The CatererMeet Goldy Bear: a bright, opinionated, wildly inventive caterer whose personal life has become a recipe for disaster. She's got an abusive ex-husband who's into making tasteless threats, a rash of mounting bills that are taking a huge bite out of her budget, and two enticing men knocking on her door.The DishNow determined to take control of her life, Goldy moves her business and her son to ritzy Aspen Meadow Country Club, where she accepts a job as a live-in cook. But just as she's beginning to think she's got it made--catering decadent dinners and posh society picnics and enjoying the favors of Philip Miller, a handsome local shrink, and Tom Shulz, her more-than-friendly neighborhood cop--the dishy doctor inexplicably drives his BMW into an oncoming bus.The Unsavory KillerConvinced that Philip's bizarre death was no accident, Goldy decides to do a little investigating of her own. But sifting through the unpalatable secrets of the dead doc's life will toss her into a case seasoned with unexpected danger and even more unexpected revelations--the kind that could get a caterer and the son she loves. . .killed.
Five-Star Praise for DYING FOR CHOCOLATE and the
Nationally Bestselling Mysteries of Diane Mott Davidson
“A CLASSIC WHODUNIT that’s the PERFECT BOOK for food lovers.”
“VERY ENTERTAINING.”
“A CROSS BETWEEN MARY HIGGINS CLARK AND BETTY CROCKER.”
“Diane Mott Davidson’s CULINARY MYSTERIES CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR WAISTLINE.”
“THE JULIA CHILD OF MYSTERY WRITERS.”
“DAVIDSON HAS FOUND THE RECIPE FOR BESTSELLERS.”
“MOUTHWATERING.”
“DELICIOUS . . . SURE TO SATISFY!”
—Sue Grafton
“If devouring Diane Mott Davidson’s newest whodunit in a single sitting is any reliable indicator, then this was A DELICIOUS HIT.”
“You don’t have to be a cook or a mystery fan to love Diane Mott Davidson’s books. But if you’re either—or both—her tempting recipes AND ELABORATE PLOTS ADD UP TO A LITERARY FEAST!”
“Mixes recipes and mayhem to PERFECTION.”
“Davidson is one of the few authors who have been able to seamlessly stir in culinary scenes without losing the focus of the mystery. . . . [SHE] HAS MADE THE CULINARY MYSTERY MORE THAN JUST A PASSING PHASE.”
“Goldy and her collection of friends and family CONTINUE TO MIX UP DANDY MYSTERIES AND ADD TEMPTING RECIPES to the readers’ cookbooks at the same time.”
ALSO BY DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
Available from Bantam Books
To my parents,
Admiral and Mrs. William Mott
“I wouldn’t ask too much of her,” I ventured. “You can’t repeat the past.”
“Can’t repeat the past?” he cried incredulously. “Why of course you can!”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald,
Acknowledgments
The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the following people: Jim Davidson; Jeffrey Davidson; J. Z. Davidson; Joey Davidson; Sandra Dijkstra; Katherine Goodwin; Kate Miciak; Karen Johnson and John William Schenk, J. William’s Catering, Bergen Park, Colorado; Rob Esterbrook, Respond Security, Denver; the staff of the Evergreen branch of the Jefferson County Public Library; Ted Ning, M.D.; Thomas P. Campbell, M.D.; John Alston, Ph.D.; Heather Pashley; Melinda Thompson; Emerson Harvey, M.D.; Richard Drake, Ph.D., Department of History, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana; Deidre Elliott, Karen Sbrockey, and Elizabeth Green; the Reverend Connie Delzell; Lee Karr and the group that assembled at her home; Triena Harper, assistant deputy coroner, Jefferson County, and Investigator Richard Millsapps, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Golden, Colorado.
Prayer book quotations are from
CHAMPAGNE
FRUIT SALAD OF CANTALOUPE,
STRAWBERRIES, KIWI
ENGLISH CHEDDAR STRATA
RASHERS OF BACON
SALLY LUNN BREAD, SAUSAGE CAKE
MACADAMIA-NUT COFFEE CAKE, BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
PRESERVES AND HONEY
COFFEE, TEA
1.
Brunch is a killer. I hate it, and among food people I’m in good company. James Beard found the idea of a heavy meal between meals idiotic. He said, “You don’t have something called lunny-dinny, do you?”
