By Cynthia Bowan
Return to Index A Recipe for Crime:
Interview with Diane Mott Davidson
Diane Mott Davidson has been called "today's foremost practitioner of the culinary whodunit", and the latest and twelfth book in her Goldy Bear Shultz series puts her at the top of the list of culinary mystery writers once again. Double Shot is a must-read for those who love this genre.
I first met Diane several years ago, when she was promoting her first book with a visit to Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, PA. As I listened to her that night, I sensed a kinship with her - she was a writer, a "foodie" - person who loves good food, a coffee lover, one who creates her own recipes and is interested in things I am interested in. So I was excited to be doing an interview with her.
I thought I might have missed our appointment when I did not get an answer at her hotel room last week. But within minutes, she called me back. Diane had gone out for some "decent espresso" and was delayed getting back because of a bus accident in the road between the coffee shop and her hotel. Life is always an adventure and never dull for Diane, much like her heroine Goldy. They share more than their love for a good cup of coffee.
Diane began writing in 1963 while in an Episcopal girls' school in Charlottesville, VA. She studied political science at Wellesley, but transferred to Stanford, where she received her B.A. in her second major in history of art. She earned her M.A. in history of art at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore from 1974-1976.
Marriage and a family followed with a move to Colorado, where Diane became involved in volunteer work as a rape counselor, a tutor at a juvenile correctional facility and political party caucus chairperson. She also had a long volunteer involvement with the Episcopal Church, also studying at the Bishop's School of Theology and a second school of theology, and was appointed to the Diocesan Board of Examining Chaplains, where she examined candidates for the priesthood for ten years.
She returned to writing in 1982 and became active in Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW) in 1987. Her first novel, Catering to Nobody, was sold in 1988. She was named the RMFW Writer of the Year in 1990. She won the Anthony Award for Best Short Story in 1992.
Everything Diane does, is done with a great passion, from her writing to her research to cooking. She did not know how to cook when she was first married. Determined to learn, she became a devoted fan of Julia Child's and also discovered Sunset Cookbooks. Soon she became an expert and began to develop her own recipes. When Catering to Nobody was published, her love of cooking was reflected in the inclusion of four original recipes. Although there had been other mystery writers who made food and even recipes a strong component of their work, no one was doing so at the time Diane started. By the way, one of Diane's treasures is a letter written to her personally by Julia Child.
Once again, Goldy's story setting is in Aspen, Colorado, a small mountain town very much like Evergreen, where Diane and her husband live. Goldy is a caterer who keeps running into murders and mysteries, and solves them with the help of her close friend, employees and second husband Tom Schulz, a detective on the nearby police force.
In this latest installment, Goldy has a new venue for her catering, a thorn in her side (obnoxious health inspector), the return of her ex-husband (Dr. John Richard Korman, AKA "The Jerk"), murders (of course!), her current husband's work-related problem and a few other things, such as a pair of detectives who seem to be anti-Goldy.
Whew! Stir this all up, and it makes a great story, that so enthralled me I read the book twice in a few days. I found some things in this story (as always) that I could relate to, from Goldy expressing her feelings of frustration and helplessness to her baking and cooking to relieve stress. But it was the interview with Diane that really gave me a sense of the author and her creation.
Diane and I both love coffee, just as Goldy does, and freely admit that we are addicted to the stuff. After we had a brief discussion over what a decent cup of coffee was and where she could find great coffee during her visit here in the Pittsburgh area, I began to ask her some questions.
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 New York Times bestselling author Diane Mott Davidson has taken readers by storm with clever mysteries filled with tantalizing plots and mouthwatering recipes. In her twelfth novel -- her tastiest tale yet -- the ingenious storyteller whips up a rich soufflé of murder and mischief.
The governor of Colorado has commuted the prison sentence of Goldy Schulz's ultra-handsome, ultra-charming, ultra-venal ex-husband, Dr. John Richard Korman, otherwise known to Goldy as the Jerk. He's released, and soon afterward Goldy becomes the victim of threats, rumors, and violence.
Then there's a murder and suspicion centers on Goldy. Suddenly, she is faced with the challenge of running her successful catering business while fending off two persistent detectives.
Caught in a web of secrets and lies that can tear her family apart, Goldy must use all of her considerable powers of detection to find the real killer before she herself becomes a target.
 Dying for Chocolate (Culinary Mysteries (Paperback))
by: DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
01 October, 1993
 Catering to Nobody
by: DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
26 February, 2002
 The Grilling Season
by: DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
03 August, 1998
 The Cereal Murders
by: DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
01 August, 1994
 Prime Cut
by: DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
29 February, 2000
 Tough Cookie
by: DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
03 April, 2001
 The Last Suppers
by: DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
01 August, 1995
 The Main Corpse (Culinary Mysteries (Paperback))
by: DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
01 July, 1997
 Killer Pancake
by: DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
01 August, 1996
 Sticks & Scones
by: DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
28 May, 2002
 Chopping Spree
by: DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
04 March, 2003
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The Interview with Diane Mott Davidson: CB: You've talked about your critique group that you were in when you began writing. Are you still a member, and how have they helped you?
