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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
4.0
The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit by Krista Davis is the 14th A Domestic Diva Mystery. This cozy can be read as a standalone if you are new to this entertaining series. Sophie Winston is organizing Old Town Alexandria’s DIY Home Decorating Festival. When Paisley needs Sophie to locate her mother for help with her rowdy brood of boys, she is happy to help. Unfortunately, Lark is found dead in her back garden and is not from natural causes. Lark left them a cryptic clue to help. When another woman is found dead in a similar manner, Sophie wonders if something happened on their recent trip to Portugal. Sophie must gather the clues and sift through them so she can identify the guilty party. I thought The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit was well-written with developed characters. Sophie Winston is a friendly and relatable character. I like how various characters are still friendly despite previous relationships and residents of the community are there for each other in times of need. I love the setting of this book. The author provided beautiful descriptions of Old Town with its beautiful old homes. The DIY Home Decorating Festival was fun. There were some great items being sold along with some interesting demonstrations (I want a festival like that in my town). I especially loved the word images of Paisley’s hand painted furniture. The whodunit was a delight. I enjoy a good mystery that is thought out and complex. I had a good time solving this mystery. It was fun following Sophie as she asked questions and collected clues. I appreciated that Officer Wong and Detective Wolf are friendly. Detective Wolf does not discount Sophie There was a lot going on in The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit. Besides the whodunit and the festival, Sophie has houseguests, Paisley’s rowdy children (I do not know how she does it) plus her irritating husband (she needs to get a divorce), Natasha carrying on about her house, and the dashing new medical examiner Dr. Chryssos who takes an interest in Sophie. There are mouthwatering food descriptions (made me hungry). There are recipes at the end of the book. I enjoyed reading The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit and did not want it to end. Cozy mysteries like this one are rare. The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit is a diverting tale with cute canines, a fun festival, tasty treats, a clever clue, boisterous boys, a dashing doctor, and an astute amateur sleuth.
rants_n_reads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kimlb's review
5.0
I would love to be a part of Sophie's friend circle. These are such good books that I am sad when I get to the end of one.
kimdavishb's review
5.0
THE DIVA SERVES FORBIDDEN FRUIT is the fourteenth book in the Domestic Diva Mystery series by Krista Davis. From the charming cover to the endearing characters to the well-plotted mystery, this newest release captures it all! I always look forward to visiting Old Town Alexandria, VA and catching up with Sophie Winston and her friends. With the backdrop of creative festivals, this time around a DIY Home Decorating Festival, the characters exhibit their strengths in spades. Sophie is an expert at organizing and hosting large events while solving a multitude of problems. Natasha (Sophie’s frenemy) is a house decorating diva, however impractical her designs may be, but they do provide lighthearted humor! And Nina (Sophie’s best friend) has always been there to lend support to the multitude of bad situations Sophie finds herself in. However, in this newest release, Nina is the one needing all the support she can muster when her traveling companion is brutally murdered shortly after returning home from Portugal and finds that she might be the next victim on the killer’s list.
From the first, Ms. Davis sets up intriguing scenarios that tie in to the international travel and the ongoing festival. I was captivated as the story unfolded and each clue sent my mind scurrying off in a tangent direction. At times the crimes committed were heartbreaking but the author’s interjection of heartwarming community spirit and friendship kept the book from becoming dark. There are suspects aplenty and lots of subplots to keep track of, but in the end all the threads of the story are pulled together in a cohesive conclusion. And best of all, the ending gives the reader a heartening surprise that left a smile on my face.
Sophie is known for her generous hospitality and shows her affection and love for her friends by feeding them – all the time! So many mouthwatering meals, snacks, and desserts are served at Sophie’s table, that the reader will be left famished as they read the tasty descriptions. Fortunately, there are several recipes, both savory and sweet, at the back of the book which all sound fabulous.
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
From the first, Ms. Davis sets up intriguing scenarios that tie in to the international travel and the ongoing festival. I was captivated as the story unfolded and each clue sent my mind scurrying off in a tangent direction. At times the crimes committed were heartbreaking but the author’s interjection of heartwarming community spirit and friendship kept the book from becoming dark. There are suspects aplenty and lots of subplots to keep track of, but in the end all the threads of the story are pulled together in a cohesive conclusion. And best of all, the ending gives the reader a heartening surprise that left a smile on my face.
