Book Review: Murder, Cheesecake, and Classic Golden Girls Humor
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Author: Rachel Ekstrom Courage. @rachelekstromcourage
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue @@hyperionavebooks
Thank you @netgalley for my ARC


Murder by Cheesecake, the first in the Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series, is a delightful return to Miami’s most iconic retirees—now solving crimes with their signature wit and sass. With a storyline that plays out like a two-part episode of The Golden Girls, this book perfectly blends comedy, nostalgia, and an engaging whodunit.

When Dorothy’s VHS-dating-service match winds up face-first in a cheesecake at Rose’s St. Olaf-themed wedding, the Girls must step in to clear her name and keep the wedding on track. The plot is filled with hilarious moments, classic one-liners, and all the quirky charm that made the show a classic. From Blanche’s romantic escapades to Sophia’s sharp comebacks, each character feels true to the beloved TV series.

The mystery itself is lighthearted yet engaging, reminiscent of Murder, She Wrote but with extra laughs. The banter and pacing make for an easy, enjoyable read, and fans of the show will love the inside jokes and nods to past episodes. While some St. Olaf references and wedding preparations stretch on a bit long, the overall experience is like sitting down with old friends for a cozy evening—cheesecake included.

This book is a must-read for Golden Girls fans and cozy mystery lovers alike. It’s fun, nostalgic, and exactly where the spirit of the Girls should live on. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series has in store!

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I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley.

I am a huge fan of the Golden Girls and Cozy Mysteries so when I saw this book announced I immediately added it to my TBR.

Rachel Ekstrom Courage also must be a huge fan of both because she really came up with solid GG MM story!

The challenges of taking 4 beloved TV characters is a complicated one and add the fact that Courage tried to impart each actors performance and delivery into her pages and you get a precarious endeavor.

I think the characters are well thought out and felt genuine to the GG world. But you can’t nail the comedic gold these 4 actors had on screen. It just doesn’t translate to book. However Courage’s attempt is about as good as you can get. The book feels like reading a TV script in novel format. I wouldn’t be shocked to found out she was a writer on the show even as the story just flowed like a very long TV special.

So what does that mean? Lots of jokes? Yep! Simplistic plot? you got it! A unnecessary drama caused by high emotions? Check and mate! I can see this book being divisive because of this exact thing. You end up with borderline corny jokes and repeated gags. You end up with characters who can’t regulate emotions for the sake of creating plot. And you get a very basic and simple writing style. It’s really not the ideal approach for prose a the formulae works for a 29 min TV episode.

However, It’s not a bad thing if you can appreciate that this is exactly matches the format of the show. As much as I repeatedly watch GG, it’s hard to binge without feeling like the shoes predictability starts to stand out so bad it affect your enjoyment and you have to take a break. So if the TV does that, can you expect the same feelings to bubble reading this book or a long series of these stories?

It’s hard to say if the book is worthy of a series and if the novelty of it would wear off. But I don’t think you could find a book any better to match the GG style and heart that Courage writes.

There’s so many nods to the show and jumping in with the established backstories of the women. It’s overly simplistic writing style is a bit off putting in parts where the plot slows to focus on the cozy parts of these books and the mystery element gets a very strong TV treatment and not a good whodunnit book treatment. But I personally felt the same feelings these 4 woman on screen give me and that to me was worth the read!

If you like a book with charm and heart and have a love for the coziness of light murder mysteries and nostalgia for the 80s sitcom then this is a great book to pick up. It did feel like reconnecting with an old friend.

3.5/5 overall

3.5 stars

I went into this read with very high hopes. I am obsessed with the Golden Girls! It is one of my comfort watches from way back. That said, the author did keep the characters true to the original series. She did not try to alter them OR modernize their setting, still delightfully 80s (VHS dating service anyone?). I loved that I felt it was an episode.

The plot and its pacing are what pulled this down from 4 full stars for me. Between the wedding and its planning, the dating service, and the murder, the girls were trying to accomplish so many things. The story would get very slow and then speed up. It is a cozy mystery, so lots of things happen off page as well. I might have enjoyed it more if the St. Olaf traditions/wedding requirements were dialed back. Part of the charm of those stories is they were short and just added comedic relief to the show. It wasn't the entire show or episode.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, but I'm not sure I'll continue reading the series at this point.

