Murder by Cheesecake

Dorothy is a substitute teacher originally from Brooklyn, who married her high school sweetheart after becoming pregnant as a teenager. Her husband, Stanley, is a bumbling failed investor who never truly valued her, which is largely responsible for her cynicism about relationships and romance. Dorothy has a sharp wit and keen mind, which often leads her to joke about Rose’s naiveté or Blanche’s obsession with men, even as she relies on her friends for emotional support. Her emotional arc in the tie in novel is similar to that of the television show, in that it involves her efforts to overcome her usual bad luck with dating and find a lasting romance. When the novel begins, Dorothy has decided to try a VHS dating service, which involves watching clips of men discussing their hopes, hobbies and relationship goals, and asking to be connected to potential matches. Though she is hesitant to date again, Dorothy tells herself “you’ll never change things in your life if you’re not willing to get uncomfortable” (22). Her emotional journey is closely tied to the theme of Agency in Later Life and Overcoming Stereotypes, as she refuses to let her age or her past history dictate her future and consign her to unwanted loneliness.

Though she is outwardly brash and confident, dating brings out Dorothy’s vulnerable side, as she is devastated when her date with Henry goes badly and he disappears soon after it begins. Dorothy is both horrified and incensed to find herself accused of his murder, but she finds the presence of mind to disparage the officers for implying a woman her age dating or being interested in sex is somehow scandalous or surprising.

She later insists on her rights when detained by the FBI, as “she’d had plenty of practice with men who tried to intimidate her” (120). Ultimately, Dorothy finds her friends more trustworthy than the police, and convinces them, with Sophia’s help, to investigate on her behalf. The murder plot, and Dorothy’s strong defense of herself, helps cement the theme of agency in later life. Dorothy succeeds in proving her innocence, discovering that Henry’s twin brother Morty was the actual murder victim. She remains calm when the group is kidnapped by Chip, the real murderer, and he confesses to his role in a smuggling operation and spontaneous decision to kill Morty for stealing from him. She helps Rose with the final wedding preparations, helping to mend the rift between them and showcasing that her loyalty endures even in challenging circumstances. Dorothy’s final resolve to continue dating, even after Henry announces he is leaving Miami reveals that her sense of her own value and hope for the future remains undimmed.

Dorothy’s mother, who begins the series by escaping her nursing home, Shady Pines. Though she is in her eighties and has survived a stroke, Sophia remains deeply engaged with the world, and she and her daughter share a sharp wit and tendency to distrust people. Though she often teases Dorothy about her failed marriage and struggles with dating, the two also share a loving bond. Sophia is also close with her other roommates, though she often makes jokes at their expense. When Blanche offers to find a wedding venue, Sophia cracks, “aren’t you the expert? I’m sure you’re acquainted with every motel from here to Tallahassee” (12). Sophia regularly references her own mortality but remains a vital and active part of the group’s unlikely murder investigation. Sophia is its instigator, reminding the others, “if she’s not the murderer, we can make a case for the wedding to go on as planned” (138).

Sophia avidly dons a disguise to help Dorothy investigate the hotel and later leads a trio of Rose’s relative around Miami. Sophia, as much as the other characters, epitomizes the strength, dignity, and humor that come with age. When the group is kidnapped at the end of the novel, Chip attacks Dorothy first, assuming she is the greatest threat. He ignores Sophia, who incapacitates him with her purse. Sophia’s dedication and love for her family of choice ultimately save the group.

Blanche is originally from the South, and her name is an allusion to the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire, whose protagonist is Blanche DuBois. Though she was devoted to her late husband George, Blanche has chosen to embrace romantic and sexual freedom in later life and is never hesitant about showing interest in men. She is immediately drawn to the best man in Nettie’s wedding, Jorgen, and flirts with him intensely. Blanche sometimes operates as a peacemaker between Rose and Dorothy, especially when the former becomes resentful about the murder investigation impelling Nettie’s wedding. When Rose tries to suggest that Dorothy is to blame for her predicament because she chose to date a man she did not know, Blanche asks, skeptically, “so you’re against blind dates now?” (124). In this moment, Blanche proves she is devoted to self-determination and freedom for her friends as well as herself, refusing to let Rose blame Dorothy for seeking companionship.

Though Blanche is doubtful about her ability to investigate the murder, she ultimately participates with enthusiasm, telling Rose, “now that Jorgen and I are through, I need to distract myself every moment of the day” (229). Blanche often serves as comic relief, whether it is her own single-minded focus on men or Sophia’s willingness to tease her about it. In the context of the novel, she helps preserve the comedic and lighter tone of the original series, building on the humor that is often part of cozy mysteries.

