Tag: A Domestic Diva Mystery

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

I am delighted to share my thoughts about The Diva Goes Overboard (A Domestic Diva Mystery) by Krista Davis today!

The Diva Goes Overboard (A Domestic Diva Mystery)
by Krista Davis

About The Diva Goes Overboard

The Diva Goes Overboard (A Domestic Diva Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
17th in Series
Setting – Old Town Alexandria, Virginia
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies (May 21, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496743423
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496743428
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CHHN5D3Q

For once, event planner Sophie Winston finds herself a guest at a lavish engagement party, but things go horrifyingly awry when the groom-to-be is fatally poisoned . . .

In Old Town Alexandria’s unlikeliest match, Natasha Smith’s free-spirited mother, Wanda, is engaged to notoriously pompous antiques dealer, Orson Chatsworth—leaving Natasha to plan the entire wedding, beginning with an elaborate engagement party. For the extravagant affair, Natasha splurges on trendy food boards created by rising social media star, Stella St. James. The sumptuous boards go way beyond basic cheese and crackers, as Stella dazzles guests with picture-worthy butter boards, dessert boards, and even doughnut boards. Just as Natasha planned, the food is to die for—until someone actually does.

When the groom collapses, it seems as if a heart attack is to blame. Then guests discover Orson was poisoned, and suddenly Stella’s bespoke boards look a lot less appealing. But with an event this big, the spread of suspects is sure to be impressive. Could Orson’s killer be a jilted ex-lover? A money hungry relative? A bitter former business partner? When even Sophie is not above suspicion, she knows it’s time to get on board and scrape together an investigation of her own . . . before murder becomes the town’s next trend.

Includes delicious recipes, fabulous decorating tips, and easy entertaining hacks!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Sophie Winston’s frenemy Natasha Smith’s mother Wanda is getting married. The groom is antiques dealer Orson Chatsworth and Natasha is happily planning the wedding and the engagement party. You know both will be lavish events.

A crowd of people attend the engagement party and Natasha has gone all out serving a variety of food boards catered by social media star, and the groom’s daughter, Stella St. James. Charcuterie boards, butter boards, dessert boards, and more. Natasha has gone overboard on boards but everyone loves them until the groom crumbles to the ground and dies. At first, it is thought that Orson had a heart attack but it is later confirmed that he was poisoned. An event this big yields several suspects, including his daughter, an ex or two, and even Sophie.

Sophie jumps on board to investigate the murder ready to serve the killer his just desserts.

This is one of my favorite series. Seventeen books in, the topics are fresh and the characters continue to surprise me.

Sophie has a huge heart and is very down to earth. When working on an event, a new task, or a murder she gives it her all. Natasha is over the top but she and her mother, Wanda, haven’t had an easy life.  I was so happy that Orson was going to be in their lives. Sophie has a wonderful relationship with her ex-husband Mars. They get together often with their friends Nina and Bernie where the current murder is often discussed. Sophie and Mars share custody of their dog, Daisy, and Sophie has an ocicat named Mochie. All these characters are well-developed. Their interactions are true to life. It is very easy to get invested in their lives. I would love to jump into the pages and become part of their group. Even introduce my Daisy to Sophie’s.

Finding Orson’s killer was not easy. Ms. Davis has written a compelling complicated mystery with plenty of twists and turns including a surprising reading of Orson Chatsworth’s will. Its contents really shook things up and sent the story in a very interesting direction. Then just when I thought all the clues were falling into place, the author served up another twist that stopped me cold. Sophie was working on some other mysteries too that were wrapped up in the last chapter. She really had her hands full in this story and she didn’t disappoint. She is quite the sleuth.

Be prepared to have your stomach growl while reading The Diva Goes Overboard. In addition to all the trendy food boards described in detail, there is never a shortage of food when the characters in this series gather. Recipes for Salted Caramel Banana Pudding, Banana Walnut Bread, Summer Succotash, Bourbon Peach Ice Tea, Lavender Lemonade, and more are included in the back of the book. Each chapter also starts with a letter asking for advice from Sophie or Natasha and their fun replies.

The Diva Goes Overboard is a grand addition to this series and another Perfect Escape. I open the book and like Calgon, the story just takes me away. I am looking forward to book 18 already. My visits to Old Town Alexandria end too soon especially when I read the book all in one sitting. Until next year…

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author, Kensington Cozies, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

Excerpt from The Diva Goes Overboard

Dear Sophie,

My seventy-five-year-old father is getting married! The bride and groom have been married before to other people and have adult children and grandchildren. They’re planning a huge wedding and the bride will wear white. I think this is in poor taste and they should quietly tie the knot at the courthouse in a civil ceremony by themselves. What do you think?

Tied in Knots in Loveland, Ohio

Dear Tied in Knots,

A wedding is one of life’s biggest and most lovely events. If the bride and groom want a big wedding with all the traditions that accompany nuptials, I think they should do it and celebrate in any way that makes them happy. There are no age limits on joy.

Sophie

On Sunday evening, when other people were settling in and getting ready to start a new workweek, I walked my mixed breed hound, Daisy, to relax after finishing up a busy week. An unpleasant waft of smoke reached me. Most likely from a fire pit in someone’s backyard, I supposed.

As an event planner, I often worked when others didn’t. I had just finished a major convention for the Federation of Pharmacists. They had been lovely to work with and their exhibits had been fascinating. It had been a major convention and I was ready for some downtime.

The sun had set in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, but the temperature was perfect for sleeveless attire. The balmy air made me feel summery and carefree. Porch lights and front door lights gleamed on Federal style homes, many of which had been built in the 1800s. Now and then I caught a glimpse of lights strung over a backyard and the sound of laughter.

We had no destination in mind. Mostly, I needed to stretch and relax, and Daisy needed to get outside and sniff the world. We ambled along until I saw a blaze. In the seconds that it took me to realize that it arose inside a car, it quadrupled in size.

I reached for my phone and called 911. “A car is on fire!” I gave the operator the name of the street and the closest cross street. “Hurry! The flames have moved from the front seat to the back.” I felt completely helpless. There wasn’t a thing I could do about it. Although we were a good distance away, Daisy leaned against my legs as if it scared her, too.

Sirens sounded louder than normal in the quiet night. They passed us and clanged to a stop. In minutes, firefighters had the fire under control.

One of the firemen recognized me and strode over. “I hear you called in the fire?”

“Yes. It was small and then whoosh, it grew so fast!”

He nodded. “Yeah, car fires will do that. Did you see anyone get out of the car?”

“No!” His question worried me. “I hope there wasn’t anyone inside.”

“We don’t think so. We’ll open the trunk and have a look as soon as it cools off.”

I shuddered to even imagine that possibility. I thanked him for responding so quickly and said good night.

About Krista Davis

Krista Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries, the Paws & Claws Mysteries, and the Pen & Ink Mysteries. Several of her books have been nominated for the Agatha Award. Krista lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with two cats and a brood of dogs. Her friends and family complain about being guinea pigs for her recipes, but she notices they keep coming back for more.

Author Links:

Website   Facebook  Instagram GoodReads Pinterest Mystery Lovers Kitchen   Twitter/X  Kensington Cozies

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More of the Domestic Diva Mystery Series

You can find all of Krista Davis’s books here. 

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