Look, I started this book sitting in my car in the garage at 8:47 PM, hiding from bedtime chaos, and I finished it in that same spot almost two weeks later. That's basically a glowing endorsement when you have three kids under eight.
So here's the thing about Diane Mott Davidson's culinary mysteries—they're comfort food. And I mean that in the best possible way. Goldy Schulz is a caterer who solves murders, there are actual recipes scattered throughout, and you pretty much know everything's going to work out. It's not groundbreaking, but sometimes you don't need groundbreaking. Sometimes you need a cozy mystery that won't give you nightmares when you're already running on four hours of sleep.
Barbara Rosenblat Is The Secret Ingredient Here
Okay, I need to talk about this narrator because she's the reason I keep coming back to this series in audio form. Barbara Rosenblat has this warm, slightly conspiratorial tone that makes you feel like Goldy is your friend telling you about her crazy week over coffee. She nails the Colorado setting, the quirky side characters, and she keeps track of who's who in a way that saved my constantly-interrupted brain more than once.
I will say—and this is minor—she can get a tiny bit theatrical during the tense moments. Like, dial it back maybe 10%, Barbara. But honestly? When Sophie interrupted my listening approximately 847 times and I had to piece together what was happening, Rosenblat's clear character voices made it way easier to jump back in. Survived 47 pauses and still made sense. High praise.
Death at a Dinner Party (No Spoilers, I Promise)
Goldy's friend dies at a party she catered, which—yikes, talk about a bad Yelp review waiting to happen. What starts as a possible heart attack turns into something much darker, and then someone who looks like Goldy gets attacked, and suddenly our caterer is realizing she might be the actual target. It's a solid setup.
Now, is the mystery super twisty? Meh. I had a pretty good guess about halfway through, but I wasn't listening for shocking plot twists. I was listening because I wanted to spend time with Goldy and her family and her slightly chaotic catering business. The food descriptions alone are worth it—I actually made her enchilada recipe last week and Lucas ate three helpings. (Emma picked out all the peppers but whatever, progress.)
The pacing does drag a bit in the middle. There's a lot of Goldy investigating, talking to people, investigating more, making food, investigating again. At 12+ hours, it's on the longer side for my current life situation. I probably would've finished faster if I could speed it up more, but 1.25x is my sweet spot and anything higher makes Rosenblat sound unhinged.
Drop-Off Line Gold (With One Caveat)
This is ideal carpool listening. Engaging enough to make the wait feel shorter but not so intense that you'll miss your turn to pull forward. The violence is pretty mild—this isn't dark thriller territory. More like... murder with a side of recipes and relationship drama.
The one thing: if you haven't read the earlier books in the series, you might feel a little lost with all the character history. Goldy's ex-husband, her current husband, her son Arch, the various friends and neighbors... there's a lot of backstory that Davidson assumes you know. I've been listening to these for years so it felt like visiting old friends, but if you're jumping in cold, maybe start earlier in the series.
My book club would love this (if I ever have time for book club again). Actually, Club: A Novel captures that whole book club dynamic perfectly—the friendships, the drama, all of it. Very low-stakes book club material. Nobody's going to get into a heated argument about themes or character motivations.
Skip It If / Grab It If
Skip this one if you want a mystery that'll genuinely surprise you or if you need something under 8 hours. Grab it if you're a cozy mystery fan who wants reliable comfort listening, especially if you've followed Goldy's earlier adventures.
Car-Hiding Mom's Final Call
Probably won't relisten to this specific one—I have approximately 200 books in my TBR and limited car-hiding time. But will I listen to the next Goldy Schulz book? Absolutely. It's comfort reading. Predictable in a satisfying way. The ending wrapped up nicely without making me ugly-cry at school pickup, which I genuinely appreciate.
If you're looking for literary fiction that will change your life, this isn't it. If you're looking for a pleasant mystery with good food descriptions and a narrator who feels like a friend, and you have 12 hours of toddler naps and car time to fill? This works. Car time approved.
