Pub date: 3/28/23
Genre: cozy mystery, book 3 in the Cheese Shop Mysteries
Quick summary: Willa and her shop are catering the wedding of the year for Summer Harrington - until her fiancé ends up dead, and Willa's love interest is the lead suspect.

I love a food-themed cozy mystery, including Moss' earlier cheese mysteries. This one wasn't my favorite due to the mystery - I found that i just didn't feel invested in the search for dead groom's killer. I also didn't love Willa's romance with Roman - they didn't seem to have much chemistry.

I still loved the cheese shop setting; this one just didn't have the magic of the first two IMO. But I'll still read book four to see what Willa is up to.

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

I am lovin' this series so much! The characters, the mystery, the CHEESE!!! It's all so gouda. *grin*
I'm waiting (im)patiently for the next book in the series.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Oh how I just love this series!! The setting, along with the characters, and of course the mysteries all work so nicely together. I also am enjoying the potential romance in this one too! I can't wait for the next one.

I have really gotten into cozy mysteries the last year and was excited to read this cute little book. Curds of Prey was a fun read with a lot of cheese and a little bit of murder. LOL I always wonder if it's difficult to create a cute town with an irresistible main character, in this book, cheese…..but also work in a murder with a mystery behind it. That takes talent! I really enjoyed this authors writing style and will definitely read more of her books. Curds of Prey is a part of the Cheese Shop Mystery book 3 of 4. It can be read alone.
Curds & Whey is a quant little shop in Yarrow Glen that has quite the reputation for it’s amazing selection of cheeses. Willa runs the shop herself and lives a pretty quiet life. She loves her town and her customers but does dream of a future with a husband and kids, and maybe the handsome Roman could be the one. Willa offers catering and loves setting up beautiful displays for big events like weddings. For a wedding coming up Willa offers a tasting for the bride and her mother and sister that goes sideways quickly. In the middle of the tasting Roman comes in and so does the groom. Willa seems to be the only one who doesn’t know that Roman and the bride have a past, and the groom is not having it. The two get into a fist fight but it’s Willa who feels the sting. How could Roman have this past and not tell her he was once engaged? Things go from bad to worse when Willa finds the groom dead in the stables. Of course all fingers point to Roman. Willa knows that Roman isn’t capable of murder, and even thought she’s angry at him she will do what she can to find out who did this.
The most unlikely person committed a murder…can you guess who it is? Read to find out!

My thoughts: #teamcheese has really gelled as a team of sleuthers. We see less of the rest of the town but learn more about Roman. I feel like there's even more cheese in this one than previous entries. Dangerous investigation, summer setting, wedding planning, love on the rocks, something for almost every cozy reader.

<b>Real Rating: 2.75 ✨<b/>

I'm somewhat disappointed with this one. Having really enjoyed the previous two books, this one fell flat for me. Whereas book 2 had a lot of the flirty banter between Willa & Roman (which I love), this one saw a lot more "drama" between the two. It felt like Willa was being a doormat for him. I kept thinking confront him already and have him make a choice instead of giving you a bunch of cryptic non-committal answers whenever you ask him anything. Though if i'm honest, I am glad that they ended up being friends cause it was pretty clear that relationship was going no where... Also the actual murderer's identity wasn't very surprising.. in fact it was downright anti-climatic. Felt like the murder should've been solved in 3 chapters instead of 30+. All in all, this book wasn't as well executed as the previous ones. Seemed like the author had a deadline to meet and was trying to write as fast as possible 😒 However in a more positive note, I did enjoy the progress between Willa and Heath relationship. Will they ultimately end up together? Who knows... but I sure hope so 🥰.....finally the ending didn't seem like an ending at all 🤦🏻‍♀️

I previously enjoyed Gone for Gouda, the second book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series. The third volume, Curds of Prey, is another winner.

Cheese shop owner, Willa Bauer, is back behind the charcuterie board at Curds & Whey and around town. Willa has grabbed a plum gig – the wedding shower of one of the wealthiest families in town. The clients are demanding and ungrateful, but this high-profile event could bring a lot of business to her shop, so she must grin and bear their high-handed treatment. Her budding romance is also in question – the bride is Roman’s ex-girlfriend.

Willa is just getting set up at the shower when all hell breaks loose. Willa packs up and on way out finds a corpse. Roman is the primary suspect and Willa sets to work to clear him with the help of Archie and Mrs. Schultz.

Watching Willa build her business, grow in the community, and solve mysteries is a fun ride.

