4*

A fun twist to a classic TV show.

This Golden Girls mystery takes the original quartet and throws them in the midst of a murder. . . And a wedding. The author did an excellent job capturing the personalities of the characters on the page. It was funny, snarky, heartwarming.

One complaint is that some of the dialog for Sophia comes across as mean. Her normal blunt, comical comments have a far darker tone to them.

Another issue with the digital copy is the formatting. The layout, and spacing is horrid. There are some words missing spaces between them on every page. On a lot of pages you get multiple lines lacking any spaces between the words.

Delicious mystery that brings back to life the most beloved Golden Girls! Great fun for fans of the iconic TV show, or who-dun-it book lovers. Quite enjoyable. #murderbycheesecake #rachelekstromcourage #netgalley #goodreads

This is a super-fun book!I feel like I have been reunited with these ladies and oh, how I have missed them! This author has their personalities spot on. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come out until April 2025, or it would be #1 on my gift-buying list. More, please! Forever grateful to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Cozy Mystery + Pop Culture

I'm thrilled about this cozy mystery series featuring the Golden Girls! I can’t express how excited I am for this book and the series as a whole—I really hope there will be many more installments.

Reading this feels like watching an episode of The Golden Girls, which typically features two storylines. On one side, you have Rose, who is working diligently with the girls to plan a wedding ceremony for her cousin Nettie, following St. Olafian traditions in Miami. On the other side, Dorothy is on the lookout for a date to accompany her to the wedding.

What happens next is shocking for the girls: a dead body is discovered in the hotel freezer, right where Rose's cheesecakes were stored. I don’t want to spoil the story, so I’ll leave it at that.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The characters are true to themselves, making it a story you should read rather than listen to; you’ll want to hear the voices of the characters in your head. The author has done a remarkable job of staying true to the personalities of the characters from the TV show. All four ladies are exactly as we’ve seen them on TV.

The mystery and adventure in this book were exceptional. Even if you've never watched The Golden Girls, I believe you will still enjoy this book. If the characters weren't based on The Golden Girls, I would have probably rated the book four stars. However, the humor and charm of the girls elevate it to a five-star read. I can't wait for the next book in the series, and once it is released, I will definitely get a physical copy.

A super cute Golden Girls Cozy Mystery

I was so excited when I saw this book. To be honest I was a bit skeptical and wasn't expecting to like it at all. Well, I absolutely loved it! The author did an amazing job writing the characters exactly how we all know them to be from the television show. She was incredibly accurate writing their personalities.

For example we have Rose talking about her pregnant aunt running away with a poodle circus and the family thought the father was the Surgeon General's baby!
Now that is what we expect from Rose!

If you love the Golden Girls you will enjoy this book.
The plot and the characters are spot on. You will not be disappointed, you will be quite entertained!

I absolutely loved the book, the plot and the character accuracy. The writing was perfect, the author did a wonderful job making the Golden Girls come to life in her writing.

Murder by Cheescake is the first book in the series. The enjoyment and nostalgia I got from reading this book has me excited and crazy happy that there will be more Golden Girls coming! I'm ready for it!

WARNING:
Read this book in public at your own risk.
You WILL burst out laughing numerous times!

Murder by Cheesecake is an absolute delight! I was filled with joy during the entire read! I found myself wishing I was a part of this book so I could help the Golden Girls solve the murder! The whole novel gave me the warm, nostalgic feeling of being inside one of my favourite episodes, filled with wit, charm, and delightful characters. I was impressed by Rachel Ekstrom Courage's talent and ability to write a cozy, warm mystery that captivates readers. When I finished the novel, I was left wanting even more and hungry for a cheesecake dessert with the girls! If you are a fan of humour, mystery and friendship, this book is perfect for you!

This was a delightful and cozy mystery that provided a wonderful experience. As a long-time fan of The Golden Girls, I found that the author skillfully captures the distinct personalities of the four women. The writing is both witty and charming, allowing me to visualize the scenes as if I were watching an episode of the series. It truly feels as though you are unraveling the mystery alongside the characters as they race against time to exonerate Dorothy and ensure that Nettie's wedding proceeds smoothly.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this opportunity!

I am SO thrilled that I received the chance to read this gem as an ARC. This was such a fun, cozy little mystery. As someone who grew up watching The Golden Girls (and who still watches it now), the author perfectly captures the four women's personalities. It's whitty and charming, and I could picture the scenes in my head as if I were watching an episode of the show. As other readers have pointed out, it feels like you are solving the mystery right alongside the girls as they work against the clock to clear Dorothy's name and ensure that Nettie gets married without a hitch. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this (I almost consider it an early Christmas gift), and I reccomend this one to anyone who has ever loved the Golden Girls.

