Catering to Nobody - A Spotlight

As an adult, what was the book that introduced you to cozy mysteries? For me it was Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson published in 1990. Please note that this is a new cover, quite different that the original.

 

Blurb: 

Even though working a wake isn’t Goldy Bear’s idea of fun, the Colorado caterer throws herself into preparing a savory feast featuring Poached Salmon and Strawberry Shortcake Buffet designed to soothe forty mourners. Her culinary efforts seem to be exactly what the doctor ordered . . . until her former father-in-law, gynecologist Fritz Korman, is struck down—and Goldy is accused of adding poison to the menu. Now, with the Department of Health impounding her leftovers, her ex-husband trashing her name, and her business close to being shut down, Goldy knows she can’t wait for the police to serve up answers. She soon uncovers more than one skeleton in the closet, along with a veritable slew of unpalatable secrets—the kind that could make Goldy the main course in an unsavory killer’s next murder.
  

Other covers:

I think this first one was the cover when I read it. 

 

 

 

Don't Look Down - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Hilary Davidson to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Hilary writes the Shadows of New York series. Don't Look Down is the second book in the series and will be released next week.

Kathy: In Don't Look Down Jo Greaver has built a thriving beauty business from nothing only to be blackmailed, shot, and seen as the prime suspect in a murder. Why is watching a young ambitious character spiral downward so compelling?

HD: Even in this day and age, I think the notion of an openly ambitious woman makes people uncomfortable. There’s an assumption that women take care of others, instead of putting their needs and desires first. Jo Greaver is tough and ambitious, and from the first chapter — when she’s hoping to pay off her blackmailer, but she’s carrying a gun to their meeting — the reader is wondering exactly how far she’ll go to save herself. But the more time you spend with Jo, the more you see how she’s been dealt an awful hand all her life. She’s a complicated character, and the downward spiral strips away the image she’s worked hard to construct all her life.


Kathy: This novel is the second book in the Shadows of New York series. Why did you choose to feature a NYPD Detective in your psychological thriller series?

HD: My first three novels featured an amateur sleuth named Lily Moore. One ongoing challenge with an amateur-sleuth series is finding reasons for your main character to get involved with so many investigations! I wanted to write about a professional who has access to different resources and a very different skill set. That was how NYPD Detective Sheryn Sterling was born.


Kathy: What first drew you to thrillers?

HD: I’ve loved the genre my whole life. I call Nancy Drew the gateway drug, because I read those books as a kid, then graduated to Agatha Christie. In high school, I started reading Robert B. Parker, Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, and Walter Mosley. There’s nothing so satisfying to me as a great mystery.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

HD: Before turning to my life of crime (writing), I was a journalist for years. My specialty was writing about travel, and I wrote 17 guidebooks for Frommer’s. I still write nonfiction, but crime fiction is my main focus.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

HD: The Shadows of New York series (Don’t Look Down and One Small Sacrifice) follows NYPD Detective Sheryn Sterling as she takes on complicated cases. Her own painful past gives her tremendous insight into criminals and victims, and feeds her determination to see justice done.

The Lily Moore series (The Damage Done, The Next One to Fall, and Evil in All Its Disguises) features an amateur travel-writing sleuth who is initially pulled into detective work when her troubled younger sister vanishes. These books take readers to places such as Peru and Mexico.


Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

HD: I feel like that might be like asking a parent to name a favorite child! On some level, I love them all. Even the terrible ones, because I know what made them so twisted.


Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

HD: There’s a combination of things that have happened to me, that have happened to people I know, or that I’ve read about that all come together in my work.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

HD: I’ve always worked in publishing, but I started out as an editor. After about two-and-a-half years, I had to admit that what I really wanted to do was write, not edit. I didn’t quit my job until I started freelancing on the side and realized that I could support myself as a writer. Travel writing is a happy business, and I wrote the honeymoon column for Martha Stewart Weddings, among other things. But there’s a dark side to the travel business, and I could never write about that, so I started putting it into short stories. That’s how I started writing crime fiction. When my first mystery, The Damage Done, won the 2011 Anthony Award for Best First Novel, that definitely encouraged me to keep going!


Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

HD: Truman Capote, Dorothy Parker, Langston Hughes, and Oscar Wilde. They wrote some of my favorite stories of all time and I’d love to gather them around one table.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

HD: I have several books on the go at any given time. Right now, I’m starting Nikki Dolson’s Love and Other Criminal Behavior, I’m halfway through Tara Isabella Burton’s Social Creature, and I’m almost finished Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror. I’m also re-reading Megan Abbott’s Dare Me, because the TV series based on it is so incredible.


Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

HD: My parents got me into martial arts as a kid and I fell in love, mainly with karate but also with krav maga and judo. I love working out, which sounds crazy to most people, but it’s how I deal with stress. I love to draw; when I was in school, I sold some of my portraits, but it strictly been an amateur interest since then. I also love vintage clothing and accessories, enough that it probably qualifies as a hobby, too.


Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

HD: Parmesan, Kerrygold butter, pine nuts, and sparkling wine.


Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

HD: Here’s a secret most people don’t realize: my two series exist in the same universe, and characters from the Lily Moore books have appeared in the Shadows of New York books. I do have plans for more Shadows of New York books, but the novel I’m writing now is a standalone. At least, I think it is… you never know where a character will turn up….


Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

HD: There’s nothing better than sharing what’s in your heart and mind with other people, and having them respond to this world you’ve created. It’s an honor to be able to do that.


***********************************************************************

Don't Look Down (Shadows of New York) by Hilary Davidson

About Don't Look Down

 

Don't Look Down (Shadows of New York)  

Psychological Thriller 2nd in Series  

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (February 11, 2020)  

Hardcover: 368 pages Paperback: 367 pages 

From the Amazon Charts bestselling author of One Small Sacrifice, a gripping mystery about a sinister murder that everyone wants to stay buried—except one dogged NYPD detective.

Jo Greaver is a model of success. Young and ambitious, she’s built a thriving beauty business from nothing. But she has secrets she’ll do anything to keep buried. When her blackmailer offers to meet, Jo expects to pay him off—but gets a bullet instead. Bleeding and in shock, Jo flees with no one to turn to.

When NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling and her partner, Rafael Mendoza, find Andray Baxter murdered in his own home—shot through the heart—everything points to Jo as the killer. Her blood is at the scene, and so are disturbing photos of her taken as a young teen. But Sheryn has doubts. Was the kindhearted Andray really a criminal? Why did he repeatedly report finding spyware in his apartment? Was there something shady about Jo’s sister dying a year earlier?

Something’s not right, and it’s up to Sheryn to piece together the sinister puzzle, no matter the cost.

About Hilary Davidson

Hilary Davidson is the bestselling author of One Small Sacrifice and the winner of two Anthony Awards. Her novels include the Lily Moore series—The Damage Done, The Next One to Fall, and Evil in All Its Disguises—and the standalone thriller Blood Always Tells. Her widely acclaimed short stories have won numerous awards and have been featured everywhere from Ellery Queen to Thuglit, as well as in her collection The Black Widow Club. A Toronto-born travel journalist who’s lived in New York City since October 2001, Davidson is also the author of eighteen nonfiction books. Visit her online at hilarydavidson.com.

Website: hilarydavidson.com.
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Review - Fifth Grave Past the Light

Review

Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones
The 5th Charley Davidson Novel

Darynda Jones leads her readers on an adrenalin rushed ride of sarcasm, caustic wit, hot sex, and a mystery or two...or three...or more.

In Fifth Grave Past the Light we find out a little more about Garrett and  the knowledge he gained while in hell, as well as the research that said knowledge inspired. We learn of some terrible information from Rocket and we see a more domestic side of Reyes; well, as domestic as the sexy son of Satan can be.

Driving the story, however, is the mystery of the 27 murdered women now residing in Charley's apartment. Who are they? Who killed them? And how can Charley help them cross?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There's more to it than the fun quotes that start each chapter, the quips and barbs from Charley and the gang. There's the intriguing puzzle that is the relationship between the Grim Reaper and the Son of Satan, the romantic relationship between Charley and Reyes, the family bond (that also includes friends) of Ubie, Gemma, Cookie, Artemis, and even Angel, Rocket, and Quentin. Emotions trump the blithe attitudes and sarcastic comments. These people care for each other and we as readers in turn care for them. No matter if you're in the mood for mystery, romance, or humor, you can find it all with Charley Davidson.


*** Warning*** This is NOT a cozy mystery. Also there is a scene that survivors of trauma may find difficult to read.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones. This book is the 4th in the Charley Davidson series. This series is one that defies genres. One thing that it is not, is a cozy. I wouldn't call it a romance either. There are mysteries, there is romance...which can be quite erotic at times, it is paranormal, there is lots of action, and plenty of humor. I guess you could call it a hot, paranormal, romantic suspense with lots of laughs!

