CRUNCH TIME

Yet another murderer in Aspen Meadow, Colo., meets his (or is it her?) match in caterer Goldy Schulz (Sweet Revenge, 2007, etc.) and her detective husband Tom.

Goodhearted Goldy is happy to hire her old friend Yolanda Garcia, a top-notch chef fallen on hard times. Yolanda’s left her rich but abusive boyfriend, and her rental house has burned to the ground. So she and her abrasive aunt Ferdinanda move in with private eye Ernest McLeod and nine beagle puppies apparently rescued from a puppy mill. Goldy takes them all into her home when Ernie is murdered but ignores hints from Tom that Yolanda may be hiding some sort of relationship with the mysterious Humberto Captain, who shares her Cuban heritage. Instead, Goldy concentrates on the cases Ernie was investigating in order to get a handle on who could be a threat to Yolanda. Puppy mills, adultery and a fortune in gems stolen from a Cuban family are all on the list. Despite Tom's firm warnings, Goldy uses culinary bribes to get people to talk to her. But danger lurks behind every slice of coffee cake.

Davidson’s fans will not be disappointed with the usual lavish appended recipes. This time, though, the tale is overlong, with too much attention to food and a chaotic mystery.