Solid installment in a fun cozy series from Davis. I want to know where Sophie stores all her dishes. They all sound so lovely but I can't imagine how much room it would all take up!

I enjoyed this book very much, it’s a really interesting mystery with a big twist. I think that really added to the mysterious. I do wish the descriptions of the food aren’t so descriptive & long. I find it distracts from the point of the story. I’m.not reading it for the food. #TheDivaPoachesaBadEgg #NetGalley

Not my favorite in the series. There was to many characters and I kept getting them confused. I wish the author would pair down the characters so there aren’t so many to keep track of.

I love this series and I usually fly through the books but this one took forever to get through and didn’t really hold my interest, mainly because the recurring characters were all present but barely just. Rhere wasn’t the usual fun banter and interesting investigation; they all seemed wooden and lacked any personality. The mystery itself kept me guessing but also lacked the hook that usually draws me in. I still loved the setting and the tips. Hoping this is just a one-off and the next one draws me in again.

I love this series. It's the one that first got me interested in cozies. This book is definitely one of them. I can't pick a favorite.

In this story Sophie comes upon someone who is dead and it's later discovered to be murder. The family asks her to help find out who the murderer is and she's off doing that along with Nina, Bernie and Mars help. It's fun to watch them work together. And of course there's food involved. I think she has a magic refrigerator - pun intended towards the Wagtail series.

There is visit from a Wagtail friend, which I enjoyed, and I hope we see more of.

Overall a fun read that kept me guessing close to the end.

I really enjoyed the next installment in this series. The characters are always relatable and likeable. It is a classic cozy mystery. The ending left me satisfied. A big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc!

As usual, Krista Davis delivers another wonderful book in the Domestic Diva series. Sophie and friends are caught up in the murders of two young women and one who is missing. As Sophie, Nina, Mars, and Bernie work together with Wolf to solve the cases other skeletons are found in the suspects closets. I really enjoyed the brunch theme, seeing all of Sophie’s friends (except Humphrey, who was only mentioned), and getting a deeper look into Aunt Faye’s life. Maybe a spinoff there?

I've read all of the "Diva" books and the latest one is just as good addition to the series. While it's not the strongest, it's a nice cozy read. Sophie is working a House and Home expo when a voice behind her tells her not to look at her. The voice is familiar and she sees it's Mitzi an interior designer. Mitz asks her to meet her at the house that she and her partner Denise or in the middle remodeling. When Sophia arrives at the house, she finds the back door open and Denise laying on the floor dead. The house belongs to the Inger family which Denise's husband's family owns. The house has secrets, and the Inger family wants Sophie and her sidekick Nina to look into Denise's murder. There's a lot of talk about food and in the back of the book are some of the recipes.

"𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕."

The 18th installment in the Domestic Diva series, I found this one to be a little slower and not as engaging as the others. There's a lot going on in this book, beginning with the brunch that Natasha is organizing at Sophie's house, and then interior decorator named Mitzi Lawson covertly engages with Sophie, wanting her to meet at a house she and her business partner Denise are renovating. Sophie's curiosity is piqued, so she agrees; however, when she arrives at the house, she finds Denise dead.

As per usual, Sophie investigates, but this one felt like she was going through the motions. I felt a staleness in the characters that I hadn't noticed before. There's been no movement with the secondary characters and their relationship to Sophie, so that was concerning. While I appreciated that Aunt Faye was finally included, I thought she would be a bigger part of the mystery.

Overall, it was a fun read, and I'll definitely read the next installment with high hopes. Thank you to Kensington Books for the early copy. This title is expected to publish May 27, 2025.

It is hard to believe that this is book 18 of Krista Davis’s Domestic Diva series. While this works great as a stand alone, if time permits, start at the beginning of the series. You will enjoy every one! I was lucky enough to receive an advance reader copy from NetGalley(this opinion is my own) and I enjoyed it very much. It is always fun to catch up with fictional characters! Sophie once again finds herself immersed in a murder investigation. She is helped by her good friends and eventually helps figure things out. Great read and now I have to wait impatiently for the next book!

Thank you, NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Krista Davis for this ARC.

Sophie is back and I'm loving it! Sophie really should open her own private investigator agency with her friends helping her. I'm sure Wolf and Wong would love that!

Love this mystery and as always I couldn't figure out who was the murderer.

I can't wait for the next one in this series especially after reading the last sentence in this book.

Sophie Winston, domestic diva and event planner, gets an urgent message from her friend Mitzi Lawson to meet at her friend and fellow designer, Denise Nofsinger's house. When Sophie arrives, she finds Denise dead and no Mitzi. Mitzi later shows up at Sophie's house and insists that she is being followed. Sophie figures out how they are keeping track and helps Mitzi hide out with misdirection for the stalker. Later another designer, Rachel Powers, who was chasing Denise's husband, Mike, is also found dead in the house. Sophie, with friends Nina, Bernie, frenemy, Natasha, and ex-husband Mars follow clues to find who would kill two people to keep hidden the skeleton hidden in the wall of the historic house. When the criminal is revealed, it is a total shocker!
I love the way Sophie's friends pitch in to help whether with a murder or an impromptu dinner. (Even Natasha, albeit on her own terms) The history of Mars' Aunt Faye, who was the former owner of Sophie's home, was rather surprising and I was glad to learn more about previously a shadowy figure in the series.
I look forward to reading about the food, events and community of the character in each new book. There are recipes included too, a few of which I have tried with success.
Always a pleasure to visit Old Town and Sophie and friends.

