Book Review: Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

“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.”

Goodreads blurb for Murder by Cheesecake

Review:

If you’ve ever watched The Golden Girls, it’s hard to resist picking this up. Though it’s not a show I’ve watched regularly, I’ve enjoyed every episode I’ve watched and have been fond of Betty White in particular. If you’re looking for Golden Girls nostalgia, this is the book for you. If you’re looking for a mystery, this may fall a bit flat. 

When Rose’s cousin gets married, Dorothy needs a date. In a pinch, she tries out a dating service. If it wasn’t bad enough that her date isn’t what he seemed in his tape, he winds up dead and found in a freezer. The potential culprit? Cheesecake. 

Again, this book hit all the right notes in the nostalgia department. It felt like I was reading a Golden Girls script. Unfortunately, this came at the cost of a substantial mystery. 80% of the focus is on the wedding planning and floats in and out of the mystery. It was fun, but I wish there had been a better balance of the two. 

Thanks to Hyperion and NetGalley for providing me with a free digital ARC of the book. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The Golden Girls nostalgia.
• A fun concept for a series.

What I didn’t like:

• Not enough focus/attention on the mystery.
• Quite chaotic trying to follow the four main characters as well as the side characters and extended ‘cast’.

Afterthoughts:

I can’t say enough how much fun this book is for Golden Girls fans. I wouldn’t call myself a diehard fan so one book is probably going to be it for me, but I think this will be a fun series for enthusiastic fans.

Where to buy the book: