Although I did figure out the whodunnit pretty easily, the ride along the way still made this a 5 star read for me. The characters are still the star of this series, and I loved the new additions to this book. The drama and mystery elements had a lot of interesting layers that again just made this a very pleasurable experience. I can’t wait to read the next book!

This book was a fun read. It had a lot going on in the story. The characters are likeable and realistic. The story is quick paced and unique. I really enjoyed this adorable cozy. It was quite entertaining.

Book 2 of a wonderful cozy mystery starring Carly, who runs a grilled cheese eatery. Yum. Good group of characters, story and recipes. What's not to like? Highly recommend.

No Parm, No Foul is the second in Linda Reilly's Grilled Cheese Mystery series. Carly continues growing her Grilled Cheese diner in her hometown of Balsam Dell, Vermont and has entered the Scarylicious Smorgasbord Competition during the town's Halloween festival. At the festival, the competition organizers announce that there is an irregularity with the voting and they have to take additional time to officially announce the winner. The following morning one of the other competitors is found dead in his restaurant and certain pieces of evidence point toward Carly's boyfriend, Ari, as the primary suspect.

The author weaves a surprising number of misdirections and red herrings throughout both the main plot of the murder but also the subplot surrounding the competition. One of the main issues that Carly has to determine is whether the voting irregularity and the murder are tied together and therefore were both committed by the same person or if the two situations are linked only by the fact that the murder victim was also one of the contenders in the competition. One of the most fascinating parts of this story is how the author includes long past rivalries and incidents that ultimately lead to a totally surprising reveal of culprit and motive both for the murder and the attempts to direct the investigation to implicate an innocent person.

I look forward to seeing how this author continues this series and what directions she takes these characters.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Another delightfully cheesy addition to the Grilled Cheese Mysteries. I love getting to know a group of characters again and again. Carly is perfectly nosy, which makes for an interesting story. The cast is great, the plot well rounded and a villain you don't see coming. I loved it.

4.5 stars!
Carly Hale owns and operates a grilled cheese shop in Balsam Dell, Vermont. She's eager to participate in her first community Halloween food competition, but a competitor Ferris Menard hopes Carly loses. In fact, when he turns up dead the next day, she becomes the prime suspect. Against the wishes of her employees, family and friends, she begins to investigate the crime, which includes hiring Menard's daughter. Will Carly uncover the truth before she's the next victim or has she grilled her last cheese sandwich?
This book is the second in a series, but it can stand alone. I didn't read the first book and was able to jump right in to all the characters' lives.
I really enjoyed the clever writing, which includes fun phrases like "galloping goldfish" and "for the love of daffodils in December." And the story flows well with good timing. Also, all the characters are treated with dignity, including those in delicate health conditions. Maybe that's the source of the dedication: "This book is for health care workers everywhere."
The dog on the cover isn't a star. But he is cute and plays a role in helping Carly unwind and relax. For that reason, he wins a star in my opinion.

Back to the grilled cheese eatery we go. Carly is helping to solve another mystery. I enjoyed this cozy read. It had the usual shocking resolve at the end. I would have never guessed who done it.

THIS was a really good mystery.

I really enjoyed book one in this series and was looking forward to this one and was not disappointed. The mystery was good [though who was going to be killed was glaringly obvious from the beginning] and I had NO IDEA who the killer was [I honestly never saw that coming. YAY!!!]; so many [excellent] red herrings in this one. The conflict between Grant and his parents is so real life and I liked how that was talked about and worked on and resolved. It felt very real and true. I also enjoyed [though that isn't really the right word, because who really enjoyed conflict?] the conflict between Carly and Ari; couples struggle and they are still very new in their relationship and Carly has admitted that she is not over the death of her husband and there is GOING TO BE CONFLICT. Yes, we can look at that and think she overreacted, but new couples have glitches like this and it is good to show it. I like that they don't fawn all over each other and that their life and dating isn't portrayed as perfect. That really adds to the whole book. I also loved the addition of Evelyn Fitch and I certainly hope that we see more of her in future books. She is an amazing character with SO much to offer and I loved every scene she was in. I love how she and Carly interact and it really added to the story. I will say I missed Gina and hope she shows up more in the next book [which I am waiting for with baited breath].

