Product Description

Her inventive recipe for mixing first-class suspense and five-star fare has made Diane Mott Davidson a favorite of mystery lovers and a mainstay on major bestseller lists across the country. Now she has prepared another irresistibly tempting tale spiced with mystery and mayhem…

For Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, business isn’t just booming--it’s skyrocketing. Her friend Marla is constantly warning her, “Success can kill you.” But Goldy doesn’t take the warning literally until her next booking: a cocktail party for the Westside Mall’s Elite Shoppers Club.

While setting up, Goldy is nearly run down by a truck with no intention of stopping. Then she finds an old friend in a pile of sale shoes--stabbed with one of Goldy’s new knives. Goldy must catch the real killer between whipping up Sweethearts’ Swedish Meatballs, Quiche Me Quick, and Diamond Lovers’ Hot Crab Dip. Why was the victim carrying a powerful narcotic? Who hired a private investigator shortly before the murder? Goldy’s gourmet instincts tell her the final course in this case will be a real killer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #126235 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-04
• Released on: 2003-03-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 368 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780553578355
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
When Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz is hired by her old friend Barry Dean to provide a lavish buffet for the opening of his chic new Aspen Meadows mall, the last thing she expects to stumble over is Barry himself, stabbed to death with one of her very own carving knives. When the police arrest her assistant, Julian, for the murder, Goldy launches her own over-caffeinated investigation. There's enough espresso in this culinary cozy to keep the reader wide awake while Davidson's irrepressible heroine sets up the suspects, solves the mystery, sends up a Shopaholics Anonymous meeting, and dishes up 10 recipes for fabulous party food, including the Chopping Spree salad of the title. The plot's somewhat creaky and there's hardly any dramatic tension, but fans of this popular series won't mind a bit. --Jane Adams

From Library Journal
Catering a fancy event for a bunch of high-end shoppers gets sleuthing chef Goldy all stirred up. Includes ten new recipes.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Caterer Goldy Schulz (Goldilocks Catering: Where Everything Is Just Right) of Aspen Meadow, Colorado, has her hands full: business is booming, and her son, Arch, is deep into teenhood, demanding, whiny, and sullen. Then a catered luncheon at the Westside Mall turns into a slugfest, and it is Goldy who finds the body of the old friend, Barry Dean, who orchestrated the event. Barry loved puzzles, and he left a succession of odd clues for Goldy to follow as she tries to untangle his murder. But catering--and Arch's birthday--do not stop for sleuthing, and Goldy must cope with sibling rivalry, false accusations, red herrings, and construction at the mall, combined into a vicious stew. Davidson's cozies offer, like Goldy's trademark espresso, a double shot of guilty pleasure: the first, of course, is the mouthwatering recipes. The second is the frisson of feeling superior to our heroine, who is always doing things she shouldn't, like keeping evidence from her detective spouse. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Perfectly catered, tasty little bon-bon of a read
In contrast to other reviewers, I find the plotting in this Davidson novel to be more complex and the suspicious characters to be better developed than in her previous books. The victim was a bad guy, a good guy, a two-timer, a lover who wanted (and maybe expected himself) to become faithful, a good friend, and an exploiter -- yes, all rolled into one interesting, attractive man. Likewise, the people who might have knocked him off hardly arouse indifference.

Solve riddles, read recipes, go to a Shopper's Anonymous meeting, sigh at the mistakes we all make with our children: yes, indeed, you can get a lot done reading this book. It is also a great introduction to what passes for springtime on the eastern slopes of the Rockies and to the burgeoning (some would say out of control) commercial and residential development happening here.

I had allowed myself to be put off by reviews here and finally picked up the book for a holiday weekend. I was not in the least disappointed -- except that it had taken me so long to get to it. The book engaged my brain, made me laugh out loud, and brought on ruminations about how life -- and our outrageous mistakes in it -- catches up with us all.

Has Goldy Lost It?
My devotion to this series can best be illustrated by the fact that I braved driving to the mall after eye surgery to get this latest installment. I wasn't disappointed, and a night and a half of eye strain later, I had digested a full buffet of emotional characters, clever clues, intriguing recipes, and interesting plot twists. Davidson writes well, and her main characters typically are likable and sensible. It's always nice to finish a book without once screaming at the main character, "Don't you get it, you moron?"

Unfortunately, the good elements of Chopping Spree were overshadowed by the negative behavior of Goldy's son. In the early books, he was described as an introverted prodigy. It was easy to feel motherly toward him as he struggled to fit in with other kids, despite his less-than-perfect family situation. However, in the last several books, his shyness has evolved into an abusive intensity that goes beyond teenage angst. He repeatedly verbally berates Goldy, and his self-absorption exceeds anything that should be acceptable in a real family. The most disturbing part of the story is that Goldy exercises no discipline and does not explain to him that his childish outbursts and tantrums would not be acceptable for a 4-year-old, much less a 14-year-old. Is Davidson trying to illustrate that Goldy still has doormat tendencies left over from her abusive marriage? Is she a proponent of no-discipline parenting techniques? (If this is the case, I hope she knows her way to the visitors' area in the local jail). Regardless of the author's motives, the abusive child-parent relationship threatens to overshadow all of the typical good qualities that make Davidson's series such a joy to read.

Comfort, coffee, and chocolate
Reading a Goldy series book by Diane Mott Davidson is like coming home to a cozy fire with your favorite afghan and of course, a great cup of coffee (with a little of the finest chocolate on the side), and reading a long letter from a dear friend. I had read several uncomplimentary reviews of Chopping Spree, but being a fan of the series, I had to decide for myself. The rating of 3 stars is in relation to all books of any genre. Davidson has never claimed to be a world class author of fine literature. What she does claim is an ability to create a lovable cast of characters that you feel you know, and to create twists and turns that keep you guessing. Goldy's "annoying" tendencies to ignore common sense at times is part of what endears her to the reader. She is like a friend that exasperates you, but you "gotta love her." As to anyone who criticizes Davidson for Gold's son, Arch's behavior, has certainly never had a teenager! All in all, an as-usual FUN read. 'Can't wait for the next one!