I believe I’ve read almost all fifteen Diva mysteries featuring events planner and advice columnist Sophie Winston. I love the setting of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. These are comfort reads bringing back a group of Sophie’s friends. But, Krista Davis’ The Diva Says Cheesecake! didn’t live up to my expectations. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only series mystery I’ve read that seems to have been adversely affected by the pandemic. Whether the author’s concentration is elsewhere, or there are mistakes by an editor, I’m not sure. But, I’ve noticed several books in the last year where there are editorial mistakes that should have been caught, and unusual behavior from the amateur sleuth. I’m calling it the COVID effect.

Sophie Winston has a couple big events planned within a short period of time. The first is Bobbie Sue Bodoin’s dinner timed to coincide with Old Town’s midsummer celebration. Bobbie Sue, “the Queen of Cheesecake”, wants a variety of desserts, but certainly not cheesecake. When Bobbie Sue planned the dinner, she had no idea her daughter would be in a ballet that night, and her son would run in a marathon. So, she’s scurrying around, trying to juggle too many activities. Then, her husband, restauranteur Tate Bodoin, doesn’t show up for the ballet, the run, or the dinner.

Sophie Winston could allow the police to investigate when she discovers a body in the basement at Tate’s restaurant, Blackwell’s Tavern. But, she can’t ignore her friend, Bernie Freri, when he’s arrested for murder. And, it’s hard to ignore the pleas when even Bobbie Sue’s young daughter asks Sophie to find a killer.

In this case, Sophie would have been better off not investigating. She’s threatened several times. She’s injured, and she’s uneasy. But, she still insists on investigating. However, in this case, she’s an amateur sleuth in the way, and no one is close when she’s trapped by a killer.

As I said, Sophie’s behavior seems unusual in this case. Even when she discusses possibilities with her best friend, her judgement seems off, and she reacts with more fear than usual in her investigations. So, yes, Sophie’s behavior bothered me. But, it was repetition that bothered me even more. Twice in a few pages Wolf Fleishman was introduced as “Wolf Fleishman of the Alexandrian police force”, when it was an explanation of his role, rather than an introduction. I’m sorry. I think the editor should have caught that. And, maybe this issue was handled before the final edition was published since I read the book four months before publication.

I’m a big fan of this series. Krista Davis’ The Diva Haunts the House is still one of the best cozy mysteries I ever read. And, I’ll pick up the next in the series. But, for the sake of so many authors, I hope we can all eventually move on from the COVID effect.

Krista Davis’ website is https://www.kristadavis.com/

The Diva Says Cheesecake! by Krista Davis. Kensington, 2022. ISBN 9781496732767 (hardcover), 304p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I read a .pdf for a journal.