Goldy is preparing to cater an investor's party at the opening of the Eurydice Gold Mine. Business has been slow lately due to a miserable spring and her catering business is in jeopardy of collapsing. So she welcomes this job arranged by her best friend Marla. Of course, in the catering business it is not just good food that makes people want to hire her, it's how much they enjoy themselves at the function. Now Marla is unintentionally about to ruin it for Goldy.Goldy's new assistant, MacQuire, gives Marla a piece of paper that enrages her. After a few beers, Marla picks a fight with the one of the owners, Albert Lipscomb, of the venture capital firm Prospect Financial Partners (she's dating Tony Royce, the other owner). The paper she holds says the assay done on the gold ore was not done correctly. She (and everyone else at the party) has invested a minimum of $90,000 to start up the mine again based on this assay and the fact that the government closed the mine in its prime. Marla is outraged to think Lipscomb could have shammed her. Goldy and Tony break up the fight between Albert and Marla and ensure everyone at the party that all is fine. Then, to add fuel to Marla's theory, Albert Lipscomb and three and half million dollars are missing.Davidson weaves a lot of community in her story which all adds momentum to the plot. There's her catering business, her son and his new dog, Jake. The very nice policeman Tom Shultz is now Goldy's husband. Marla (the other ex-wife of her ex-husband) is still her best friend. Her previous catering assistant (the young boarder who shared the house in Dying for Chocolate) has gone to college, so we meet her new catering assistant, MacQuire Perkins, who's also a wanna-be detective. Marla's brother-in-law, General Farquhar, makes a repeat performance in this book as well. One criteria that I use to evaluate a good sleuth series is its continuity. The Main Corpse surely offers continuity even though there are four books published between this one and Dying for Chocolate. The mystery itself is a page turner. Although I had my ideas about "whodunit," there was still an extra surprise or two in the end.Once again, she offers some very enjoyable the recipes. My mouth was watering over the "Sugar-Snap Pea and Strawberry Salad" and the "Tomato-Brie Pie" recipes. What great ideas for summer foods! In fact, I'm off to the farmstand now. (1999)
Now I understand that when you read this genre, you have to take a giant step away from reality, but when a caterer kidnaps a jail inmate while she is being transported to a medical facility – not all should be forgiven just because your husband is a member of the local police department.That really was my only complaint about this book. I enjoy Goldy Schultz and the crazy antics that she gets herself into. Really, who else is called to cater a company luncheon in an old mine that four wheel drive vehicles have a hard time getting to but her old trusty catering van has no trouble with. Goldy really does have the golden touch, not just with food, but apparently with terrain also. Goldy’s best friend Marla is now out of the hospital after suffering a heart attack and has invested in the Eurydice Gold Mine. On a deeper look, boyfriend Tony Royce and financial advisor Albert Lipscomb may have something to hide. When a fraud is discovered and the partners are missing, Goldy rushes to her friend’s aid, but this time Goldy may have gone too far and has managed to put not only herself, but her loved ones as well, in great danger. In this book, you will say goodbye to one character and hello to another. I will miss one, who always brought a smile to my face and will I withhold judgment on the new addition. There is real potential in this young man, but we will see where Ms Davison goes with him. Once again, I suggest that you start this series from the beginning so you can appreciate all the quirks that are Goldy. She is quite an endearing character, and one that you will enjoy coming back to time and time again.
What do You think about The Main Corpse (1996)?
Goldie Schulz is a very inquisitive cater in Colorado who gets wrapped up in the strangest incidents that draw her into danger. Interestingly her cop husband is rarely involved in these adventures though her 14 year old son usually is, go figure. In this one, her best friend Marla is beaten to a pulp by an unknown assailant and Goldie goes rushing off with Jake into the wild blue yonder to track Marla's missing boyfriend. I enjoy how the author brings all the non-essential information into the bigger picture. Take for example the retired blood-hound that Goldie cop husband brought home for their son and the training sessions to restore his fragile ego. Jake, the blood-hound, plays an important role in solving the mystery at the gold mine. Who would have thought something so innocuous would be so important.
—Barbara ★
Review of Catering to Nobody: Book OneReview of Dying for Chocolate: Book TwoReview of The Cereal Murders: Book ThreeReveiew of The Last Suppers: Book FourReview of Killer Pancake: Book FiveI'm unfortunately not going to be able to give this one the full treatment because I'm reading these too fast and I have several on hold at the library waiting for me. It's been years since I've found a series that I've devoured faster or enjoyed more. This was...ok. I liked it a lot better then Killer Pancake though I don't care a great deal about high finance or investing. Not my thing. But Marla being the suspect for murder? That was epic! The interactions of Goldy and her family to the news and the subsequent events are the best part of the book. The mystery was ok, though I kind of thought I knew where it was going (and I was right) but the ending more then made up for that. (view spoiler)[Goldy breaking Marla out of prison (and she's the wife of police officer!) and then going on the attack with General Farquhar was amazing. And yes, I cried at the end when Bo died. That was heartbreaking. (hide spoiler)]
—S. J.
Goldy's marriage is going really well, Arch is great but is missing Julian since he left, so Tom and Arch bring home a broken down police dog reject named Jake, Goldy isn't thrilled with the new addition to the family, but she takes it in stride. Catering jobs have been few and far between lately, but Marla got Goldy one big job for her boyfriend and his business partner. When the business partner vanished with 3 million dollars of his investors money and shortly after Marla's boyfriend disappears too the police believe Marla may have murdered him and now Goldy must break the law to prove her best friend's innocence.
—Miri