I received this advanced reader copy of Curds of Prey from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Willa is hosting a society doyenne and her two daughters as they sample the cheeses she will serve at the wedding shower the following day. The groom arrives to rush them to a dinner engagement but when the man who abandoned his bride to be at the altar shows up, fireworks ensue. What makes matters worse is the former beau happens to be Roman, Willa’s current beau. If that does not make things awkward enough there is another altercation the next day at the shower that ends with the murder of the groom.

As confused as she is about her future with Roman, Willa does not believe he committed the murder so she and her Cheese Team group start investigating. Heath, the detective in charge, tries to keep her safe but Willa has a mind of her own. While she never does anything overtly Darwin-ish, she does manage to find herself in more than one dangerous situation. But, as Willa discovers, after looking at every one close to the situation, the simplest answer is often the right one. But the question is whether she will survive once she has all the pieces together.

It is always fun learning more about cheeses while reading this series. And she does come up with some simple and scrumptious cheese dishes. It will be interesting to see where things go from here because when one door closes, another one opens. Four purrs and two paws up.

I have really enjoyed this series so much and was really looking forward to this entry [I mean, ALL. THE. CHEESE.]; unfortunately [and I am a real outlier here], this one just didn't work for me and I was left disappointed.

There is a lot I could write about this book and why it didn't work for me, but I will just hit the highlights instead.

*What I loved*
* Willa, Archie, Mrs. Schultz [I ABSOLUTELY love her and she is really highlighted in this book], Baz and Heath. This is such a good group of people and I like them very much. I love their work ethic, ALL of Archie and Mrs. Schultz's willingness to learn as much about cheese as they can, Heath and his moral compass [and how he cares for his friends, who have accepted him readily into their group] and I think EVERY girl should have a male friend like Baz. I do hope we get to see more of Hope as she and Archie begin their relationship as I think she would be an excellent addition to this group and I have hopes for Lou [whom I also really like, grumpiness and all].

* ALL. THE. CHEESE. Oh my gosh. Whenever I read one of these, I crave cheese for D A Y S. I live in a very small town and have to drive quite a ways to even get close to some interesting cheeses and throughout these books, I just want to hop in my car and go and buy it all [except for the triple creams - BLECH. I have never ever like them, especially one of them that is mentioned in this book. I am glad people love it, but B L E C H. ;-) ] I always have a list of new cheeses to try when I finally do end up in a store that sells "good" cheese.

* The support of the town for all the small businesses. That is so fantastic and encouraging.

And now...

*What I didn't love*
* The romance/relationship crap. THIS. IS. A. MYSTERY. BOOK., not a pre-teen romance novel ["SHOULD I invite them to the dance as a friend or should it be a D A T E?? I may or may not have rolled my eyes so hard I sprained them. I didn't realize all the characters had gone back to the 9th grade] and the mystery was V E R Y thin here [more on that later] and it was very heavy on the romance [real or imagined] and I just got really tired of all the blather about it.

* All the obnoxious side characters [with the exception of Everett, who I really like]. There was a plethora of them in this book, so many it was hard at times to keep track and none of them really added to the story, even the ones that were supposed to. I have never liked Roman [and do not know what Willa sees in him] and I like him even less now and I hope we see much less of him in future books. Meh.

* The very weak mystery. I knew who the killer was almost right after it happened [and tried to talk myself out of it the whole book because I could not believe that it could be that EASY and obvious] and then had to wade through all the romance crap, the obnoxious sisters and Willa's suddenly inept way of detecting [did she lose her mind in this one?? Did she need more cheese? More quiet time with her fish? IDK. I do know that it was like she was blinded by romance and it made it difficult for her to stay on point and not just lay blame on whomever crosses her path - so annoying] before getting to the very tepid reveal and ending. ALL of that for that ending. Meh. So disappointing.

In spite of this disappointing read, I am looking forward to the next book - now that the status quo has changed in many areas, maybe we can get back to selling cheese and solidly solving [what previous have been great] mysteries. One can hope right?

Thank you to NetGalley, Korina Moss, and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Curds of Prey is the 3rd book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in California wine country. Shop owner Willa Bauer is tasked with creating a cheese bar for a local socialite's bridal shower. Her shop Curds and Whey would be guaranteed lots of exposure and press so she agrees even thought the mother of the bride is very demanding and the bride herself was once engaged to Roman, the man Willa is currently dating.

The day of the event does not go well, with the future groom showing up unannounced, Roman also found sneaking around with the bride to be and then a dead body is discovered. Needless to say there is not going to be a wedding.

