Up to No Gouda - (Grilled Cheese Mysteries) by Linda Reilly (Paperback)

After losing her husband, Carly Hale has moved back to Balsam Dell, Vermont, and followed her dream by opening Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery. Her new business is threatened when the building it is in is bought by her high school boyfriend, Lyle Bagley. Lyle wants her to move out so he can turn it into a clothing boutique for his fiancée. The day after Lyle makes his announcement, he is found behind Carly’s restaurant. When her server becomes the prime suspect, Carly starts investigating. Can she figure out what really happened? What lover of culinary cozies could resist a book featuring grilled cheese as the hook? Not me! I’m glad I picked it up. The cast is filled with some unique characters for a cozy mystery – or at least a slight twist on the normal characters we’d see, and I really enjoyed that. Carly herself is an entertaining and engaging lead character. The pacing was slow a few times, but overall, this was a solid mystery with plenty of suspects and a couple of nice twists on the way to a surprising conclusion. And yes, you’ll find three grilled cheese sandwich recipes at the end to satisfy your cravings. I will definitely be returning to find out what Carly gets up to next.

Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly has Carly Hale enjoying the success of her new business venture. After the death of her husband, Carly returned to her hometown to open Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery. Carly is surprised when the bank tells her the building has been purchased in the foreclosure auction by a man who does not wish Carly to remain. Lyle Bagley is the town bully, and he is giving Carly one month to get out before renovations begin. Lyle’s girlfriend wants to open a high-end fashion boutique in Carly’s spot. Suzanne, Carly’s parttime employee, does not take the news well and gives Lyle her two cents. When Lyle is found dead behind Carly’s shop, Suzanne finds herself the prime suspect. Carly knows that Suzanne would not kill someone and put her son in jeopardy. She sets out to prove Suzanne’s innocence and serve up the killer up to the police. Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly is the debut of A Grilled Cheese Mystery series. I thought Up to No Gouda contained good writing, steady pacing, and relatable characters. I enjoyed getting to know Carly and the rest of the cast. I thought a grilled cheese diner was a clever idea for a cozy mystery series. I looked online and discovered it is a new trend in restaurants. Balsam Dell, Vermont is a charming town. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the scenery, shops, and homes. The mystery was nicely plotted out. There are a variety of suspects since Lyle was not well liked (putting it mildly). It depends on your sleuthing level on when (or if) you solve the whodunit. I thought the reason for the crime was clever. Carly conducted a good investigation. The case was nicely wrapped up at the end and I enjoyed the drama. I loved the little puppy in the story that gets named Havarti. He is a cutie pie. I do want to warn readers that reading this story will have you craving grilled cheese and tomato soup. There are certainly some unique grilled cheese combinations served at Carly’s eatery. I never thought of making grilled cheese dippers for tomato soup (I will be serving them to my mother soon). Up to No Gouda is a quick paced story that was over too soon. This is my favorite book by Linda Reilly. Up to No Gouda is a tasty tale with grilled cheese cuisine, a dead dirtbag, a framed friend, a precious puppy, an interfering editor, a sexy sports coach, and a curious Carly.