The
Diva Runs Out of Thyme
A
Domestic Diva Mystery with Sophie Winston
Krista
Davis
Berkley
Prime Crime (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-425-22426-0 (0425224260)
ISBN-13: 978-0-425-22426-7 (9780425224267)
Publication Date: October 2008
List Price: $6.99
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Few can compete with the Natasha Smith when it comes to
entertaining, but her childhood rival, Sophie Winston, certainly tries.
While Natasha is known for her intricate centerpieces and painstakingly
prepared gourmet meals, Sophie likes to keep things
simple…real simple. Natasha may have stolen the
spotlight—and Sophie's husband—but Sophie is
determined to rob her of the prize for the Stupendous Stuffing
Shakedown. She just needs the right ingredients…
But Sophie’s search for the perfect turkey goes cold when she
stumbles across a corpse. And when the police find her name and photo
inside the victim’s car, they think she has some explaining
to do. Sophie will have to set her trussing aside to solve the murder
or she’ll be serving up prison grub—and that
definitely wouldn’t be a “good thing.”
Review:
The
Diva Runs Out of Thyme is the
first in a new cozy culinary mystery series by Krista Davis featuring
domestic diva and gourmet chef Sophie Winston. As is typical with
mysteries of this subgenre, delicious recipes and entertaining tips are
included.
Sophie and Natasha Smith were rivals in high school and now, each in
their mid-forties, they remain fiercely competitive. And if that
weren't enough, Natasha "stole" Sophie's ex-husband. During the week
before Thanksgiving they take part in a Stupendous Stuffing Shakedown
with the winner taking home a Golden Turkey. Though both are
accomplished cooks, Sophie prefers to take a simple approach to her
recipes and presentations while Natasha uses "not over the counter"
foods and stipulates meticulous, elaborate table settings. Before the
contest, Sophie discovers a corpse in a dumpster. (It's never quite
clear what she was doing looking in a dumpster.) In the dead
man’s truck is a picture of Sophie with her name. Then, on
the day of the competition, one of the judges is found, again by
Sophie, murdered. Being the first on the scene of two murders makes
Sophie a prime suspect. All this happens just before the arrival of her
parents, sister and her fiancé, for their annual family
Thanksgiving dinner. When Sophie is taken into custody for the murders
of two men, her family and friends rally around to lend a hand for her
Thanksgiving dinner originally planned for six, but now more than a
dozen. When bodies begin dropping, starting during Sophie’s
simply planned dinner, the question becomes: Who is trying to kill
Sophie’s guests? How many will lay dead or wounded before an
answer can be found? Who is creating this family disaster?
The
Diva Runs Out of Thyme is as
much comedy as mystery. The author has a light touch with her
narrative, almost mirroring Sophie's approach to dining and decorating.
Each chapter begins with letters to Sophie or Natasha (who, in addition
to everything else they do, write competing columns in the newspaper)
who offer in response witty, often realistically useful, suggestions on
topics of cooking, table settings, even dealing with in-laws. The
mystery isn't demanding, the story entertaining, and there's no mention
of who's wearing what designer to be found; all in all, a really good
book. This is a series worth watching.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Diva Runs Out of Thyme and to Krista Davis for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read The Diva Runs Out of Thyme? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme
Berkley Prime Crime (Mass Market Paperback), October 2008
ISBN-10: 0-425-22426-0 (0425224260)
ISBN-13: 978-0-425-22426-7 (9780425224267)
The
Diva Takes the Cake
Berkley Prime Crime (Mass Market Paperback), June 2009
ISBN-10: 0-425-22840-1 (0425228401)
ISBN-13: 978-0-425-22840-1 (9780425228401)
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