Diva 02 _ Diva Takes the Cake, The

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Authors: Krista Davis

Tags: #Winston; Sophie (Fictitious Character), #Mystery & Detective, #Fiction, #Women Sleuths, #General, #Mystery Fiction, #Women Cooks, #Large Type Books, #Cookery, #Mystery, #Divorced Women, #Cooking, #Divorced Women - Crimes Against, #Weddings, #Crimes Against, #Sisters

BOOK: Diva 02 _ Diva Takes the Cake, The
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Table of Contents
PRAISE FOR
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme
“[A] tricky whodunit laced with delectable food . . . [and] stuffed with suspects—and a reminder that nobody’s Thanksgiving is perfect.”
—
Richmond Times-Dispatch
“[A] fun romp into the world of food, murder, and mayhem.”
—
Armchair Interviews
“Filled with humor, delicious recipes, and holiday decorating tips,
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme
is . . . a must-read to prepare for the holiday season.”
—
The Romance Readers Connection
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Krista Davis
THE DIVA RUNS OUT OF THYME
THE DIVA TAKES THE CAKE
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada
(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand
(a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196,
South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.
THE DIVA TAKES THE CAKE
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / June 2009
Copyright © 2009 by Cristina Ryplansky.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
eISBN : 978-1-101-05372-0
BERKLEY
®
PRIME CRIME
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY
®
PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group
(USA) Inc.

http://us.penguingroup.com

For Elizabeth NINA Strickland
Susan REID Smith Erba
and Amy NORWOOD Wheeler
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As always, I’m grateful to my mom, Marianne; and Janet Bolin, Daryl Wood Gerber, Betsy Strickland, and Susan Strickland, my invaluable first readers who cheerfully and patiently keep me on the right track. Many thanks to my editor, Sandra Harding, who is a constant delight and whose editorial advice is always dead on, and to my agent, the charming Jacky Sach.
Thanks to Captain Scott Ogden of the Alexandria Police Department and Felicia Donovan, fellow author and law enforcement expert, for providing information about police procedures. Any errors are my own.
Special thanks to Rachel Ann Hollis for patiently mixing drinks until she arrived at the delicious Wedded Blitz Martini. Also to Terry and Harry Hoover for their helpful knowledge about the syndication of newspaper columns. Laurie Petty at
dazzlingice.com
was wonderful to share her expertise on ice bars, for which I’m very thankful.
And last, but not least, much gratitude to the unsung heroine, Teresa Fasolino, the artist who always provides such beautiful covers for the Domestic Diva Mysteries.
GUEST LIST
Hannah
Paul and Inga Bauer
Sophie Bauer Winston (maid of honor)
and Wolf Fleishman
Jen Bauer (flower girl)
Phoebe Ferguson (bridesmaid)
and Joel Yancey
Mars Winston
and Natasha Smith
Wanda Smith
Bernie Frei
Humphrey Brown
Tucker Hensley V
Mordecai Artemus
Craig
Kevin Pointer
Robert Beacham (best man)
Stan Beacham
Darby Beacham
ONE
From “THE GOOD LIFE”:
Dear Sophie,
My fiancé’s former girlfriend showed up at our engagement party uninvited and released four dozen white mice. I’m worried sick about what she might do at our wedding. How do we stop her?
—No More Mice in Morristown
Dear No More Mice,
Choose a venue with a security department, like a hotel. Alert your vendors and wedding planner and plant some teenage relatives at strategic entrances to be on the lookout for the big rat.
—Sophie

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