I love a book with recipes but these are quite involved. Anyway, the story involves Goldy and her ex-husband. Goldy finds the body of his current girlfriend and everyone assumes that John killed her. His son, Arch begs Goldy to try to help his father and Goldy wants to do it only to make her son happy. So Goldy tries to delve into all the people that are involved, all the while tending to her catering jobs, mostly by herself. I find some of it a little hard to believe, but entertaining just the same. ( )

Quick read, lightweight story, too many random characters. Not my style of 'mystery'. ( )

Goldy Schultz, owner of Goldilocks catering in Aspen Meadow, Colorado, has a big problem. Her abusive ex-husbandJohn Richard Korman, aka The Jerk, has been arrested for the murder of an executive of the HMO where he works as an OBGYN Doctor. He had been dating the executive. Goldy’s son wants Goldy to help prove his dad is innocent. The problem is that Goldy is a witness; she found the body, and as such cannot interfere. Also, a friend of hers is suing John Richard and the HMO for negligence. Meanwhile Goldy has catering to do: a hockey party and a Babsie Doll convention. Is John Richard innocent, and what can she do to clear him? It’s all a twisted mess.

This was a fair read. Not was much action or much in the way of humor. I enjoy a bit of humor, but there was little. There was too much of Goldy mulling the case over and over. It became tedious. On to the next. ( )

Goldy once again finds a murdered body. This time it is the girlfriend of her ex-husband (AKA Jerk) and he is arrested for the murder. Will justice finally prevail? One would think Goldy would just sit back and enjoy seeing the good doctor sit in jail for this crime; however, that isn't the case as her son, Arch, asks him mom to find the truth and to get his dad out of jail. Diane Davidson does a great job with this plot and including some wonderful recipes. ( )

Goldy caters a hockey-themed party and meals for a doll collector's group. Goldy's ex-husband and Arch's father is accused of killing his current girlfriend--a development that upsets his son who asks Goldy to look into the matter to clear his father.

This book gives us a bit of a look into Goldy's time with her ex as well as his patterns of abuse with women and some of the doctors that Goldy encountered when she sought medical help. I admire that Goldy tries not to put her dislike of her ex into her son's interactions with him--though in some ways she does seem like an enabler to her son by trying to protect him from things like his father forgetting he is going to have Arch for visitation. It might be better if she just let Arch see his father's shortcomings rather than trying to protect him.

I also found it a bit unbelievable that Goldy just lets Arch go to his friend Todd's house when he announces he is "moving out". She doesn't argue with him, forbid it, try to talk him out of it. . . she just lets him go.

Sometimes Goldy makes decisions that put her in danger. I can't fault her for her ex coming to her house and assaulting her through the window--that's all on him--though if she'd had the security system on as she was supposed to, she might have gotten help sooner...but going to Suz Craig's house was all her decision and choosing to dig up and take the tapes with her without contacting the police or her husband is also her decision.

We aren't told what happens with Patricia McCracken's lawsuit or Korman's practice or the HMO problems that are brought up in this book. I have read the next book in the series, but it was some time ago and I don't remember if those issues were brought up in that book or not.

I was a bit disappointed in the included recipes--and the one recipe that sounded interesting (a Mexican eggroll of some type) wasn't included. ( )