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg—book number eighteen in Krista Davis’ Domestic Diva series—drops us right back into Sophie Winston’s world, and let me tell you, autumn’s got her juggling some serious drama! First off, her “frenemy” Natasha ropes her into hosting a brunch that is not only going to be filmed, but will be done so in Sophie’s house! Second, interior decorator, Mitzi Lawson, calls Sophie asking her to meet her at a century home that she and her business partner, Denise, are in the process of redecorating. Always curious Sophie agrees, arrives early, only to find the corpse of Denise sprawled across the kitchen floor.

Unsurprisingly, Sophie is coerced into investigating due to her knack for cracking mysteries — hoping that she doesn’t end up as the next victim — all the while whipping up brunch recipes, many of which are included in the back of the book as is Davis’s habit.

I’ve been hooked on this series for all eighteen books, enjoying watching Sophie and the other characters evolve. This book is another winner with its lively, twisty mystery, and characters that — quirks and all — pull you right in. Everything wraps up nice and tight by the end, leaving you plenty of time to try the drool-worthy recipes in the back of the book. As with all of the books in this series, I recommend it and look forward to the next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington cozies for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s interesting how many cozy mysteries begin with the premise of a family asking the main character for help in clearing a family member of a crime and end with that same family regretting the decision when the MC uncovers some family secret. My main issue is how comfortable Sophie was in inserting herself into people’s lives. How does she have so much free time?

I have read many of the books in this series, it amazes me the author can keep the story fresh and interesting in the same locale. Always a new murder! Sophie gets involved in the murder of two interior decorators in a beautiful old house. Along with her regular gang of friends, she pokes and prods until the murderer tris to kill her too. The motive seemed very weak to me. I always enjoy Sophie and Natasha and the food along the way. It was an added treat to hear from Aunt Faye again.

It grabs you from the start to the finish. Easy read, great characters.

Thank you to Krista Davis, Jett and Kensington for the arc of this book

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg is the perfect fall read! I love these cozy mysteries and this one had just the right amount of scary to keep me on the edge of my seat!

Ms. Davis gives us an eclectric group of characters from the rich to the hard working class. She adds murders and mystery, who killed them and why. The are suspects, some hard to accept and others that have apparent motive and opportunity. The main character Sophie with the help of others help the police and try to stay safe. Well plotted and told. I recommend.
I requested and received a NetGalley arc gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

As usual, Krista Davis brings readers back to Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, where she reintroduces us to old friends, new recipes, decorating tips, and a mystery. The eighteenth book in the Domestic Diva series, The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg, also brings a character from Davis’ other series. Holly Miller from the Paws & Claws series is a friend of Sophie Winston, the Domestic Diva, and she stops in for a short visit.

It’s a whispered phone call that propels Sophie and her friends into a murder investigation. Interior designer Mitzi Lawson asks to meet Sophie at the Inger house the next day. Mitzi and her business partner are decorating the house for the new generation from the Nofsinger family, Matt and Denise. But, when Sophie arrives at the house, she finds Denise’s body and Mitzi is missing. When the Nofsingers ask Sophie to investigate, she warns them it might be a family member who is the killer, and she won’t hide that from the police. But, with Mitzi’s disappearance, the mystery heats up.

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg is set in the fall in Old Town, and the decorations and fall foods are played up. I’ve said before that for me, the pleasure in this series comes from a return to old friends. Fortunately, there’s a Cast of Characters because there are so many family members it’s hard to keep them all straight. But, I think many fans of the books return for Sophie and her friends, and those characters are memorable.

Domestic Diva Sophie Winston is awaiting autumn, when two events cloud the atmosphere: first, her "frenemy" Natasha wants to hold a brunch at her home (which Natasha has always coveted) and insists that Sophie must be there, as it is to be filmed, and the person who is putting it on the air won't do it unless Sophie appears. Feeling strong-armed by Natasha, she nevertheless agrees, but only on her terms.

Then an interior decorator named Mitzi Lawson wants to meet with Sophie at a house she and her business partner Denise are renovating, Sophie is curious enough about it to agree. But when Sophie arrives at the house, she finds the body of Denise, and figures out soon enough that Denise was murdered. Things escalate when no one can find Mitzi, and Denise's wealthy relatives ask Sophie to investigate, since they know of her reputation for solving mysteries.

Reluctantly, she agrees. Which might be a mistake, since when there is another encounter with the unknown killer, Sophie could very well be the second -- or third person to die...

This is the 18th book in the series and I have to say that I've thoroughly enjoyed watching Sophie grow and stand up to Natasha (which she did not do in book #1). She's finally come into her own, happy with her life, friends with her ex-husband (and I am sure they are both still extremely fond of each other), and spends her off-time solving the occasional murder. That's a full life, and more than I want in my own. (I'm happy to watch and read about murders, but no thank you, very much).

Sophie has a lot going on here, with trying out recipes for brunch, dodging the figurative bullet, and trying to figure out who wanted Denise dead. But things aren't as easy as sifting through suspects to find out who the murderer is. There is a lot more detail, and when some of it comes to light, you think you have the right answer. But it doesn't end there, and it takes a strange turn that is completely unexpected to decipher why the murder happened, and who the killer ultimately is.

In the end, this was another lively mystery by Ms. Davis that tells a story and shows us how everything comes together tightly in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the tale; the characters, and all the little quirks between them to come to a delightful end. There are also some yummy recipes at the back (which I want to try). Recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.