Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
Golden Girls #1
Rating: 4/5
Spice: 0/5
Plot: 3/5
Primary Genre: Cozy mystery
Blurb: The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series! When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf–themed wedding Rose is hosting. Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche’s hot flashes. Rose’s cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can't balance the groom’s family’s snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again! Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she’s found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she’ll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup. As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy’s date is found dead—face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It’s up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!
The Good:
* Aaah, the 80’s nostalgia. Chef’s kiss
* The characters are well written, which is a tall order when everyone knows them very well.
* The author was able to bring the humor of a Golden Girls episode, which is extremely important.
The Meh:
* If you’re here for the mystery plot, you may find this read to be a bit lacking but who are we kidding? Did anyone see “The Golden Girls” on the cover and think to themselves, “Yeah, I’m buying that for the mystery.”
Bottom Line:
This book is a huge undertaking, you’ve got to please Golden Girls fans and cozy mystery fans alike. In the end, the author leaned towards appealed to Golden Girls fans and I think that she was right for that. Why else would you read this unless you love the Golden Girls? This read like an episode of the Golden Girls for me. The characters were spot on, the humor was on the mark, and bringing Rose’s St. Olaf family to Miami made for some interesting capers. I will say, I am a tough critic as someone who has seen every single episode of the Golden Girls and The Golden Palace. Rachel, I hope that you continue this series because I will buy every single book. Please don’t stop writing these! For anyone who has every watched a Golden Girls episode and enjoyed it, you’ll like this book. This is a cozy mystery so it’s light on the mystery and heavy on the Golden Girls. If that sounds like a heavenly bite of cheesecake to you, pick up this tasty morsel.
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