I absolutely love cozy mysteries, so I was looking forward to reading this one. However, the neat setting wasn't enough to keep my attention.

I am a big fan of cozy mysteries! This series has some real potential! I enjoyed the author's writing style, for the most part. There were a few times it felt a bit redundant and like the details were dragging out. As someone who knows nothing about cheese, I thought the author did a nice job bringing the reader into that world. There were a good handful of characters and I wasn't quite sure who the heck did it! I really appreciate when an author can make it not super obvious.

This is an interesting start to a new series. On the plus side I like Willa, and I love cheese...so, you know, that's a good beginning. The dialog, especially of the killer, is a bit over the top at times, but it's a good read overall. The resolution of the mystery makes sense as far as motive, but I've read a bunch of cozies recently where the killer is a normal person the main character knows, and then once the killer is found out, you realize they're someone else entirely. I understand that a killer would keep their true nature hidden, but to me, the, "Yep, I killed him, and here's why, and by the way--you forced me into it, anyway" cold as ice way these criminals talk at the big reveal just doesn't ring true. But there's enough her to like that I'll look for Book 2 when it comes out.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Willa Bauer has very recently opened a cheese shop in the town of Yarrow Glen, California and hired retired teacher Mrs. Shultz and 19-year-old Archie as staff. Unfortunately, after a cheesemaking class, Willa finds a body near her shop. The victim was a magazine critic, who had given several store owners who were at the class bad reviews and was not very kind when he drunkenly crashed her class. Willa finds herself a suspect and afraid the publicity and crime scene tape will hurt her new business. Willa is likeable, as are most of the rest of the characters and she does go to the detective with information instead of doing something foolish by herself. I look forward to the next mystery. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

I thought it was really good, I recommend it.

Willa Bauer has left her family's farm to travel in Europe to learn about cheeses. In this 1st in a new series, Willa has opened a cheese shop, called Curds and Whey. in a small Sonoma town..She is now an official cheesemonger ready to help people select cheeses to pair with breads and wine. A food critic who is known for scathing, negative reviews is found murdered after visiting Curds and Whey.
I found this to be a fun read. with lots of twists and turns and great characters. In this first book we learn about the other shops in the town and the owners. .There are two possible love interests I see that may be flushed out in future books. While there is a focus on cheese ( learned a lot) it does not overtake the mystery. I also liked learning about mead.and about the running of a bakery.
I look forward to the 2nd book in the series as I really enjoyed this one. I loved the last sentence" Cheese could solve most of life's problems - or at least a murder"
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book which publishes on.5/29/22. I'd like to thank NetGalley, St Martin's Press and the author.

This was an excellent start to a brand new series. Also, did someone say CHEESE?
Nothing is better than a cozy mystery series that takes place in a bookstore, winery, or cheese shop. Those are seriously the three idea settings when it comes to cozies. Korina Moss stayed on the right path from start to finish.

I loved Willa, detective Heath and all the supporting characters that live in Sonoma Valley. Catch me preordering the second book in hopes that Willa & Heath's banter and relationship are taken to another level as this series progresses.

My second favorite part of cozy mysteries are the supporting characters and their development as the story plays out. I loved that we knew, right off the bat, that one of the killers had to have been at the cheese class on the night of the murder. To be honest, without giving anything away, I guessed wrong - TWICE! Bravo, Korina. You had me on the edge of my seat, sleuthing along and constantly guessing.

I will be purchasing a copy of this book. Looking forward to watching this series develop.

Would definitely recommend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was a quick paced, easy read and being a slow reader myself I finished it pretty quick. I really liked the supporting characters (Baz, Mrs Schultz, & Archie) and how faithful/sweet they were to Willa. I also really liked the chemistry between Willa/Roman and Willa/Heath….honestly I wouldn’t mind seeing some more action between her & the detective 😏. There were a few things that could’ve made this book better, the foremost being why wasn’t it ever explained how the murderer got ahold of the murder weapon?!?! That would’ve been nice to know… also I think the epilogue should’ve given the readers some more closure on Hope & the aftermath of her newfound revelation as well as a little more romance between either detective or Roman… Overall this was a pretty enjoyable Cozy Mystery and good start to a new series. Would be interested in reading the next book in this series.

Keep in mind that this book falls into the category of Cozy Mysteries. So when reading, don’t expect a lot of character development nor a well-written literary work. Do expect a couple of laughs, eye rolls, predictable characters, and a lighthearted read…all of which made me enjoy it…Hope you will too! 🙂

***I received a free ARC copy for this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The author did a great job in staging this well-written mystery with an eclectic cast of characters where their ages were diverse, and a small pool of suspects. There was enough backstory that set the tone to how well this story was going to play out. With visually descriptive narrative, I was pulled into this whodunit immediately with engaging dialogue and a tale that kept me enthralled as I followed along with what the author intended. I liked the pacing which kept the story light and fresh. I especially liked the camaraderie between Willa and her friends. The payoff was nicely done, and I was satisfied with how the story came to an end. Overall, this was an enjoyable and entertaining read and I look forward to more adventures with Willa and her friends.

Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss is the debut book in the series A Cheese Shop Mystery. This book has everything that makes the first book in a series good, and it left me eager for the next one.
I enjoyed meeting everyone in the cast of characters in the book.
Willa has just opened her cheese shop appropriately named Curds and Whey. She was excited to make her business a success but when a dead body is found right by her business, she knows this is not how it was supposed to go for her.
The mystery has enough twists and turns to keep me guessing.
I am looking forward to more in the series. The cover was great and I hope the other books have cover so fitting for the setting of the stories.
Thank you Netgalley, Korina Moss and St. Martin's Press for the copy. This is my personal review.

Cheddar Off Dead is a great start to the Cheese Shop Mystery series by author Korina Moss. I enjoyed the cheese facts scattered throughout the book... though it did make me a bit hungry. While I thought the book started off a bit slow it quickly picked up around the 25% mark. I love the supporting cast of characters, especially Baz. I can't wait to get to know them more in the second book. I hope there is a love interest in the upcoming book. There are plenty of handsome options for her in Yarrow Glen.

Genre: cozy mystery, first in a new series
Pub date: 3/29/22
In one sentence: Willa has just opened cheese shop Curds and Whey, but she's off to a rocky start when one of her cheese knives is used to murder a food critic.

How could I resist a cheese-themed cozy mystery? I love business-related cozies, and Willa's passion for cheese shone through in these pages. I thought I knew plenty about cheese, but it appears I was wrong! I enjoyed learning more about cheesemaking and the various varieties Willa sold.

The mystery was compelling and twisty, and I liked how the other Yarrow Glen business owners supported Willa. Cozy mysteries need a great cast of side characters, and cheese shop employees Archie and Mrs. Schultz are more than up to the task. I'm excited to see this series develop and enjoy more "cheesy" fun.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Opening a cheese shop is difficult enough, but when someone is killed right outside your door with a knife that points to your shop, it makes a million times harder. Wilma doesn't want her sales to be effected, so she starts her own investigation with the help of friends and coworkers.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Another glorious cozy from this amazing publisher they really know how to scope out good talent. Give me a craving for cheese lol 🧀

I received an advance copy of the book via NetGalley.

This book so perfectly suited for cheese-obsessed me that I full expect multiple people to recommend it to me in the next few months. <i>Cheddar Off Dead</i> (I love punny titles like this!) is the start of a new cozy mystery series set in a fictional Napa Valley village named Yarrow Glen, where Willa has opened a brand new cheese shop. She's thrilled that a major local food critic is set to drop by--but then he turns out to be a nasty, drunken lout who threatens her guests at a small cheese event. She's in dread of a bad review to come when things take an even worse turn: she finds him dead, one of her own cheese knives stuck in his back. Yikes. As Willa becomes suspect number one, she scrambles to get to know her new neighbors a little better so she can figure out who set her up for murder--before she's next.

This is a cute, breezy read. The author knows her cheese--and proper local references as well, such as the California cheese trail. The mystery has many twists and turns leading to the big reveal at the end--whereupon I found I'd guessed at the wrong culprit, making the end even more satisfying. One aspect of the book that exasperated me was that Willa fumbles around in some cringe-inducing ways, even for an amateur sleuth, and the maybe-romance hints with several male characters felt forced amid the other drama. Still, it was a fun read, and a solid start for a new series.

This was a great beginning to a new series. Cheesemonger Willa Bauer is opening her shop Curds & Whey. Believe me it had my mouth watering for her cheese treats. I enjoyed the characters and mystery. When a critic dies after visiting her shop she becomes a suspect.
Overall a great cozy!
#CheddarOffDead#Netgalley

The perfect beginning to a new series! There is plenty of content, good characterization and some cheesy goodness.

I love cozy mysteries so it’s always fun for me to start a new series, meet all the characters and learn about their lives. This book was no exception to the cozy rule- quirky characters, interesting mystery and lots of red herrings. I think I suspected just about every character in this book! Loved it and can’t wait to read the next book in the series!!

Korina Moss' first Cheese Shop Mystery, Cheddar Off Dead is an interesting whodunit. Willa Bauer, cheesemonger and owner of newly opened cheese shop Curds & Whey, became a suspect in the murder of a food critic who was about to write a negative review about her shop. Willa decided to investigate the murder herself since she knew for sure she didn't do it. I enjoyed meeting Willa and her friends and I look forward to Willa's next adventure.

With the first book of a series, Korina Moss has penned a fun and entertaining tale of mystery, centred around a cheese shop in a small town.
The main character of Willa, as well as the other characters in the book, are relatable and complex. The setting is relatively unique in the world of cozy mysteries, and the mystery itself is complex. There is no shortage of suspects in this book, with different people weaving in and out of prime suspect position more than once, keeping the readers on their toes.
Overall, #CheddarOffDead is well-written and executed, although I did find the descriptions to often be overly detailed. In fact, on more than one occasion, I simply scanned the descriptive bits in order to continue with the mystery itself.
I appreciate getting an ARC of this book from #NetGalley.