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!
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*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
Krista Davis’ The Diva Spices is up is the 13th book in The Domestica Diva mysteries and it is just as well written as the first 12. The characters are well developed and the story line is well researched.
When a celebrity’s ghostwriter quits and then disappears, Sophie is hired to finish the cookbook. Along the way, there are twists and turns to find the missing ghostwriter in time to save her life. All of the characters that we love are included in this book and even a few new ones that you will love. I won’t leave a spoiler because I think it spoils it for the reader.
Sophie and her friends are a one-click five star read whenever a new book is released. So when the Diva Spices it up it becomes a spicy book to read.
The streets of Old Town Alexandria are filled with spies, politics, long-lost relatives, mystery, and intrigue in Krista Davis’ 13th Domestic Diva Mystery, and Sophie Winston is smack dab in the middle of everything! When Sophie agrees to take on a ghostwriting gig for a politician’s wife to pay for her crumbling bathroom, little does she know she’ll end up deciphering secret codes embedded in recipes and searching for two lost women. The story is incredibly fast paced, and Ms. Davis weaves the story lines together seamlessly – The Diva Spices it Up combines all the ingredients of a perfect cozy mystery together in one delicious package. A+++
Author Krista Davis really spices up this mystery. The book draws you in from the start. The mystery is full of twists and turns and red herrings. The characters are relatable and interesting. As Sophie tries to find out what happened to the previous ghostwriter, the suspects seem to multiply. This leaves her with no shortage of possible suspects. I look forward to the next in the series.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.
Sophie is looking forward to a little break after doing four back to back events but it isn’t meant to be. Her ex-husband has asked for help, the wife of the man he works for is putting together a cookbook and needs a ghostwriter. Her previous writer up and quit and the finished product is due in a few weeks. Sophie agrees and is excited to meet the woman she will be helping with the cookbook, Tilly Stratford who was on a tv show many years ago. While working on the recipes Sophie notices some weird abbreviations in the margins and that they don’t seem to have anything to do with cooking. She decides to visit the previous writer in hopes of getting some questions answered. Things don’t go as planned though, she ends up finding a body in a freezer. As more and more weird stuff happens Sophie knows she must investigate herself and figure out just what in the world is going on. There are plenty of suspects but no one person is jumping out as the culprit. Will Sophie be able to comb through all that she has learned and come to the right conclusion or will a killer get away with murder.
This is number 13 in the series. The Diva Spices It Up is the thirteenth book in the Domestic Diva Mystery series by Krista Davis. Sophie’s ex husband, Mars, gets her a gig as a ghostwriter for a cookbook. Sophie agrees in order to be able to remodel her bathroom.
It’s never as easy as it seems.
I like the list of characters in the beginning for easy reference. I also liked that the author used a real incidence of a dead drop in this book.
The book is well-written, plotted, and full of charm. Bonus- recipes are included.
I was given an advanced copy and am not required to leave a positive review.
Sophie’s ex-husband convinces her to take on a job ghostwriting a celebrity cookbook. The original ghostwriter, Abby, quit unexpectedly just weeks before deadline and has disappeared. Soon Sophie is investigating whether Abby’s disappearance was helped along by someone who wanted her out of the way.
There is a ton going on in The Diva Spices It Up, with a wide variety of subplots and plenty of quirky characters. Part of Sophie’s job is to cook the recipes to confirm they work with the ingredient amounts listed, so there is a lot of cooking and baking. Recipes are included if you want to try some of the deliciously described meals. This book can be read as a standalone but it would be best to read it as part of the series. Recommended for fans of culinary cozy mysteries.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.
This story starts strong with a great opening that immediately sparked my curiosity and with continued teasers kept me entertained and guessing to the very end. I enjoyed the characters, setting and how everything tied together neatly in the end.
I have read and enjoyed all 13 books in A Domestic Diva Mystery series and look forward to future additions. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
I loved this story line. It has several situations all woven together that makes great reading. The characters are great and all fit together just right. You might be surprised at some of the relationships if this is your first Diva book. Join Sophie and her furry crew as she takes on a new adventure that leads to quite a busy time just trying to fit all the questions and clues together. You’ll get some good tips from Sophie and Natasha and you’ll find some yummy recipes included. I think I would like a copy of Tilly’s book. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
The Diva Spices It Up by Krista Davis is the thirteenth in this series. This is not an unlucky read!
All Sophie wants when she takes a job as a ghostwriter for a cookbook is enough money to renovate her bathroom. But that doesn’t go smoothly.
When the original ghostwriter for a former actress goes missing, Sophie agrees to finish the writing. What could go wrong, it’s just a few days of testing and writing recipes or is it. Sophie is again on the case and looking into who and why was the original ghostwriter taken out.
This story has many plot twists, story lines, interesting characters, and a few side stories that will keep you entertained to the end. There are also some yummy sounding recipes included. You also get some entertaining tidbits at the beginning of each chapter.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
The latest addition to the “A Domestic Diva Mystery” series, The Diva Spices It Up, from Krista Davis, is available tomorrow. Published by Kensington Books. This latest book is a wonderful fast read that leaves readers heads spinning.