Sophie is known for her generous hospitality and shows her affection and love for her friends by feeding them – all the time! So many mouthwatering meals, snacks, and desserts are served at Sophie’s table, that the reader will be left famished as they read the tasty descriptions. Fortunately, there are several recipes, both savory and sweet, at the back of the book which all sound fabulous.
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
jenniferdenslow's review
4.0
Sophia Winston has her hands full running the first DIY Home Decorating Festival in Old Town, Virginia. In the midst of the show, Nina, her best friend, arrives home from a trip to Portugal, and her traveling companions from the jaunt begin to drop --- not from jet lag, but from murder!
Sophie takes in Nina to protect her, but is drawn into the investigation. As she digs in, she learns a lot about familial conflicts and long hidden secrets, not to mention a secret stalker who's after her ex.
I loved this book! I jumped in on the 14th book in the series because I couldn't get my hands on the first one right away. I was eager to read it because I heard someone describe Davis as "the queen of red herrings," and I wanted to analyze how she does it.
Well. She does it well.
As a writer, I was completely impressed by how deftly Davis juggles all the complex parts of mystery with 3 murders!
As a reader, I was completely engaged. The book has all the hallmarks of a good cozy, plenty of clues to put together, and a surprising, but believable, solution to it all.
Even though I started in the middle of the series, it was easy to get a handle on the characters as Sophie made her rounds and began investigating. I am ready to go back and start with book one and get to know this charming amateur sleuth from the beginning.
Sophie takes in Nina to protect her, but is drawn into the investigation. As she digs in, she learns a lot about familial conflicts and long hidden secrets, not to mention a secret stalker who's after her ex.
I loved this book! I jumped in on the 14th book in the series because I couldn't get my hands on the first one right away. I was eager to read it because I heard someone describe Davis as "the queen of red herrings," and I wanted to analyze how she does it.
Well. She does it well.
As a writer, I was completely impressed by how deftly Davis juggles all the complex parts of mystery with 3 murders!
As a reader, I was completely engaged. The book has all the hallmarks of a good cozy, plenty of clues to put together, and a surprising, but believable, solution to it all.
Even though I started in the middle of the series, it was easy to get a handle on the characters as Sophie made her rounds and began investigating. I am ready to go back and start with book one and get to know this charming amateur sleuth from the beginning.
gm111111's review
4.0
Definitely another fun visit with Sophie and the gang, and a great palate cleanser/ relaxation books in between more emotional reads. Exactly what I was looking for!
alireadsandknits's review
4.0
I just adore this series! I always listen to it, the narrator is wonderful!
The main characters and minor side characters always deliver and I don't find there is any one character who is useless or could be cut.
There are fun story lines and you really get the sense of Old Town as a community.
I recommend this series!
The main characters and minor side characters always deliver and I don't find there is any one character who is useless or could be cut.
There are fun story lines and you really get the sense of Old Town as a community.
I recommend this series!
thisandthatwithkaren's review
5.0
“The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit ” is the 14th instalment in the Domestic Diva Mystery series by Krista Davis. I really enjoy this series and must read the earlier books and get caught up. Even though I haven't read all the earlier books I was able to follow along, so this can be read as a stand alone book.
I really like Sophie, she is relatable, interesting and I love her relationship with her ex Mars as well as several other residents of Old Town. I liked how the characters were there for each other, no matter what was happening. The food, don’t get me started, I think I gained 10lbs just reading about the different things they ate. The great thing is there are recipes at the back of the book!
The mystery itself was interesting, full of twists and turns which completely drew me into the story and I didn’t want to put the book down.
I highly recommend this book to all my cozy mystery loving friends.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really like Sophie, she is relatable, interesting and I love her relationship with her ex Mars as well as several other residents of Old Town. I liked how the characters were there for each other, no matter what was happening. The food, don’t get me started, I think I gained 10lbs just reading about the different things they ate. The great thing is there are recipes at the back of the book!
The mystery itself was interesting, full of twists and turns which completely drew me into the story and I didn’t want to put the book down.
I highly recommend this book to all my cozy mystery loving friends.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
veggiejessiee's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
debinva's review
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0