Clever and funny cozy mystery series starter. Enjoyed the grilled cheese sandwich shop theme and how that interacted with the plot.

First in a new series and it was pretty cute. It has potential and I look forward to reading more.
Warning: You WILL crave a grilled cheese many times while reading this book. hah

I requested this book because I love cosy mysteries almost as much as I love cheese so it was a no brainer!

Carly, mourning the loss of her husband, moves back to her home town of Balsam Dell and opens her dream restaurant, Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery, she begins to get a roaring trade and is happy to increase the business and settle back into the town.

Unfortunately Carly's former beau decides he wants her out of the building he now owns and she has to find a way to stay put while dealing with his shenanigans until she finds his dead body behind the shop and one of her employees is suspected in his death.

I loved Carly as the main protaganist and wanted to eat all the sandwiches that were made! There's a good core group of characters, loved the humour and the interplay between them all.

I look forward to reading more in this series to see how Carly develops, how the relationships build and all the recipes that are sure to follow.

*Huge thanks to Linda Reilly, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*

I really loved this first book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

Up to No Gouda is the first book in the Grilled Cheese Mystery Series by Linda Reilly. Up to No Gouda tells the story of Carly Hale who has moved back to her hometown in Vermont after her husband's untimely death to fulfill her dream of have an eatery that specializes in her favorite foods--upscale grilled cheese sandwiches. Shorty after finding a place to rent and opening her eatery, her mean high school boyfriend, Lyle buys the building an is kicking her out, which angers the staff especially one co-worker. Later Lyle is found dead near the Eatery with Carly's Employee as #1 suspect in Lyle's death. Carly is on the case to find the true culprit to clear her Employee's name. I loved the cozy mystery of Up to No Gouda and I really enjoyed reading it. It kept my interest and kept me salivating with it's grilled cheese creations! If you are looking for a cozy mystery to read, then I highly recommend Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly! I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

I'm not a cozy connoisseur, I'm just here for the grilled cheese.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love a good cozy mystery! One that incorporates all of my favorite topics (i.e. bookstores, libraries, cooking, painting, inn keeping, animals, etc.), throwing in some action-suspense, a who-done-it, interesting characters, and a plot that keeps me guessing, then you’ve got me hooked. I will say, I am one of those people who like to read a series from the beginning, but I often find you don’t have to… either way I highly recommend reading Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly.

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.*

I thought Up to No Gouda was a decent read. It had a good mystery that wasn't easy to pinpoint, a hint of romance (albeit in a crush-level stage), and lots of tasty descriptions of grilled cheese sandwiches. On the down side, there was a lot of cheesy dialogue and I didn't connect to the characters as much as I would like. Overall, this book was an okay read.

*Mention of palm reading, lgbtq secondary characters.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

The first book in this new series had a strong mystery. The characters are enjoyable, and I like the setting of a Vermont grilled cheese shop. I am looking forward to the second book and seeing how the characters develop. Overall it is a good start to a new series.

I'm always a bit hesitant when reading the first in a series as I tend to find them a bit tedious as the author is setting up the characters and location. However, this one 'flowed' really well and I felt like I had known the characters a long time.

I loved the idea of a grilled cheese restaurant and found the descriptions mouthwatering. I can't wait to read additional books in the series.

Cute start to a brand new series…. Make sure not to read on an empty stomach or you will be starving from all the food talk.

Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly may just be the best “first-book-in-series” that I’ve read. Suspense, pathos, danger, emotion, and an intelligent, practical protagonist – this book has it all.

Following the death of her husband, Carly Hale has moved back to her hometown to fulfill her dream of opening her own grilled cheese restaurant. She barely gets the restaurant up and running before she receives bad news. Her former boyfriend (and resident bad boy), Lyle, has bought the building where the restaurant is located and wants to kick her out. Things go from bad to worse when Lyle is murdered, his body left behind the restaurant’s dumpster. The police quickly focus on Suzanne, one of the employees at Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery, as the prime suspect. Desperate to clear her friend and employee, Carly sets out to find a killer.

There are so many things to like about this book. Carly is resourceful, clever, and empathetic. She thinks things through, and with her sad backstory, she is someone we all can root for. Suzanne and Carly’s friend, Gina, also are sympathetic and likeable characters. Carly’s friendship with Gina (with its attendant stressors) has the ring of truth. Ari, a local businessman, may provide a romantic spark. Carly’s other employee, Grant, has a touching history, while Becca, a homeless veteran gives Carly (and us) a look at a different way of life. And, on a personal note, I was thrilled to see that Carly’s dog, Havarti, was a Morkie, much like my beloved Mocha.

The story has a compelling and layered mystery, with a large variety of suspects, all of whom had at least one motive to kill Lyle. Sandwiched between the suspenseful scenes were several subplots, all of which had a charm and intrigue of their own. Combined with the colorfully named grilled cheese concoctions and vivid imagery employed throughout, there is no dispute that Up to No Gouda has found a winning recipe.

Up to No Gouda is a fabulous start to what promises to be a thoroughly enjoyable series. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment!

Note: I received an ARC of Up to No Gouda from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. The above is my honest review.

