CATERING TO NOBODY

A genial debut that, in tone, is reminiscent of Susan Isaacs' Compromising Positions: chatty, sort of sexy, amusingly improbable. Divorced Colorado mom Goldy Bear supports herself and her sixth-grader son Arch with Goldilocks Catering, "Where Everything is Just Right." When her ex-father-in-law, a randy gynecologist, nearly dies from a sip of her lemonade, which had been poisoned, police investigator Tom Schulz closes down her business. To get it reopened as quickly as possible, Goldy begins an investigation of her own, which turns up a link between this incident and the sudden death of Arch's teacher Laura Smiley (an inveterate punster), as well as the death of Goldy's alcoholic ex-mother-in-law. While Arch and his chum Todd stage Dungeons and Dragons shenanigans and Schulz casually uses Goldy as his stalking horse/confidante, a tangled revenge tale emerges—involving a years-ago pregnancy and medical culpability. Somewhat too cute (recipes included) but funny, nonetheless. And certainly adequate fare for those in search of a friendly—though scatterbrained—heroine.