Overall, this is a great second read in what is becoming a favorite series. Now please excuse me, I need to go make a grilled cheese sandwich!! ;-)

Thank you to NetGalley, Linda Reilly, and Poisoned Pen Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 / 5

I decided to try this second in a series because I like Halloween cozies, plus grilled cheese! This was fun and fully of tasty food descriptions. The mystery was fine and so were the side characters and relationships but I never got fully immersed in this world. I would maybe try another book in this series to see if I had more of a connection.

I still want to try some of the sandwiches that they make in the books. They are in a competition to start the story and there is drama with who wins. Then a fellow store owner is found dead and there is some question as to how it happened and who might be responsible. There are several who would have a motive and more motives show up as the story evolves. Really enjoyed it and look forward to more

No Parm No Foul is the second book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries by Linda Reilly. I haven’t read the first book, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the story or following relationships from the first book.

After her husband’s death, Carly Hale pursued her dream and opened Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery. As the story opens, Carly and her staff are preparing for the upcoming Halloween food competition. One of her employees, Grant, told her he had quit his part time job at the Sub-a-Dub-Sub shop to commit full time to Grilled Cheese Eatery. As soon as they open the owner of Sub-a-Dub-Sub, Ferris, barged into Carly’s shop and loudly yelled at her accusing her of being responsible for Grant leaving him.

A few days later he is dead, stabbed with a steak knife, and though the list of people who had cause to kill Ferris is long, the main suspect is Carly’s love interest Ari, so of course she swings into investigation mode. There are a lot of red herrings as the story twists and turns, and loved how some of. Carly’s customers stumbled across clues, one uses poetry. Loved the setting, loved Carly and the story was very readable.

I was attracted to the book because I love grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. But the sandwiches that Carly comes up with are another level!

3★s = Very readable and enjoyable

No Parm No Foul is the second installment in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries series set in Balsam Dell, Vermont and featuring Carly Hale, owner of the Grilled Cheese Eatery. It's Fall in Vermont and Carly and her two employees, Grant Robinson and Suzanne Rivers, are preparing for their entry into the Annual Halloween Scary-Licious Smorgasbord competition. The competition is between the local restaurants and the winner receives a cash prize and engraved plaque. Carly really wants to win against rival Ferris Menard, owner of Sub-a-Dub Sub.

Ferris is not happy that Grant, who was working part time for both he and Carly quit the sub shop and is working full time for Carly. Grant has quit because he didn't like the the way Ferris treated his employees, especially his daughter Holly. But, Ferris is blaming Carly for influencing Grant and for calling the Health Department on him.

The Scary- Licious Smorgasbord comes to a surprising conclusion when it appears that someone made fake vote ballots and cast them for Sub-a-Dub. Fortunately, the contest organizers knew exactly how many tickets had been sold and they spotted the discrepancy. The next day Ferris turns up dead and after two ugly public confrontations with the man, it's no wonder Carly lands in Chief Holloway's sights.

A delicious afternoon read with a well crafted plot, plenty of suspects, a great cast of characters and mouthwatering sandwiches. This series has so much to offer and I look forward to many more adventures with Carly, her boyfriend Arti, her dog Havarti and the residents of Balsam Dell.

I received an advanced copy of No Parm No Foul from NetGalley via Poisoned Pen Press. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Autumn in Vermont is perfect for a cup of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Carly Hale has a bit of competition, though, not just for her food but for an employee too. Ferris Menard gets on his high horse when he decides that Carly is the bain of his existence. One of his employees that had been working part-time for both Menard’s Sub-a-Dub-Sub Shop and Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery has decided to work full time for just Carly. He went so far as to publicly accuse Carly of sabotaging his business during the Halloween Scary-Licious Smorgasbord food competition.

When Menard’s daughter finds her father’s dead body the next morning in his shop’s kitchen with a steak knife plunged into his heart Carly knows she will be on the list of suspects, along with someone she cares about. It should be a long list though, the man had made plenty of enemies over the years but she can’t take any chances. Carly’s going to do her best to flip the real killer and fry them up in a pan before she sends them off to jail.

Carly has settled into her new life well. Her eatery has really taken off and she has great friends and employees that support her in everything she does. She is a strong protagonist but she may need to fine-tune her investigation techniques. One person tells her, “You know Carly, you’re about as subtle as a coronary.” Another tells her, “a careful driver like you is easy to tail.” But her heart is always in the right place she will do anything she can to help anyone. I love the direction her relationship with Ari is taking. And Havarti, Carly’s lovable Morkie always makes me smile.

