The Diva Cooks up a Storm

The Diva Cooks Up a Storm by Krista Davis is the eleventh installment in A Domestic Diva Mystery series. Sophie Winston enjoyed dining at an underground restaurant with her friends the night before. She is out walking Daisy when Hollis Haberman staggers from his house and collapses in the street. He is struggling to breeze. The police check on his new wife, Kelsey and she is coughing. Later that day, Wolf Fleischman, Criminal Investigator for Alexandria Police Department, informs her that Hollis did not make it. Kelsey is at the top of the suspect list and asks for Sophie to help clear her name. Since approaching storms have called off her beach vacation, Sophie does have time on her hands. Sophie needs to figure out who disliked Hollis Haberman enough to do him in. Then a second person connected to Hollis ends up dead. Can Sophie zero in on the killer before he strikes again?

The Diva Cooks Up a Storm is well-written and has a steady pace. Sophie is an engaging main character and there are equally delightful secondary characters. If you are new to the series, you would have a hard time starting with The Diva Cooks Up a Storm. The author introduces a number of people in the beginning and it can be confusing to keep track of them along with their relationships. The author crafted a multi-layered mystery with twists that will surprise many readers. I enjoyed solving this challenging mystery. The underground or pop-up restaurant concept is unique, and I have not encountered it in a book previously. There are many charming cozy moments in the story that include cooking, a library book sale, neighbors helping each other, an impromptu food gathering in the neighborhood, close friends, romance, and cute animals. Recipes are included at the end of the book. At the beginning of each chapter are advice letters with answers provided by Sophie and Natasha. While Natasha's advice made me chuckle at times, I would not follow her counsel (Sophie is more reliable). The Diva Cooks Up a Storm is an appealing story that will delight cozy mystery readers. I am giving The Diva Cooks Up a Storm 4.5 out of 5 stars.