyone. And this is a big problem in my eyes. Why Marla and Goldy don’t get PI licenses is beyond me. Had they done so, it would have helped me suspend my disbelief and put a more believable spin to this book.If you are not Episcopalian, you may have some issues with the very religious aspects of this book.What once was a cozy mystery series of a caterer doing her best to a life for her son and to do her best at her job while using her smarts to clear up wrongdoings, has now changed to something I don’t even recognize anymore.Perhaps what happens in the epilogue is evidence that this will be the last book in this now tired series.
Goldy and Marla are at it again with their snooping, except this time the police have sanctioned it, which seemed a bit of a reach. Their friend Holly dropped dead in Marla's driveway after a joint birthday party for Goldy's son, Arch, and Holly's son, Drew. What initially looked like a heart attack is later confirmed to be murder. Another murder occurs later in the book, and Goldy herself is almost killed in an attack. Goldy's husband, Tom, provides police escorts for Goldy and Arch wherever they go, 24/7, until the murders are solved. This seemed entirely implausible to me during these days of tight government budgets, but perhaps things are a whole lot better in Colorado than they are in other parts of the country. Still, the idea of sheriff's deputies shelling shrimp in a kitchen while guarding the caterer seemed a bit ludicrous to me. The last chapter of the book flies by and reveals a big surprise for Goldy. Will her catering business continue? Only Diane Mott Davidson could say for sure! Fans will not want to miss, but do prepare to suspend belief for certain aspects of the book.
Goldy and her best friend Marla are hosting a birthday party for Goldy's son and his friend Drew. Drew's mother collapses on Marla's driveway after the party and dies because of food poisoning. While Goldy searches for answers, another murder and Goldy's has a suspicious accident which leads Tom to assign protective escorts.Snooping as only Goldy and Marla can, the reader is lead through a maze of characters leading us to an interesting ending with an unusual epilogue.
Synopsis: At a birthday party for Arch and his friend Drew, one of Goldy's oldest friends dies, unexpectedly, of a heart attach. Goldy, Marla and Tom suspect that her death is murder. They find that Holly had many enemies, dating back to 18 years before when she, like Goldy, was married to a doctor.Review: Although this was an interesting book, the ending was dissatisfying. It was as if there were a page limit and the author was summarizing to keep the story from going on too long.
Early on in the story Goldy gets hurt and ends up under police protection. That seemed a little tedious. I think that has happened too many times before in previous books. However, I enjoyed the complicated twists and turns in this story. And, I especially liked the ending. I hope the series continues with Goldy and her ever changing family. And of course, the recipes are delicious.
Caterer Goldy Schulz met Holly Ingleby at the window of the nursery when they were looking at their newborn sons seventeen years previously. They remained friends, though the relationship changed over the years, but reconnected and decided to have a combined potluck birthday party for their sons. At the party, there was a ruckus when some uninvited guests showed up. The party broke up earlier than planned. Holly told Goldy she wanted to talk to her later on, then left. As Holly and her son, Drew, walked to her car, she collapsed and died. At first, it appeared to be a heart attack, but further investigation proved she was poisoned, probably by something she ate. Two sides of a modern issue are mentioned when guests are asked to put away their cell phones and not take pictures of Holly and when she and her huband, Police Investigator Tom, want to look at the pictures for clues. Goldy injured her leg soon after the party and was incapacitated. Her assistant Julian did most of the cooking for the remainder of the book but it didn't stop Goldy and her friend Marla from trying to find the killer. They learned there was a lot about Holly they didn't know as well. They also discover several possible killers with an assortment of motives. In a subplot Kathie Beliar decided to open her own catering business. She names it "Goldy's Catering," paints her truck to look almost exactly like Goldy's, and approaches Goldy's clients offering to provide the save service at half the cost. Goldy describes cooking several of the items mentioned in the story. The book ten recipes in several categories. I'm looking forward to adding some of them to my recipe collection. The characters are believable, for the most part, and the story does work, though it ends rather quickly in the last chapter. Like in her previous books, Diane Mott Davidson proves she can tell a story and writes it well. My only complaint is that about one fourth of the book is repetition. She reviews information about the crime several times without adding anything new and we also don't need to know about nearly every cup of coffee that she drinks. I doubt if an informal group would take minutes let alone such complete ones and keep them for eighteen years. A convention center would also not have complete records for every group that rents its space. Aspen Meadow, Colorado, has about as many murders as the other famous small town, Cabot Cove, Maine. Readers of the previous Goldy books will find much to like in THE WHOLE ENCHILADA.
