Cozy Cull [5] - The Diva Takes the Cake by Krista Davis #giveaway

According to Merriam-Webster:

Definition of CULL

1 : to select from a group : choose  

2 : to reduce or control the size of (as a herd) by removal (as by hunting) of especially weaker animals; also : to hunt or kill (animals) as a means of population control

This is a weekly giveaway.  Please spread the word, even if you've already read this week's book. 

The plan is:

1. Each week I read one of the MANY cozy mysteries I have among my personal books.  
2. I write a post about it. 
3. Then I offer it in a giveaway in order to cull my "herd" of cozies... as "a means of population control."

This week I have a copy of the second in the Domestic Diva Mystery series, The Diva Takes the Cake, by Krista Davis (published June 2009).

I've posted my thoughts for the first Domestic Diva mystery, The Diva Runs Out of Thyme, in February of 2010, and I just posted my thoughts on The Diva Takes the Cake.

Just comment that you'd like to enter and provide an email address to contact you should you win. Open to everyone.

 From Goodreads:

Some Wedding Advice from the Domestic Diva: Keeep the food....Lose the Groom!

Sophie Winston's sister, Hannah, is getting married-again! And if you ask Sophie, her future brother-in-law is no prince. But is he a killer? That's the question on everyone's mind when his ex-wife is found hanging from a pergola. This is one event Sophie and her sister hadn't planned on.

As hidden family secrets begin to come to light, Sophie finds the list of suspects is almost as long as the list of wedding guests. Will the real killer be seated on the groom's side or the bride's? Or will he be standing at the altar? Either way, Sophie must solve the murder in time to stop her sister from making the biggest-and possibly the last-mistake of her life.

Giveaway ends Thursday, December 6th (11:59 pm CT). I'll give the winner 48 hours from the time of notification to respond before I move on to someone else. The winner will be announced here once I've received a reply to my email.

The winner of this Cozy Cull giveaway is Carol N Wong!

The Diva Takes the Cake

Title: The Diva Takes the Cake

Author: Krista Davis aka Cristina Ryplansky

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

Series: Domestic Diva Mystery, Bk 2

ISBN: 9780425228401

Pages: 304 + Recipes and Cooking Tips

Obtained: Personal copy via paperbackswap.com (back in 2009!)

Comments:

I read the first Domestic Diva mystery, The Diva Runs Out of Thyme, in early 2010.  I enjoyed it, so I'm not sure what took me so long to get around to reading this one.  I think it might have been one of those instances where I just had so many other books to read.  And at the time I participated heavily in the Games on PBS, so I may have had several books to read with deadlines.  Whatever the case, I finally read it!

Set around the wedding (and all the other events that entails) of Sophie's sister Hannah, each chapter is headed by advice from either Sophie or her nemesis, Natasha.  Like in the first book, they both have distinct voices.  Natasha is butting in and making things difficult for Sophie, as usual, but that isn't the real problem.  The real problem is the groom.  Is he a murderer?  What's going on with him and his family?  And even as this is going on, Sophie's tentative relationship with the Detective Wolf is apparently dying a quick death of it's own.  Long enough for Sophie to have to depend on her own detecting (with some help from family and friends).

While I didn't recognize the full drama going on behind the scenes, I did get part of it sooner than Sophie (once she had obtained certain clues, of course).  I did not guess the murderer correctly, so there's that.

Now I have some catching up to do with the rest of this series.  I think I might own the 3rd book, The Diva Paints the Town.  I'll look through my boxes.  Otherwise, I'll have to get it from the library.  If I'm fast enough, maybe I'll be able to read the 4th, The Diva Cooks A Goose by Christmas.

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme

Title: The Diva Runs Out of Thyme

Author: Krista Davis (Christina Ryplansky)

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

Copyright Date: 2008

Print Date: October 2008

ISBN: 9780425224267

Pages: 286 + Recipes and Cooking Tips

Series: 1st in the Domestic Diva mystery series

Book Description (from back cover):

SOME DISHES ARE BEST SERVED COLD...

Few can compete with the Natasha Smith when it comes to entertaining, but her childhood rival, Sophie Winston, certainly tries. While Natasha is known for her intricate centerpieces and painstakingly prepared gourmet meals, Sophie likes to keep things simple...real simple. Natasha may have stolen the spotlight — and Sophie's husband — but Sophie is determined to take home the prize at the Stupendous Stuffing Shakedown. She just needs the right ingredients...

However, Sophie's search for the perfect turkey takes a basting when she stumbles across a corpse. And when the police find her name and photo inside the victim's car, they think she has some explaining to do. Sophie will have to set her trussing aside to solve the murder or she'll be serving up prison grub — and that definitely wouldn't be a good thing.

Comments:

This was a quick, interesting introduction to what seems will be a light, fun cozy series. Each chapter started with a quote from one of Sophie's nemesis Natasha's columns, website, or tv show, or something from Sophie's column...tips, usually in response to questions. And I could tell who said what without looking, which says something about how clear and distinct the character's personalities are. Sophie does have a meddling mother, which is a pet peeve of mine, but she stands up to her decently well, so I could deal. I'm looking forward to seeing how things turn out in the next book, The Diva Takes the Cake.