About the Book
Synopsis from Goodreads:
The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!
When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf–themed wedding Rose is hosting.
Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche’s hot flashes. Rose’s cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can't balance the groom’s family’s snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again!
Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she’s found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she’ll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.
As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy’s date is found dead—face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It’s up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!
My Review
Rose Nylund is quite excited. Her niece is coming to Miami Beach, Florida to get married and Rose will be hosting the event. Rose fully intends to incorporate all of her hometown’s traditions. It won’t be easy, but she’s going to bring St. Olaf to Miami. She’s hoping the three friends she shares a house with will help her out - Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia.
Dorothy Zbornak is concerned about attending the wedding solo, so she decides to try her hand at a new VHS dating service. Things don’t quite go as smoothly as she had hoped they would and her date winds up dead, face down in one of Rose’s cheesecakes at a pre-wedding event.
Things go from bad to worse when Dorothy becomes the prime suspect in her date’s death. The women desperately conduct their own investigation while juggling the planning for the wedding and dealing with the groom’s wealthy parents, who don’t seem too impressed with the St. Olaf ways.
What a surprisingly fun book this is. I loved the TV show, but I haven’t seen it in years. As soon as I started reading this, it all came back to me. I could hear each voice vividly. The author portrayed each Golden Girl to perfection. It felt as if I was watching a Golden Girls reunion TV movie.
The story is set in the 1980’s just like the TV show. The humor ran through each page from start to finish. Some of it is kind of silly, but it had me smiling. It’s very well written and it’s obvious the author knew the characters well.
It helps if you are familiar with the show before reading this book, but I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary. There are no carryover storylines. It’s a mystery contained in this book. It’s intriguing to figure out who the culprit is and how the Golden Girls will get out of this one. I’m looking forward to reading the next one in the series and see what crazy antics the girls get into next.
For reading challenges:
NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2025
Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge 2025
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
That looks fun.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly a great idea, using a very popular set of characters and turning them into a cozy series.
ReplyDeleteThis looks fun! I'm glad you enjoyed it and I will have to give this one a try.
ReplyDelete