The mayor asks Willa to help with the investigation as the groom is related to her and she wants answers. This puts Willa in some dangerous situations, but with the help of her friends and the lovely local police detective she uncovers the truth.

There's also some cheesy recipes to try! A fun and enjoyable read, I can't wait for the next instalment. I can be read as a stand alone.

I love a good cozy mystery and this one did not disappoint! I’ve enjoyed all three of the Cheese Shop Mystery books but this one might be my favorite. (You can read this as a standalone with no problem.) The mystery was a good one and kept me guessing among several possible suspects - since it took place at a bridal shower, it was kind of a locked-room mystery, with a limited field of possible suspects, but everyone had a possible motive, it seemed.

There are so many things to love about this series. The main character, Willa, owns a gourmet cheese shop in a town in the Sonoma Valley, California. She’s only owned it a year or two, so she’s still trying different things to ensure she’s successful. Her two employees are delightful: a retired female teacher and a young man. Willa loves to eat cheese in any form, and is relaxed about it. She dresses comfortably whenever possible and has a body-positive attitude. I loved her decision to wear sneakers with her little black dress to a dance, instead of suffering in heels. Her neighbor and good friend Baz (short for Basil) is also a great character. There are a couple of possible romantic interests for Willa, but this is not a romance novel, and Willa has been “burned” before, so she’s quite careful about relationships.

You will learn a lot about different kinds of cheese along the way, and ways to prepare/use them. There are a few recipes at the end of the book that are described in the story, one of which - melted goat cheese and apple on a tortilla - had my mouth absolutely watering.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Cheesemonger Willa Bauer thinks her cheese shop is finally going to get some good press by being pictured in a popular magazine! Her cheese bar is ready to shine at the wedding shower of a local socialite when disaster strikes, ruining the celebration and Willa's hopes for positive publicity. Despite being warned by many powerful people to stay out of the investigation, Will and her Cheese Board of coworkers and friends cannot resist investigating. Once again, Willa risks her safety to get to answers. The next volume of this new series comes out this Fall and I look forward to following Willa on her next adventure.

Solid mystery with good characters. I still haven’t warmed to Willa but I do adore Archie and Mrs. Schultz. I love learning about the different cheeses and their pairings with both wine and bread; I always find a new combination I want to try. I am a fan of the shift in the romance department as I never felt there was a spark between Willa and her love interest. The writing is easy to follow and flows so well that I do get drawn into the story pretty quickly. I will continue with the series in the hopes I can grow to like Willa because I really do like so many other aspects of this series.

Nice cozy mystery that helps to break up what I currently read. I enjoyed this book, the characters, and the writing style.

Book #3 in the Cheese Shop Mystery series and my new favorite! Although, they might all just be my favorites lol. A wedding is in the works -not just any wedding...a wedding uniting two people from VERY prominent families! Aaaaaaaaand then Willa finds the groom dead. Oh dear. The mayor recruits Willia, on the down low, to investigate the murder and find out what happened to her nephew before the Harrington family gets away with their scheme....or so she assumes.

Rich people behaving badly + cozy mystery = a page turner!!

I highly recommend this series and can't wait for book 4 in the Fall!

Curds of Prey is book #3 in the Cheese Shop Mysteries series by Korina Moss.

Willa Bauer has a great opportunity to showcase her business, Curds & Whey, by serving her cheese at the wedding shower for a huge social event. But things go awry when there is a murder.

This is the first book I’ve read in the series and I really enjoyed it. When Willa mentioned squeaky cheese curds, I knew I would like her. It brought back memories of Wisconsin vacations. The members of Team Cheese are wonderful characters. Even though they are at different places in their life, the love of cheese and mystery bonds them. It was an interesting mystery. With powerful families potentially involved, it isn’t easy getting answers. There are yummy recipes at the end of the book. I recommend this book.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Dollycas's Thoughts

As Cheesemonger Willa Bauer continues to grow her business she has a grand opportunity to have a cheese bar at a bridal shower for a family who has just taken over All Things Sonoma Magazine, which means fantastic publicity for Curds & Whey. That is something Willa needs after the bad review she received from the former food critic at the magazine. Add to that the groom is the mayor's nephew and impressing her is definitely a good thing. When a last-minute taste testing finally comes to an end Willa gets a huge surprise when her almost-boyfriend Roman arrives and gets into a fight with the groom. Seems Roman knows the bride quite well. Willa is not sure what to think about that.

