Curds of Prey is the 3rd book in the Cheese Shop mystery series. Each book has gotten better.
This time around Willa is providing cheese for a wealthy family’s daughter’s bridal shower. Unfortunately, there is history she doesn’t know about her beau Roman and this family. It colors everything that happens as the book progresses. When the groom is murdered, Roman is a suspect along with a number of others.
Willa and Team Cheese bring together good information, but they are still in the dark about what really happened as the book edges toward the ending.
The murderer reveal is fairly dramatic.
As usual, the cheese and foods made with cheese sound fabulous. Some recipes are included, but I’m really wondering about those French cheese puffs.
I heartily recommend Curds of Prey. Get to know Willa, Mrs. Schulz, Archie and Baz.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

It is crying shame that those wonderfully created cheese boards with their lovely arrangements of incredibly enticing cheeses were not enjoyed by shower guests. For those of you, who are not part of the #TeamCheese, subscribe to Korina’s newsletter (https://www.korinamossauthor.com/) so that you too can be part of the gang like Willow, Archie, Baz, and Mrs. Schultz. In this third installment, Willa is hired to cater a cheese bar at the Harrington/Everett wedding shower, the Harrington’s being the wealthiest family in Yarrow Glen, and Nelson Everett, the groom, is the nephew of Mayor Trumball. High profile players, high profile murder and it looks like Roman has managed to make himself the #1 suspect. It doesn’t help that Roman has a bit of a romantic history with the bereaved bride, history that he hadn’t shared with Willa. So why did he show up prior to the shower? Was he lured there by Summer, was it by her snarky sister Chloe, or maybe he just showed up on his own. Willa is so confused, but in her heart she knows that while Roman might have a killer smile, he isn’t a killer. At the Mayor’s behest, Willa embarks on another clue hunt In spite of possibly upsetting the very austere Olivia Harrington with uncomfortable questions. Who had the most to gain from Nelson’s death? Was it his Aunt, the Mayor, who stands to inherit? Maybe Chloe, who dated Nelson first, didn’t want to let him go? Could it have really been Roman? Maybe Nelson’s cousin? What about the photographer, where was he when the groom was meeting his end? As you can see there are plenty of suspects, and even a few red herrings, plus some petty thievery that surprised the heck out of me. This was another successful Cheese Shop Mystery success with some tasty recipes for those who like sweet or savory or a mix of the two. Now who is ready for some Bleu?

When Willa Bauer was asked to set up an open bar at the wedding shower of Summer Harrington and Nelson Trumbull, she was thrilled. Because it was a cheese bar. And as cheesemonger for Curds & Whey in Yarrow Glen, she was the woman for the job. She chose a delectable assortment of cheeses and accompaniments and waited for the day of the shower.

But weddings are never that simple. So when Olivia Harrington, mother of the bride, calls and wants a tasting of the chosen cheeses before the day of the shower, Willa has to stop everything and set that up for them as requested. She knows that the Harringtons are wealthy, and they just bought the magazine All Things Sonoma. A mention in the magazine will bring customers to the store, so Willa has to get this right. And she does. Olivia is satisfied with the tasting and announces that they need to leave, to meet the groom and his family for dinner. Nelson is the nephew of Mayor Trumbull, so Willa is happy to wrap things up.

Plus, she has a date that night. Willa and Roman have been getting closer as they’ve spent time together over the past several months. Tonight, he’s made a dinner reservation, and Willa’s best friend Baz thinks Roman is going to make their relationship official. Instead, he gets into an argument outside of Curds & Whey with the Harringtons. He’d never mentioned to Willa that he used to date Summer. Or that they’d been engaged. Or that he had stood her up at the altar. But Nelson knew, and he took a swing at Roman.

Willa is stunned to find out that Roman and Summer had a past. Roman left without talking to her, so she’s not sure where their relationship stands after Nelson’s punch. She doesn’t see him again until the wedding shower.

Roman wasn’t supposed to be at the shower, but Willa saw him talkin to Summer as she was parking her car down by the garden shed. She had to get back to the garden to set up her cheese bar, arranging her cheeses, vegetables, and crackers on the bespoke boards Baz had carved just for this occasion. But the shower is cancelled when Nelson is found in the horse barn, murdered. Willa immediately tries to get ahold of Roman, to make sure he’s okay. He replies that he is, but he doesn’t give her any more information than that. The police won’t offer up much information either.

