Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson

Book Details
Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson
Hardcover, 480 Pages
2011, William Morrow
ISBN: 0061348155
Series: Book 16 of Goldy Schulz

Synopsis
Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz cooks up big trouble as she tries to help her longtime friend and fellow chef Yolanda Garcia. When the rental house shared by Yolanda and her irrepressible aunt Ferdinanda is destroyed by arson, the pair moves in with cop-turned-PI Ernest McLeod. But then Ernest is shot dead and his house is set on fire, nearly killing Goldy, Yolanda, Ferdinanda, and nine beagle puppies that Ernest recently rescued from a puppy mill.

Concerned for her friends, Goldy invites them to stay with her while the sheriff's department investigates. Yet even Goldy's house isn't safe and, after a failed break-in by an unknown intruder, a policeman is assigned to keep an eye on things. The action really starts to rev after a second body turns up. Swapping her chef's hat for a sleuthing cap, the intrepid Goldy turns detective. But she's got to move fast. It's crunch time to close in on a killer, before he can close in on her.

Review
Diane Mott Davidson seems to have updated the Goldy Schulz series a bit with Crunch Time. The long running culinary cozy series has always been a bit risque given its cozy label as the books freely admit that Goldy and her husband Tom have sex. Crunch time takes the cozy taboo topics further with multiple drug references and the acceptance of a known prostitute.

Crunch time also shows Goldy embracing modern technology. She's been using her computer for years, but now she's working cases with her camera phone. Hello, 2005. I jest, kind of. Goldy may be an amateur detective, but the theme of the books has always been her catering business. Goldy does her fair share of cooking, but much of it was done by Tom and her house guests too. The recipes in Crunch Time aren't something I myself would make, but they do sound tempting: Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup, Goldy's Garlic Lamb Chops, Love Potion Salad and more.

The mystery in Crunch Time was confusing. There were many different threads that came together in the end, but felt a little muddled during the plot progression. The major problem in Crunch Time was the focus on Goldy's friend and house guest Yolanda. She's having a rough time and is understandably stressed. Unfortunately she comes off as abrasive and bitchy, making it very hard to care about her troubles.

Goldy's son Arch is getting older and his often times snotty attitude gets old fast. With Arch acting this way and with the absence of Goldy's assistant Julian in this book, Crunch Time is missing some of the fun the younger characters usually provide. Crunch Time isn't the best Gold Schulz book so far, but it does allude to some possible interesting events to come in the series.

Rating