Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Sweet Revenge, by Diane Mott Davidson

Goldy Bear Schulz is up to her ears in catering jobs before Christmas--that's the good news.  The bad news is that she, once again, stumbles on a body while she is setting up for a holiday breakfast for the staff of the library.   The deceased is a map collector and Goldy, er, I mean the Furman County Sheriff's Department--specifically, Goldy's husband--are not short of suspects.  An ex-wife, a fiancee, rival map collectors, parents of a couple teenage girls....well, it all adds to the holiday chaos.  If that wasn't enough, Goldy has seen a ghost from her past--or has she?

The latest in the Goldy series delivers a good cozy mystery once again, complete with catering crises, dozens of clues, red herrings, and a cast of characters that continues to raise readers' eyebrows or warm their hearts.    Libraries and librarians figure into the mix/mess and that's fun for librarians.  (I especially like Goldy's statement that she has learned not to argue with librarians, you just won't win. I think that's a compliment....)

If you like mysteries on the cozy side, but not silly, give this series a try.  They're intelligent without being overly complex, and the characters and relationships add warmth to the story of the puzzle and solution.  They have heart.  (And some good recipes!)