Sophie has investigated a lot of murders but nothing like this! She is taking a break from her event planning business. Taking on a side gig as a ghostwriter for a celebrity who needs to finish writing her cookbook after the original ghostwriter suddenly quit. This was odd enough, but when the former ghostwriter turns up missing and presumed dead, Sophie’s odd job turns into a legitimate mystery that takes everything she has and everything she can find to solve.
Event planning can be a pain under the best of circumstances, but ghostwriting can be murder. Sophie has missing people, murder, and espionage, in short, a disaster. As usual, Sophie is up to the challenge, but even she has a hard time figuring out what happened, to whom or why. The other characters in this book, such as Sophie’s ex, her neighbors and friends try their best to help, and in some cases, hinder her investigation. Still, they all add intrigue, excitement, and information that ultimately allows her to find a killer and clear up a mystery, or two, or three.
This new edition to this series is filled with twists, turns, and red herrings. Sophie’s event planning business does not play a part in this story. The location of Old Town is still exciting and filled with history, culture, and eccentric personalities. There are multiple subplots that add enjoyment and interest to the story and give readers a better look at Sophie’s world. Krista Davis is a flawless writer and can craft an immensely enjoyable story using almost any plotline. It can be difficult to keep a long-running series fresh, but the author achieves it with ease in The Diva Spices It Up. I am happy to recommend this new book in the series to readers and lovers of cozy mysteries.
THE DIVA SPICES IT UP is the thirteenth entry in the long running Domestic Diva Mystery series, and is indeed lucky thirteen. Always having considered this one of my favorite series, the characters, setting, and murder mystery are as fresh as ever.
In this installment, event planner and domestic diva Sophie steps into a new role as cookbook ghostwriter when congressman’s wife and aspiring lifestyle guru Tilly Stratford’s original ghost writer abruptly quits and disappears. Sophie soon finds herself embroiled in quite the investigation when the body count begins to rise. Espionage, domestic drama, politics, kidnapping, and murder are all on Sophie’s plate, and it is quite tasty to figure everything out alongside Sophie.
Author Davis always crafts a quality, complex mystery, and here is no exception. There are several subplots woven in, and they all come together to make a great tale. As much as I enjoy the puzzle, it is the characters that keep me coming back for more. I adore Sophie. She is down to earth and relatable, and I can only hope to be as welcoming as she is. I enjoy all of the meal and snack prep, and the details about table linens and dishes. They are dispersed throughout the book but never become tedious or boring, and the talk of food always makes me hungry (luckily, there are recipes included in the back of the book). All of the characters, including unlikable Natasha, are endearing, and, at this point, I feel like they are all old friends. Meeting Eunice and Sam is a particular treat, and I hope they pop up in future installments.
THE DIVA SPICES IT UP is just about as perfect as a cozy mystery gets. Highly recommended!
I received and ARC of this title from Kensington Books through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This series is chock full of adventure, misadventure, tears (from laughing so hard) and humor. I am so glad that this series continues because each book is more entertaining than the last. The characters are magnificent and the descriptive scenes make you feel like you are walking down the street with Sophie and Daisy. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!
cozy-mystery, family-dynamics, friendship, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, pets
I came for the murder mystery and was delighted with a new-to-me author and an excellent story! I guess some readers will come for the etiquette hints at the beginning of each chapter and the recipes. I was surprised to note that it was part of a series because it clearly can stand alone. The plot is very convoluted and full of misdirection, plot twists, red herrings, and suspense. The publisher’s blurb is a good hook and totally relevant so there is no need to attempt a recap, and spoilers are in such poor taste. Lots of characters who truly are, and they are all so very well done. I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
This was such an entertaining and enjoyable book! I suspected several different characters throughout the story and was quite surprised by the ending. I had a hard time putting this book down because there was plenty of action, between Sophie’s cookbook ghostwriting gig, the suspicious happenings around Old Town Alexandria, and Sophie’s everyday life. There are several intriguing mysteries that draw Sophie to investigate and I also love the characters in this series. Sophie is so down-to-Earth and has a great group of friends nearby. The domestic diva advice column letters at the start of each chapter are so fun to read, especially when Sophie’s friend-slash-rival Natasha comes up with some outlandish replies. As always, there are some tempting recipes included at the end of the book that I added to my endless recipe collection.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries or would appreciate recipes and hostess tips. It can easily be read as a standalone, but you might get the most enjoyment out of it by starting this series at the beginning. This is one of my very favorite series and I’m always eager for the next one. The Diva Spices It Up is a lucky #13 for Krista Davis!
I received an advance copy of this book. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
The Domestic Diva Mystery Series is an ode to cozies, cooking, and the art of hospitality. It makes me want to visit Old Town, Virginia each time I pick up the book. I love how the characters have evolved and grown as the series progresses. Sophie always makes me want to get into the kitchen and put a little more time and effort into the art of hosting. Another hit in this fabulous series!
https://cozyexperience.com/the-diva-spices-it-up-book-review/
I listen to this series and the narrator is GREAT! Very enjoyable audiobooks.
The Domestic Diva Mystery Series combines two of my favorite things, good food and a visit back to my hometown of Old Town Alexandria, VA. I’m no longer homesick when I bury myself in these pages. The characters are realistic, fun, and engaging; they pull me right into the story. A must-read for any cozy mystery lover.