Nettie and Jason are two of the original characters who do not appear in the television series. They are in their twenties and deeply in love. Nettie sees Rose as a mother figure, and they share an interest in people-centered professions, as Nettie is a teacher in Minnesota. Jason is originally from Florida, but his sweetness and distaste for his family’s materialism explain why he is drawn to Nettie and her quaint hometown’s traditions.

For her part, Nettie is more skeptical about St. Olaf’s cultural rigidity. She resents that her older relatives want her to marry a boy they know, telling them ‘‘Jason loves St. Olaf, even though none of you are very welcoming when we visit” (71). Jason, for his part, is anxious that his status as a non-Midwesterner is holding Nettie back, and just as eager to prove that he can live away from his demanding family. When his parents make a large guest list only of their friends and try to ban Roee and her relatives from the wedding, Jason is horrified. Their struggles with their families, and to balance all the wedding traditions, add more weight to the theme of communal norms that may be in tension with personal preferences. Rose and Dorothy note the unique devotion between the couple, and Rose gradually comes to accept that her obsessive focus on the wedding is less important than their commitment to each other.

Roe’s older cousin the mayor of St. Olaf, Gustave is traditional and rigid. He routinely refers to Jason as an “outsider” and implies that Nettie’s marriage to Jason is a mistake. He implies that Rose has lost touch with her heritage, routinely making her out her ability to plan the wedding in Miami. Rose is furious at his insults, ultimately telling him “perhaps it’s best if you leave now” (125). Rose is shocked by her own boldness, but the conflict proves that she has retained a sense of her own value and worth.

Gustave does slightly warm to Miami, admitting to Rose that the other relatives are having a good time, and the two laugh together when Rose confesses that she secretly churns butter and leaves full fat milk in the fridge, without Blanche’s knowledge. When Gustave later suggests the traditional wedding is not important to him, Rose initially suspects him of ulterior motives, including that he may want Nettie’s inheritance for himself. This places Gustave in the role of red herring—a suspect who distracts from the real culprit, much like Blanche’s brief suspicions of Jason. Gustave later admits to Rose that he is envious of her freedom and life outside Minnesota. She forgives him and they agree to Nettie receiving her inheritance. Their rapprochement signals that Rose has reconciled her past and present.

The man Dorothy meets on her blind date, Henry is described as handsome and charming with a resemblance to Magnum PI actor Tom Selleck. Though Dorothy is initially hopeful about a relationship, as he is witty and intellectual, their first date goes badly. Henry acts nervous and asks her rude questions, then disappears. Soon after, a body identical to his is found at the welcome tea for Nettie and Jason’s wedding, and Dorothy becomes the prime suspect in his murder, as the police suspect he was involved in various criminal dealings.

Later, while searching Henry’s house, Dorothy and her friends watch him return home on his boat. He explains that the body they found was his twin brother, Morty, a notorious con artist. Henry grieves deeply at the news of his brother’s death. He briefly stops by the wedding reception, telling Dorothy is he is sailing to South America with his brother’s ashes and temporarily giving up on romance. He asks permission to call her on his return, and her acquiescence signals that she has not truly given in to her cynical impulses about men.

Patricia is Jason’s sister and runs the family’s opulent hotel business with her parents and Chip. Patricia is ambitious and arrogant, and the four friends immediately noticed her obsessive devotion to her hair and fashion, as Dorothy reflects that “Patricia’s measurements seemed close two very close to another leggy blond’s—Barbie’s” (54). Patricia generally rebuffs Rose’s efforts to be friendly. Chip attempts to charm the group at first but is mysteriously absent from many wedding events due to an injury. Patricia is driving force behind her family’s decision to take control of the wedding, putting her ambition ahead of her brother’s wishes.

When Chip and Patricia arrive with a cheesecake, apologizing for their family’s earlier rudeness about the wedding, Rose is disarmed and assumes all is well. This return to her usual generosity of spirit results in the group’s finals standoff with Chip, who reveals that the killed Morty for endangering their smuggling operation. Chip assumes the women are no threat to him, openly bragging about his operation and his efforts to kill them. He calls Dorothy a “stupid old woman” only to be felled by Sophia’s purse (272). Chip and Patricia, each in their own way, underestimate the four women, contributing to the theme of cultural stereotypes about aging and the nature of social power.