Carly’s supporting cast is great too. Grant and Suzanne are wonderful employees that truly have become friends. Suzanne has a little accident in this story that put her out of commission for a while but that made for some interesting temporary employees. I will say my favorite character in No Parm, No Foul was retired teacher, Evelyn Fitch. She is a regular at Carly’s Eatery and she really is a special lady who plays a major role in the mystery.

The mystery had as many tangles as a Halloween cobweb with a lot of evidence pointed in one direction. It is clearly a frame-up. Carly gets clues from some unusual sources. One who uses poetry to help her get on the right track. She does get frustrated but doesn’t give up. I was totally engaged following along with her step by step. There were some really nice twists and that meant my jaw dropped when the killer was outed during a scary and exciting reveal.

This second Grilled Cheese Mystery, No Parm, No Foul, is an excellent addition to this series. I do suggest having a cup of tomato soup and a grilled cheese handy as your start reading because the cravings start almost immediately. There are a couple of recipes at the end of the book you are going to want to try too.

Engaging characters, a fun mystery, and a cheesy-filled story will have you coming back for more. Cheddar Late Than Dead will be released on January 31, 2023.

Carly Hale, the owner of Grilled Cheese Eatery, enters a Halloween food competition. But before a winner is declared, the competition is sabotaged and one of Carly’s competitors, Mr. Menard, is found murdered in his kitchen! Fearing that someone she cares about will be accused of the murder, Carly steps in to try to find the real killer!

Quick thoughts:
LIKES - This book was excellent! There were so many possible suspects that I was never sure who was the murderer until the end! The author also did a wonderful job of describing the scenes in great detail, which I loved. I will definitely be going back to read the first book in this series!!

DISLIKES - Nothing!

Read if you like:
*a mystery that keeps you guessing the entire way through!
*a stand alone book that is also part of a series
*books about food
*a small town setting feel
*a perfect cozy mystery for fall

Carly Hale is looking forward to the cooling weather of fall, especially after the tumultuous and literally murderous events of the long hot summer drawing to a close. All she wants to do now is focus on her grilled cheese restaurant and, perhaps, win her Vermont town of Balsam Dell’s annual Halloween Scary-licious Smorgasbord competition.

Unfortunately for her, Ferris Menard, owner of the Sub-a-Dub-Sub shop and the reigning competition winner three years running, seems determined to disrupt her peace of mind. It doesn’t help that her grill cook Grant Robinson has just quit his part-time job at the sub shop in favor of working with her exclusively. Menard subsequently shows up at Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery during her afternoon rush, loudly and publicly accusing her of sabotage. While her loyal customers swiftly work to escort him from the premises, Carly worries that this is only a taste of what’s to come in the run up to the competition.

Her fears seem well-founded when, at the end of what’s supposed to be a fun seasonal event, the judges discover that the competition’s ballot box has been stuffed. Things get even worse when Menard is found dead in his shop the morning after, and Carly’s boyfriend Ari Mitchell is accused of his murder.

Carly knows that Ari wouldn’t hurt a fly. Someone must be trying to frame him, but who and why? The state investigators called in to solve the case seem perfectly content to go along with the false narrative that’s been conveniently laid out for them. Understandably perturbed by this, Carly feels compelled to do a little investigating of her own in order to smoke out the real killer and clear her beloved’s name. She only hopes that she won’t find herself trapped in a murderer’s crosshairs once more.

I really liked the way that Linda Reilly wove together the many different subplots and details in No Parm No Foul to create a mystery as satisfying as a really good grilled cheese sandwich. I was also appreciative of how Carly knew how aggressively annoying she was being with her questioning, and how people kept calling her out when she thought she was being subtle. She might not be the smoothest criminal-catcher, but she’s certainly got her heart in the right place. Hopefully, the valid criticism she faces will help her grow as a character as the series continues.

There were two delicious grilled cheese sandwich recipes included here, and after some consideration, I decided to try out this one:

QUOTE
Alvin’s Panko Perfection

Ingredients
Depending on the size of your bread, 4 to 6 thickly sliced rounds (about ½ inch wide) of a firm, ripe Roma or plum tomato
Salt
1 egg, beaten + 1 teaspoon water
About ¼ cup all-purpose flour
About ½ cup panko crumbs (Carly uses plain, but you can also use seasoned panko.)
About ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Vegetable or canola oil
2 large slices of coarse white bread
Salted butter, softened
Sharp cheddar cheese–4 thick slices

Directions
Place the tomato slices on a plate, and then lightly salt both sides.

