Brie Careful What You Wish For (Grilled Cheese Mysteries) by Linda Reilly #Review

Brie Careful What You Wish For (Grilled Cheese Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Vermont
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beyond the Page Publishing (April 9, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 195 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1960511629
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1960511621
Kindle Print length ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CW1FVBBG
Audiobook ASIN : B0D3JCP3GT

When a mean and quarrelsome woman is found murdered in her own home, most of the residents of Balsam Dell can only say feta late than never . . .

With the summer heat sizzling, grilled cheese restaurant owner Carly Hale is thrilled to have Ross Baxter delivering her sandwiches to local seniors. She’s never met a more polite or hardworking young man, and she brushes it off when one of her more difficult customers complains about him. But then Ross returns to the woman’s home to make another delivery—and finds her dead body. The police and half the town immediately suspect he killed her, so Carly steps in to investigate, determined to prove them wrong.

Carly soon learns that the victim had an estranged stepson and stepdaughter, both of whom needed her money to get their lives back on track. Worse still, in her younger days the dead woman had a reputation for preying on other women’s husbands, leaving broken marriages in her wake—and a list of suspects a mile long. But Ross’s fingerprints were found on the murder weapon, leaving Carly hungry for any clue she can find. Until she comes face-to-face with the killer, and realizes this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew . . .

Includes melt-in-your-mouth sandwich recipes!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Carly Hale’s Grilled Cheese Eatery is her dream come true. She and Grant Robinson, “grill cook extraordinaire”, assistant manager Valerie Wells, and part-time server, Suzanne Rivers work together like a well-oiled machine. Ross Baxter wanted a way to earn money for college so he started Fab Food on Wheels. He picks orders from several restaurants, including the Grilled Cheese Eatery, and delivers to his clientele, mostly senior citizens.

Ross has one very difficult customer, Octavia Gray. She had several complaints about Ross but she kept calling for delivery. Ross arrives right on time with her perfect order but when he arrives he finds Mrs. Gray dead on the floor. Soon the police and many residents of Balsam Dell believe he killed her. Carly thinks they are all crazy so she decides to find the true killer so Ross can get back to work and off to college. She soon learns the woman had made a ton of enemies over the years and whoever murdered her may be ready to grill Carly and that’s no cheese.

I am happy this series found a new home at Beyond the Page Publishing and that we can return to Balsam Dell Vermont and Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery.

Ms. Reilly has created a great cast of characters. Carly is a strong protagonist who can’t stay out of Chief of Police Fred Holloway’s investigations. He is dating her assistant manager Valerie Wells so Carly hopes she will get some inside information.  Instead, Valerie along with the rest of Carly’s staff and her boyfriend Ari Mitchell try to convince her to leave the case to the police. Her BFF Gina Tomasso though is ready to help her investigate any way she can. Ross Baxter is a nice addition to the group. The young man is a hard worker and polite. How anyone could believe he was a killer makes no sense. These characters are well-developed and engaging. I have been invested in their lives since book 1, Up to No Gouda.

Octavia Gray was not a nice person which means plenty of suspects and motives. Carly did her best to pare them down but took some real risks as she repeatedly questioned people to try to make clues fit together. Ms. Reilly set up some interesting red herrings and I fell for every one. I knew both Carly and I were missing something but the actual killer wasn’t even on my radar. The twists at the end were stellar. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

There is a wonderful subplot with Ari and Carly. It had me captivated almost as much as the mystery. It came together in the final chapter along with other good news. I am excited about the future for Carly and all her friends. They are like one big family and I love that.

Brie Careful What You Wish For is a delightfully delicious read. From the wonderful characters to the twisted mystery to the yummy grilled cheese sandwiches and soups, I was all in on this terrific addition to the series. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Reilly grills up for her readers to enjoy next.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

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About the Author

Armed with a degree in Criminal Justice, Linda Reilly once contemplated a career in law enforcement. But life took a twist, and instead she found her niche in real estate closings and title examinations, where the dusty tomes in the Registry of Deeds enticed her into solving mysteries of a different sort. A dyed-in-the-wool New Englander, Linda lives in southern New Hampshire with her feline assistants, Panda and Flora. A member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Cat Writers’ Association, she loves solving mysteries of the cozy type. When she’s not pounding away at her keyboard, she can usually be found prowling the shelves of a local bookstore or library. Visit her on the web at www.facebook.com/Lindasreillyauthor

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