"Thank you for being a friend ... traveled down the road and back again ..." I don't think there is a person alive that can read those words without actually singing them in your head. If you're like me, you'll actually sing them out loud! That theme song opened up 180 episodes of one of the funniest television shows to ever grace the small screen - The Golden Girls. I watched every episode, from the first one in September 1985 to the last one in May 1992, and since then, I've re-watched episodes more times than I can possibly count. The show put together the perfect cast, with the greatest writers, and it was a hit that never disappointed. So, imagine my surprise when more than thirty years after the show ended, I happen across a book inspired by the television show - and not just any book, but an actual murder mystery. That's right, you read that correctly! Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia now have their very own cozy mystery series, written by Rachel Ekstrom Courage, a publisher-turned-writer, and I could not wait to be reunited with these golden gals!
Murder by Cheesecake takes one of The Golden Girls' most popular props from the series and turns it into a murder weapon - sort of. The story focuses on poor naive Rose, who is working overtime to pull off a traditional St. Olaf wedding in Miami for her cousin, Nettie, who is marrying a young man, Jason, who is NOT a native of St. Olaf - and the townspeople are not happy about it. Rose's other cousin, Gustave (not to be mistaken with her cousin Gustav, who was the object of many St. Olaf tales...), does not think she will be able to pull it off, staying true to all of the St. Olaf traditions - such as the bridal shower (consisting of a REAL shower), the groom riding in a donkey, the Sharing of the Soup, and so on. Rose is determined to prove him wrong, even if it kills her. Unfortunately, it kills someone else - that someone being a man with whom Dorothy had just had a date - from a video dating service!
With regard to the murder mystery, I give Courage credit for creating a rather interesting plot that involves smuggling, crime rings, drag queens, mistaken identities, a threatened inheritance, and an exciting motorcycle chase with an exceptionally daring rescue! There are plenty of clues spread throughout the story, with some red herrings to keep you from solving the crime too easily, and there are plenty of references to events that took place in the television show to remind you that this story is an actual part of The Golden Girls' lore. I just wish the humorous quips that were present in the first couple of chapters (before they find the body) were as prevalent throughout the rest of the story. Ther were a few humorous lines scattered here and there, but the story took a much more "murder mystery procedural" turn after the body and focused more on solving the crime.
The author does throw in a couple of surprising references to children's series books - the first appears when Nettie gives "Rose the same puppy-dog eyes she'd given her when she begged for a Nancy Drew Madame Alexander doll for her tenth birthday" (p. 33). While many mysteries with female detectives make reference to Nancy Drew; however I think this is the first time I have ever come across a reference to the Nancy Drew Madame Alexander Doll, which was released back in 1967 but did not stay on the market long. Now, since the book indicates it was Nettie's tenth birthday, and the book is set in the 1980s (at least 1985 or later), that would mean Nettie would need to be in her thirties for this book. The second series book reference shows up when the Girls are keeping surveillance on suspects in the lobby of the hotel, when they spot Jason's sister arguing with her husband. Dorothy makes the comment, "... I"m not so sure about the Bobbsey Twins. I'm adding what we just saw to our case file" (p. 182). Obviously, this reference is a bit off, since the Bobbsey Twins were brother and sister, not husband and wife; yet, it was still great to see that someone still remembers them!
One other thing worth mentioning is when Dorothy is told by the police that the dead man was a potential con artist who scammed a number of women out of money and other valuable objects, leaving her to wonder if "the same man [she went on a date with] was this thieving lothario ..." That is twice now that the word "lothario" has popped up in a book I've been reading, the first just days ago when I was reading Jane Withers and the Hidden Room, which also featured some con artists / thieves. I have spent my whole life never hearing or reading that word, and now, in less than a week, it appears in two separate books written more than 80 years apart! Talk about your mind-boggling coincidences!
Despite the downturn in humor after the murdered man is found, the book was still an enjoyable read, and I am hoping there will be more. This book focused more on Rose and Dorothy, so I'm hoping the next book will give Blanche and/or Sophia a chance to shine!
RATING: 9 pairs of vibrant teal color sunglasses out of 10 for bringing The Golden Girls out of retirement and re-introducing them to a new generation of fans (as well as old ones like me!) in a brand new way!
No comments:
Post a Comment