[review] Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss

Cheddar Off Dead is the first book in a new series by Korina Moss. Featuring a cheesemonger who has set up her new shop in Sonoma Valley, I couldn’t wait to dig in, even though I knew that I would soon be craving a ton of cheese!

Title: Cheddar Off Dead
Author: Korina Moss
Series: Cheese Shop Mystery #1
First Published: March 29, 2022
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genres: Mystery
Acquired: from the publisher via Netgalley

*** Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. ***

Cheesemonger Willa Bauer is proving that sweet dreams are made of cheese. She’s opened her very own French-inspired cheese shop, Curds & Whey, in the heart of the Sonoma Valley. The small town of Yarrow Glen is Willa’s fresh start, and she’s determined to make it a success – starting with a visit from the local food critic. What Willa didn’t know is that this guy never gives a good review, and when he shows up nothing goes according to plan. She doesn’t think the night can get any worse… until she finds the critic’s dead body, stabbed with one of her shop’s cheese knives. Now a prime suspect, Willa has always believed life’s problems can be solved with cheese, but she’s never tried to apply it to murder…

I’m in cheese heaven

I’m not gonna lie – I was drawn to this book cover and title because of the cheese. LOL. I LOVE cheese and am always up for trying new types of cheeses, so diving into this cheese-themed cozy mystery seemed like an easy decision.

And while the cheese was what initially drew me in, I stayed for the characters. In a very short span of time, I was drawn in by the varied personalities and friendships.

The protagonist, Willa, has just opened her new cheese shop, which has taken all her savings and a big bank loan, so she has a lot riding on Curds & Whey. She has two staffmembers – Mrs. Schulz, a former drama teacher and a widow, and Archie, a 19-year-old student. Unfortunately, all of Willa’s knowledge and her team’s enthusiasm can’t impress Guy Lippinger, a well-known food critic who has the power to make or break a business with his reviews. Unfortunately for Curds & Whey, Willa learns that Guy has never given a positive review to any business in Yarrow Glen (with one exception) and she prepares for the worst. However, Lippinger getting murdered was much worse than Willa could have imagined!

I really liked the dynamic between Willa, Mrs. Schulz and Archie. They range in ages and backgrounds, but they get along very well and I felt that they were a good support system for Willa.

In fact, I felt that all the characters were really well characterised and I felt like the reader got to know them all fairly well in a very short span of time. A prime example is the victim, Guy Lippinger. He’s killed within a few pages of getting introduced but in those few pages, I already disliked him immensely.

Lots of twists and turns in this fast-paced murder mystery

The pacing in this story was very well done. From introducing the characters, to discovering the body, to looking for suspects and motives, the pacing was very even from start to finish. The first book in any series can often feel like an information dump, since every character has to be introduced, every location described, etc, but it never felt like that with Cheddar Off Dead.

And while the murder was the central plot driving all the action, there were lots of sideplots to keep things interesting, including Willa’s instant BFF Baz (I must admit, their trust and close friendship was so fast, I suspected Baz of ulterior motives for the LONGEST time), and a possible love-triangle brewing between Willa, Roman Massey (the rakish owner of the local Meadery) and Detective Heath (the handsome newcomer to the local police force).

Honestly, between the cheese, the growing friendships and the kinda-almost love triangle, I never wanted the story to end! I almost forgot I was supposed to be trying to solve a mystery (something that rarely happens when I’m reading a cozy mystery!). There were quite a few suspects and enough red herrings to have me guessing (wrongly) more than once. What a fantastic ride!

I know that Book 2 in the series will be coming out later this fall (and I have an author interview lined up with Korina Moss), but in the meantime, I’ll just go assemble a small cheese plate and try to wait patiently until I can return to Yarrow Glen and visit Curds & Whey again.

Quote from Cheddar Off Dead