Dark Tort: A Novel of Suspense (Goldy Bear Culinary Mysteries)

Goldy Shulz, the sleuthing caterer of Aspen Meadows, Colorado, has fallen into a tub of butter. She has landed a cushy job fixing breakfasts and occasional lunches for the lawyers of a local upscale law firm. Dusty, her young friend and neighbor, is a paralegal with the firm. Dusty tells her that she wants to learn to cook for someone special in her life and enlists Goldy as her mentor. The two agree to meet in the law firm's kitchen late one evening to do the preparation for an early morning client brunch, and Goldy is running late. She rushes into a darkened lobby only to trip over Dusty's body, the victim of a brutal murder.

Dusty's heartbroken mother, who distrusts police after her son died in police custody, begs Goldy to investigate. Evidence begins to point to a romantic involvement between Dusty and someone in the firm. When Goldy asks that Dusty's home computer be delivered to her at home, the man carrying the computer is struck by a speeding car. Others associated with Dusty are threatened, with Goldy herself becoming the target of the killer.

Goldy's policeman husband, Tom, is in equal parts supportive and frustrated by Goldy's determination to go beyond the usual investigative boundaries to find Dusty's killer. This tasty mystery dish is served up with a banquet of delicious recipes from Goldy's endless menu of delights.

The 13th Goldy Shulz mystery finds one important change. The recipes, which are many and delightful, have been scattered throughout the prior books, which always seemed to interrupt the flow of the story. This time, they're gathered neatly at the end, making them not only easier to find and enjoy, but allowing us to charge ahead with the tastiest morsel on Diane Mott Davidson's menu --- the plot.

Reviewer: Bookreporter.com