I like the Goldie catering mysteries, and have read them all, over many years. I kept getting confused with too many characters in this one. I also found the stretch of incredulity a bit, to think that such a complicated display of china and glassware could be used to give a clue to solving the mystery. The killer was a total surprise to me, which meant it was a good mystery--just a bit confusing to me, maybe because it was an audiobook.I also wished she had left the birth of the baby (spoiler alert!) to the next novel, as that seemed tacked on pointlessly at the end, other than to be a cliff hanger for the next novel.
This is another cute, and delicious, who-dun-it by Diane Mott Davidson. Goldie Schultz is always looking for the culprit, and she always finds him -- with a lot of good food thrown in! I enjoyed her once again :)
Fun murder mystery. Goldy solves it again. Light and enjoyable/
THE WHOLE ENCHILADA by Diane Mott DavidsonI enjoy this series as much for the recipes as for the stories. Goldy is again witness to murders - one takes place just after the victim has eaten one of Goldy’s delicious concoctions. We are witnesses to her acumen as sleuth as well as her talent at cooking. The cast of characters includes her talented partner Julian, her cop husband Tom, her sidekick Marla along with the usual assortment of suspects, witnesses, bystanders and red herrings. This tale has a second plotline with Ophelia, and Ophelia’s father, money and fiancé. My one gripe with this murderous outing is we are constantly being TOLD what good friends Goldy and the victim were, but are never SHOWN why they were friends rather than mere acquaintances. This is important because of the many times this friendship is used to extract information from others. Tom is even witness to a rather shady extraction that would never be condoned or attempted by real police. Still, the story is interesting, holds your attention, is solvable if you pay close attention and has enough humor to lighten a dark tale. The ending may signal the end of this series. Not much here for a book group discussion, but cozy fans will enjoy it anyway.
I've been reading this series out of habit for the last several books. This latest one finally captured my interest again and was a pretty entertaining read. It felt like the end of the series and would be a good end if in fact that's what it is. My only complaint with the book was the number of characters and subplots.
Once again Goldy Schultz throws herself into a murder at one of her catering jobs. This time the murdered woman was a friend of hers so she has to not only deal with difficult clues, but the loss of her old friend. The mystery clues are laid out and another victim is discovered along with the stabbing of her beloved minister. In the middle of her investigation she has to take care of a catering job which will make your mouth drool!!! Ms. Davidson's characters and very likable and you want to learn more about them in each of her books. This one is no exception!
We readers of cozy mysteries featuring amateur sleuths are required to disable our “reality” filter and be prepared to believe that an amateur sleuth would actually be allowed to participate in any way in an official murder investigation. OK, I can do that.But in The Whole Enchilada, we’re required to believe that our heroine’s police-investigator husband would, for the flimsiest of reasons, give not only the amateur sleuth but also her son and best friend friendly police officers to accompany them everywhere, including to their unofficial interviews with suspects. All of this in a small town in Colorado with, I’m sure, limited resources. Give me a break.In The Whole Enchilada, a friend of Goldy Schulz, said amateur sleuth, dies after consuming food that was prepared by Goldy’s catering company and poisoned by person or persons unknown. I don’t know if the author has pushed this amateur sleuth bit too far, or I’m finally unable to go along with the charade, but I skimmed the pages and read it only half-heartedly. Diane Mott Davidson has been writing this series for decades and I’m certain it’s hard to come up with plots that are plausible. Maybe it’s time to come up with a new shtick.
