Diane Mott Davidson Books in Order: Goldy Bear Culinary Mysteries Reading Order
The series is commonly called the Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery series or the Goldy Schulz series. It begins with Catering to Nobody in 1990 and continues through The Whole Enchilada in 2013. There are 17 novels in the series, and the publication order is also the recommended reading order.
Diane Mott Davidson is particularly known for combining traditional cozy mysteries with food, catering, recipes, family drama, and the Colorado setting of Aspen Meadow. Penguin Random House identifies her as the author of the Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery series and lists her books under that series.
Diane Mott Davidson Books in Order at a Glance
Here is the complete Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery reading order:
| # | Book | Year |
| 1 | Catering to Nobody | 1990 |
| 2 | Dying for Chocolate | 1992 |
| 3 | The Cereal Murders | 1993 |
| 4 | The Last Suppers | 1994 |
| 5 | Killer Pancake | 1995 |
| 6 | The Main Corpse | 1996 |
| 7 | The Grilling Season | 1997 |
| 8 | Prime Cut | 1998 |
| 9 | Tough Cookie | 2000 |
| 10 | Sticks & Scones | 2001 |
| 11 | Chopping Spree | 2002 |
| 12 | Double Shot | 2004 |
| 13 | Dark Tort | 2006 |
| 14 | Sweet Revenge | 2008 |
| 15 | Fatally Flaky | 2009 |
| 16 | Crunch Time | 2011 |
| 17 | The Whole Enchilada | 2013 |
Penguin Random House’s series page confirms the Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery series and its numbered books, while current library catalogs likewise identify Catering to Nobody as #1 and continue through a 17-book sequence.
Goldy Bear Culinary Mysteries in Order
1. Catering to Nobody (1990)
Catering to Nobody introduces Goldy Bear, a recently divorced Colorado caterer who is trying to rebuild her life and business while raising her young son.
Goldy is catering a wake when her former father-in-law is suddenly killed. Unfortunately for Goldy, suspicion falls on her because the authorities believe poison may have been served through her catering.
She decides that waiting for the police to solve the mystery isn’t enough and begins looking into the secrets surrounding the victim herself.
As the first book, it establishes Goldy’s catering business, her family situation, the Colorado community, and the food-centered mystery formula that defines the series. Penguin Random House identifies it as Book 1 and notes that it includes recipes.
2. Dying for Chocolate (1992)
Goldy has moved her catering business to the Aspen Meadow Country Club and is attempting to take control of her increasingly complicated personal life.
Her plans change when a local psychiatrist dies in a suspicious accident.
Goldy isn’t convinced the death was accidental and begins digging into the victim’s secrets, putting herself in danger along the way.
This second mystery further develops Goldy’s relationships and establishes the blend of food, community gossip, and murder investigation that readers can expect from the series.
3. The Cereal Murders (1993)
Goldy agrees to cater a dinner connected to an elite Colorado school.
The evening takes a deadly turn when the school’s valedictorian is found murdered.
Once again, Goldy’s professional work puts her close to a crime scene, and her curiosity leads her into an investigation involving students, parents, educators, and secrets.
4. The Last Suppers (1994)
Goldy’s personal life takes center stage when she is preparing for her wedding to homicide detective Tom Schulz.
But just before the wedding, Tom discovers a dying priest and becomes involved in the investigation.
When Tom disappears, Goldy has to determine what happened while also trying to make sense of the murder.
The novel is particularly important for Goldy and Tom’s relationship and is listed as Book 4 in the Goldy Bear series.
5. Killer Pancake (1995)
Goldy’s catering work once again places her close to trouble.
A seemingly ordinary food-related job develops into a murder investigation, forcing Goldy to navigate suspicious clients and complicated personal relationships.
The food-themed title is very much in keeping with Davidson’s signature approach to culinary mysteries.
6. The Main Corpse (1996)
Goldy finds herself dealing with another murder while her catering career continues to grow.
As she works through the case, she encounters a collection of suspects whose motives and relationships make the mystery increasingly complicated.
7. The Grilling Season (1997)
Goldy’s catering business gets caught up in another dangerous situation.