Willa’s friends want her to investigate the murder, but she’s not feeling it. Having Roman as a suspect is making her reluctant, especially since she doesn’t know where she stands with him. But then the mayor herself reaches out and asks Willa to look into the suspects, to make sure the powerful Harringtons are considered just as much as as anyone else who was at the house that day. How can Willa say no to that?

But when Willa gets too close to figuring out who killed Nelson, will she be able to save herself, or will she be forked?

Curds of Prey is the third book in Korina Moss’s Cheese Shop Mystery, and it will make you just as hungry as the first two did. These books are smart and filled with small-town characters and charm. There is lots of cheese talk, so grab some curds to snack on or your favorite cheese slices, or if you’re feeling like heading to the kitchen, you can try one of the recipes at the end to make your own Goat Cheese Breakfast Quesadilla or Savory Dutch Baby with ham and cheddar.

I am a bid fan of cheese, and of these books. I love the cheese shop and wish I could drop in for some ideas. These characters are the type I love to spend time with. I love the setting of the wedding. I thought that added a lot of texture to the story, and it added intrigue into Willa’s relationship with Roman. I am looking forward to seeing where this series takes us next. And until then, I’ll be over by the cheeses.

Egalleys for Curds of Prey were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

An enjoyable culinary cozy with characters that I have grown to like more with each book with some information about cheese and delicious recipes. Willa has an good opportunity to spread word of her cheese shop when she does a cheese table at one of the most prestigious social wedding showers of the year. Unfortunately, instead of a happily ever-after for the couple, the groom is murdered and Willa and her friends investigate to clear Willa's perhaps boyfriend of suspicion of murder.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

I have been a huge fan of this series since the start and this may be my favorite book yet! The recurring characters and evolving plots regarding Willa & her love life with glimpses into Yarrow Glen are my favorite parts of this book. Add to that solving a murder amidst all the wedding drama was the cheese to my chips. Or maybe the sharp white cheddar to my cheese platter.

I always love a visit to this cute little California town to see what Willa and her friends are up to. Leave it to Willa to have one of the most dysfunctional but important families commission her catering services that ended up having a murder connected with it. Meanwhile, since her sorta-boyfriend Roman was sorta involved-ish, Willa had to sort out her feelings for him and if her future wanted to include him at all.

We met some interesting but suspicious characters, and all the investigating led to a good showdown where Willa did at least have some friends as backup. The Valentine's Day party had been the reveal for the town pickpocket, so that side mystery was cleared up as well. Instead of sweating whether she had a date or not, Willa just enjoyed some good times with her amazing friends.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by St. Martin Paperbacks via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

In the third Cheese Shop cozy mystery, shop owner and cheese monger Willa is set to cater a bridal shower--only the groom turns up dead! When Willa's love interest is the prime suspect, she takes to investigating what may have actually happened. But two powerful families with competing interests both want her to stick her nose into things and butt out!

Like the others before it, Curds of Prey is a solid, traditional cozy mystery. I thought the mystery itself was intriguing, with a large cast of suspects the puzzle pieces coming together. Willa has begun to grate on me (ha! a cheese pun!) a bit, with her naivete, particularly when it comes to love and putting herself in dangerous situations. I don't want to spoil too much, but I'm glad where she ended up in this one.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 8/10

Another cheesy cozy mystery. It kept me guessing and surprised at the conclusion. This delightful and charming cheese series continues. Lots of cheese. A smidgeon of romances. Nice variety of characters. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

I love the way the romance is developing in this series! It is slow and unsure and seems realistic. I thought the developments in this one were just perfect. The mystery involves a lot of complicated people and we meet a couple great new to us people in Yarrow Glen. So we are emotionally invested in who the 'bad guy' is. However I figured out who the murderer was about halfway through. I was also able to figure out one of the twists pretty early on as well, so I was a smidge frustrated that Willa didn't think of what seemed obvious to me. I would have liked to see a little bit more of the cheese shop, but we did get to see lots of Archie, Mrs. Schultz, and Baz. It was good to see all of them come together as a team.
Overall this was a good book to bring the characters together as a team and move the romance forward.