Good car-listening fodder, with the usual characters, artery clogging recipes, and tidy endings that make for a cozy mystery. This one had the feeling of the end of a series.Wish I could have seen Holly's collages.
The Whole Enchilada by Diane Mott Davidson is the eighteenth in the Goldy Bear Catering mystery series. A long time friend and former member of med-wives 101 dies after a joint birthday party held at Marla's house and catered by Goldy for their two sons.As her friend's ex-husband and new wife might be suspects, the son is sent to relatives in Alaska. In helping him pack, Goldy is also attacked and severely injured.The closeness in terms of friendship, of the attack and the severity of Goldy's injuries (meaning she stays injured for most of the book) gives a legitimate reason for a game change. Goldy has to rely on her friends; the ensemble cast is at its strongest since Fatally Flaky. Julian, Boyd and Marla make a great support team for Goldy.These Goldy Bear Catering mysteries always center on a specific industry that she's catering for, or a venue that she's catering in. The victim this time was a collage artist, so the clues fall into a similar neighborhood as those in Dark Tort.The book was a fun addition to the series. There's a lengthy epilog that will answer questions posed at the end of Crunch Time.
While this was not the best of the series, it wasn't bad. There was a decent mystery, but the actual outcome seemed a little off from what I expected.
It seemed like this was the final book in the series. Not a bad wrap up.
It seemed like this was the final book in the series. Not a bad wrap up.
Popcorn fiction with the usual cast of characters. Good choice for working out at the gym.
Good book to listen to while walking. A long time friend of Goldie's is poisoned at one of Goldie's catered affairs. She and Maura of course start investigating on their own to find out what happened to their friend. More people die, Goldie narrowly escapes death before the conclusion. The ending seemed a little contrived.
Nicely complicated with lots of possible suspects, this mystery nonetheless leaves Goldy roughed up. When her associate asks Goldy, why she gets involved in these mysteries I found myself wondering why as well. There is a suitably happy ending after lots of sorrow and pain.
This is #17 in the series and apparently the last book in the series, which means I've read the whole series. Sorry to see it end.Goldy is catering a birthday party for her son Arch and his best friend Drew. Marla, a close friend of Goldy, has volunteered the use of her new home for the event and it is a big turnout.A bit of a cloud comes over the event when a couple of unwanted/uninvited guests show up. It takes a further nose dive when Drew's mother, Holly, keels over and dies on her way to her car after the party.Goldy is heartbroken. She, Holly and Marla share history from an earlier time when the three of them were part of a group helping themselves to heal from having divorced abusive husbands.Goldy and Marla are determined to find out why Holly died. When it becomes apparent from comments from other party guests that something was in the food and people have suffered ill effects, this makes finding out who, what and why even more important Goldy and Marla find out the answers.Goldy's catering events for upper echelon people of Alpine Meadows and Marla's being part of that group, and Marla's knack for finding out the latest gossip, make the two friends an excellent team.There is also a nice selection of recipes, for some of the dishes mentioned, found at the back of the book. Maybe someday I'll cook one!
The main character isn't as likeable as some of the other characters. On the whole, I found it an interesting read. However, there was one very glaring mistake that was repeated three times in the book. The author had a Catholic say that the victim was not allowed to receive Holy Communion and was excommunicated because she was a divorcee. It is assumed the victim and her husband had married in a Catholic Church. Even then, not all divorcees are automatically not allowed to receive Holy Communion. And do you know how hard it is to get yourself excommunicated?! The author must have done her research watching Hollywood movies! In her credits, she thanked members of the Espicopal Church for helping with her research. It's a pity she was too lazy to actually do research on the Catholic Church before taking absurd liberties.