Domestic Diva #18
When she’s not busy solving mysteries, Domestic Diva Sophie Winston writes a column on decorating and entertaining. If you like cozies, this is the series for you! Sophie lives in a historical house in Old Town Alexandria with her dog Daisy, ocicat Mochie, and possibly the ghost of her ex-husband’s Aunt Faye. Sophie’s split with Mars was amicable and they share custody of Daisy. He lives nearby with his old friend Bernie Frei, a Brit who owns the Laughing Hound restaurant, and both share Sophie’s adventures. Her best friend Nina rounds the close group of friends who spend lots of time enjoying food, drink, and solving mysteries. Each book is prefaced with a list of the characters and ends with Sophie’s recipes. The only thing missing is a map! (I love those old mysteries with maps.)
In this book interior designer Mitzi Lawson asks for Sophie’s help. She’s convinced someone is following her. The next day Sophie finds Mitzi’s business partner Denise dead at a house she and Mitzi were about to redecorate. Was the death a medical problem or a murder? Is Mitzi’s life in danger? Denise and her husband Mike had just inherited the historical house in a complicated set of circumstances involving Mike’s extended family. Is the murder a case of family jealousy? And what about the woman hitting on newly widowed Mike?
Two of the things I love about this series are Sophie’s domestic tips and the humor. Each chapter begins with a letter to Sophie’s domestic advice column and includes her practical reply with tips on cooking, entertaining, and decorating. Recipes Sophie cooks throughout the book and recommends in her letters are included at the end of the book. In humorous contrast, some chapters begin with letters to Sophie’s “rival” domestic diva Natasha Smith. Natasha is an over-the-top, ever-trendy, Martha-Stewart-wanna-be who offers advice no one in their right mind would follow. Chocolate with hot red peppers and squid-ink pasta for a breakfast, anyone? Natasha finds Sophie’s classic taste and simply elegant approach to decorating and entertaining horribly blasé and the descriptions of Natasha’s trendy food, clothing, and endless decorating are always amusing. While Natasha sees Sophie as her competition as a local domestic diva, Sophie isn’t fazed at all by Natasha’s aspirations to national fame and needy drive to win what she perceives as a competition. Her kindness to Natasha shows Sophie is more mature, down to earth, confident, and comfortable in her own life than Natasha will ever be.
Although Aunt Faye’s ghostly presence was only hinted at in one previous book, many fans (including me) love the idea she might still be around. We learn a lot more about Aunt Faye in this book from a 98-year-old lady who was her contemporary. Is Aunt Faye’s presence in the house more than just memories? There are hints about that!
As special treat for fans, Holly Miller, protagonist of Davis’s Paws and Claws series, makes a guest appearance in this book and is on hand when Sophie makes a scary discovery in Denise and Mike’s historical home. If you’re looking for a cozy series involving a small town that caters to guests vacationing with their pets, you’ll love the Paws and Claws series. (I want to live in the Inn that Holly owns with her grandmother where guest can bring their pets.) That series includes recipes for homemade pet foods and treats.
You can read The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg without reading the previous books but it’s more fun if you do. — Cathy Akers-Jordan