Author: Krista Davis
Published: May 21, 2024 by Kensington Cozies
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 336 Pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: A Domestic Diva Mystery #17
First Sentence: On Sunday evening, when other people were settling in and getting ready to start a new workweek, I walked my mixed bread hound, Daisy, to relax after finishing up my busy week.
Blurb: In Old Town Alexandria’s unlikeliest match, Natasha Smith’s free-spirited mother, Wanda, is engaged to notoriously pompous antiques dealer, Orson Chatsworth—leaving Natasha to plan the entire wedding, beginning with an elaborate engagement party. For the extravagant affair, Natasha splurges on trendy food boards created by rising social media star, Stella St. James. The sumptuous boards go way beyond basic cheese and crackers, as Stella dazzles guests with picture-worthy butter boards, dessert boards, and even doughnut boards. Just as Natasha planned, the food is to die for—until someone actually does.
When the groom collapses, it seems as if a heart attack is to blame. Then guests discover Orson was poisoned, and suddenly Stella’s bespoke boards look a lot less appealing. But with an event this big, the spread of suspects is sure to be impressive. Could Orson’s killer be a jilted ex-lover? A money hungry relative? A bitter former business partner? When even Sophie is not above suspicion, she knows it’s time to get on board and scrape together an investigation of her own . . . before murder becomes the town’s next trend. (GoodReads)
My Opinion: The Diva Goes Overboard by Krista Davis, the seventeenth installment in the Domestic Diva Mystery series, was a disappointment. As a loyal reader of this series, I expected more.
The novel teems with conveniences and contrivances. It’s as if the author tossed every plot element into the mix, hoping something would stick. Unfortunately, the result is an unfocused hodgepodge.
A promising plotline emerges—a wedding curtailed by the groom’s sudden death at the engagement party. Sophie, our seasoned event planner, grapples with the aftermath. But here’s where the narrative falters: too much is thrown in, too many characters have no clear voice and a teasing thread is introduced and then abandoned. The scene that lent its name to the book—the titular “overboard” moment—holds no weight beyond a trivial paragraph or two.
The author’s lack of a cohesive plan is palpable. The pacing stumbles and the characters flounder in a sea of missed opportunities.
The Diva Goes Overboard is a clear case of unfulfilled potential. I expected more from this author. Instead, I found myself questioning when will it be over, what went wrong, and is Krista Davis as bored with Sophie Winston and the people of Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia, as this book projects.
Blurb: In Old Town Alexandria’s unlikeliest match, Natasha Smith’s free-spirited mother, Wanda, is engaged to notoriously pompous antiques dealer, Orson Chatsworth—leaving Natasha to plan the entire wedding, beginning with an elaborate engagement party. For the extravagant affair, Natasha splurges on trendy food boards created by rising social media star, Stella St. James. The sumptuous boards go way beyond basic cheese and crackers, as Stella dazzles guests with picture-worthy butter boards, dessert boards, and even doughnut boards. Just as Natasha planned, the food is to die for—until someone actually does.
When the groom collapses, it seems as if a heart attack is to blame. Then guests discover Orson was poisoned, and suddenly Stella’s bespoke boards look a lot less appealing. But with an event this big, the spread of suspects is sure to be impressive. Could Orson’s killer be a jilted ex-lover? A money hungry relative? A bitter former business partner? When even Sophie is not above suspicion, she knows it’s time to get on board and scrape together an investigation of her own . . . before murder becomes the town’s next trend. (GoodReads)
My Opinion: The Diva Goes Overboard by Krista Davis, the seventeenth installment in the Domestic Diva Mystery series, was a disappointment. As a loyal reader of this series, I expected more.
The novel teems with conveniences and contrivances. It’s as if the author tossed every plot element into the mix, hoping something would stick. Unfortunately, the result is an unfocused hodgepodge.
A promising plotline emerges—a wedding curtailed by the groom’s sudden death at the engagement party. Sophie, our seasoned event planner, grapples with the aftermath. But here’s where the narrative falters: too much is thrown in, too many characters have no clear voice and a teasing thread is introduced and then abandoned. The scene that lent its name to the book—the titular “overboard” moment—holds no weight beyond a trivial paragraph or two.
The author’s lack of a cohesive plan is palpable. The pacing stumbles and the characters flounder in a sea of missed opportunities.
The Diva Goes Overboard is a clear case of unfulfilled potential. I expected more from this author. Instead, I found myself questioning when will it be over, what went wrong, and is Krista Davis as bored with Sophie Winston and the people of Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia, as this book projects.
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