Retro Reading: The Diva Paints the Town by Krista Davis
Third Installment of the series is "Puzzling"
Hey Krista! You almost fooled me, but I figured out who was causing chaos in The Diva Paints the Town. It was close (and you did fool me again) but at least I can say I almost picked out the suspects.
Having gotten caught up with all of the Domestic Diva mysteries, I can now take my mind off of Sophie Winston and her cohorts and move onto something else.
In the most current installment of this series, Valentine's Day is near and the annual convention Rooms and Blooms is drawing to a close (of course our favorite diva Natasha has her eye on all of the major awards). Poor Sophie has been working the convention as the coordinator when Natasha gives her an assignment to decorate a room at their recently deceased neighbor Professor Mordecai Artemus' mansion.
Professor Artemus has only been dead a couple of days, but Sophie receives a mysterious message from beyond the grave to plan a small intimate party at the mansion. However, Natasha thinks the whole house should be redecorated for the annual Spring Home and Garden Tour (and also has the hope she can buy the house).
Since Sophie wasn't that close to the professor, she doesn't know why she's been chosen to plan the party but proceeds ahead with doing it. The guest list is small (comprised of the professor's former students) and in order to gain their inheritance they have a puzzle to solve.
Mainly murder.
In this installment, we learn more of Sophie's best friend/neighbor Nina since she thinks she killed former flame Kurt Finkel while the two of them were at the professors house the night before the party. Once again, Sophie discovers the body, but after the police arrive the body's disappeared.
Nina fears her husband (who has yet to be introduced) is having an affair while on a working cruise and that the killer is stalking her. Distraught, she confesses to the police but once the mysterious puzzle is completed another body is discovered in the professors basement.
As usual, each chapter begins with either advice from Sophie or Natasha and again Natasha steals every scene she's in (if this series is ever picked up as a movie I can't imagine who'd play legend in her own mind Natasha).
I'm sure I gained another 20lbs. by reading this last installment in two days (and author Krista Davis does include more recipes at the end of the book) and I think this installment was the fastest read.
Now I have to get rid of this excess weight.