The investigation brings together food, community tensions, and murder while Goldy attempts to identify the person responsible.
The title is another example of Davidson’s use of culinary language to frame each mystery.
8. Prime Cut (1998)
Goldy becomes involved in a mystery connected to the food and business world.
As usual, her professional connections give her access to people and information that become important to the investigation.
The eighth novel continues the progression of Goldy’s personal and professional life while maintaining the series’ culinary identity.
9. Tough Cookie (2000)
Goldy’s latest catering assignment becomes complicated by another death.
The investigation forces her to examine the people around the victim and determine which apparently respectable relationships are hiding something darker.
10. Sticks & Scones (2001)
Goldy finds herself involved in another murder investigation, with her catering work again putting her in the middle of the action.
The novel continues the series’ established combination of food, community relationships, family issues, and amateur sleuthing.
Sticks & Scones is Book 10 in the Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery series.
11. Chopping Spree (2002)
Goldy’s catering business is thriving, but success brings its own problems.
She takes on a prestigious event for the Westside Mall’s Elite Shoppers Club, only to discover that the warning that success can be dangerous is more literal than expected.
A murder turns another high-profile catering assignment into a mystery.
Penguin Random House lists Chopping Spree as Book 11.
12. Double Shot (2004)
Goldy once again becomes involved in a dangerous case involving people close to her.
The novel also marks a change in the presentation of the series’ recipes: rather than appearing throughout the story, the recipes are collected at the end of the book.
13. Dark Tort (2006)
Goldy’s catering expertise again intersects with murder.
The fourteenth? No—the correct numbering is Book 13, following Double Shot. The mystery continues to develop Goldy’s family and professional relationships while she attempts to identify a killer.
The title continues Davidson’s tradition of using food-related wordplay for her mystery titles.
14. Sweet Revenge (2008)
Goldy is drawn into another murder investigation in the Colorado community.
As she works through the suspects, the case involves personal grudges, hidden motives, and the sort of long-simmering conflicts that make cozy mysteries so compelling.
15. Fatally Flaky (2009)
Goldy’s catering career once again intersects with murder.
A new case forces her to investigate people whose outwardly respectable lives conceal secrets and possible motives.
Fatally Flaky continues the culinary naming tradition while moving Goldy’s story toward the later books in the series.
16. Crunch Time (2011)
Goldy finds herself facing another dangerous mystery.
By this point in the series, readers have spent years following Goldy’s evolving family life, relationships, catering business, and amateur detective career.
Crunch Time is Book 16 in the Goldy Bear sequence. Current bibliographic listings place its publication in 2011.
17. The Whole Enchilada (2013)
The Whole Enchilada is the 17th and final Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery novel.
The story brings Goldy back into another murder investigation while maintaining the food-centered approach that has defined the series from the beginning.
Published in 2013, it is currently the final novel in Davidson’s Goldy Bear mystery sequence. Current series listings identify it as Book 17.
Diane Mott Davidson Reading Order: The Simple List
If you just want the Diane Mott Davidson books in order, here is the complete fiction sequence without the extra details:
- Catering to Nobody (1990)
- Dying for Chocolate (1992)
- The Cereal Murders (1993)
- The Last Suppers (1994)
- Killer Pancake (1995)
- The Main Corpse (1996)
- The Grilling Season (1997)
- Prime Cut (1998)
- Tough Cookie (2000)
- Sticks & Scones (2001)
- Chopping Spree (2002)
- Double Shot (2004)
- Dark Tort (2006)
- Sweet Revenge (2008)
- Fatally Flaky (2009)
- Crunch Time (2011)
- The Whole Enchilada (2013)
This 17-book sequence is supported by current publisher and library series listings.
Do You Need to Read Diane Mott Davidson Books in Order?
Yes, reading the Goldy Bear mysteries in order is recommended.
You can understand the individual murder cases without necessarily reading every previous installment, but the series has an ongoing protagonist and continuing relationships.
Goldy’s family, romantic life, friendships, and catering career develop throughout the books. Starting with Catering to Nobody therefore gives you the clearest view of how Goldy changes over the course of the series.
