From Publishers Weekly
In this perky mystery complete with toothsome hi-cal recipes, Davidson ( Catering to Nobody ) brings back Goldy Bear, the cherubic culinary sleuth with Shirley Temple curls. Fleeing her abusive ex-spouse, a physician she dubs "The Jerk," Goldy and her teenage son Arch find a snug third-floor refuge in the Aspen Meadow, Colo., mansion of quirky Gen. Bo Farquhar, a retired munitions and terrorist pro who breezily detonates bombs while gardening and bird-watching. As the general's live-in gourmet cook, Goldly still has time to run Goldilocks' Catering and juggle two suitors--attractive psychiatrist Philip Miller and comfortably chubby cop Tom Schultz. Philip's shocking death--he careens off a cliff in a BMW after munching her brunch--casts suspicion on Goldy. Which of her foes might want to frame her? And who is the critic writing vicious reviews of her cooking in the Mountain Journal ? The plot spins along in good-humored fashion, while Goldy continues to whip up goodies for events like a disastrous "aphrodisiac dinner" for eight and a barbecue at which her luscious dessert smashes on the floor. When Arch vanishes, Goldly panics, but the author makes sure that all enigmas wind up in solutions that will surprise and please. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
This is the perfect audiobook for gourmets who love murder mysteries. The listener can enjoy descriptions of delicious meals while digesting clues. Reader Barbara Rosenblat sounds just like our Colorado caterer heroine should sound, and the other characters are also well portrayed. While this will be a popular selection, it's true that the listener must be patient and listen to lengthy descriptions of family problems and kitchen disasters. The last tape contains the caterer's recipes. It would be more useful to include a printed list of recipes in the cassette case instead of on tape. D.L.G. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Kirkus Reviews
Aspen caterer Goldy Bear (Catering to Nobody) is horrified when her new beau, psychologist Philip Miller, suddenly begins driving erratically, crashes, and dies, while she, right behind in her own car, is helpless. Is there any way in which his death might have been caused by a patient? Among his appointments last week were munitions stockpiler General Farquhar and his wife Adele, who accompanied teenager Julian, their boarder and charity student; and the day before Philip died, he had had lunch with Weezie Harrington, who, to Goldy's surprise, was supposed to be his lover. Did Weezie's lecherous husband kill him? If so, then who dispatched him later on in the week? Goldy again turns to handsome cop Tom Schultz for advice, while trying to sidestep the irrational rages of her own ex-husband. Delving into the pasts of the Farquhars and the Harringtons, she discovers an unacknowledged birth--which is brought to light between Goldy's pig-outs on chocolate. A flat second effort, which weighs Goldy down with a battering former husband (this year's mystery trend), pedestrian menu- planning, and a contrived plot. Son Arch, however, rings true and likable. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

ANNOTATION

With an abusive husband and a mountain of debts, Goldy Bear's life has become a recipe for disaster. When she moves her catering business and her son to the ritzy Aspen Meadow Country Club, she's thinks she's finally got it made. But her happiness is shortlived when a murder enters the idyllic picture. 2 cassettes.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Meet Goldy Bear: a bright, opinionated, inventive caterer who whips up gastronomical delights for a living - but whose personal life has become a recipe for disaster. Blame it on her abusive ex-husband Dr. John Richard Korman, aka the Jerk, who has taken to driving slowly by her house, phoning just to hang up, and in general making some pretty tasteless threats. Or on the mounting monthly bills that have taken a huge bite out of her strained budget. Or on the fact that after years of romantic starvation Goldy is now torn between two eligible and eminently appealing men. It's enough to make the sanest of women crack under the strain. But instead, Goldy has taken steps. She's moved herself, her eleven-year-old son, Arch, and her catering business (Goldilocks' Catering, Where Everything Is Just Right!) out to the ritzy Aspen Meadow Country Club area, where she's accepted a summer job as a live-in cook - in a mansion that has more alarms than the Denver Mint. As for her complicated love life, Goldy can't predict who'll win her heart. But she's doing her best to enjoy the favors of Philip Miller, a handsome local shrink who's also an old flame, and the friendship of Tom Schulz, a burly homicide investigator at the Furman County Sheriff's Department. Until one morning, after catering the dreaded Elk Park Preparatory School alumni brunch, Goldy sets out to share an espresso with Philip and bears witness as his custard-colored BMW swerves wildly on a hazardous descent, skids onto a slick highway, and slams into an oncoming bus. The shock is absolute; the questions legion: How could Philip be fine one minute and driving as if drunk the next? Why was he wearing sunglasses on a cloudy day? If he had car trouble, why hadn't he simply pulled over? Convinced that Philip's death was no accident, Goldy feels compelled to do some investigating on her own. Between catering decadent dinners and posh society picnics - and with the help of her more-than-friendly neighborhood cop -

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In this perky mystery complete with toothsome hi-cal recipes, Davidson ( Catering to Nobody ) brings back Goldy Bear, the cherubic culinary sleuth with Shirley Temple curls. Fleeing her abusive ex-spouse, a physician she dubs ``The Jerk,'' Goldy and her teenage son Arch find a snug third-floor refuge in the Aspen Meadow, Colo., mansion of quirky Gen. Bo Farquhar, a retired munitions and terrorist pro who breezily detonates bombs while gardening and bird-watching. As the general's live-in gourmet cook, Goldly still has time to run Goldilocks' Catering and juggle two suitors--attractive psychiatrist Philip Miller and comfortably chubby cop Tom Schultz. Philip's shocking death--he careens off a cliff in a BMW after munching her brunch--casts suspicion on Goldy. Which of her foes might want to frame her? And who is the critic writing vicious reviews of her cooking in the Mountain Journal ? The plot spins along in good-humored fashion, while Goldy continues to whip up goodies for events like a disastrous ``aphrodisiac dinner'' for eight and a barbecue at which her luscious dessert smashes on the floor. When Arch vanishes, Goldly panics, but the author makes sure that all enigmas wind up in solutions that will surprise and please. (Aug.)

AudioFile - Diana L. Granger