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Murder by Cheesecake

A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery

Author Rachel Ekstrom Courage
Paperback
$16.99 US
| $22.99 CAN
Disney Publishing Group | Hyperion Avenue
On sale Apr 15, 2025 | 336 Pages | 9781368102988
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The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!

When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf–themed wedding Rose is hosting.

Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche’s hot flashes. Rose’s cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can't balance the groom’s family’s snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again! 

Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she’s found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she’ll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.

As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy’s date is found dead—face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It’s up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!
“[A] breezy whodunit … Courage splendidly captures the voices and mannerisms of her much-loved characters, and wisely resists the impulse to modernize the show’s 1980s Miami setting. For Golden Girls fans, this is a nostalgic delight.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Murder by Cheesecake is a nostalgic, fast-paced and hilarious escape. An absolute delight!”
—Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Love and Other Words

“It's murder most witty as the Golden Girls sleuth, spar and support one another in their irrepressible style. This escape to 80's Miami, complete with teal, coral, breezy palms and shoulder pads, contains more red herrings than a St. Olaf wedding. Will young love triumph? Will justice be served, Everglades-style? Will Sophia take off her compression hose? You'll love—and laugh—with every page-turning moment.”
—Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times bestselling author of At Midnight Comes the Cry


"If you were a big fan of The Golden Girls, as I was, you’ll relish this chance to join them again for this lighthearted caper.”
—Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child

“Murder by Cheesecake shows the Golden Girls at their best: being true friends—and having fun at any age!”
—Nancy Martin, bestselling author of Some Like It Lethal
Rachel Ekstrom Courage is a writer and cheesecake enthusiast who lives in Pittsburgh with her husband (the children’s book author Nick Courage) and their dog, Chaely. A literary agent by day, she’s worked in the publishing industry for over two decades—with some of the world’s most beloved mystery authors—and is the co-founder of Littsburgh, a literary community in Western Pennsylvania.

rachelekstromcourage.com
Instagram: @rachelekstromcourage
Substack: @rachelekstromcourage
Rachel Ekstrom Courage View titles by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

About

The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!

When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf–themed wedding Rose is hosting.

Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche’s hot flashes. Rose’s cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can't balance the groom’s family’s snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again! 

Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she’s found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she’ll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.

As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy’s date is found dead—face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It’s up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!

Reviews

“[A] breezy whodunit … Courage splendidly captures the voices and mannerisms of her much-loved characters, and wisely resists the impulse to modernize the show’s 1980s Miami setting. For Golden Girls fans, this is a nostalgic delight.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Murder by Cheesecake is a nostalgic, fast-paced and hilarious escape. An absolute delight!”
—Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Love and Other Words

“It's murder most witty as the Golden Girls sleuth, spar and support one another in their irrepressible style. This escape to 80's Miami, complete with teal, coral, breezy palms and shoulder pads, contains more red herrings than a St. Olaf wedding. Will young love triumph? Will justice be served, Everglades-style? Will Sophia take off her compression hose? You'll love—and laugh—with every page-turning moment.”
—Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times bestselling author of At Midnight Comes the Cry


"If you were a big fan of The Golden Girls, as I was, you’ll relish this chance to join them again for this lighthearted caper.”
—Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child

“Murder by Cheesecake shows the Golden Girls at their best: being true friends—and having fun at any age!”
—Nancy Martin, bestselling author of Some Like It Lethal

Author

Rachel Ekstrom Courage is a writer and cheesecake enthusiast who lives in Pittsburgh with her husband (the children’s book author Nick Courage) and their dog, Chaely. A literary agent by day, she’s worked in the publishing industry for over two decades—with some of the world’s most beloved mystery authors—and is the co-founder of Littsburgh, a literary community in Western Pennsylvania.

rachelekstromcourage.com
Instagram: @rachelekstromcourage
Substack: @rachelekstromcourage
Rachel Ekstrom Courage View titles by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

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