The publication order is also the chronological order, so there is no complicated alternate timeline to follow.
What Is the First Diane Mott Davidson Book?
The first Diane Mott Davidson novel is Catering to Nobody, published in 1990.
It is Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery #1 and introduces Goldy as a Colorado caterer and amateur sleuth.
Penguin Random House describes it as the first book in the Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery series.
What Is the Latest Diane Mott Davidson Book?
The latest novel in the Goldy Bear series is The Whole Enchilada, published in 2013.
It is Book 17, and it remains the final novel in the series. Current publisher and bibliographic listings place it at the end of the 17-book sequence.
There has not been another Goldy Bear mystery novel following The Whole Enchilada in the current series bibliography.
How Many Diane Mott Davidson Books Are There?
The answer depends on what you count.
17 mystery novels
There are 17 Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery novels:
- 17 fiction novels
- published from 1990 through 2013
- all featuring Goldy Bear/Goldy Schulz
Goldy’s Kitchen Cookbook
Diane Mott Davidson also published Goldy’s Kitchen Cookbook: Cooking, Writing, Family, Life in 2015.
This is not a mystery novel and should not be inserted into the Goldy Bear reading order. It is a nonfiction cookbook connected to the food and culinary interests that appear throughout the mystery series. Current bibliographies list it separately from the 17 fiction novels.
Who Is Goldy Bear?
Goldy Bear, later Goldy Schulz, is the protagonist of Diane Mott Davidson’s culinary mystery novels.
She is a professional caterer living in Colorado who repeatedly finds herself close to murder investigations.
Her occupation is central to the series. Catering gives Goldy access to homes, parties, businesses, families, and social gatherings where crimes take place.
That setup allows Davidson to combine:
- cozy mystery
- amateur sleuth fiction
- culinary fiction
- recipes
- family drama
- small-community secrets
- food-centered humor
Penguin Random House describes Goldy as a Colorado caterer and highlights the series’ combination of suspense and food.
Why Read the Goldy Bear Mysteries?
Diane Mott Davidson is an especially good choice if you enjoy culinary cozy mysteries.
The series is a natural fit for readers who like:
- amateur female detectives
- food-themed mysteries
- recipes included with novels
- caterer protagonists
- small-community mysteries
- family and relationship subplots
- murder mysteries without a relentlessly dark tone
- books similar to Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen mysteries
- books similar to Krista Davis’s Domestic Diva Mysteries
The food isn’t merely decorative. Goldy’s catering career frequently provides the reason she is present when something goes wrong, giving the culinary theme a genuine role in the mystery structure.
Diane Mott Davidson vs. Goldy Bear: Why the Series Has Different Names
You may see this series listed under several slightly different names:
- Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery
- Goldy Bear Mysteries
- Goldy Schulz
- Goldy Schulz series
- Goldy Bear Culinary Mysteries
These references generally point to the same core series.
Goldy’s surname changes during the course of the story, which helps explain why some databases call the series the Goldy Schulz series while Penguin Random House uses Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery.
Where Should You Start with Diane Mott Davidson?
Start with Catering to Nobody.
It is the first Goldy Bear mystery, introduces the central characters, establishes the Colorado setting, and gives you the original version of Davidson’s culinary-cozy formula.
If you’re primarily looking for foodie cozy mysteries, the entire 17-book series is worth reading in order rather than jumping directly to one of the later titles.
Diane Mott Davidson Books in Order: Final Answer
For the complete Diane Mott Davidson books in order, read the 17 Goldy Bear Culinary Mysteries beginning with Catering to Nobody and ending with The Whole Enchilada.
The complete sequence is:
Catering to Nobody → Dying for Chocolate → The Cereal Murders → The Last Suppers → Killer Pancake → The Main Corpse → The Grilling Season → Prime Cut → Tough Cookie → Sticks & Scones → Chopping Spree → Double Shot → Dark Tort → Sweet Revenge → Fatally Flaky → Crunch Time → The Whole Enchilada.
After the novels, readers interested in the food side of the series can pick up Goldy’s Kitchen Cookbook, but it is a nonfiction cookbook rather than Book 18.
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