Place the beaten egg/water mixture and the flour in separate bowls.

Mix the panko crumbs with the Parmesan cheese and place in a shallow dish.

Dip each tomato slice into the flour, coating both sides and shaking off any excess, then dip into the beaten egg mixture. Dredge each slice through the panko/Parmesan mixture until each side is thoroughly coated.

Fry the coated slices in a skillet with about ½ inch of very hot oil for about 2 minutes or until the bottom side forms a golden crust. Flip them <i>carefully</i> and do the other side. When done, they should be golden and crispy. Blot them lightly on a paper towel.

To prepare your sandwich, butter one side of each slice of bread. On the unbuttered side of one slice, stack half the cheddar, then add the coated tomato slices side by side so that they cover the entire sandwich. Add the remaining cheddar and top with the remaining slice of bread, butter side up.

Grill over medium heat for about 2 minutes. As you grill, press lightly with a spatula or grill press, and then flip over and grill the other side for about approximately 3 minutes. Grilling slowly will ensure that the cheese is thoroughly melted and the bread is golden brown.

Slice in half and serve with chips, pickles, tomato soup, or whatever gladdens your taste buds.
END QUOTE

Alvin, whom you’ll read about in the pages of this book, has certainly missed his calling: this is the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever had! A lot of that is due to the genius idea of including panko-fried tomatoes in it. I’ve had sliced tomatoes in grilled cheese sandwiches before but this was just an otherworldly experience. It helps that the panko-fried tomatoes themselves are so delicious on their own: I happily feasted on the slices that I couldn’t manage to fit into the sandwich. They make a great side dish, too!

Next week, we head south down the coast to investigate a potential serial killer while cooking up another delicious side. Do join me!

First off, if you are a fan of grilled cheese sandwiches be prepared to fight a big craving while reading No Parm, No Foul. Carly is a widow who has returned home to Balsam Dell, Vermont to open the Grilled Cheese Eatery. It had been her childhood dream and, when her life took a sudden lurch, she took the chance. Now, in the second book of the series (#3 is Cheddar Late Than Dead due out 1/31/2023) Carly is part of a Halloween Food competition. What could go wrong? Well plenty, it seems. The man who owns the sub shop has a tantrum when one of his part time employees, Grant, quits to work for Carly full time. The timing leaves him short staffed and dealing with the competition. In full rage mode, Ferris Menard blames Carley and unleashes threats aimed at the Eatery. Soon after the competition comes to an end so does Menard's life with a kitchen knife to the heart.
As in all good cozies, the main character (Carley) is the focus of the police investigation and they are fast to name her the prime suspect. Carly, Gina. Grant and Ari plus her group of senior customers start their own investigation with a very long list of viable suspects. Menard had enemies so which one did him in?
This series has everything that I look for in a well written mystery with characters I enjoy spending my reading time with, a lovely small town setting, a well crafted puzzle to untangle and a dear little dog named Havarti. The only downside? I really, want one of Carly's grilled cheese sandwiches and my cooking skills aren't up to her level.
My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Linda Reilly always write enjoyable and gripping mysteries and this one confirmed my opinion as I enjoyed and couldn't put it down.
It's a complex mystery, full of twists and turn. The solution was a surprise and I liked the developments in the character's life.
My only note is about Carly: when she questions people is very blunt, almost rude, and sometimes she reminded me of a busybody more than someone investigating.
The recipes were mouthwatering and I liked them.
I can't wait to read the next story.

After reading the first book in this series, I was looking forward to the next. Carly owns a grilled cheese shop and seems to get embroiled in murder mysteries on the side. In this Halloween episode, the owner of a competing shop is found murdered and Carly's new boyfriend is the chief suspect. Against the advice of her family and friends, Carly is determined to find the real killer. This book has all the features of a typical cozy mystery and they're done adequately. But, it seems like it was rather like American cheese-rather bland and not unique among that genre. The characters were rather ordinary and there were two in particular, Steve and Stan, who I kept getting confused because of similar names. The story line moved along at a decent pace, but again was pretty boilerplate. This series could use some spice!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Ferris does not like Carly. Ferris is jealous of Carley’s success and he is not adverse to bully tactics and worse. So when his corpse is discovered the morning after a culinary competition he was determined to win, she is not exactly heartbroken. But when evidence keeps turning up that seems to implicate her beau, Ari, she is drawn into the investigation. Of course, her previous foray into sleuthing had everyone begging her to back off. She is even more determined when one of her favourite regulars is injured and it appears there is a connection between the two events.

