Loss of the inherent anxiety of single life and courtship hasn't dulled Davidson's stories. The married Schulzes come off as a plump Nick and Nora Charles, he a detective who cooks, she a cook who detects. They eat a lot better than the rest of us, and corpses play a bigger role in their day-today life. Davidson has settled on a satisfactory formula. Though we have reached a comfort level with Tom and Goldy, we can't call them boring.
New characters spice things up.
If there were a spokeswoman for the women's press corps, she no doubt would thank Davidson for giving us a respite. Oddly, Davidson's most awkward moments come as a food writer. The thick torte's golden brown topping looked gorgeous, fit for the centerfold of Gourmet. Well, M.F.K. Fisher didn't write murder mysteries, either. Most readers won't care about syntax as they rip through their latest Goldy mystery.