MURDER BY CHEESECAKE: A GOLDEN GIRLS COZY MYSTERY
Hyperion Avenue/Disney, 2025
*An Audible Editor’s Pick
*A LibraryReads Top 10 Book for April
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!
“Courage splendidly captures the voices and mannerisms of her much-loved characters…For Golden Girls fans, this is a nostalgic delight.” — PW
“Reader, Murder by Cheesecake is the real deal. It takes guts and serious talent to write jokes worthy of Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia, and author Rachel Ekstrom Courage has the goods. She nails the voices, character nuances, and humor of our beloved foursome… The performance is the cherry on top of this scrumptious, hilarious, heartwarming, and feisty cheesecake.” — Audible Editor’s Pick
“Reader, Murder by Cheesecake is the real deal. It takes guts and serious talent to write jokes worthy of Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia, and author Rachel Ekstrom Courage has the goods. She nails the voices, character nuances, and humor of our beloved foursome… The performance is the cherry on top of this scrumptious, hilarious, heartwarming, and feisty cheesecake.”
“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
“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