I loved watching The Golden Girls tv show (and still love the reruns) so I was excited to see this book was coming out. It was amazing! It was apparent that the author was a true fan of the characters from the tv show since she flawlessly portrayed them in the book. And made them cozy mystery sleuths which is just the cherry on top of the cheesecake! A fun romp through Miami as Rose tries to help plan a wedding for a St. Olafian and, with a well-planned mystery that had me guessing until the very end, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more in this series!

Murder by cheesecake has to be one of my top reads for 2025 so far! This book bought back some great memories and I absolutely enjoyed and loved reading this. I'm sure my grandma was smiling down from heaven & laughing along with me the whole time! 🖤#thankyouforbeingafriend

Who doesn't love the Golden Girls?!

Murder by Cheesecake immediately transports you into the home of our lovely ladies and you are welcomed by their trademark banter. If you loved the show and miss their big personalities, this is the book for you. It is a cozy mystery, with the typical dramatics we can expect from the gals.

I enjoyed the storyline, the banter was spot on. This is not your typical dark and suspenseful murder mystery - it is truly a cozy one. The length of the book could have been a little shorter, but it just gave us a little more to love.

Take a trip down memory lane with our Golden Girls!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this golden murder mystery.

The book captures the spirit of the Golden Girls well. However, there were a few slight discrepancies such as Dorothy having so many thoughts about Sophia’s barbs when she probably has the most insults in the actual show. The St. Olaf stuff was overkill. It’s cute and funny as a little story within an episode but it grows tired when the plot is centered around it. The cops were caricatures and really could have been toned down. I hope the editor spends plenty of time on all of the formatting issues before releasing. It was hard to read at times with the lack of spaces and crammed paragraphs. It’s cutesy. Enough Golden Girls for the show’s fans. The mystery is decent with a little (very 80’s) twist. I think most fan of the show will enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance ebook copy!

As a lifelong fan of the Golden Girls, I was excited when my library ordered a copy of Murder By Cheesecake. The Golden Girls and cozy mysteries -- sounds like a winning combination!

The story felt like reading an extended episode or a made-for-TV movie. The vibes were wonderfully '80s (VHS dating services! AquaNet! Crimped hair!) and I was relieved the author didn't try to modernize the setting. The mystery itself was a bit flimsy, and it was overtaken at times by all the wedding planning, but the ending made up for it. The St. Olaf traditions and history got somewhat old by the end of the book; Rose's stories are best in small doses, but the St. Olafians themselves were good people. I loved all the callbacks to various episodes, especially the theft of Rose's beloved bear Fernando.

The book itself was a quick, light read. If you're a Golden Girls fan or a fan of cozy mysteries, you'll enjoy this one.

This book delivered on exactly what it promised. I felt like I was dropped into a wild episode of the Golden Girls. This story centers around Rose’s “niece’s” wedding and the outrageous St. Olaf traditions that go along with getting married. About halfway we encounter a murder that our four lovely ladies must solve.

Courage definitely knows how our Golden Girls behave. You got all the sarcastic wit of Dorothy, feminine sensuality from Blanche, a ditzy heart of gold from Rose, and sassy stories and quips from Sophia.

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

3-Star Review:

This had all the ingredients for a fun read—Golden Girls, murder, and cheesecake—but it didn’t quite come together like a perfectly baked dessert. The humor and banter were spot-on in places (I could hear the Girls’ voices in my head), but the plot felt a little overstuffed. Between the St. Olaf wedding chaos, the VHS dating misadventure, and a murder investigation, it was a lot.

Dorothy’s date getting offed in a cheesecake was certainly on-brand for this kind of cozy mystery, but the pacing dragged in spots, and some of the side characters felt more like sitcom guest stars than fully fleshed-out people. That said, the Girls’ dynamic was still the highlight, and if you’re here for some nostalgic fun, it delivers just enough. Not a bad read, just not quite as sharp or satisfying as I hoped.

This is the first book I received via NetGalley and I was so excited for this! It did not disappoint, yes it’s cheese and predictable but it felt like I was sitting at the table with the girls. It was a great escape and quick, fun, read

Wow! A book about the Golden Girls! A cozy mystery to make it even better. Once I heard about its upcoming release, I wanted to get my hands on a copy right away. I was excited to get a hold of an advanced copy!

Rose's little cousin Nettie, (but she calls Rose her aunt) is going to get married. However, the Storslagen hotel in St. Olaf has burned down! It is the only hotel in St. Olaf, and now the wedding can't be held without a venue. Nettie and her fiance Jason were going to just elope instead, but Rose has volunteered to hold the wedding down in Miami with all of the St. Olaf traditions. Jason's family has also offered to host the wedding at their hotel, if they did everything their way.

