Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catering to Nobody | 1990 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 2 | Dying for Chocolate | 1992 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 3 | The Cereal Murders | 1993 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 4 | The Last Suppers | 1994 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 5 | Killer Pancake | 1995 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 6 | The Main Corpse | 1996 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 7 | The Grilling Season | 1997 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 8 | Prime Cut | 1998 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 9 | Tough Cookie | 2000 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 10 | Sticks & Scones | 2001 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 11 | Chopping Spree | 2002 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 12 | Double Shot | 2004 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 13 | Dark Tort | 2006 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 14 | Sweet Revenge | 2008 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 15 | Fatally Flaky | 2009 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 16 | Crunch Time | 2011 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
| 17 | The Whole Enchilada | 2013 | Diane Mott Davidson | Buy |
The Goldy Schulz series ran from 1990 to 2013, making it one of the longest-running culinary mystery series in American crime fiction. Set in the fictional Colorado mountain town of Aspen Meadow, the books follow Goldy Bear Schulz, a divorced caterer who remarries local detective Tom Schulz partway through the series. Each book puts Goldy in the path of a murder connected to her catering work, her clients, or her community, and she investigates with a stubbornness that sometimes puts her well ahead of the official investigation.
Diane Mott Davidson structures the books around real events in Goldy’s life: a difficult first marriage, raising her son Arch, building a small business, and navigating the social dynamics of an affluent Colorado community. The mysteries are well-constructed, but the ongoing personal story gives the series an emotional continuity that keeps readers coming back. By the later books, Goldy and her circle feel genuinely familiar rather than just recurring cast members.
Every novel includes actual recipes, and this is more than a gimmick. The food Goldy prepares reflects her mood, the season, and the story’s setting, so the recipes feel like a natural extension of the narrative. Readers who love cooking tend to cook from these books as well as read them. Start with Catering to Nobody and follow the series straight through for the best experience.