Customer Reviews

Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've read all of Kyra Davis' books and have enjoyed them all. This is the third in the Sophie Katz series and Davis is not letting us down. She keeps the fun as well as the mystery, romance and the adreneline going. It's a well written and quite a delightful page turner with Davis' signature quirky characters. This one has an interesting and funny quasy political plot and a facinating look into a what might be called by some an alternative life style and by others a devient and rather unusual one. Check it out.

Sophie Katz is back at it again. Doing all she can to annoy Anatoli, solve a murder, and make it through a day in her life. She will meet new friends and even deal with some of her past in this book. All the favorite characters are back in this one and it does not dissapoint. I have to say I am with her in the addiction to Starbucks Frappachino and I love how Anatoli discribes one that he gets her. She is as head strong and full steam ahead, ignoring threats etc., as usual. If you like a murder mystery, laughting out loud, a little romance and a bit of the odd then this is the book for you.

Sophie Katz is a bit of an original. She is half Eastern European White Jewish and half African American, which leads to some interesting hair. She is a famous author and a divorcee who has no desire to ever see her ex, unless it is under a truck somewhere. She has a cast of friends from sex toy shop owner Deena, to former college professor Melanie. It is Melanie who calls Sophie for help when she thinks her husband is cheating. Since Melanie knows that Sophie hasn't met her husband she is the perfect woman to see if she can entice her husband. Sophie reluctantly agrees. After meeting him and determining that he may be concerned about something but cheating on his wife isn't it. Unfortunately for Sophie, this is when the troubles begin. He is killed in a drive by attack seconds after leaving her.

Now she is going to figure out what the real story was behind his death for Melanie. She reluctantly agrees to have Anatoly work with her (ok she decides to use him and his PI skills) so that she can keep an eye on him. When Melanie turns up dead and Sophie starts to get phone calls and threatening notes from characters (pink panthers, koala bears etc.) suddenly they both believe Melanie's husband might not be the victim of a drive by shooting anymore.

In the spirit of Stephanie Plum (by Janet Evanovich) or Sophie Metropolis (by Tori Carrington), Sophie Katz is a character you will come to love.

I love Sophie Katz and in Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate I have to say Ms. Davis has outdone herself. Not only is Sophie again in the middle of a murder mystery but also the sexy, dark Anatoly is back. Will she be able to explain that when she said she wanted a boyfriend that she meant a "Tim Robbins to her Susan Sarandon" not marriage? This will play out throughout the story. I absolutely loved the scene where Deena has to explain "plushies" and "furries" to Sophie. Add to the story the hot interactions between Anatoly and Sophie and you have a winner. I am a recent discoverer of Ms. Davis's talents and this will not be the last I read by her. If you don't want to pick up Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate just due to the title then take my recommendation as it is one of my June Joyfully Recommended reads. I only have one question now, when is the next one?

Tanya
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

First, be careful with these reviews, because some of the reviews appearing on this page are for a book called "GUILTY FEET." There is is no "Jo" or "Dan" in this book.

Fortunately for us, this book is all about Sophie and Anatoly. I am so glad Kyra Davis is still writing, and I hope she keeps it up! I really like Sophie's adventures, and I love reading about a multicultural heroine -- I need a break from the blond-haired, thin protagonist. I get enough of that on TV.

If you are looking for a spicy, funny murder mystery, with an unexpected heroine (African American and Jewish!), pick up some Kyra Davis.

Sophie Katz was surprised when her former English teacher and creative writing mentor contacts her for a favor, but she was never prepared for what Melanie O'Reilly would ask of her. But Sophie owes Melanie bigtime since her help got Sophie's writing career started--so what else can she say but yes?

Melanie thought her husband, Eugene, was cheating on her and since Sophie was the only friend who had not met Eugene--Melanie wanted her to try and seduce him to prove it.

Of course, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that Eugene was too much of a straight arrow to cheat on his wife. The bad news is that someone shot him right after his meeting with Sophie.

Again, Sophie can't refuse when Melanie asks her to investigate Eugene's death. Enter Sophie's ex-boyfriend, Russian private detective Anatoly Darinsky and the sparks between the two fly.

