The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (Domestic Diva Mysteries, 1), by Krista Davis

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Krista Davis is no stranger to the cozy mystery genre, but she is new to me. The Diva Runs Out of Thyme was the first book I read written by her and what a wild ride it was! It's perfect for this time of year since it takes place around Thanksgiving.

Sophie and Natasha are childhood rivals and their rivalry carries over into adulthood. Natasha even married Sophie's ex-husband. The Stupendous Stuffing Shakedown is coming up and Sophie is determined to steal the spotlight from Natasha this year. That is until Sophie encounters a dead body. Suddenly, Sophie is the prime suspect in a murder investigation and she must solve this mystery to clear her name.

The mystery takes place in the quaint town of Old Town, Alexandria, VA. I have been there many times and I can attest to the fact that this is a charming setting (minus the crimes, of course). Factor in a feast on my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, and the cozy-meter is off the charts.

This was a very enjoyable read, with never a dull moment. I appreciate the fact that there are some truly suspenseful moments, while still feeling cozy. It has all the feels of the Hannah Swensen series, but with a little (okay a lot) more going on. Like a trifle, the mystery has many layers to it. There is plenty of food talk and there are recipes at the end of the book to satisfy anyone who craves culinary cozies, but in addition to those recipes are entertaining tips at the beginning of each chapter. 

As for the plot, the discovery of a dead body quickly becomes a series of other unfortunate events and before we know it, we find ourselves tangled in a web of a mystery. There are also some subplots that I imagine will continue in future books in this series, but those subplots never overpower the mystery.

We are introduced to a lot of characters in this first in series and I had a difficult time keeping track of who all of them were. When I first started reading cozies, I used to jot down the names of the characters as they were introduced, with brief notes about who they were. I stopped doing that because I got better at keeping track of them in my head. However, jotting them down would have helped with this book. So many significant events happened that even creating a story map would have been helpful to me. I was confused at times. 

Whenever I read a cozy mystery, I always try to guess who the culprit is. This book had me stumped. I knew who the suspects were, but there were many and not one of them stood out more to me. I always like when I'm wrong with my guess because I enjoy being surprised in the end. However, I do like to be able to narrow down the suspects. I wasn't able to do that this time.

Although I already know how the mystery was solved, I may go back one day and reread the book while jotting down notes. I may eventually read the next one in this series, The Diva Takes the Cake, but it isn't a priority since there are so many other books I want to read more. 

Have you read The Diva Runs Out of Thyme? If so, what are your thoughts about it? If you've read the second one in the series, would you recommend it?