I know I am a little late on this, but I was accepted into the ARC the same week of the publication date. So happy they brought me in! As a kid, Golden Girls was my comfort show. Now, cozy murder mysteries are my comfort reads and watches (looking at you, Midsomer Murders!) So a mix of both Golden Girls and cozy murder? Sign me up! So thank you, Netgalley and Hyperion, for this opportunity. All views are my own.
From the Publisher:
The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!
When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf–themed wedding Rose is hosting.
Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche’s hot flashes. Rose’s cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can’t balance the groom’s family’s snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again!
Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she’s found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she’ll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.
As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy’s date is found dead—face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It’s up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!
What I Loved:
- The Girls. For anyone unfamiliar with the Golden Girls, the popular show followed Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Dorothy’s mother, Sophia as they navigate being “older” single women living in Miami. Three are widows and one is a divorcee, and they all live together in a house Blanche owns. Each of them have strong personalities and can differ in a lot of ways, but at the end of the day, they commiserate over ice cream or cheesecake in the kitchen. Murder by Cheesecake does an excellent job of capturing each woman’s voice and mannerisms: Rose’s naïve but sweet outlook on life, Blanche’s flirtations, Dorothy’s practical and brusque tone, and Sophia’s wild stories and spontaneous actions. While the plot focuses on Rose’s cousin getting married, it is Dorothy whose inner thoughts we spend the most time with as she contemplates finding love in a way she rarely vocalizes. Reading this feels like hanging out with your favorite aunts.
- The St. Olaf Traditions. I loved how progressively absurd each wedding tradition is, from the donkey to the outdoor showers, clowns, and of course, cheesecake. Rose’s niece must follow them all to access the famous St. Olaf family trust, and intrigue abounds when Rose accuses the village elders of making the task seem Herculean to prevent the new couple from spending the money. I love microcosm cultures, and Murder by Cheesecake had me looking up more references and learning about St. Olaf culture more than the show did.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
- The Murder. For a cute cozy mystery, the murder felt like a major afterthought to the overall plot. Dorothy’s date Henry is found in the freezer dead, and the only reason the Girls get involved is to save the wedding and clear Dorothy of the murder. While there was some good bonding moments as the Girls try to solve the murder, the overall sleuthing process feels very ancillary to the wedding and the resolution of the murder was out of left field. More murder, please.
- The Pace and Tone. Similar to the above, because the murder was a secondary plot point, Murder by Cheesecake was all over the place pacing wise. Some moments were all action as the Girls run around looking for clues, some were glacial as the wedding gets sorted in fits and starts. There was a lack of dialogue in parts when the Girls are all split up to try and interview suspects, and all you have is inner monologue that drags a little. The over the top descriptions of all things eighties also slowed the plot down. The author spent too much time telling the reader about how eighties this book is and less time letting the reader feel like they were in the eighties.
Conclusion:
I had very high hopes for Murder by Cheesecake, and those hopes were partially realized. Reading this was like watching a long episode of the show, and visiting your favorite characters is always great for nostalgia. However, the execution was a little rough. I would still recommend this for a very light beach read especially if you love the Girls as much as I do. Three waves! Pick up your copy here.
Books for the Beach 