Cheddar Late Than Dead (Grilled Cheese Mysteries, #3)

by Linda Reilly

The next in a delicious new culinary cozy series featuring a grilled cheese eatery owner who must solve murders in her small town before someone is cheddar off dead

Winter in Balsam Dell is a snowy affair, and to add in some cheer after the holidays Carly's former classmate Klarissa Taddeo is hosting her extravagant bridal shower at the historic Balsam Dell inn. That is, until a double-booking throws some mold in the cheese and leaves Klarissa scrambling. With the venue moved to the maid of honor's family mansion and Carly rinding to create a new delicious treat it seems the group is going to pull off the shower without a hitch.

That is, until a rowdy band of groomsmen crashes the event. Klarissa is furious with her groom-to-be and when a loud argument ensues, everyone is shocked by what they hear. When the groom is later found dead at the bottom of the stairs, his drink spiked with a hefty dose of poison, Carly must put her nose to the rind and save Klarissa from being suspect #1.

Because you know what they say: it's always the (almost) wife.

• ISBN10: 1728238382
• ISBN13: 9781728238388
• Publish Date: 28 February 2023 (first published 14 February 2023)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Poisoned Pen Press
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Cheddar Late Than Dead is the third Grilled Cheese shopfront cozy by Linda Reilly. Released 31st Jan 2023 by Poisoned Pen Press, it's 384 pages and is available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a fun small town cozy. The usual village eccentric secondary characters are present and cheese shop cafe owner Carly has to put her amateur sleuthing skills to the test to save her friend from prosecution when Klarissa's soon-to-be-husband is found poisoned after a very public pre-wedding argument. 

Much of the book's plot arc is outlandish and silly in true cozy-mystery manner. The dialogue is rough in places, but overall, it's a fun light read. I like main character Carly's honesty and loyalty to her friends. There are tons of cheesy puns throughout, and the author has included a few recipes, including cheddar cheese donuts, which admittedly raised some eyebrows. 

The language and action are squeaky clean. Despite being the third book in the series, the mystery, denouement, and resolution are all self contained in this installment and it works perfectly well as a standalone. With three books extant in the series at this point, it would be a good candidate for a mini-binge read or buddy read. 

Four stars. Fans of small-town shopfront cozies will likely enjoy this one as well. Recommended for fans of Korina Moss, Vivien Chien, and Amanda Fowler, this is another fun (somewhat silly) addition. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.