Sophie Winston is helping with a luncheon for A Healthy Meal when a dead man is found as the group enters the dining room. The hostess and her family become the chief suspects so Sophie is enlisted to help find the real murderer at the same time as she coordinates the Association of Ghost Kitchens. While another murder and unusual occurrences keep Sophie on her toes, she is determined to solve the mystery.

Sophie and her whacky friends are great characters and seem like old friends with each installment. ( )

The Diva Delivers on a Promise by Krista Davis has Sophie Winston attending a luncheon at Geraldine Stansfield’s historic home for those involved in A Healthy Meal. The ladies walk into the dining room to find a man dead with a knife in his chest. The Diva Delivers on a Promise gets off to a compelling start. When Geraldine and her family members become the prime suspects, she needs Sophie’s help. Sophie will need to work in sleuthing in between overseeing the first Association of Ghost Kitchens convention. I had not heard of ghost kitchens prior to reading this book. I found it to be an interesting concept. The mystery was well plotted. There is quite a bit going on. There are two murders plus other unusual events that kept occurring. I had fun following the clues and figuring out the various mysteries. I wish it had not been such a hodgepodge because the main mystery was not the focus. I had to laugh at Sophie and Nina tailing various individuals. They made sure to bring along snacks (like they were going to the movies). The details of who, what, and why are provided at the end. I am disappointed in the way the author handles Sophie’s personal life. Sophie’s work life seems to be the author’s priority. We get thrown a bone now and then with regard to her personal life. I find this series different from Krista Davis’s other cozy mysteries in the regard (so different from her A Paws & Claws Mysteries). The Diva Delivers on a Promise is the sixteenth A Domestic Diva Mystery. I suggest reading this series in order so you can get to know the characters and their storylines. It is hard to read a book from this series as a standalone. I like the letters with answers at the beginning of the chapters. It is obvious that Sophie and Natasha have different styles. There are recipes at the end including one or two for cocktails. The Diva Delivers on a Promise is an epicurean cozy with a lady’s luncheon, a dead dude, suspicious siblings, delivered dinners, a chaotic convention, and tasty tidbits. ( )

This was really interesting in how the book related the information about ghost kitchens. Especially coming out of the pandemic, having a commercial type of kitchen where delivery or take out are the only options, would cut down on some of the overhead of running a full restaurant. Sophie is actually manning a convention of ghost kitchens, but there is a murder almost immediately during a meeting of one of her other causes and that man may have ties to the other association. I wasn't a fan of Wong's ex. ( )

recipes, amateur-sleuth, murder-investigation, murder, law-enforcement, small-business, small-town, frenemy, friends, family, ghost-kitchens, Virginia, pets, lies, secrets, friction, family-drama, gossip*****

The first body shouldn't even have been there. In early questioning no one knew the victim but with a bit of sleuthing it seems that nearly everyone did. Good thing Sophie is as good at sleuthing as she is at finding excellent recipes and teaching readers about ghost kitchens and their place in the restaurant business today. A very good whodunit with fascinating characters and tasty recipes.
I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )

Sophie Winston lives in Old Town, Virginia, and is an event planner. She's doing her first ever ghost kitchen event -- where they only do delivery -- and everything seems to be running smoothly so far. She's also looking forward to the meeting of the members of A Healthy Meal, which is going to be held at society maven Geraldine Stansfield's home. She's longing to see the inside of the home for the first time. With everyone gathered, Sophie hears a scream, and it's discovered that there's a man in the dining room with a knife sticking out of his chest. After calling 911, it's found that no one seems to know who he was. Not even Gerrie. And no one knows how he got there. With rumors beginning to fly that Gerrie killed him, she asks Sophie's help in proving her innocence. What can Sophie do, but comply?

Now she's trying to figure out who wanted him dead, and why he was there. But when things start to get sticky, Sophie is drawn into an investigation of people not being where they're supposed to be, lies on top of lies, Gerrie avoiding questions all around, and even more intrigue and secrets. Suddenly she feels as if she's in a movie, and she can't figure out the ending...

This is the sixteenth book in the series, and it's a very good example of why Krista Davis is one of my favorite writers. In full disclosure, I hated the first book, but I have fallen in love with this series over time. Sophie is not only intelligent, she knows how to keep a secret, and she doesn't bail on either her friends or anyone she's trying to help.

What I really like is that she's learned to ignore Natasha and her dramatics. Natasha would wear anyone out. I'm just grateful I don't know anyone like her. While she's always trying to one-up Sophie, it's Sophie who always gains the upper hand, merely by being kinder and more understanding...and patient.

But it seems the killer is beginning to figure out what Sophie is doing, and has no intentions to let her win. Even if it means following her. Then there's the issue of a problem with the ghost kitchens, and between the two, it's taking up a lot of her time.

As the story progresses, we learn more about the Stansfields and their history, which surprises her. But even so, she's determined to help Gerrie, which isn't easy. When a near-tragedy occurs, Sophie will have to up her game and move faster to solve the murder.

In the end, when everything comes together, it was a surprise; but worth the read. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley, but this in no way influenced my review. ( )