DMD: The main thing about being in a critique group is that it forced me to have a monthly deadline so that I had to write. I would recommend any beginning writer be in such a group. I had three children and a very busy life, but I knew I had that deadline, so I made the time to write. I joined the group twenty years ago, but about ten years ago, we disbanded - it was a natural ending, our lives separated.
CB: I read that Goldy started out as a background character.
DMD: Yes, that's true. But my critique group pointed out that Goldy was too strong to be in the background - and they were right. I made her the protagonist, and she took over my writing.
CB: You and Goldy have a good relationship?
DMD: We actually communicate, writing letters back and forth.
CB: I have to tell you, I really identified with Goldy in the one scene where she is so frustrated that she smashes some glass jars. I did that once, but with coffee cups. Was this something you also did?
DMD: You did? I'm glad you identified with her. Yes, I've had a similar experience, and I found it to be very liberating, to simply smash something.
CB: Do you think Goldy will give in to the current Low Carb fad diets?
DMD: No way! The Low Carb diets are wrong for people. You can only eat so many calories on these things, and if you stray just a little bit, your weight will skyrocket. People become Carb-crazed because of the need for seratonin. The best diet is moderation.
CB: How long does it take for you to write a book?
DMD: I now take eighteen months or so to write a book. That way, I have more sanity!
CB: After ten books and several years, you have a new publisher and Double Shot has a different look from your previous books. Why the changes?
DMD: The main reason for the change was because I felt that Morrow/Harper Collins would help me break out to a large audience. They have great marketing plans in the works, including this nationwide tour. We've also made some new changes, including a new jacket and a new artist who does the borders around the recipes.
CB: Speaking of the recipes, this is the first time they are at the back of the book, instead of being interspersed with the story.
DMD: In traveling and talking with my fans, this is a subject that is brought up over and over again (besides The Jerk). Many people felt that the recipes got in the way of their reading, distracting from the story. So this time, we put the recipes at the end.
CB: I remember that during one of your visits to Mystery Lovers Bookshop, you talked about how every time you get ready to write a new novel, you work for several weeks with a local caterer to get you back in the groove, so to speak. Do you still do that?
DMD: Yes, I do. It really helps me to develop the story line and to understand what Goldy would be going through.
CB: In Double Shot, you not only have Goldy with all she goes through, but you seem to give your readers a better insight into Goldy and Tom's relationship, especially with Tom having depression because he lost a case.
DMD: I talked with a Denver detective at length about what it would be like for a detective who lost a case, and those who live with him. The detective talked about withdrawing from those around him. He had seen people who died young, died in accidents, people losing children - all this was helpful in bringing out Tom's feelings and Goldy's helplessness at reaching out to him.
CB: Goldy's son Archie also goes through a trying time in this book.
DMD: I have been around many grieving people in our church, so when I wrote about Archie, the writing came right out. And I have seen the back and forth of emotions in young people, and the withdrawal, so it was easy for me to write this part of the book. Also, having raised three sons, all of whom we pulled out of their schools and sent to other schools where they had smaller classes and more disciplines, I could relate these experiences to Archie's now attending to a new school.
CB: Archie's character also has matured quite a bit through the past couple books.
DMD: That's true. The brattiness in Chopping Spree, which was due in part to adolescent behavior and a school situation, has changed for him. I also think that since Columbine, there have been many changes in young people. That happened in our area, and there was a total lockdown of schools, bookstores and retail shops. The way teens and adults treat each other is paramount in my books as well as in life. Columbine was a perfect example of lack of discipline in a school and bullies permitted to do as they pleased.
CB: Your personal life has changed, now that your boys have grown up.
DMD: (laughing) Yes it has. The biggest adjustment I've had to make is that I keep making the same foods my family loves, and in the same quantities! So my refrigerator is packed sometimes. I've had to learn to cut down amounts, which is hard after all these years of feeding three growing boys and a husband.
CB: You said in another interview that you do not write what are called "Cozy Mysteries". How do you describe your writing?
DMD: I just don't see Goldy in that situation, pouring tea and solving mysteries. Goldy doesn't do police work, she looks at relationships, more at the why of what happened instead of how. I see my books as crime novels. Why does a relationship break down, or what happens to a person to make them want to kill someone? My books could be called a hybrid of the two genres. Mainly, I try to follow Goldie's voice, but make the books harder than cozies.
CB: You've also said that Double Shot is a darker book.
DMD: Yes, that's true. It is a darker book because the stakes are high. Goldie is dealing with the return of The Jerk, her son and her husband. You get more insight into who they all are.
CB: Among your new characters you introduce in Double Shot is Gus, who could become a close friend of Archie's.