Charley Davidson is a PI. She's also the Grim Reaper. Yup, she lights up like a beacon to the dead and they can cross over through her. There's also always been a gorgeous guy who mysteriously appears when she needs him. He happens to be the son of Satan. Needless to say, their relationship hasn't been easy. Especially after what happened in the 3rd book. I'm only one chapter in to this book and can't believe I got behind (the 6th book in the series, Sixth Grave On the Edge, was just released). The book opens with Charley dealing with the ramifications of book 3 (Third Grave Dead Ahead). She's sequestered herself in her apartment, (well, her best friend's apartment) buying things she doesn't need from the shopping channel and chatting with her (dead) aunt. Cookie is working on getting her back to the land of the living, when Charley spots Reyes...doing something impossible.

You must read this series in order! First Grave on the Right is the first in the series. (I also love how the author helps us know the order of the books with the titles!) I love this series and can't wait to catch up!

Long Running Series

I'm always a little sad whenever I finish a book I really like. Sad that the adventure is over and I have to say goodbye to new friends. The wonderful thing about cozy mysteries is that they're usually series-so when you finish one, you know you'll meet up with everyone again for the next adventure.

Unfortunately, some series are short lived. In some cases, this result is not desired by the author either. The book doesn't sell well and the publisher won't publish further stories in the series. Happily, the advent of e-books and self publishing has allowed some authors to continue their series even when the publisher says no. Sometimes the series ends because, tragically, the author died. Barbara Burnett Smith wrote the Purple Sage Mysteries and had just started a new beading series, Bead on Trouble when she died. A second book in that series, Beads of Doubt, was published, finished by another author. 

Some series have a set ending by the author. Carole Nelson Douglas intends to go through the entire alphabet with her Midnight Louis series. After the first two books, Catnap and Pussyfoot, the titles follow the alphabet-Cat on a Blue Monday. She's currently on W with the 2012 release of Cat in a White Tie and Tales. Kate Kingsbury also had an ending with her Pennyfoot Hotel series; although that's not quite true in that four years after the series ended she began bringing those characters back in Christmas mysteries.

Long running series are great in that you truly get to know the characters. Seeing how the characters change and grow can be amazing and wonderful. At the start of the series by Elizabeth Peters we meet Amelia Peabody, a single lady in Victorian England who is finally free to travel. By the most recent book in the series Amelia is married with grandchildren! We've also seen the political and archeological changes in Egypt. Crocodile on the Sandbank was published in 1975 with A River in the Sky released in 2010. There are currently 19 books in this series.

So what makes a series long running? Although time does count for something (the Amelia Peabody series continued for 35 years and although the author is 85 years old, she's still with us-so there may yet be another book in the series!) to me it's the number of books in the series that makes it long running. For me, a series must have at least 10 published books in order to be considered a long running series.

There are problems with long running series. Unfortunately, I've found a few clunkers in some of my favorite series. I suppose when you write that many books, some are bound to be not as great. When it first started, I adored the Mrs. Murphy series by Rita Mae Brown; every book was great. Then there was a horrible clunker. I didn't give up on it, and Rita Mae Brown got back on track with some wonderful books which I recommend. There are currently 20 books in the series which began with Wish You Were Here in 1990 with the 21st scheduled to be published in June 2013. What's interesting is that the clunker sits half way through the series.

So what are some other long running series? Cleo Coyle currently has 12 books in her Coffeehouse Mysteries. Laura Childs has two long running series. The Tea Shop Mysteries started with Death by Darjeeling in 2001 and the 14th in the series will be released in March 2013. Her Scrapbooking Series just makes the cut with her 10th book in the series, Postcards from the Dead published in 2012. There are 17 books in Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson series with the 18th to be published in February 2013. Two of these are actually novellas, found in holiday collections with stories with other authors, but still, more than enough to make a long running series. There are 16 books in Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Bear series. Kate Collins started her Flower Shop Mysteries with a 2004 publication. There are now 13 books. There are 17 books in the Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Atherton starting with Aunt Dimity's Death back in 1992 with the 18th due in April 2013.

As you can see, there are plenty of long running series out there-and many series which I hope will become long running. Do you have a favorite long running series? Which current series do you hope become long running ones?