There are very few cozy mysteries I still read when the series is up to nineteen books. Over the years, I have had issues here and there with Krista Davis’ Domestic Diva mysteries, but I was still eager to read the latest, The Diva Hosts a Murderer. I’ve always liked Sophie Winston and her small circle of family and friends. I love the Old Town Alexandria setting. Who wouldn’t want to check out the recipes in the new book?
Sophie’s family and a few friends have come to town for the Fourth of July celebration. They’re all staying at Sophie’s house. It’s a little crowded, but her Aunt Melly has a new husband in tow, a man she married in Las Vegas shortly after meeting him. And, he brought a friend. Her parents brought a friend, and Sophie’s sister is even sleeping on the couch. Sophie is serving up delectable meals, and she arranged a two-day bus tour of historical sites for all the history buffs staying at the house.
Sophie has her hands full with the company and cooking, but when the tour bus driver turns up dead in the alley by a neighbor’s house, she and her best friend, Nina, are curious. They already saw Aunt Melly’s new husband sneaking out of the backyard of that house. Sophie tries to tell a homicide detective about that, but he won’t listen. And, no one will listen when she insists her father is not the killer of the tour guide. DNA says otherwise, and one police detective wants to prove it.
Determined to investigate and prove her father’s innocence, Sophie juggles a troubled neighbor woman, several suspicious seeming men, including her Aunt’s new husband, and the loss of her comfort when the police confiscate her knives, and someone steals her car. She has her suspicions, and a couple friends are willing to help her ask questions.
The Diva Hosts a Murderer is one of the better books in the series in recent years. I know I’m as guilty as anyone else when it comes to repetitive phrases in my writing. However, someone at the publisher’s should have caught how often Sophie shrieks when she’s surprised, even when her phone rings. I can handle that issue, though, when I can return to an enjoyable cast of characters and a favorite setting with Davis’ new mystery.
Krista Davis’ website is https://www.kristadavis.com/
The Diva Hosts a Murderer by Krista Davis. Kensington, 2026. 336p.
FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher supplied a galley through NetGalley with no expectation of a positive review.
