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Read Dark Tort (2007)

Dark Tort (2007)

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Rating
3.79 of 5 Votes: 1
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ISBN
0060527323 (ISBN13: 9780060527327)
Language
English
Publisher
avon

Dark Tort (2007) - Plot & Excerpts

One thing is for certain, you absolutely cannot read a Diana Mott Davidson culinary mystery without being doubly satisfied. Ms. Davidson offers lovers of “cozys” interesting murders to be solved as well as complete recipes for the tempting culinary creations whipped up by her protagonist Goldy (Baer) Schultz. Yes, I know Goldy’s name is a little too “cutsy” for words, but if you can get past her name as well as abandoning all logic by ignoring the fact that the Colorado town in which she resides has more crime per capita than most drug lord controlled third world countries, you will be rewarded with stories that move along at a pretty good clip and a woman with powers of deductive reasoning to rival Hercule Poirot. You might say that Goldy is a wife, mother and professional caterer who is channeling both Martha Stewart and Stephanie Plum on a daily basis.Dark Tort begins with Goldie literally tripping over the body of a youthful friend and neighbor named Dusty Routt. The questions of who dunnit and why are only the first layer of this mystery cake. The second layer and the icing present a complex and satisfying confection for the reader to consume. With a plot liberally peppered with suspects and palate tempting easy to follow recipes, this book is sure to satisfy the culinary and crime du’jour tastes of discerning cozy readers.

I was surprised how much I liked this book. I picked it up cheap at a library sale, figuring I wouldn't mind reading just one more food-themed mystery. Dark Tort begins with Goldy literally stumbling over her friend Dusty's body. When Dusty's mother charges her with finding out what happened, Goldy, who has questions of her own already, begins sleuthing around (as much as a busy caterer can) to find some answers. Two things really impressed me: I felt that the characters were well-developed, rather than relying on "types". That's not to say each and every character was given a complex back-story and multi-faceted personality. Some of them were just friendly or colorful or snobby, but those were characters the reader didn't necessarily see much of. On the whole, the characters felt realistic to me.The other thing I found cool was that Dusty's mother doesn't just let the police handle the investigation because she and her family have been routinely shunted aside as 2nd-class citizens. Dusty's ambition and the bigotry of the suspects comes up over and over in the course of Goldy's investigation. I wouldn't say that Diane Mott Davidson tackles these issues, but she does raise them, which I appreciated.

What do You think about Dark Tort (2007)?

Pretty good, as the series goes. After reading SOOO many books in this series, though, I'd be shocked if the author came up with anything new as to plot strategy or character "development" (it's as predictable as a Nancy Drew mystery, nearly) but I do get a kick out of how the recipes factor into the development of each story. I'm always basically pleased with each book in the series if I end without being majorly irritated by the protagonist (check! I was okay with Goldy in this one) and if there are enough paths towards solving the crime that it's not just an obvious straight track. But--c'mon, Diane Mott Davidson, ENOUGH already with the characters with ridiculous names! I counted more than 5 characters in this book alone with utterly bizarro names. You know, it truly is OKAY to call someone a plain name. For example: Bob. Pam. Ken. Or whatever. You needn't try so hard that it becomes comical. But I know you will, because in most of your books so far, you have. SIGH.
—Ruth

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.
—Tabby Kat

Almost didn't buy this because her last book sucked so much. This one wasn't nearly as bad, but still wasn't that good. The main problems with this one is that Goldy has no plausible reason to be involved with the investigation, that she goes about it in such a haphazard way, and she leaves the vital clue lying around for a week, only to discover it just as the killer comes to polish her off. Then there's the fact that she and her husband Tom have multiple conversations where they tell each other things they should already know, and the strained dialog (like when Goldy asks a young woman if the murdered girl had had any "romantic liaisons"). I really enjoyed this series more when Goldy had real obstacles to overcome and her involvement with the murders was more immediate and personal.
—Meredith Galman

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Read books in series A Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery

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