The story takes us on a tour of opposing political camps in a heated US Congressional race to San Francisco's furry underside. This is an interesting and sometimes witty cosy mystery with some serious romantic undertones. Characterization was fairly weak for an established series. I expected to see a bit more 'show' in the relationships of the long-standing friends than we got. In addition, the book was very slow in the middle. The best part were the quotes from Sophie's book "C'est La Mort" at the beginning of each chapter.

I've once again seen a lot of reviews not about the book that is on this page. o_0. My review will be about THIS book though.

Great book! It was almost as good as the first book, and way better than the second. I loved the plot twists and turns this book had. Some of the book was even laugh out loud funny. Ms. Davis has yet another hit on her hands with this one. A must read!!

Sophie Katz gets a strange request from her friend Melanie: try to seduce Melanie's husband to see if he's cheating on her.

He's not cheating, but something more dire is going on. When Sophie follows him( after failing to seduce him), she sees him killed by a drive-by shooter. Things go downhill from there, involving Sophie in a red-hot political race with each candidate trying to "get something" on the other, and one of them responsible for the shooting.

Sophie, a writer who thinks she's a detective, gets further involved when she tries to squeeze out her ex-boyfriend Anatoly from working on the case This is a bit of vindictiveness on her part. Anatoly refused to make a commitment as her steady boyfriend, so now she's out to get her revenge She ends up with a slew of suspects and an investigation into a whole `nother part of the animal kingdom and human kinkiness with both politicians having something to hide from their pasts

And Sophie is not the great detective she thinks she is, and comes up with the wrong suspects--which could cost her her life.

Obsession is the third in a series of mystery novels featuring Sophie and her cat, Mr. Katz. The first book was the bestselling Sex, Murder and a Double Latte. The author's touch is light and funny--especially the funny-but-true sayings she quotes at the head of her chapters. The sayings come from a bestselling book her character has written, entitled C'est La Mort (Such is Death).These include sayings like: "People expect so much from individuals they bear a fondness for. That's why I focus my energy on being as disagreeable as possible." And while Sophie Katz has her flaws, she is bulldog-stubborn when it comes to standing by her friends.

Kyra Davis' website will direct you to her other books and to what's coming up in the future.

Armchair Interviews says: Kyra Davis fans have another treat in store with this book.

Kyra Davis never disappoints! Obsession, Deceit, and Really Dark Chocolate is no exception. The suspense is fantastic and surprises abound as you read through this fast paced book. I devoured the whole thing in less than twenty four hours, not for lack of content but only because I couldn't put it down. At times I laughed loudly, maybe a little too loudly, as I tried to explain to my other half what could make me bellow with laughter.

I am a Bay Area girl and I always appreciate fiction set here, as it seems like there are not too many options on the shelves. That is what first drew me to Kyra Davis' books on the library shelf, but now I count down the days until the next one is released and I buy it. No more library for these books, I want my own so I can read and reread and laugh some more.

Do yourself a favor and expose yourself to the quick wit of Kyra Davis and Sophie Katz, you'll be happier for it.

San Francisco mystery writer Sophie Katz's former college advisor Melanie O'Reilly asks her to do a favor. She wants to know who killed her husband Eugene, a former FBI agent, in a drive by shooting.

Sophie enlists the help of Russian expatriate private investigator her former lover Anatoly Darinsky and plenty of caffeine. They investigate starting with Eugene's last job, a staff researcher for republican congressional candidate Flynn Fitzgerald in his race against democrat Anne Brooke. As they dig deeper, they learn one of the candidates has a furry bestiality fetish of wearing animal costumes and making it with stuffed toys. As Sophie is stalked by an unknown adversary, she wonders if Eugene uncovered the dark truth, which if revealed would doom the congressional run and might be the motive for a deliberate drive by shooting.

Sophie's third zany whodunit (see PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS and SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE) is an entertaining madcap San Francisco romp. The heroine lands in one predicament after another as she follows the clues while someone follows her. Readers who enjoy a chick lit private investigative thriller starring a person who proves there really is a warm San Franciscan night will want to read Katz's capers as the mystery is fun and the satirical social commentary superb though even though the sleuth's supporters would agree she needs to be on decaf.

Harriet Klausner

I had loved the Sophie Katz first 2 books but with this one I am struggling a little because I feel there is a little too much politics involved (which I don't understand much about) and it just bores me a little. For the rest I like the author's style and will definitely read the rest of the series.