Crunch Time

I stopped reading the Goldy Schultz mysteries several years ago, not because I didn\’t enjoy them, I just found new authors. Crunch Time was my reintroduction and I\’ve got to say, it\’s a mess. To begin, it\’s way too long. The book is filled with multiple plots that border on the absurd. These plots are finally strung together at the end although in an unbelievable manner. By this time, I was so tired of the book, I didn\’t care. None of the characters are likable, not even Goldy. Yolanda, the caterer who moved in with Goldy, along with her aunt, do nothing but scream, drop things, and cause confusion. Who would allow these women to live with them? I found myself hoping Yolanda would get killed so I wouldn\’t have to read any more about her. Goldy is even more obstinate than usual. Even though she\’s told (by her investigator husband, naturally) of the danger of a specific area, she still goes there. It\’s not even believable. Overall this book is very disappointing. I\’m not even sure Diane Mott Davidson wrote it.

As always, Goldy Schultz mysteries combine great culinary ideas(for those of us that like to cook) with an intriguing plot, multiple murders and various other crimes. It is definitely a page turner. The only thing I didn’t really like is how things get turned and twisted with the various characters. You begin to wonder if the crime can ever get solved-especially since Goldy has a tendency to pull some “illegal” tricks. Still a good read.

I\’ve read Diane Mott Davidson since this series started many years ago and was pleased when I found this latest title. I\’m a bit behind in the series, so I had to do a little catch up and chose to read \”Crunch Time.\” It had all the usual Davidson elements and I was glad for it. I felt like I was being reintroduced to old friends and discovering what was going on in their lives. I like Diane Mott Davidson\’s writing style and her fast pacing when writing a story. The action, Colorado weather reports and settings were meaningful for me this time around because I\’ve now been to Colorado and felt that much more acquainted with the area. Let\’s not forget the recipes! Always an important aspect of this book series. The combination of good writing, reading and a plan to try a few recipes out has always appealed to me. What\’s a mystery book anyways? it\’s a crime, a puzzle, a time to sort it all out and a resolution. I think Ms. Davidson\’s got it covered and I was delighted to jump back into the pages of Crunch Time.

Ms. G. is the heroine of the book. She\’s a caterer and her husband is a cop in the Sheriff\’s Department. So it is no wonder that she is the one who is expected to solve a complex murder case. We learn that while cooking, one part of the brain was focused on cooking, and the other part can think of other things. So it saves time to think over a the murder case. While her husband always sticks to rules, she opts to gather evidences surreptitiously and sometimes illegally. She takes risks annoyingly. One more thing, do not read this book on an empty stomach, because preparation, cooking and serving food are described so well that, you suddenly fell hungry.

I have read most, if not all, of the author\’s previous books and liked them. This one, not so much. It was very long, which I like if I\’m loving the book, but this one had too many characters and the point seemed to be to just drag it out. And Goldy, who is usually so likable, seemed annoying to me. I know this is fiction and you have to suspend believable a little bit, but she just seemed way too out there this time. Her antics, which are usually amusing, were just too irresponsible and risky to be funny.

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