Fondue or Die (Cheese Shop Mysteries , #5)

by Korina Moss

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Fondue or Die is the fifth Cheese Shop cozy mystery by Korina Moss. Released 22nd Oct 2024 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in mass market paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

Cheese shop owner Willa Bauer is back with her quirky helpers, her cheese store Curds & Whey, lots and lots of cheese trivia, lots of groan-worthy puns, and another bizarre murder/accident to solve. This time, it's labor day weekend and annoying event organizer Nadine's been discovered under a pile of ceramic milk jugs. It's up to cheesemonger Willa and friends to get to the bottom of the mystery before her friend Mrs. Schultz gets sent to the big house for the crime. 

As with most cozies, the emphasis is on the characters and the puzzle. The crimes are described off-scene and without being gruesome. The language is very clean. The series continues to improve, from a strong start, and the ensemble cast of Willa and her employees continue to mesh and become more three dimensional and believable (for a cozy).

Although it's the fifth book in the series, the plot arc and resolution are self-contained, and it works well enough as a standalone. With five books currently in the series (and a 6th due out in second quarter 2025), it would make a good choice for a cozy series binge or buddy read.

Four stars. Definitely one for shopfront cozy fans. It's full of esoteric cheese minutiae and readers will surely find a number of specialty cheeses to try out. The author has also included intriguing cheese themed recipe for a special upgraded pimento cheese sandwich (yum!).

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