[.ca] The Cereal Murders (ISBN 055356773X)

Okay, but ...:
First, where I'm coming from: I'm a woman, I'm a busy professional, I'm an Ivy League graduate. \oWhy is this person telling me this, you ask yourself?\c Well, it means that I relish my down-time, I love novels and mysteries and fantasies, I love to escape into the pages of a well-written, intelligent, funny, engaging book, and okay, a bit of romance is just fine too, thank you. Having heard about the Goldy series from a firend as light diversion with yummy recipes, I took this book out of the library (a great source to check out books before I may want to purchase them and make them part of my personal library), and started with number 3 (which I ordinarily disdain) since numbers 1 and 2 were out. I did go into this with an open mind, and although I plowed through, wondering who the murderer was and where Goldy's relationship with Tom was headed, and would the kids be okay, I was generally disappointed in the prose and, finally, the mystery. The latter was a bit of a stretch, and the former just felt rather pedestrian. There were some good lines and evocative moments, and some of the culinary passages were tasty indeed, but perhaps my disaffection comes from having just whipped through the 4 truly erudite, hilarious mysteries by the late Sarah Caudwell, which kept me stimulated and entertained (AND I found that I had to consult my dictionary several times as well!). I am also a huge fan of Elizabeth Peters and the Amelia Peabody series----witty, clever, funny, romantic, and educational (I know a lot more about Egyptology, archeology, and turrn-of-the-century history than I did before reading those books). So, although there's NOTHING wrong with ligher, less challenging offerings, I found the Cereal Murders overall less satisfying (for me) as a mystery and as a novel than the books by Caudwell & Peters. If your tastes run more to the latter, Davidson may not be a writer you want to spend oodles of time with. Not bad, but not great. Me, I'm passing on any more Davidson books and opening up the new Kinky Friedman book...

Good read-really 3 1/2 STARS:
I've actually started reading the Goldy Bear Culinary Series in order, which is unusual for me, so this is my third, and so far my favorite. The characters, town and overall setting really come together. Major personality development with Julian and Arch, which is very satisfying and offers some humor. Less mean old ex-husband which is a nice change and the set up for more between Goldy and Tom will keep fans coming back for more in this series. The only disappointment is the premise for the mystery is a bit far fetched -- who in their right mind would leave their kid in an "exclusive" prep school after 2 murders? Because the author writes this with humor and a bit tongue and cheek, most will get by this litle snag.

Excellent!!:
Along with being interesting, this is a very suspensful book. My stepmom actually purchased this book for me at a store because she thought I might find it interesting. I'm glad I started reading this book because I found it to be one of those books I am unable to put down. One of my favorite parts of the book are the recipes, which all look delicious. This book kept me guessing until the very end and is one fo those books that constantly make the reader have to keep searching different angles in order to find the identity of the killer! It was an excellent book and I suggest it for any person that likes murder mysteries. I give this a 5 star!

Elk Park Prep is crime scene:
In this book, one of the best of the Goldy Bear Culinary Mysteries, Elk Park Prep becomes the site of a murder when the senior class valedictorian is found dead. Goldy finds herself investigating, and in the process learns about what lengths parents will go to, trying to get their offspring into elite colleges. As usual, the recipes Davidson inclues are wonderfully fun to make, and delicious to eat. Goldy, fueled by copious cups of heavily caffeinated coffee, unravels the mystery. Recommended as a marvelous diversion.

A Tasty Read:
When Goldy Bear, owner of Goldilocks Catering, caters a college prep dinner at Elk Park Prep school she gets more than she bargained for when after the dinner she finds the murdered body of the school's valedictorian. Things only get stranger from that moment on as Goldy the caterer tries to solve the mystery and keep up with the threats to her and her family. The Cereal Murders was a good read. It is suspenseful and full of mystery right up to the end. The characters of Goldy, Arch, Julian, and Tom are very well developed and connected. They seem like people next door. They are very believable and dimensional. The storyline was good and moved along at a fast pace. It was easy to keep reading because the events and happenings flowed easily from one to another. This was my second Goldy book and I was not disappointed. A good book to read for the mystery lover!