This is the latest in the Domestic Diva mystery series starring Sophie Winston, an event planner who dispenses advice on sophisticated living. High summer is taking its toll, and the Old Town, North Carolina in-crowd are looking forward to a cool evening's dining at a pop-up dinner party. Nina Reid Norwood, Sophie's neighbour, and her friend Madison Jenkins, have arranged this mystery location meal, with a celebrity chef and gourmet menu.

THE DIVA COOKS UP A STORM explains that amid the high-profile attendees dining at a historic house for sale is another neighbour, Hollis Haberman, who has divorced to remarry a much younger woman, Kelsey. Hollis Haberman fears that his first family may be trying to poison him. No chance of that happening tonight anyway... although his former wife Cindy and scowling teen son Gavin are present, glowering at Kelsey, who is nervous and scantily dressed. Sparks fly.

This town sounds fairly intimate, I have to say, as Sophie has a new boyfriend but is pally with her ex-husband, who also attends the dinner. Readers who have enjoyed the series may find this tale easier to follow. Another domestic goddess called Natasha, who has a friendly rivalry with Sophie, is also enjoying the meal. Next morning, Sophie is out walking her dog early, when a town resident stumbles into the road and collapses, apparently with an asthma attack. Or could it be something else? The EMTs need to check on everyone in the home.

Did I mention this town is intimate? A policeman named Wolf Fleischman, who Sophie used to date, appears at her door later. Seems the luckless resident has been poisoned or inhaled poison. We later hear Kelsey's version of her early life, and troubled doesn't begin to describe it. Can this be real? How did she turn out such a lovely young lady, or is she acting nice? The storyline certainly kept me reading.

At the start of every chapter, we get Sophie or Natalie's tips on etiquette, like cell phones at a funeral or how to oil your kitchen chopping boards. I am sure some fans read for this aspect alone. I also like that, to help a neighbour after a death, or to clear trees downed in a storm, the residents turn out in support. And when Sophie wears a skort, I found it is a pair of shorts with a skirt flap at the front. Always something to learn! This mystery by Krista Davis is typically lively and full of wry observations, and I assure you that THE DIVA COOKS UP A STORM is an apt title.

Book Summary

When a trendy, underground dinner club leaves some guests six-feet-under the table, entertaining professional and amateur sleuth Sophie Winston hopes she has all the right ingredients to put a murderer on ice in New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis’s new Domestic Diva mystery . . .

Domestic diva Sophie Winston can whip up an elaborate event in her sleep, but as the hippest hostess she rarely gets to enjoy the full guest treatment. Which is why her best friend Nina Reid Norwood loops her in to the latest culinary craze: a pop-up gourmet dinner party. The celebrity chef, the epicurean menu, and the high-profile attendees are all a surprise, turning the decadent dining experience into the hottest ticket in Old Town. But Sophie’s just pleased as punch that she finally has an opportunity to join her fellow foodies in some fun.

The posh party proves to be a recipe for disaster when Hollis Haberman sours spirits by bringing his own hot new dish—his young trophy wife. With Hollis’s son and ex-wife in attendance, there may be more heat at the table than in the kitchen. But the next morning, Sophie discovers Hollis swallowing his last bits of air, and she must scramble to stop a killer before anyone else eats their last meal.

Includes delicious recipes and entertaining tips!