DMD: Gus is an intriguing character. He has more self-confidence than Archie, and is more extroverted. A scene in my next book, Dark Tort, shows the differences between the two boys. These boys were raised in completely opposite ways, so I think Gus will be good for Archie.
CB: And you've brought The Jerk, Goldy and Marla's ex-husband that they share, back front and center once more.
DMD: When I first began writing the Goldy series, no one wrote about abuse. In fact, my first editor opposed my doing so. Bear in mind that this was pre-O.J. (Simpson). But the spousal abuse was a part of Goldy's experiences, and so I fought to keep it in. The abuse Goldy experienced is one of the ingredients that kept the books from being "cozies". I wanted to make sure that abuse was correctly represented, from spousal to medical. I know of cases were women were raped by their doctors, so I used that as a motivator. Abuse has profound effects on women also, so that everything Goldy does, she does for emotional freedom, as many abused women do.
CB: When will Dark Tort be published, and what is it about?
DMD: The title, Dark Tort, is a play on words - and there is no "E" at the end. It will be out next summer. It's set in a law firm, includes lawyers and features a returning character from Killer Pancake.
CB: If there were one thing you wanted your readers to know, what would it be?
DMD: I want my readers to know how much I appreciate them. The bottom line is, without loyal readers and Goldy, I would not have been able to build a following and more importantly, my readership and relationships with them.
When Diane goes on tour, her devoted husband stays home, bakes cookies from a recipe in her current book, and ships them to each stop on the tour. This time, those attending will get a taste of her latest confection, Brownie Points.
Brownie Points: 12 tablespoons (one and a half sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into small pieces
1 tablespoon unsweetened alkalinized cocoa (recommended brand: Hershey's Premium European-Style)
1 1/4 cups cake flour (high altitude: add 2 tablespoons)
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 lg. eggs
2 1/4 c. sugar (high altitude: subtract 2 T.)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans, lightly toasted and cooled
Preheat the oven to 325F. Butter a 13x9" metal (not glass) baking pan.
Melt the butter with the chocolate in the top of a double boiler (over boiling water), stirring frequently. When the chocolate has melted, set the mixture aside to cool.
Sift together the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt. Sift again and set aside.
Beat the eggs until they are well combined, then gradually add the sugar, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and the cooled chocolate mixture, stirring until well combined. Sift the dry mixture over the egg mixture, and stir this mixture only until it is completely combined. Spread the batter in the prepared pan, and sprinkle the nuts on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a crumb or two adhering to it. Remove to a rack and cool completely.
Makes 16 large or 32 small brownies. From Double Shot.
Dungeon Bars 1 c. unsalted butter
½ c. each brown and white sugars
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 c: each oats and raisins
Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Stir in oats and raisins. Spread in greased 13x9 " baking pan. Bake 30 minutes. Cool slightly and cut into 32 bars. From Catering to Nobody.
Cereal Killer Cookies 2 1/4 c. old fashioned oats
1 6-oz. pjkg. almond brickle chips (bits o'brickle)
1 2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. unsalted butter
2 lg. eggs
1 T. vanilla
Preheat oven to 375. In small bowl, mix oats and brickle chips.
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. In food processor, mix sugars until blended. , gradually add butter. Continue to process until creamy and smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and process until blended. Add flour mixture and process just until combined. Pour this mixture over the oats and chips and stir until well combined. Using a 2 T. measure, measure out scoops of dough and place at least 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Makes 4-5 dozen cookies. From The Cereal Murders
Diamond Lover's Hot Crab Dip 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, divided
5 canned artichoke bottoms, drained, patted dry, and trimmed to remove any hard, rough spots
24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup crème fraîche or commercial sour cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 pound pasteurized crabs, flaked and picked over to remove any stray bits of cartilage
2 cups fresh bread crumbs, preferably made from homemade bread (brioche is best)
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Corn chips and crackers
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an attractive 2-quart au gratin dish, preferably a dark-colored one. Set aside.
Place the shallots in a miniature food processor and blend until juicy, less than a minute. Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter, add the shallots, and sauté just until the shallots begin to turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Chop the artichoke bottoms into ½-inch dice. Set aside until you are ready to assemble the dip.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until very smooth. Add the mustard, crème fraîche, and cheese and beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the crab, shallots, and artichoke bottoms until well combined. Turn the crab mixture into the prepared au gratin dish.
In a medium-sized sauté pan, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter and stir in the bread crumbs. Cook and stir just until the butter is absorbed and the crumbs are beginning to turn golden. Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped parsley, and distribute this mixture over the top of the crab dip.
Place the dip in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and a small spoonful of dip scooped up from the center tastes very hot. Serve immediately with a choice of chips and crackers. From Chopping Spree.
By Cynthia Bowan
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The Interview | Brownie Points | Dungeon Bars | Cereal Killer Cookies | Diamond Lover's Hot Crab Dip |
