Cheddar Off Dead: A Cheese Shop Mystery

Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss has Willa Bauer opening Curds & Whey in Yarrow Glen, California. She is hoping for a complimentary review from food critic, Guy Lippinger. Unfortunately, Guy ends up dead after an unpleasant encounter at the shop with one of Willa’s cheese knives in his neck. The suspect list is small because only the members of her inaugural cheese making class had access to the murder weapon. The publicity surrounding the murder has caused a lack of customers in the cheese shop. Willa feels she has no choice but to solve the crime before her shop closes before it even gets off the ground. Willa gets help from her two employees plus her neighbor, Baz. The killer does not appreciate Willa’s sleuthing and warns her off. Willa will need to keep her wits about her if she is solve the case without finding herself facing off with a killer. Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss is the first book in A Cheese Shop Mystery series. Willa Bauer has traveled since college learning all about the different variety of cheeses available in the world. She is now ready to open her own shop. Willa picked Yarrow Glen in Sonoma Valley for Curds & Whey. It has only been open a short time when the murder occurs. Willa lacked personality. She is nice, but she is only okay as a protagonist. We get to meet Willa along with her two shop employees (Archie and Mrs. Schulz), Baz (I love his real name), and various townspeople. I found the pacing to be a little slow for my liking. The author provides descriptions on the town, the shops, the people, and various cheeses (this slows down the pacing but allows readers to visualize the scenes). I liked the various secondary characters in the series. It is a well-rounded cast that is diverse in age and experience (from teen to retired drama teacher). The mystery involves a food critic who is disliked in the town. It was easy to figure out that the nasty critic would be murdered and there is a small cast of suspects. There are clues to help readers solve the crime. It is a light, simple whodunit that can be solved long before the final clues are given, and the reveal occurs. The mystery is nicely wrapped up at the end, but I felt the ending was incomplete (if I said why, it would be a spoiler). Willa actively investigated the crime by asking questions and eavesdropping on conversations. She gets help from her two employees and her neighbor, Baz (I like all three of these characters). Detective Heath is a handsome man (according to Willa) who warns Willa about the dangers of sleuthing. For some reason, Willa doubts the detective’s ability to solve the case. My favorite scene in Cheddar Off Dead is when Archie, one of Willa’s employees, comes out in a large cheese costume made by her other employee, Mrs. Schulz. It is a cute scene. I hope the author will cut back on romance in future books. I do not mind a little light romance that plays out throughout the series (I just do not like our fair protagonist admiring the various eligible men and debating the merits of relationships with them). I read a cozy mystery for the mystery along with friendly characters, charming small town, and that extra bit (whether it is a culinary cozy, pet themed, craft related, etc.). Cheddar Off Dead is okay, but I do not know if I will continue with the series (it cannot compare to Daryl Wood Gerber’s cheese shop mystery series). The novel is not long, but it felt like it thanks to the slow pacing and writing style. Cheddar Off Dead has readers traveling to the Sonoma Valley for delectable cheeses, a knifed critic, several suspicious suspects, an understanding neighbor, eager employees, a dedicated detective, and a curious cheesemonger.

Good start to an interesting new cozy mystery series. I enjoyed getting to know Willa and the other residents of the small town of Yarrow Glen. The mystery kept me intrigued and guessing whodunit. And there's CHEESE!!! Looking forward to reading more books in this series Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

At the beginning of a series, especially for cozy mysteries, there needs to be background provided, setting development and relationship building. And for the Cheese Shop Mystery series, Cheddar Off Dead incorporated all the essentials in an enjoyable storyline. We’re introduced to newbie cheese shop owner, Willa who’s new to the town of Yarrow Glen and getting her stamp within the small community is her goal. She quickly makes deep friendships when her employees and neighbours and her colleagues are thrown into solving a mystery to get the police looking at possible suspects other than Willa. The characters’ backgrounds I found intriguing, while potential romance (with the hint of a possible love triangle) made the story even more intriguing. Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the arc. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.