The day of the shower arrives and Willa is very excited about getting the cheese bar set up until she notices Roman is there again talking to the bride-to-be. When the groom arrives chaos erupts and the party is canceled. Upset, all the vendors pack up along with Willa. But before she leaves she finds herself in the stable looking at a corpse. The groom is dead and she knows Roman will be a suspect. Unsure of her feelings for Roman, she knows he is not a killer. The mayor has asked for Willa's help and she can't get her cheesed off so she finds herself right in the middle of another murder investigation that will hopefully clear Roman of the crime and the mayor happy.

____

With every book in this series, Willa gets stronger which is good because her life gets pretty topsy-turvy in Curds of Prey. Archie and Mrs. Schultz are developing nicely too. They make a strong team both at Curds & Whey and in solving murders. They have become friends and really care about each other. I also enjoy the friendship Willa has with Baz. Together the four of them make up Team Cheese and they sure know how to have fun when the case is closed.

Ms. Moss plotted out a very entertaining mystery with several suspects. I had a good time following along with Team Cheese as they worked through the clues. Willa's sleuthing techniques are definitely improving but she still finds herself in hot water when all is revealed. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns and the exciting reveal.

Romance was in the air with the Valentine's Day theme but there were a lot of shake-ups in the relationships. I really liked that the Good Neighbor Committee set up a F.U.N. (Friendly United Neighbors) dance to bring people together whether they had a Valentine or not. Teenagers that got in trouble in the previous book were tasked to volunteer for the committee until graduation so they were very involved in decorating the hall and promoting the dance. The camaraderie that was built between the elders of the community and the teens was heartwarming. I wish more communities offered more opportunities like this.

There is plenty of mouthwatering cheese talk throughout the story from the different cheese varieties to the food Willa created with cheese. I am always delighted when a few recipes are included at the end of the book. This time a Dutch Baby was made and the recipe was included. I can remember my mother making something very similar when I was growing up so I am excited to try that recipe out soon.

Curds of Prey is a fine addition to this series, in fact, it is my favorite book in the series so far. Fans of culinary cozies, this book/series is for you. I am looking forward to reading the next Cheese Shop Mystery, Case of the Bleus very much.

The mystery was great, and I like the secondary little mystery as well. I really enjoy the world building and all the insights into the characters. However, I really don't love our MC; she loves to constantly jump from suspect to suspect and without real evidence.

While I’m not the most adventurous eater, and I certainly wouldn’t be trying any of the “exotic” cheese in Willa’s shop, it doesn’t mean that I can’t be a part of #teamcheese. I’m here for the small cheese lessons and joining Willa and the gang in their mystery-solving exploits.

Curds of Prey, the third book in author Korina Moss’s Cheese Shop Mystery series, is all about a bridal shower that goes south when Willa stumbles upon the body of the groom.

Willa wants to investigate to clear the name of her almost-boyfriend, Roman, but the mayor also asks her to discretely find her nephew’s murderer.

I found the mystery very well-rounded, with many suspects and motives. Willa had her work cut out for her to sift through all the information she collected to solve the mystery.

The community of Yarrow Glen continues to grow. It was nice to revisit Willa’s friends and get to know more residents of the small town. There was a subplot of a community dance and a pickpocket that allowed me to get more immersed in the town and its residents since most of the mystery took place in the “suburbs.”

The book’s weakest part for me was the love triangle between Willa, Roman, and Heath. I just didn’t get any feels from Willa and Roman trying to be a couple. So when the murder makes Willa reevaluate, I got more of a sense of relief than the tension I think the author was going for. I am more in Heath’s corner and am curious about how his and Willa’s relationship evolves as the series continues.

I found Curds of Prey to be the strongest book in the series to this point. I was sucked into the story and loved the ride. I highly recommend this series to fans of culinary cozy mysteries, and I, for one, can’t wait for the next installment.

Business is going well for Willa and her cheese shop, Curds and Whey. When she is hired to produce a scrumptious cheese array for a bridal shower she has hope that it will help her get more catering gigs. That would be great but a killer joins the event and it's a mess. Willa's (sort of) boyfriend, Roman, it turns out, has serious history with the bride and it isn't good. He left her standing at the alter. Now he and the groom go toe to toe displaying a very strong dislike between them. When the groom turns up dead and Roman is in the police spotlight for the crime, Willa is involved every which way. Time for Willa and her friends to track down the killer.
I have enjoyed each book in this series and not just because I love cheese. Willa is a likable character and the mystery is a well developed puzzle to solve. What more could a cozy mystery offer the reader? My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.