In the cast of characters there are several better options for killer including a daughter, the daughter’s questionable boyfriend, the ex-wife and all the other people the deceased has bulled throughout the years. I do confess I twigged early to the villain although there were times throughout the story where I wondered if I was wrong.

There were also a couple of side stories that enhanced the book and did not detract from the main mystery. It was an entertaining read that made me crave a grilled cheese sandwich. Four purrs and two paws up.

Carly Hale is back in her hometown and is making her mark. After years working in a restaurant, she took the leap to open her own place in Bantam Dell, Vermont. She opened Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery, and her creative takes on the melty sandwich has earned her some steady customers as well as the high schoolers wanting snacks after their last class of the day.

But with Halloween coming up, Carly is excited to enter the town’s annual Halloween Scary-Licious Smorgasbord Competition. Carly and her sous chef Grant have come up with a fall-inspired grilled cheese on pumpkin bread, served with a choice of dipping sauces. The town sells tickets for the event, and each ticket comes with one ballot, so they can vote on their favorite dish from all the entrants. The winning restaurant gets a plaque and $500, which would come in handy over those cold months when there are fewer tourists in town.

Carly isn’t too worried about the competition, except for Sub-a-Dub Sub’s sandwich. The owner and chef Ferris Menard had been in Carly’s shop earlier that week. Grant had been working in both restaurants, but he had some issues with how lax Menard had been with food safety, so he ended up quitting there and calling the Board of Health. Menard came to Carly’s Eatery and yelled at her, accusing her of calling the complaint in and stealing Grant from him. No matter how much Grant tries to explain that it was all his idea, Menard won’t listen.

Sub-a-Dub has won the competition the last few years, with Menard’s special sauce, a play on oil and vinegar. He won’t give out his recipe for it, but he claims it’s what puts his sandwiches over the top. And after all the cooking and serving and eating at the competition, Menard thinks he’s won. But after counting the votes, there is no winner yet. There is an announcement that there was a glitch with the voting, and they’ll have to let the competitors know later who won.

Later that day, Carly finds out that the glitch with the voting is a surplus of votes. There ended up being more votes in the ballot boxes then there were tickets sold, so clearly some of them were false. But until they can study the votes and try to pick out the fake votes, Menard is winning. But that news pales by what happens the next morning. The police chief shows up at Carly’s place and asks her to come down to the station to talk. Overnight, someone had killed Menard, and with the bad blood between him and Carly, and the fact that Menard died on top of a vampire toy (which the police think he did on purpose) both Carly and her boyfriend Ari are brought in for questioning, since Ari and Carly both dressed as vampires for the competition.

Ari’s vampire cape had gone missing from his truck after he took it off, as well as his work books. And when the police figure out that someone had stepped on Menard’s chest, those boots are even more suspicious, especially when they get returned in a bag, with an anonymous phone call tipping off the police about its location. And when Carly realizes that not only did someone want to kill Menard, they wanted to implicate Ari as well, she can’t help but try to figure out who is behind the crime. But will her investigating make her a target for the next killing, melting her dreams and ending her life?

No Parm No Foul is the second in the Grilled Cheese Mystery series. Author Linda Reilly brings her mystery writing experience and her love of grilled cheese to these stories, blending the charm of small-town New England with cozy murder mysteries and investigations. And once the mystery is solved, it’s time to get down to work with the two recipes at the end, Alvin’s Panko Perfection (it has breaded and fried tomatoes) and the Farmhouse Cheddar Sleeps with the Fishes, an elevated tuna melt.

I like this series a lot. Carly is strong and feisty but she cares for those close to her. There is a good variety of characters around her, and a good mystery. I love the grilled cheese as a background. I think that adds a lot of fun and some texture to the story. But I do wish the writing had a little more energy, more jeopardy to the situation. Sometimes it feels a little dry, and the extra energy could help make it easier to stay engaged with the characters and the crime-solving.

Egalleys for No Parm No Foul were provided by Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.