Chopping Spree: Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery #11

I've listened to all of the other Goldilocks catering books and have really enjoyed the characters, the plots and the recipes.
Not this book--it's taken me weeks to get to the end of part 1, and I'm not sure I'm even going to bother to listen to the second download. Arch has been transformed from an interesting multidimensional kid to a brat and a bully--and Goldie is the prime target of his bullying. Goldie's response is to chalk it up to Arch being a teenager--and then she buys him the expensive birthday gift he's bullied her about. This is supposed to be the woman who survived the Jerk and learned to be assertive. I kept waiting for her to show-or grow--a backbone. Goldie repeatedly breaks the law while doing her sleuthing. Tom is nothing more than prop who cooks while she's playing detective, and even when he discovers that she's done something grossly illegal, he gives her a hug and goes back to making dinner. Marla is almost absent, and Julian is only slightly more prominent(so far). More than in any other book, we hear ad nauseum about rich people in fabulous houses who send their kids to Elk Park Prep but don't seem to have the slightest bit of sense abouut running the businesses that supposedly support their sumptuous lifestyles. While I prefer Barbara Rosenblatt to Joyce Bean, a change in narrator wouldn't fix all of this. I agree with the reviewer who questioned whether Diane Mott Davidson actually wrote this. If I download part 2, it may be just to get the recipes at the end--at least the spice cookies. I don't CARE who did it or how Goldie figures it out. I'm glad I read all the other books in this series before encountering this one, or I would never have considered reading another. I haven't submitted a review on any of the other books, but I'd recommend ANY of them over this one.

I keep wondering if this book was really written by Ms. Davidson. I've enjoyed this series in the past. They are light and fun. This one is ridiculous, forced and just off the mark. Maybe the problem is the narration. I enjoy Barbara Rosenblatt's Goldie quite a bit and maybe she brings in much needed irony. I've almost abandoned this one and have asked, out loud, "really?" several times.

There isn't anyone that can replace Barbara Rosenblat as the narrator for Diane Mott Davidson's books!

No. I am still a fan of the author and I will download the next book in this series.

No

I have really enjoyed all the books in the Goldy Bear Series up to this point. The narration in this book is unbearable. The narrator's accent combined with mispronunciation of words drove me crazy. I decided to give up and download the next book in the series.

Love DMD books but was really disappointed in the narration.

Less enjoyable than other Goldy Bear books.

No.

I love the Goldilocks Catering series. Although I'm used to Barbara Rosenblat's reading and totally enjoy the way she narrates, I love the way this book changes the sound so you know when someone's on the phone, on a microphone etc. This adds to the enjoyment of the story.

I've read every book in the series up to this one. For the most part, they are always entertaining, and fun. This book however is overshadowed by the behavior of Goldy's son Archie. I realize that as teenagers get older they become more difficult, but that is when parenting becomes a verb and not a noun. His constant whining and disrespectful behavior towards Goldy ruins the book. Davidson still delivers a clever mystery and all is well in the end, but I almost didn't make it to the end. I would still recommend it to fans of the series.

LOVE THIS SERIES. I'M A GOLDY FAN. I EVEN USE SOME OF THE RECIPES. THEY ARE GREAT.