Do you remember the 1980s TV show The Golden Girls? If you haven't seen the show, you can stream the first season free on PlutoTV (the other seasons are on a subscription streaming channel). For those who know what I'm talking about - can you imagine them as amateur sleuths? Racheal Ekstrom Courage does and she's written a cozy mystery featuring Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.
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| April 2025; Hyperion Avenue; 978-1368102988 audio, ebook, print (336 pages); cozy mystery |
I often watch movies and television shows based on books. There are a few of those adaptions that I watched before reading. But I don't usually read a book based on a television show. The only one I can think of is the Veronica Mars book I read but I think it was written by someone associated with the show. I have a couple of other books on my shelf that were on the screen before coming to the page.
When I saw Murder by Cheesecake I thought it sounded like it would be a fun read. What I remember of the show, the Girls often found themselves in crazy situations so I hoped their on-screen comedy could translate to the page.
The start of the book was really focused on trying to establish the chemistry that fans of the show will remember well. I don't know if Courage was trying too hard or if it just couldn't translate. A lot of the comedy of the show was due to timing and body language which are both difficult to write. I was finding it so unfunny that I started to wonder if I just remembered the show being funny. So I went to IMDB to see if the show was streaming anywhere. The little clip from the show that was playing on The Golden Girls page had me immediately smiling (and there wasn't any sound so it was just their interaction and body language). For me, the show wasn't translating well.
But when we got to the murder, the book really picked up for me. I loved the murder mystery part of this book. It gives the Girls plenty of opportunities to find themselves in crazy situations as they try to go undercover and search for clues to clear one of their won.
If their investigation doesn't provide enough entertainment, Rose is planning a true St. Olaf wedding right in the heart of Miami. The traditions may seem to be weird, but they all have a very sentimental meaning. Such as the clown is a reminder to them that a happy marriage should be filled with levity and love (unless, of course, you have a clown phobia but no one present did so it turned out somewhat okay - they let Sophia find the clown!)
Courage definitely writes a fun cozy mystery and if she writes another with her own characters I will definitely check it out. For the nostalgic factor, this was worth the read.
Buy Murder by Cheesecake at Amazon
Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
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