Book Review (and a Giveaway!): The Diva Goes Overboard by Krista Davis

Posted May 14, 2024 by meezcarrie in Book Review, clean, contemporary, cozy mystery, giveaway, Krista Davis, mystery/suspense / 0 Comments

THE DIVA GOES OVERBOARD by Krista Davis
SERIES: A Domestic Diva Mystery #17
GENRE: Cozy Mystery (Clean)
PUBLISHER: Kensington Cozies
RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2024
PAGES: 319

For once, event planner Sophie Winston finds herself a guest at a lavish engagement party, but things go horrifyingly awry when the groom-to-be is fatally poisoned . . .
In Old Town Alexandria’s unlikeliest match, Natasha Smith’s free-spirited mother, Wanda, is engaged to notoriously pompous antiques dealer, Orson Chatsworth—leaving Natasha to plan the entire wedding, beginning with an elaborate engagement party. For the extravagant affair, Natasha splurges on trendy food boards created by rising social media star, Stella St. James. The sumptuous boards go way beyond basic cheese and crackers, as Stella dazzles guests with picture-worthy butter boards, dessert boards, and even doughnut boards. Just as Natasha planned, the food is to die for—until someone actually does.
When the groom collapses, it seems as if a heart attack is to blame. Then guests discover Orson was poisoned, and suddenly Stella’s bespoke boards look a lot less appealing. But with an event this big, the spread of suspects is sure to be impressive. Could Orson’s killer be a jilted ex-lover? A money hungry relative? A bitter former business partner? When even Sophie is not above suspicion, she knows it’s time to get on board and scrape together an investigation of her own . . . before murder becomes the town’s next trend.
Includes delicious recipes, fabulous decorating tips, and easy entertaining hacks!

Other Books I’ve Featured In This Series

Whenever a character in a cozy mystery says to the amateur sleuth, “I need to talk to you about something, but not here,” and they set a time to meet, it’s almost a sure bet that character will wind up dead. And even though I’d read the book blurb/description and knew Orson was the victim, I still let out a ‘nooooo’ when he says this to Sophie at his & Wanda’s engagement party… because I knew it was a death knell. Poor Orson. Sometimes in cozy mysteries, the victim is someone that you instantly don’t like, but sometimes it’s a character you do kinda like and that was the case in The Diva Goes Overboard. Poor Wanda. Poor Stella. I felt badly for all of them.

The biggest mystery in this book though – at least in my opinion – is what Orson wanted Sophie to know. And while of course she’s trying to figure out who killed Orson (for starters), the majority of her investigating stems from that main question. What was he up to, before his death? And did it put him in a killer’s crosshairs, or was his murderer motivated by something else altogether? The bodies pile up, and so do the layers to this mystery – not to mention the red herrings – and I was solidly invested in seeing all the pieces eventually come together. Sophie is such a consistently relatable character, too, and I even feel like her approach to her investigations would resemble the way I would act in a similar situation (if I gave in to my lifelong dream of sleuthing). She seems like the kind of person you just want to sit and talk to (perhaps over one of the yummy charcuterie boards featured in this story), which makes her a perfect protagonist for a long-running series like this one.

Bottom Line: The Diva Goes Overboard continues Krista Davis’s winsome Domestic Diva Mysteries with a multi-layered plot that was packed with surprising twists. Family drama, unexpected secrets, copious rumors, and an increasing murder count kept Sophie on her toes and kept me absorbed in the story. I enjoyed, as always, hanging out with down-to-earth Sophie and her inner circle because I love their camaraderie and various personalities. And don’t get me started on all the delicious-sounding food in this book! The fact that Davis can still develop a fresh and unique mystery for book seventeen in the same series is quite impressive, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Sophie!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!

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New York Times Bestselling author Krista Davis writes the Domestic Diva Mysteries, the Paws & Claws Mysteries, and The Pen & Ink Mysteries. Krista lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with two dogs, two cats, and a hidden stash of chocolate. When she’s not writing, she loves to entertain her family and friends who complain when she tests her recipes on them. But she notices that they keep coming back for more. Connect with Krista at her website.