Monday, May 24, 2021

The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit

Title: The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit
Author: Krista Davis
Published: May 25th 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corporation
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 304 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: A Domestic Diva Mystery #14)

First Sentence: Nina Reid Norwood shuffled out of Dulles International Airport barefooted.

From the Publisher: With Old Town’s DIY Home Decorating Festival in full swing, Sophie’s swamped, juggling a bumper crop of artisans, antique dealers, and decorators for the busy street fair. Still, when her best friend Nina suddenly needs a ride from the airport, Sophie is happy to help . . . until she sees Nina disembarking in a state of disarray. It’s obvious the trip to Portugal soured somewhere along the way. But after one of Nina’s traveling companions turns up murdered the following day, Sophie knows something is truly rotten.

Though the crime scene is staged to look like an accident, Sophie isn’t fooled and peels off to conduct her own investigation. Her only clue is a strange image the victim scratched into the soil before dying. Could it point to a cryptic killer in Old Town? A bitter travel adversary? Or a cursed artifact smuggled back from the trip? As the mystery grows, so does the body count, and if Sophie doesn’t pluck the murderer soon, her best friend may be the next to fall. (Kensington)

My Opinion: When I thought I had it, there is a twist, then another twist, and at one point, I wondered if a child was to blame. Back to another culprit and a person out of left field only to realize that I was possibly right all along. I love a good ‘where are we going’ cozy. One which takes place on familiar grounds with familiar characters and enough silliness to keep the reader engaged.

There is just something about Old Town, Virginia, Sophie’s friends, her community, and a police force that reluctantly works with the local events planner to keep their neighborhood safe.

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