Synopsis:

After a celebrity ghostwriter dies on the job, Old Town’s favorite entertaining expert and sporadic sleuth, Sophie Winston, whips up an impromptu investigation in the new Domestic Diva mystery from New York Times bestselling author, Krista Davis . . .

Sophie never considered ghostwriting as a side gig, until former actress and aspiring lifestyle guru, Tilly Stratford, trophy wife of Wesley Winthrope, needs someone to write her celebrity cookbook. Sophie agrees, hoping she’ll earn enough bread on this assignment to finish her bathroom renovations. But as it turns out, Sophie isn’t the first foodie to get a taste for recipe ghostwriting, and if the marginalia are any indication, this project could be a killer . . .

Wesley claims professional ghostwriter, Abby Bergeron, suddenly abandoned Tilly’s cookbook with no warning. But Sophie quickly discovers that Abby may be more ghost than writer now . . . and her disappearance was no accident. So Sophie cracks open a fresh investigation, but sifting the seasoned murderer from this sampling of salty suspects won’t be easy. Will Sophie savor another case closed or will the culprit simply melt away?

Includes delicious recipes and entertaining tips!

Genre: Cozy Mystery
My Rating: **** (4 of 5 stars)

Sophie’s ex-husband convinces her to take a job ghost-writing a cookbook for the wife of a local politician. The previous ghostwriter has disappeared, and not long after taking her place Sophie realizes that this job might not be quite as straightforward as it seemed.

First of all, Sophie is a great character. She’s smart and logical, but not superwoman. I love when characters actually have to think or investigate to figure things out. The supporting cast was made up of Sophie’s friends, neighbors, and acquaintances and they were all unique, believable characters. The mystery itself was unusual and there were several things going on at once for Sophie and her friends to figure out. This one kept me guessing and engaged right up to the end.

Like most culinary mysteries there are recipes and tips at the end of the book. The recipes are things I think I might actually try to make, and I enjoyed the way we got to see the recipes from the cookbook Sophie is ghostwriting along with other bits of info mentioned in the story.

The Diva Spices it Up is #13 in the Domestic Diva mystery series. It is the first book I read in the series, but it definitely works as a standalone. Everything you need to know to jump in at this point is explained, but I enjoyed the characters so much I will be going back to the beginning to see how they all got where they are now!

Note: I received an advanced copy of the book from the author at no cost, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.