Sick of being under his parent's grip, Jason has been wanting to move to St. Olaf and live the slow, country life. He is more than happy to follow all of the traditions. There is also another catch, Nettie will have to wait until she turns thirty to receive her inheritance, unless the wedding strictly adheres to St. Olaf traditions.

As the pre-wedding ceremonies start happening, there is a murder in the hotel freezer. Dorothy becomes the prime suspect, and the Golden Girls are now on a quest to find the real murderer and clear Dorothy's name, meanwhile trying to continue on with all of the St. Olaf traditions. However, even each and every one of those becomes a catastrophe, making everyone question this wedding and how it will be handled.

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy and fun read with humor throughout. I absolutely loved that each of the golden girls stayed in character and I could hear their voices as I read the book. It was like going back and watching more episodes. I do wish that the book focused on the murder itself more and a little less on the wedding, and there was a tad too much about St. Olaf throughout the read.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to more Golden Girls stories!

Murder by Cheesecake is 100% what it says it is: the Golden Girls solve a murder. You get all the St. Olaf mentions from Rose, the snark from Sophia, the sass from Blanche, and Dorothy deep sighing through it all. It was definitely a fun read, and I'm excited to see that it will be part of a series!

Thanks to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

I love this book!
This book was an enjoyable read and very reminiscent of the Golden Girls Tv show. Reading this book places you right into famous sitcom show. For those of us that watches reruns of the show this book is definitely a must read.

This book starts off with Rose having to plan a wedding for her niece Nettie, this wedding is a good ole fashion St. Olaf wedding. With all the traditions and herrings. This is no easy task for Rose as all things must be followed to a T. Luckily for her she has her three best friends to help her.

Dorothy decides to try video take dating and she meets a match! This guy checks all the boxes for her. Unfortunately for Dorothy he also checks another box, being dead. Sadly Dorothy becomes a prime suspect in his murder.

I enjoyed the jokes and the banter between the characters which makes reading this book all the better. I couldn’t put it down I hope this author writes more books. I’ll definitely be reading.

Thank you to Rachel Ekstrom, NetGalley, and
Hyperion Avenue publishing, Thank you to Rachel Ekstrom, NetGalley, and Hyperion Avenue publishing for providing me with an ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.
#MurderbyCheesecake #NetGalley

This was a very cute, cozy mystery, perfect for anyone who loves the Golden Girls. The author does a good job of bringing each of the characters known from TV to life on the page. It can be difficult to write a new story with characters so well known, but each one is exactly as viewers will remember. It was lovely to get to revisit the girls in a new story.

Cute and funny, a cozy sit down story. Exactly what I expected when I picked it up, left satisfied with my choice

I’m really disappointed to write this, but I wanted to love this book because what GenX/Xennial doesn’t love the golden girls?
This book just did not do it for me. I DNFed. I’m sorry.

Thanks so much for the early read! What a cute, Golden Girls themed book and I love the cover! Looking forward to more in the series.

Big thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt like a wave of nostalgia for me, as I grew up watching The Golden Girls with my family. The author perfectly captured the tone of each of these beloved characters, and you felt like you were right there in Miami with our favorite ladies!

The book opens with Rose’s niece Nettie’s upcoming nuptials to Jason Bryant, the son of wealthy hotel proprietors. Of course, our Rose being a St. Olaf girl (and Nettie as well) wants to keep the wedding traditions alive.

The main plot of the book happens however after the guests of the wedding party arrive at The Bryant’s hotel, which becomes the setting of our crime. A man is found murdered in the freezer by our Girls, and the questions arise. How did he get there, and who committed the crime?

Featuring a cast of our beloved Golden Girls, as well as members from the St. Olaf & wealthy Miami communities…”Murder By Cheesecake” is the perfect cozy murder-mystery book for fans of Golden Girls like myself! I hope the author plans more books in this series, as my interest is peaked.
#NetGalley #MurderByCheesecake

The Golden Girls solve a mystery! Yes, you read that correctly - Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia are back in their house in 1980s Miami, and everything is just as it should be. When Rose's niece arrives in Miami for her wedding, bringing the rest of St. Olaf with her, the girls have to clear Dorothy's name when she's suspected of killing a man and stuffing him in a freezer. I laughed out loud so many times reading this book, and the interaction between the ladies is just like watching the classic sitcom. I adored it, and any fan of the show (or cozies) will too!!! A+++