"The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg (A Domestic Diva Mystery #18)" by Krista Davis in a way is like every other Domestic Diva Mystery. Natasha ropes Sophie into some new way of trying to gain more fame for herself but by using Sophie and Sophie's house. Though this time she at least didn't break in (use her emergency key) to decorate how she thought Sophie should have. Sofie also didn't have a house full of overnight guests either, so that was a change. This one also seemed to have a bit more on the mystery side, which is also appreciated.

Sophie's friend Mitzi is freaked out and asks her to meet secretly at her recent interior design location. Sophie shows up to find Mitzi's business partner dead and Mitzi running late but obviously more freaked out upon finding out about her partner. Sophie helps Mitzi hide while investigating. The bodies keep adding up with another modern day death plus the discovery of skeleton. Honestly, I was thinking that all three were linked and committed by the same person. I was only a little close on what happened.

This book also sees a bit of a crossover with Krista Davis' Paws and Claws Mystery Series. There's a guest who visits Sophie from Wagtail.

Sophie and the gang are back in The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg - and this time Mars' late Aunt Faye features prominently. With a local interior designer found dead in suspicious circumstances in a historic Old Town home, another found murdered shortly after in the same location, and a third terrified that she's being stalked and is next on the list, Sophie's gang (Nina, Mars, Bernie, Natasha, Wolf, and Wong) are on the case! Add in a decades-old skeleton discovered in the same home, and the game is afoot! 5 stars to Krista Davis' fabulously fun new cozy!

Book 18 of A Domestic Diva Mystery

If you are a fan of decorating tips and clothing styles then this is the book for you.

Sophie Winston lives with her dog and cat in Old Town Alexandria. She actually shares custody of her dog with her ex-husband who lives right down the street with his roommate. Sophie, her ex, the roommate and a few friends are a very close knit group. They are often together doing everything from entertaining to sleuthing.

Mitzi is an interior designer. Her current project is renovating a gorgeous old mansion with her business partner and best friend, Denise. She asks Sophie to meet her there but instead of finding Mitzi, Sophie finds Denise who is dead on the kitchen floor.

Sophie is well-known for her sleuthing so the family that owns the generations old-mansion asks her to look into the murder. She starts asking questions and investigating the mansion only to find a second dead body.

Mitzi thinks she will be next and so goes into hiding. She won't come out until Sophie finds the killer.

This book is full of sleuthing, decorating and cooking. Interesting, even though a bit challenging to keep all the names straight.

Recipes and decorating tips are included.

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg is an absolutely delectable addition to the Domestic Diva series—a sparkling blend of mystery, charm, and mouthwatering brunch fare that will leave cozy mystery fans thoroughly satisfied.

From the first bite (er, page), Sophie Winston proves yet again that she’s the queen of elegance and investigation. While the town of Old Town Alexandria is obsessed with autumn brunches and Instagrammable mimosas, Sophie finds herself serving up more than just pastries when local designer Mitzi Lawson reveals a chilling fear: someone’s been following her. It’s the kind of statement you might shrug off… until Mitzi’s best friend and business partner is found dead in the very house they were renovating. A tragic accident? Not likely. And when Mitzi disappears without a trace, the situation shifts from suspicious to downright sinister.

Each twist keeps you guessing, with suspects ranging from shady in-laws to a mistress who’s all too smug, and even a so-called etiquette guru whose own manners might just be murderous. Every detail is served with a dash of sass, and Sophie’s quick wit and unflappable style shine through as she navigates the social landmines of small-town drama and killer secrets.

Elegant, funny, and smartly plotted, The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg is like a perfectly curated brunch: the right mix of savory and sweet, with just enough bite to keep you coming back for more. Highly recommended for fans of culinary cozies, clever heroines, and brunches that come with a side of murder. Cheers! 🥂🍳🔍

1 of my favorite authors. She never disappoints. I'm hoping for more books in this series. Hopefully others enjoy it as much as I did.

Love stepping back with these characters. Always a good mix of action and real life struggles. And always a non stop read. This one jumps into action right from the start and never stops.

I always look forward to my time with Sophie and her crew, and this visit is no exception! With brunch as a food theme and interior decorators falling right and left, the gang will have its hands full. As Sophie is wrapping up an interior design convention, she is approached by a local decorator asking Sophie to meet her without letting anyone know at a home she is decorating the next morning. When Sophie arrives, the original designer is not there, but another designer is there, and she is dead, murdered. When the original designer shows up at Sophie's house, terrified that she will be next, Sophie can't stay uninvolved. From there, we are on a wild ride. Is someone targeting designers? When a third designer is murdered at the original house, is it designers or the house? This is a wild ride through historic neighborhoods, looking at family histories and finding out that Mars' Aunt Faye may offer some answers in this crazy puzzle. I really loved the opportunity to learn more about Mars' aunt. We get tons of brainstorming sessions and lots of great recipes and surprising answers. Thanks to #Netgally, #KensingtonCozies, and the author for an opportunity to read. #TheDivaPoachesaBadEgg #DomesticDivaMysteries #KristaDavis #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

First off, Krista Davis is a fantastic author and I always enjoy reading her books. I did feel however that this isn’t the best example of her work. There were times when the cozy bogged down the mystery far too much instead of supporting it. We needed to move forward with the investigation rather than the domestic diva.

I think this was just a blip in the radar for this author. Perhaps after so many books in this series the characters are getting a little stale. I’ll definitely still want to check out more though, and see where it goes from here.

Three stars.

This series just keeps getting better and better. When I read it, it feels like I am returning to visit friends. This time we find Sophie mixed up in the murder of a local designer. When another body shows up, and it is up to Sophie to help figure out who did it to save a friend. I loved how there was a past mystery mixed in with a modern one. Add in all of the local characters, and it was a fun ride. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

Thank you Netgalley, Kensington Cozies, and Krista Davis for the advanced copy of The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg.

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg is the 18th book in the A Domestic Diva Mystery Series. Sophie Winston is approached at a convention by Mitzi Lawson telling her to meet her the next morning. Sophie decides to head over to the home to meet but discovers Mitzi’s design partner on the floor, Denise dead. With Mitzi dead, she goes in hiding. Sophie decides to figure out who the murdered is. Then another person dies, and a skeleton is found in the house.

I have always loved the Domestic Diva Series. They are the perfect cozy mystery. There is a murder and Sophie, and her friends help find the killer. This book followed the same formula and was very entertaining. I enjoyed seeing what Natasha would do in this book and trying to figure out who was the killer. This book was enjoyable, but I wish there would be more character growth. Each of the characters do the same things every time. I am not saying Sophie needs to date someone, but I wish it was more than just meeting to each and discuss the case. I also felt like this case was less high stakes for Sophie. Her life wasn’t in real danger until she had made the killer discovery and it was unclear why she was looking into this aside from just wanting to know.

This book is perfect for those who love mystery especially cozy mysteries. While this book is a standalone and you could follow along without reading the other books in the series, I think it would be best if you read at least some of the early books to know all the characters.

Thanks again Netgalley, Kensington Cozies, and Krista Davis for the advanced copy.

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!