Caterer Goldy Schulz has been hired to cook an authentic Elizabethan luncheon and dinner at a castle (shipped over from England in pieces). But on the cold February morning of the luncheon, someone shoots out her living room window. Meanwhile, her police officer husband, Tom, is away on a case, and two of Aspen Meadow’s most influential citizens are determined to see Goldy fail at her job. Relocating herself and her fourteen-year-old son to Hyde Castle, Goldy tries to persevere, but it isn’t easy. Tom is shot, she spots a dead body in the water and learns that her abusive ex-husband has been granted early parole.This is a lot of bad luck for one morning, and in Diane Mott Davidson’s STICKS AND SCONES, the bad luck keeps on coming, so much so that the story began to stretch credibility. Did I mention that the castle is allegedly haunted and a mysterious woman has shown up asking for Tom? By page two hundred, I kept wondering how Goldy could be in the wrong place at the wrong time so often, especially after refusing to listen to advice from Tom and other officers? Still, I liked Goldy and many supporting characters in this book. The main plot kept me turning pages and subplots were skillfully woven through the story.My only other quibble is that recipes were placed within the text rather than at the end. At one point, Davidson takes a whole page to describe Goldy preparing a dish, which is followed by the five-page recipe. Afterward, two pages of story are tucked between four more pages of another recipe. I have to admit, though, that some of the dishes sound pretty good. I just might give Penny-Prick Potato Casserole a try.
This was my first book of Ms Davidson's books and I really enjoyed it.I've read a few mysteries with recipes and they had all fallen short, so this book was a pleasant surprise. There was a lot going on in this book, but I believe the author did well with keeping it all straight for the reader without being to obvious. The characters and events were interesting and I hated having to take breaks from reading. Goldie is an interesting character, her actions being realistic and not always wise; she is also a very real and relatable one. She not only has to deal with the drama and mystery of murder and mayhem, but she has a temperamental teen and a cop husband to stress about. But she manages all the drama in her life with realistic reactions and passionate zeal. The story and the cooking information were nicely intertwined and all the food talk tortured me wonderfully. I especially liked the story setting in transported castle with all its history entwined into the story and the historically based foods the characters request and create. I highly recommend this books for a good fun read that tantalizes your appetite for cuisine, history, and suspenseful mystery.
What do You think about Sticks & Scones (2002)?
I thought this would be more entertaining than it was. The adolescent son was a complete jerk (as a mom I'd have thrashed him a good one the first time he mouthed off to me). The caterer appeared ditzy and disorganized and relied on too many others to do her job - the young friend Julian, the supplier, etc. And way too many red herrings and wild goose chases in the "mystery" part of it. I like books that include cooking/food, and especially when there are recipes, but I rather struggled through this story, unfortunately.
—Susabelle Kelmer
One of the perks of reading a book about Goldie, the caterer is that there are actual recipes included. I have only tried one or two, but it is nice to know that there is a source of delicious, and usually a chocolate delight.The plot of this book seemed a little more convoluted. Part of it takes place in a castle, which is interesting.If you find a character that you like, it is pleasant to be able to return and join that person in another adventure.One drawback of this book is that there isn't as much about Marla, the other ex-wife.
—Marti
I thought that this was an okay book. I had a lot of trouble with the beginning of this book. I don't know if that is because I was sick and I didn't feel like reading or if the beginning was truly very slow. I did like that Goldy, the main character, actually seemed to do more detecting than most protagonists do in cozy mysteries. I do have a slight problem with the way she solved the case. I feel like she made a guess that fit all of the clues and she wound up being right. She didn't have any actual proof about who the guilty person was. I did find a lot of the characters to be a bit annoying, but not unrealistically so. The recipes in the book do look yummy and I kind of want to give a couple of them a try.
—Carly
