Mrs. Murphy
cozy mystery
Series · cozy mystery
Goldy Schulz
The Goldy Schulz series by Diane Mott Davidson has 17 known books (17 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Catering to Nobody (1990).
- Books
- 17 known books (17 novels)
- Published
- 17
- First published
- 1990
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Mystery & Crime
Start here: Catering to Nobody (1990)
— then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Catering to Nobody
Catering to Nobody (1990, 266 pages) opens the series, introducing Goldy Schulz, a divorced single mother turned professional caterer in Aspen Meadow, Colorado, whose catering gigs keep putting her at the scene of the crime -- with real, tested recipes tied to the story's menus, a format Diane Mott Davidson is widely credited with popularizing. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Catering to Nobody - Book 2:
Dying for Chocolate
Dying for Chocolate (1992, 345 pages) is the second Goldy Schulz mystery, continuing Davidson's recipe-laced culinary mystery format as Goldy cooks her way through another investigation with the same sharp tongue and hard-won independence. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dying for Chocolate - Book 3:
The Cereal Murders
The Cereal Murders (1993, 333 pages) is the third entry, finding Goldy catering her way into another Aspen Meadow crime while Davidson keeps the series grittier than most cozy contemporaries. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Cereal Murders - Book 4:
The Last Suppers
The Last Suppers is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson, in 1994 at 313 pages. It is entry #4 in Goldy Schulz. The Cereal Murders comes before it, Killer Pancake after. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Last Suppers - Book 5:
Killer Pancake
Killer Pancake is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson, in 1995 at 397 pages. It is entry #5 in Goldy Schulz. It sits between The Last Suppers and The Main Corpse. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Killer Pancake - Book 6:
The Main Corpse
The Main Corpse is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson, in 1996 at 355 pages. It is entry #6 in Goldy Schulz. It sits between Killer Pancake and The Grilling Season. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Main Corpse - Book 7:
The Grilling Season
The Grilling Season, published in 1997 at 336 pages, is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson. It is entry #7 in Goldy Schulz. It sits between The Main Corpse and Prime Cut. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Grilling Season - Book 8:
Prime Cut
Prime Cut is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson, in 1998 at 305 pages. It sits at #8 in Goldy Schulz's reading order. It sits between The Grilling Season and Tough Cookie. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Prime Cut - Book 9:
Tough Cookie
Tough Cookie is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson, in 2000 at 291 pages. It is entry #9 in Goldy Schulz. Prime Cut comes before it, Sticks and Scones after. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Tough Cookie - Book 10:
Sticks and Scones
Sticks and Scones is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson, in 2001 at 430 pages. It sits at #10 in Goldy Schulz's reading order. It sits between Tough Cookie and Chopping Spree. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sticks and Scones - Book 11:
Chopping Spree
Chopping Spree is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson, in 2002 at 378 pages. It is entry #11 in Goldy Schulz. Sticks and Scones comes before it, Double Shot after. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Chopping Spree - Book 12:
Double Shot
Double Shot, published in 2004 at 310 pages, is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson. It sits at #12 in Goldy Schulz's reading order. Chopping Spree comes before it, Dark Tort after. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Double Shot - Book 13:
Dark Tort
Dark Tort is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson, in 2006 at 468 pages. It sits at #13 in Goldy Schulz's reading order. Double Shot comes before it, Sweet Revenge after. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dark Tort - Book 14:
Sweet Revenge
Sweet Revenge is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson, in 2007 at 464 pages. It sits at #14 in Goldy Schulz's reading order. It sits between Dark Tort and Fatally Flaky. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sweet Revenge - Book 15:
Fatally Flaky
Fatally Flaky is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson, in 2009 at 478 pages. It sits at #15 in Goldy Schulz's reading order. Sweet Revenge comes before it, Crunch Time after. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fatally Flaky - Book 16:
Crunch Time
Crunch Time is a novel by Diane Mott Davidson, in 2011 at 471 pages. It sits at #16 in Goldy Schulz's reading order. It sits between Fatally Flaky and The Whole Enchilada. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Crunch Time - Book 17:
The Whole Enchilada
The Whole Enchilada (2013, 448 pages) is the seventeenth and most recent Goldy Schulz novel, arriving two years after Crunch Time (2011); the series has not published a new entry since, so it currently stands as the series' close. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Whole Enchilada
Key facts about the Goldy Schulz series
The Goldy Schulz series has 17 books on our list. Since all 17 are out now, you can read the whole list today.
Start with Catering to Nobody, since it opens the publication order in 1990. Dying for Chocolate is book 2, from 1992. The Cereal Murders is book 3, from 1993.
The Last Suppers is book 4, from 1994. Killer Pancake is book 5, from 1995. The Main Corpse is book 6, from 1996.
The Grilling Season is book 7, from 1997, while Prime Cut is book 8, from 1998. Tough Cookie is book 9, from 2000.
Sticks and Scones is book 10, from 2001, while Chopping Spree is book 11, from 2002. Double Shot is book 12, from 2004. Since the list above shows all 17, you can find the rest there.
Each title links to its own page, while the list keeps them in date order. Each book page shows its dates and editions. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.
The books came out between 1990 and 2013, while their length runs from 266 to 478 pages. That is a run of 23 years.
Diane Mott Davidson has 17 books on our list. This is the only series by them we track, while the author page lists the rest. We shelve the books under cozy mystery.
About the Goldy Schulz series
Goldy Schulz (later Goldy Bear) is a divorced single mother turned professional caterer in Aspen Meadow, Colorado, whose gigs — country-club luncheons, church socials, ski-town society events — keep putting her at the scene of the crime, usually with a body cooling next to the canapes. Goldy cooks her way through every investigation, quite literally: each novel is packed with real, tested recipes tied to the story's menus, and her sharp tongue and hard-won independence (her first husband, referred to throughout as 'the Jerk,' is a controlling ex she escaped) give the series real edge under the culinary charm.
Diane Mott Davidson is widely credited with popularizing the recipe-laced culinary mystery format that Laura Childs, Cleo Coyle and dozens of others later built on. Her mysteries lean grittier than most cozy contemporaries — domestic abuse, small-town corruption and genuine physical danger show up alongside the food — while Goldy's remarriage to police investigator Tom Schulz gives the series an unusually well-integrated procedural thread. It's the series for readers who want the culinary-mystery format at its origin point: real recipes, a genuinely resourceful and hard-edged heroine, and mysteries with more bite than the cozy label usually implies.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Goldy Schulz series?
There are 17 Goldy Schulz (Goldy Bear) culinary mysteries, from Catering to Nobody (1990) to The Whole Enchilada (2013).
What order should I read the Goldy Schulz books in?
Publication order, starting with Catering to Nobody. Goldy's marriage to Tom Schulz and her son Arch's growing up develop continuously across the series.
Is the Goldy Schulz series finished?
No new title has been published since The Whole Enchilada in 2013, and no further book has been announced, so the series is treated as complete for now; this page will be updated if that changes.
Do the books include real recipes?
Yes — tested recipes tied to the story's catering menus close out each book, a format Diane Mott Davidson is widely credited with popularizing in the mystery genre.
Is Goldy Schulz a standalone series?
Yes, it's Diane Mott Davidson's only long-running series, distinct from her standalone thrillers.
If you like the Goldy Schulz series
Last updated