Main Corpse

by Diane Mott Davidson

Paper Book, 1996

Collection

Description

Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:She has been called "the Julia Child of mystery writers." Now, Diane Mott Davidson, who masterfully served up The Last Suppers, Killer Pancake, and Dying for Chocolate, returns with an irresistible five-star helping of suspense. When caterer Goldy Schulz takes a job with a multimillion-dollar financial firm, she finds herself in a high-stakes world where someone is out to make a killing.... Goldy, owner of Goldilocks' Catering, barely weathered a disastrous spring in which relentless rains and driving snow put a real damper on her business.  But now, thanks to her best friend, Marla, the Colorado caterer is suddenly cooking up a storm...lovingly preparing Crab Quesadillas, Tomato-Brie Pie, and Gold Foil-Wrapped Fudge Bars for her wealthy new client, Prospect Financial Partners. The Prospect Partners' financial whiz, Tony Royce, with whom Marla is having a tempestuous affair, and Albert Lipscomb, who is personally managing Marla's money, have hired Goldy to prepare a sumptuous party to kick off their latest venture: the reopening of the Eurydice Gold Mine. Anxious to take advantage of a golden opportunity, Goldy arrives at the mine site early, loaded down with goodies. Yet just when she thinks she can relax, all hell breaks loose�??and the main culprit is Marla. Her best friend is sure the mine venture is a scam. And when, several days later, Albert ends up missing, it looks as if Marla was right. Why, then, is the police captain treating Goldy's best friend as if she had committed a crime? And how can Goldy keep her fourteen-year-old son Arch and his unreliable bloodhound from making matters worse? As Goldy works furiously to restore her business by whipping up hot, fragrant Sour Cream Cherry Coffeecake and featherlight Cinnamon Scones, she finds herself drawn into a most unusual situation of missing partners, stolen millions, and multiple homicides. And only when Goldy can discover which of the victims is the main corpse will she be able to unravel the mystery that threatens to cancel out her friend's dearest asset�??her… (more)

Library's rating

Rating

(229 ratings; 3.5)

User reviews

LibraryThing member MsBeautiful
Enjoy this character, love hearing about cooking/recipes
LibraryThing member napareader
Checked out from county library. Used as clue on Jeopardy.
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
Just goes to show - rely more on your gut and less on cutting people slack!! Even "stand up for yourself" women like Marla can get themselves in sticky situations when they don't follow this rule. The mystery is interesting, some past characters make another appearance in this story, and Goldy
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shows just how far her loyalty will take her.
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LibraryThing member pussreboots
The Main Corpse by Diane Mott Davidson is the sixth of the Goldy Bear mysteries. It's an especially wet spring in Aspen Meadow and Goldy has to schlep her aging van up into the mountains to cater at the site of an old gold mine. Unfortunately the investment company behind the mine is having some
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trouble — first the secretary has gone missing and then one of the principles is murdered.

After everyone at the Gold Mine party has heard the dead man and Marla (Goldy's very wealthy best friend) arguing over the assay reports, she's the prime suspect. Things get even worse after Marla and her boyfriend are attacked while camping and he goes missing. Marla is arrested on the assumption she beat her boyfriend unconscious and pushed him into the river.

Normally in these Goldy Bear books, the local sheriff office is above suspicion, especially since book four, when Goldy and Tom are married. This one though is different and while Tom doesn't say it outright, Goldy comes to realize that there's probably corruption afoot.

As she doesn't have her usual legal means of support in her investigations, Godly resorts to some unusual (and illegal) methods for helping Marla and to prove that her friend is innocent.

Bear in mind, I listen to this series as pure ear-candy. These audio books are my go-to for times when I want something mildly distracting and very entertaining. If you expect realism in your mysteries, look elsewhere.
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LibraryThing member BookConcierge
1.5**

Goldy Schulz is once again involved in a crime in her community, which distracts her from her catering business. Once again her best friend Marla will be involved. Once again her cop husband Tom will warn her (at least 5 times) to not get involved in investigating. Once again she will ignore
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him and get herself into a jam (and we’re not talking raspberry). At one point Goldy muses: Poor Arch. He should have had a better mother. Not someone who went tearing off at every opportunity to solve crimes. A mother who stayed in her kitchen where she belonged and left police work to the police … I couldn’t say it better myself.

I've read a number of these mysteries and found them entertaining and delicious at the outset, but now I'm tired of the formula. The recipes are still great, but the plot is thin, and the dialogue repetitive. I’m only reading them because they are quick and satisfy a challenge.
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LibraryThing member weisser4
Well, after six of these books I can say that the main character, Goldy Schultz, just ticks me off. She is a snooty narcissist who can't stand up for herself and whines. I really dislike this character's milquetoast approach to life. EVERYONE walks all over her, even her kid, and she needs someone
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to save her all the time. Very dated character. Even the "crimes" are poorly written. Shoot, I'd kill her off!
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LibraryThing member tututhefirst
Another case of nosy Goldy solving crimes 'outside the box' - somehow she always rises from a pile of merde smelling like a rose. The cast of characters expands, the mystery in this one is more convoluted, and one of the players - Goldy's new helper - is left out high and dry at the end. Not the
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best one in the series, but the recipes continue to delight.

Note: I've read later ones in this series, and it does get better. This one seems to be an anomaly.. hope it's the only one.
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
Goldy caters a disastrous party for mine investors at the mine...in the rain...just when her friend Marla, one of the investors, gets word the assays on the mine might not be any good. Things naturally spiral downward from there, and quickly devolve to Marla being charged with the murder of her
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boyfriend, Tony Royce, despite the lack of a body. Goldy, of course, has to save the day, with the help of Beau Farquar and her son Arch and his dog, retired police bloodhound Jake. It's great fun, and if you've enjoyed others in the series you'll enjoy this one.
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LibraryThing member ffortsa
Number 6 in Davidson's funny Goldy Schultz murder mystery series delivers its usual mixture of improbable escapade and terrific recipes. In this one, Davidson adds a sad-sack bloodhound to the usual mix.
LibraryThing member LeslieHolm
I couldn't finish it. Davidson's characters have no depth, and in the case of her son at least, are utterly ridiculous. While teens are naturally surly, this kid takes first prize in contentiousness. If the author spent a little more time trying to develop her characters and plot and a little less
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time trying to churn out books on an assembly line, they might be more readable.
Trying to imagine Dorothy Sayers reaction if she read one of these . . .
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Publication

Bantam (1996), Edition: 1ST, Unknown Binding

Original publication date

1996-09-01

Language

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