Curds of Prey is the third Cheese Shop cozy mystery by Korina Moss. Due out 28th March 2023 from Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

This is an enjoyable small town shopfront cozy with an appealing protagonist, lots and lots of cheese trivia, and a well constructed puzzle to solve alongside shop owner Willa. She's catering a bridal shower (with lots of delicious cheeses) when the groom is found dead after a contretemps with Willa's erstwhile boyfriend (who also had some history with the bride).

As with most cozies, the emphasis is on the characters and the puzzle. The crimes are described off-scene and without being gruesome. The language is very clean. The series continues to improve, from a strong start, and the ensemble cast of Willa and her employees continue to mesh and become more three dimensional and believable (for a cozy). I'm looking forward to the next installments in the series.

Although it's the third book in the series, the plot arc and resolution are self-contained, and it works well enough as a standalone. With three books currently in the series, and a fourth announced for third quarter 2023, it would make a good choice for a cozy series binge or buddy read.

Four stars. Definitely one for shopfront cozy fans. It's full of esoteric cheese minutiae and I found a number of specialty cheeses I'm looking forward to trying. The author has also included intriguing cheese themed recipes for a goat cheese quesadilla and dutch oven pancake (Dutch baby)

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I was so excited to get this ARC! I loved the first two books in The Cheese Shop Mysteries series and had been looking forward to this book for months. It did not disappoint! This series started strong, yet it continues to get better and better.

Willa Bauer owns a French-inspired cheese shop in California's lush Sonoma Valley region. She is excited to provide the cheese bar at the social event of the season, the wedding shower of a well-to-do bride and the mayor's nephew. But when Roman, the man Willa has just started dating, fights with the groom at a tasting and then shows up again at the bridal shower, Willa learns he is the bride's ex. Making matters worse, Willa finds the groom dead, and the mayor asks Willa to investigate his murder.

Very well-written with plenty of suspects and motives, this book left me questioning everyone at some point. I found Willa's juggling her business and a murder investigation while dealing with her emotions toward Roman compelling. The mystery was intriguing, with a few twists, mild suspense, and a satisfying conclusion.

While the story is excellent and the setting charming, what I enjoy most about this book (and the series) is the characters. Willa is a likable, charming, observant sleuth who has a lovable group of friends supporting her and the investigations. Spending time with them is warm and inviting. As usual, my favorite is Baz. He's a rock-solid friend to Willa, always willing to lend a hand, and I love their dynamic. In addition, the cheese descriptions in the book leave me craving cheese and making a list of new ones to try! Works fine as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend the entire series. Bingeable and great fun, cozy mystery readers will enjoy this! I cannot wait for book four!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this ARC. I loved it!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of this fun cozy mystery. It's the second one I've read in this series, so I enjoyed revisiting Willa Bauer's cheese shop and many familiar faces in Yarrow Glen.
In this story, Willa has been asked to bring a cheese board to the bridal shower of Summer Harrington, daughter of Olivia Harrington, the new owner of a prestigious local magazine. Summer is engaged to Nelson Trumbull, nephew of Yarrow Glen's mayor.
Things go awry when Nelson and Summer get into a fight over Roman Massey, Willa's date and potential love interest. It turns out Summer and Roman were once engaged, something he never told Willa.
Soon afterward, Willa finds Nelson dead in the stable, speared by a pitchfork. Roman becomes the primary suspect.
Unwilling to accept that her friend is a killer, Willa does some sleuthing to try to clear his name. She has help from her cheese shop employees, Archie and Mrs. Schultz, as well as her best friend Baz. Her relationship with Detective Heath is slowly developing, and though he warns her to stay away from the investigation, he accepts that she's going to get involved and welcomes her help.
I correctly suspected the killer early on, but this was still a fun read. And there are some mouth-watering descriptions of cheese.

Cheesemonger Willa Bauer is filled with anticipation, and not just because she’s auditioning to cater an upscale bridal shower. The Harrington family hosting the festivities is both rich and wildly influential. The exposure of her cheeses to their well-heeled shower guests would be wonderful in and of itself, but the spread will also be photographed – with a little blurb for her cheese shop – in the society pages of the widely circulated All Things Sonoma magazine. After all, two socially prominent, eligible singles such as Summer Harrington and Nelson Trumbull, the wealthy nephew of Yarrow Glen’s mayor, don’t get married every day.

