Catering to Nobody (Goldy, Book 1)

Catering to Nobody - Diane Mott Davidson From the beginning this was a bit too cutesy for me. The first person narrator and protagonist, "Goldy Bear" is a caterer in Aspen Meadow, Colorado, and her motto is "just right." At regular intervals we get complete recipes like "Dungeon Bars" and "Wild Man Wild Rice." Also, the romantic interest is the detective, Tom Schulz, investigating a poisoning in which Goldie is a suspect. He had the power it seemed, to close down her business until someone is arrested--but he doesn't hesitate to date her, bring her into the investigation, and condone her breaking and entering. I'm sorry, not only does this plain bug me, but I feel this is basically cheating when an amateur or private detective would do this--nor can I see a police officer condoning it since, among other things, in the United States any evidence found that way couldn't be used in court. And doing things like that puts Goldie in the Too Stupid To Live category. I do like Goldie's eleven year old son, Art--he seems like a real boy for once--not just played for cuteness. Beyond that, although I found Goldy likable, I didn't feel anything about the book lifted it above routine. Good recipes make a fine cookbook, but they're not enough to make for a tasty mystery. Hell, they were annoying, right smack in the middle of scenes and even sentences rather than at the beginning or end of chapters like in Like Water for Chocolate or at the end of the book.