Killer Pancake

By Diane Mott Davidson

A lethally tantalizing novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Sticks & Scones

When Goldy, owner of Goldilocks’ Catering, whips up a sumptuous lowfat feast for the Mignon Cosmetics’ company banquet, she discovers just how ugly the beauty biz can be!

On the day of the banquet Goldy finds herself confronting an angry mob of demonstrators—“Spare the Hares”—who object to Mignon Cosmetics’ animal-testing policies. As she carries lowfat fare from her van to the mall where the banquet is being held, she hears an ominous squeal of tires and a horrifying thump. Seconds later a Mignon employee lies dead on the pavement.

Now Goldy is enmeshed up to her sauté pans in a homicide investigation. Could the murder have had something to do with Spare the Hares—or with the exotic flower found near the dead body? Though busy serving up Hoisin Turkey and Grand Marnier Cranberry Muffins, Goldy starts sleuthing at Mignon’s million-dollar cosmetics counter. Soon the caterer-turned-sleuth knows she’ll be next on a killer’s hit list—and it won’t be pretty.

Featuring original recipes for such luscious (and lowfat) dishes as Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus, decadent Fudge Soufflé, and irresistible what-to-do-with-all-the-egg-yolks bread!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jan 13, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307428431

Diane Mott Davidson

Diane Mott Davidson is the author of seventeen bestselling novels. She divides her time between Colorado and Florida.

Reviews for Killer Pancake

[liscarey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Goldy Schultz, owner of Goldilocks Catering, has with some reservations, agreed to cater a low-cal lunch banquet for Mignon Cosmetics. It could open up a new market, and her assistant, Julian, is dating one of the Mignon sales associates, Claire Satterfield. And it's only one afternoon. How bad can it be?

Her doubts come rushing back when she has to run a gauntlet of animal rights activists calling themselves Spare the Hares, who even have dead rabbits to wave around. Then Claire Satterfield is killed in the mall parking garage by a hit-and-run driver before they even have all the food inside. Goldy calls 911, and she and her homicide detective husband Tom have to break the news to Julian.

Even more disturbingly, Goldy discovers the police don't think it was an accident.

This is an intricate story involving illicit affairs, commercial espionage, cutthroat competition and fraud between Mignon sales staff, and an old, well-buried scandal of terrible injuries caused by cosmetics testing. Goldy learns more about her neighbors and potential clients than she really wanted to know--and all while there's drama enough in her own family and household. It's not just Julian losing Claire. Marla, Goldy's best friend and the other ex-wife of her abusive ex-husband John Richard Korman, has had a heart attack. Do I need to say that John Richard is not staying away, and that Goldy has some difficulty letting the fancy security system Tom has installed do its thing? No?

This is a fun, fast-paced mystery with the main secondary characters just developed enough to make an engaging story.

Recommended.

No free galley to declare on this one; I borrowed it from the library.

[ffortsa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

the usual fun

[weisser4 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

It is getting harder to read these books. This will be my last. I get more irritated with Goldy and her narcissistic behavior, her son, Arch, and her live-in catering helper, Julian with each book. The books are very dated and I feel like I am listening to my mother and grandmother. I have been listening to the audio versions of the books and I think the individual chosen sounds like my very snooty mother. Goldy is very judgmental of the wealthy and constantly berates their behavior but never fails to mention that she went to boarding school and college and was once married to a wealthy doctor. Bitter much? Not my cup of Earl Grey.

[cecilturtle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Goldy is a caterer, and while cooking for a cosmetic company's event, gets involved in a suspicious hit and run. This book has all the makings of a traditional murder mystery: a spunky main character, recipes from Goldy's menus, lots of makeup and complicated love lives. I enjoyed it until the last chapters. First there was a lot of repetition (there were definitely a lot of characters weaving in and out of the story), then the plot veered to more and more outlandish situations, until the end which was downright farcical. I don't mind humour in my thrillers, but this book went next level ridiculous and I just lost interest.A good way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but I won't be reading more from this author.

[kathy_dyer-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Davidson's culinary series is engaging with relatable characters and enough mystery to make you guess more than once. Having lived in the fictional town of Aspen Meadow it is also fun to figure out where characters are and where they are going. Not to mention the books also contain great recipes you want to try out in your kitchen.

[mm_jones · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story, number five in Goldy, the caterer series, features lowfat recipes, Goldy's assistant Julian, her new husband Detective Tom, Marla's heart attack, a blue rose and hemlock. I find the characters quite entertaining with some real life events, not just recipes and a mystery in the mix. I didn't enjoy her laughing off the prerogative of her new husband sabotaging her catering event. In other stories in the series he's more of a help than a hindrance. Enjoyable read.

[wareagle78 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another reliably interesting Culinary Mystery, this time revolving around a cosmetics company and a hit and run accident killing Julian's girlfriend.

[lahochstetler · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Goldy Schulz is hired to cater for a group of cosmetic salespeople from Mignon Cosmetics. The beauty industry produces some difficult characters. One, Claire Satterfield, winds up dead in a hit and run. Goldy, of course, decides to investigate. Her efforts to find the murderer involve fighting off a horde of militant anti-animal testing protesters, cooking a full low-fat and low-calorie menu, and tending her assistant's broken heart as he mourns his girlfriend's death. This is a reasonably solid and complex cozy mystery. It kept me interested to the end.

[dukefan86 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was an easy-listen in the car during a busy week or so. The story was okay, the characters were okay. Not spectacular, but not horrible either.

[casabooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Who could resist with a title like this ?
Some mystery
Some recipes (actually good ones!)
Some easy characters and reading.
Reading my way thru this series now and in future.
Read in 2004.

[pussreboots · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Killer Pancake by Diane Mott Davidson is the fifth of the Goldy Bear mysteries. This is also the first one where she is married to Tom Schulz.Independence Day is around the corner and Goldy is busy with a variety of patriotic events. Her big client, though, is Mignon Cosmetics — a local affair with BIG plans. The only problem — local animal rights protestors have gotten wind that they test on rabbits. Worse yet, Julian's new girl friend and employee of of Mignon, has been struck down in the mall parking lot and Julian is the prime suspect.I found investigation between Mignon and a rival cosmetic company a lot more interesting and credible than the kidnapping plot of The Last Suppers. Although Goldie isn't a makeup wearer, she was still able to go undercover as a potential client. It's something a newlywed might do.Now as I first started reading this series out of order (starting with Fatally Flaky), there are some characters introduced here who are expanded upon later. I found that tidbit a bit distracting, especially as I expected certain characters to resort to violence. Except that they didn't. Here they were minor parts in the ensemble.This is also the novel where Goldy's coffee addiction gets out of hand. She pulls some long nights but also uses coffee as a coping mechanism. I don't think I could ever drink as much espresso as she manages without becoming violently ill.Anyway, it was a fun book to listen to.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ms. Davidson does a good job of misdirection in this mystery, giving the reader lots of different motives for the murder. For any woman skeptical of the cosmetics industry this mystery also sends a few zingers in that direction. Goldy is as likeable as ever and flawed enough that she is easy to relate to and understand.

[sweetamber_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I did not really care for this book at all. The who-dun-it part turned out to be decent in the end, and I do not terribly regret reading it, but I will not be picking up the rest of the series. I had one big problem with this book. While the ending explanation was decent, none of the characters were likable. They either felt naive and borderline flakes (pun intended) or snobbish. Some books can pull off the "you'll love to hate this character"... this is not one of those books. I ended up not liking Mrs. Goldy at all. That is very rarely a good thing.

[msbeautiful · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoy this character, love hearing about cooking/recipes