On a more personal note, Willa is hoping that once the cheese-tasting for the shower is over, she’ll be able to celebrate landing the gig with her good friend and meadery owner Roman Massey. Their slow-burning romance is finally showing signs of intensifying, and Willa is anticipating a declaration of love over dinner later that night. Unfortunately, it’s emotions of a different kind that run high when Roman stops by her cheese shop early to pick her up. His presence unexpectedly overlaps with the tardy bridal party’s. The groom-to-be is not at all happy to see him, and a fight breaks out that puts the kibosh on Willa's plans for a romantic evening.

Perturbed but not yet concerned, Willa presses on with her catering plans, since at least those have been given the go-ahead. The shower is presided over by the formidable Olivia Harrington, Summer’s mother, who is ready and willing to tell everyone exactly what to do to ensure her beloved younger daughter’s event goes off without a hitch. But even she is boggled when Nelson unexpectedly makes a dramatic appearance in search of his intended. Summer is, oddly enough, missing. When she finally returns to her shower, with Roman in tow, all hell breaks loose once more.

At this point, Willa is fully concerned that her relationship with Roman is on shakier ground than she’d anticipated just a few days earlier. It doesn’t help that her one time fiance left her for her former best friend some time ago, making her a little gun shy when it comes to romance. Before she can have an honest discussion with him about this, though, she stumbles across Nelson’s dead body. Roman immediately becomes the police’s prime suspect

Willa might not be so sure any more about their romance, but she does know that Roman would never kill anybody. Even if she hadn’t been involved in solving several murders that had previously plagued Yarrow Glen, she would do everything possible to find Nelson’s actual killer in order to clear Roman’s name. Will she be able to succeed despite the interference of some of the town’s most prominent citizens? Or will a killer decide to put an end to her snooping for good?

This third installment of the Cheese Shop mystery series really focuses not only on Willa’s romantic feelings but also on the love lives of her dearest friends. In addition to stopping a killer, Willa and her adorable Team Cheese must also help the police apprehend a wallet thief. This is perhaps not the best book to start the series with, but is definitely one that will appeal to readers who like a hefty dose of breakups and makeups with their cozy mysteries.

There were three yummy cheese-forward recipes included, and I decided to try out this one, lightly edited here for format:

QUOTE
Goat Cheese Breakfast Quesadillas

2 ounces fresh goat cheese (honey/cranberry walnut goat cheese optional)
1 tortilla
½ sweet, crispy apple (like Fuji), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon honey

Spread thin layer of goat cheese on half of tortilla, top with apple slices, and drizzle with one tablespoon of honey.

Fold tortilla in half.

Place quesadilla in a buttered, heated skillet and cook on each side for 2 to 3 minutes, until tortilla is lightly browned.
END QUOTE

I definitely made more than just one of these for those of my family who can eat apples, and we all enjoyed them very much. Honestly, it’s just such an inspired dish! The salty savoriness of the goat cheese – we got regular because there wasn’t any honey or cranberry infused goat cheese at our closest grocery store, unfortunately – was perfectly balanced by the addition of the sweet honey and the crisp, tart apples in a crunchy, buttery shell. In addition to being super easy and quick to make, this was also a surprisingly filling dish. It definitely makes a great breakfast for those on the go, as Willa prepares it in the book.

Next week, we move from wine country to coastal California, whipping up a sweet treat while attempting to clear another loved one’s name. Do join me!

This was an enjoyable read for a light cozy mystery. There is a lot of cheese info and recipes scattered through the story. There are some twists and turns along the way to solving the murder that occurred during a shower that Willa was catering. This is a comfortable book in a good series.

CURDS OF PREY is the third book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series, written by Korina Moss. Summer Harrington, accompanied by her mother and sister, attend a cheese tasting at Willa Bauer’s Curds & Whey cheese shop to select cheeses to be served at the next day’s wedding shower. Since The Harringtons are the wealthiest family in Sonoma Valley’s Yarrow Glen and own ALL THINGS SONOMA magazine, Willa accommodates them by holding the meeting in her cheese shop after hours. Trouble ensues when Summer’s fiancé, Nelson, runs into Willa’s love interest, Roman. Willa is shocked to discover that Roman had been engaged to Summer Harrington and had previously left Summer at the alter. Has Roman’s appearance ended Summer’s happily-ever-after wedding to Nelson?