Up to No Gouda is the first (of many, I hope) book in the Grilled Cheese Mystery series. I had high hopes for a cozy mystery with this particular theme and it did not disappoint. I connected with the main character right from the beginning along with a few other interesting characters. There were several twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. This cozy mystery had a satisfying conclusion that makes me want to read the next book in the series as soon as possible.
Also, I would be remiss if I didn't I didn't mention the unique grilled cheese recipes which were included at the end of the book. Do yourself a favor and make a Party Havarti sandwich while you read this book! I did!

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- The titles of cozy mysteries never fail to crack me up! 😂

I so rarely get to start a cozy mystery series from the beginning of the series. I always seem to start halfway through, so I was excited to get in on the ground floor of "Grilled Cheese Mysteries." 🧀 This was a solid start to this new series. The writing was excellent. It was well paced. The setting (a grilled cheese shop) was cute (and yummy). The plot was engaging and kept me guessing. Carly was a very likable lead character. There was a tiny hint of a future romance for Carly, and amazingly, he wasn't related to law enforcement in any way. 😂 Last, the author was kind enough to provide us with a few yummy sounding grilled cheese recipes that I can't wait to try! Bring on book two...🙌🏻

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Up To No Gouda by Linda Reilly

This book features a grilled cheese eatery owner, who must solve murders in her small town before she is put under lock and Brie.

I never read about a cafe serving grilled cheese sandwiches before,v but the author made them to appear very enticing. Good, strong characters. Many twists & turns. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

I enjoyed this first book in a new cozy series. Carly has returned to her hometown. Her dream is to open a grilled cheese restaurant. She has taken over the lease and when the building is sold the new owner informs her she will have to move. When he is found dead behind the building one of her employees is the prime suspect. She sets out to solve the crime. I really enjoyed the town, the restaurant and the characters. The mystery was good with lots of suspects and the solution made sense. There are some tasty recipes in the back too. I look for word to reading the next book in the series. Enjoy

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I like food related cozy mysteries and the cover of this one caught my eye. It sounded like a fun one so I requested it. I enjoyed Up to No Gouda and it's a great start to this new series. The story follows Carly who returned to her home town and started her own grilled cheese shop. Lyle is the new owner of the building she's renting and he wants to evict her, but then the next morning she turns up dead. One of Carly's employees becomes the main suspects and Carly gets involved trying to help solve the mystery.

I enjoyed the mystery in this one. The way Carly got involved made sense and I liked the way she handled the investigation. She mostly tried talking to people and I liked how she forged a sincere connection with some of the possible suspects. The mystery seems straightforward at first, but as the story progresses it becomes more complicated and it's clear a lot of people didn't like Lyle. There are a few clear suspects, but none of them felt quite right and only late in the story we find out why. The mystery has a great twist at the end and I didn't guess the murderer. I did like how the murderer made sense and there are some hints pointing in that direction.

I liked Carly and reading about her and her store. She seems like a nice person and her passion for serving the grilled cheese sandwiches is clear. I like how she treated her employees and cared about them. There's a bit of a sad backstory about her husband who died before she returned to her home town. I liked seeing Carly find her place again in this town and the way she interacts with other characters. She has some good friends around. I liked reading about the food she served and the restaurant. Carly meets the dog shown on the cover, but it doesn't play as big of a role here. There is a hint of romance as well.

To summarize: I enjoyed Up to No Gouda. Carly is a likable character and I enjoyed reading about her grilled cheese restaurant. Carly's love for food and especially grilled cheese sandwiches is obvious. The way she gets involved in the mystery made sense and I liked following Carly along as she tries to solve it. The reveal at the end was a good one. I didn't manage to guess who the murderer was, but liked how there are hints in that direction. I am looking forward to the next book in this series!

There's enough cheese in this book to fill up the Grand Canyon... Lol! Not really but it definitely made me hungry. Read how Carly solves a murder while running a grilled cheese restaurant.

Carly has finally achieved her dream of opening a grilled cheese eatery. When the building is sold, the new landlord gives her an eviction notice. Not long after, he is found dead behind the shop's dumpster and one of her employees is the prime suspect. Carly needs to save her eatery and prove her friend's innocence. With a victim disliked by many, there are lots of suspects and motives to investigate.
I enjoyed this book and would definitely eat at her restaurant. I liked most of the characters and would like to read more in this series.

Any book with cheese in its title is sure to make me take a second look. After reading Up to No Gouda I'm glad I did! The book captured my attention from the first chapter and was easily read in one setting - I could not put it down. This is a great start to what I hope will be a very long series!

Carly is a great protagonist - she is bright, compassionate, and welcoming to all, including the stray dog scavenging scraps from her dumpster and the squirrel that falls from a tree in her yard and breaks its leg. The setting is very well described and realistic, making it very easy to place yourself in Balsam Dell as you are reading the book. The many people in Carly's life are diverse, described in detail, and very relatable. Many of them you wish you could count among your friends! The mystery is well-developed, full of potential suspects and red herrings. It's very difficult to identify the murderer as the many suspects all appear to have a back story that make it possible for each one of them to have committed the crime. The culprit is very much a surprise until the end and the author adeptly ties together several story lines running through the book making all the pieces fit together in the end.

All throughout the book the reader is treated to a wide variety of toasted cheese sandwiches that sound divine and many of the recipes for these sandwiches can be found at the end of the book - an added bonus!

I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to the next.