Are you a fan of cozy mystery's? Golden Girls? Then this is the book for you! Normally I'm not a huge mystery fan but the way this is written made it very enjoyable to read. What started off as a normal date for Dorothy, ended in her becoming a murder suspect! From this moment forward I WAS HOOKED. Right when you think you know what's going to happen and who did it, you get hit with a huge plot twist making you rethink your entire thought process! What made this book so enjoyable to me was not only the humor aspects in the relationship all the women had with each other but their entire friendship as a whole. If you are a Golden Girls fan, cozy mystery fan, I love Lucy fan, or even just a mystery fan, I highly recommend this book for you! Happy reading!

"Murder by Cheesecake" is every cozy mystery lover's dream. It features characters who feel like old friends teaming together to solve a murder. The Golden Girls themselves - Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, & Sophia - are forced to put their amateur sleuthing skills to work when Dorothy is wrongfully suspected of murder. The man Dorothy went on a date with is found dead at the welcome tea party that Rose is hosting as part of a series of St. Olaf-approved wedding events for her niece. The crime threatens Dorothy's freedom as the police zero in on her, as well as the wedding events Rose is hosting.

Honestly, reading this novel by Rachel Ekstrom Courage felt like watching an episode of the show. Blanche is man-crazy as usual, Rose isn't the sharpest crayon in the box, Dorothy is smart and unlucky in love, & Sophia is trying to make sure her daughter isn't arrested for murder while being her sarcastic self. The story takes place in the world of the Golden Girls - Miami in a time before cell phones. Be on the lookout for stakeouts with wacky disguises, plenty of ridiculous St. Olaf traditions, and a payphone. This is one cozy mystery nobody should miss.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This was a fun cozy mystery. I loved how it is based on the Golden Girls and it was fun to read. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! What a fun read this was!

I'm a big fan of mysteries and a HUGE fan of The Golden Girls, so this book was absolutely written with me in mind as an audience member. It's a quick read with lots of fun twists and turns, not to mention all the wink-wink, nudge-nudges to classic episodes. The author does an incredible job of capturing the unique voice and personality of each of our favorite ladies!

My one and only complaint, and it is extremely minor, especially considering that it was an ARC, is that the book needs one more good pass-through by an editor. There weren't a ton of typos, but the ones that were there distracted me enough to be noticeable.

I also love that the book will include the recipe for Rose's St. Olaf's Kiss cheesecake, which I'll definitely be baking too much of. I'm so excited to read more in this series, and I can't wait to see what misadventures the girls get up to next!

First of all I've never watched golden girls (too young), but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. Absolutely loved whole vibes and so many different details I haven't heard of such as VHS dating services. Its only 4 and not 5 because I did feel it was a bit lengthy near the end. Also thank you for the opportunity for an ARC from NetGalley.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you are a Golden Girls fan, you will absolutely die over this cozy mystery. I am not typically a fan of these types of books written that springboard off of a well-established universe and franchise, but this was super fun. The writing of the characters felt very authentic to who we know them to be from the show, and the laugh out loud moments baked into the story were perfect. I am looking forward to reading the next installment(s) in this series!

I was very excited and dove right in. The description of the settings, house, characters, movements were exactly spot on. I loved it just as much as I thought I would!

Going in I had certain expectations of this book and it DELIVERED. Such a fun mystery that made you feel like you were watching an episode of the golden girls. The banter between Rose, Dorothy, Blanch, and Sophia was hilarious. Rose always looking for love but ultimately this gets her in some sticky situations. The storyline with Nellie was unique and fun with good pacing. I will absolutely read more from this author!

This was a fun quick read. It has all the nostalgia and humor as The Golden Girls show we all know and love. Throw in a side of mystery, and it's a great read for fans.

A cozy low-bar murder mystery AND the Golden Girls? Fill my library please! The first in a new cozy series based on the classic sitcom, Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, & Sophia are immersed in wedding prep for Rose’s beloved niece, determined to make every St Olaf tradition happen. During one of the first events, they happen upon a dead man in the hotel freezer…and soon one of the Golden Girls becomes prime suspect #1. Tasked with clearing their names and planning a wedding, a little bit of suspense and a whole lot of quirky hijinks ensue.
I had so much fun reading this and couldn’t wait to dig in (books and cheesecake are the same in that way!) This is definitely a cozy story with a lot of cheesy moments inspired by the show (maybe just a bit too much St Olaf shenanigans) so go into that prepared. The author perfectly portrays each personality that we’ve come to love (and see as friends) over the past 30-40 years.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This comes out 4/15/25.

If you adore the Golden Girls and also love cozy mysteries, definitely pick up this book! The four women we all know and love were perfectly portrayed in this book full of heart, wit, and cheesecake. This is one of my favorite reads of 2024!