I enjoyed reading the story from Willa’s viewpoint. She is a well-drawn character and a keen observer. The plot progresses nicely to a satisfying conclusion. And then, of course, there is all that cheese. Yum!

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review the e-arc of CURDS OF PREY.

This is the third book in the Cheese Shop mysteries and Willa Bauer has come a long way in a short time from when she first opened Curds & Whey in Cheddar Of Dead. Willa Bauer has come a long way in a short time from when she first opened Curds & Whey in Cheddar Of Dead. Her shop is becoming well-respected in the town of Yarrow Glen and her friendships with her next door neighbor Baz and with her employees Mrs. Schultz and Archie have grown. I love the camaraderie between these friends as they discuss the cases that Willa becomes involved in. Things are also looking up in the romance department. I think this was a weakness in the first book of the series, but I really liked the new developments that occured for a couple different characters in this book.

Curds of Prey is my favorite so far in this series. I have grown to like Willa more and more with each book and she has become a better investigator as well. She thinks things through more in this book while she was gathering clues and didn't jump to conclusions. The case of a murdered groom-to-be kept my interest from beginning to end. I like the dramatic ending to the case and the way things turn out in the end in the personal lives of a few of the characters. Rounding out the book are a few cheese-related recipes and discussions about different varieties of cheese throughout the story. Fans of this series and readers who enjoy well-written culinary cozies will love this book. I rated it 4.5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this ebook from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

[ Thank you St. Martin’s Press & Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

This series is so good! I was so happy to be back in Yarrow Glen!

We get the murder pretty early on (@ 15% mark) which is nice! Lots of time to figure out the mystery with all the potential suspects. I had a feeling who the killer was near the beginning but it didn’t stop me from enjoying Willa and the crew from solving the whodunnit. Every investigative team has a name and they picked ‘Team Cheese.’ It’s definitely very fitting for them!

I’m excited to see where the love interest is going to go for the next one! I’m all for Detective Heath. So fingers crossed!! And I love when we get recipes in the back — goat cheese breakfast quesadilla, savory oven pancake (aka Dutch baby or German pancake!), and spicy snack on a stick. I’m so glad the Brussels sprout grilled cheese sandwich didn’t make it in the back as a recipe. I’m with Baz on that one, no thank you!! Willa can have that all on her own. Haha!

If you haven’t read this series yet, do it!! Even all you no cheese fans would still enjoy it!

Curds Of Prey is such a clever name for a cozy based around a cheese shop. This is perfect for this 3rd next in series of this charming cozy series set in Sonoma CA. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own. I highly recommend this cozy series for outstanding charcters, a well plotted and enjoyable sleuth and the atmospheric setting of small town wine country.

Willa has been asked to provide a elegant cheese bar for a wedding shower of a important family in Sonoma. The bride to be and family are difficult to please. When tempers fly at the shower she knows trouble is ahead and sure enough the groom is found murdered. The goom is from the Mayor's family and soon the two families are at war with Willa determined to find the right clue to lead her to the killer.

This is such a fun series. The author has brought life in Sonoma to her pages deftly with enjoyable charcters and always a fun sleuth. I look forward to the next in series.

Curds of Prey is the third installment in this new to me series. This started out slow but got better as it progressed. Willa owns the Curds and Whey Cheese shop and agrees to have an outdoor cheese bar at wealthy Summer Harrington's wedding shower. The shower is abruptly canceled when Willa finds the groom-to-be dead in the stable. The Mayor, who is also the victims aunt, asks Willa to help the police solve her nephew's murder. Willa's boyfriend becomes the main suspect when it's discovered he was once engaged to Summer. This was a nice light read with likeable characters. a brewing romance, and plenty of suspects that kept me guessing til the end. Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for providing me with an advance copy to review.

I so loved this book!! The storyline was interesting and the murder was well done! I really loved the characters, I can’t wait to read more in this series!! I would highly recommend this book to everyone!!