Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Fondue or Die by Korina Moss may be the fifth book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series but it is the first book that I have read by this author. One may ask why I gave a low rating…maybe the disconnect is that I started at book 5 in this series, thus not having a history with the characters? Additionally – I found that the pace was a bit slow for my taste. When time permits, I may go back and start the series from the beginning but until then…here is my review.

Willa Bauer is the owner of Curds & Whey, a locale cheese shop. She and her crew are excited to have a booth at Dairy Days – an annual Labour Day weekend bash. Being a first time vendor at this annual event is exciting for the crew. And Willa is even a judge for the Miss Dairy pageant. Well, excited until Nadine, the pageant director turns up dead. As this death has occurred at the beginning of the weekend festival, the local police wish to keep this quiet, not necessary to upset the local community! This however, does not stop Willa and her crew from quietly investigating for a possible suspect or two J

Loved the scene where Heath went undercover. His reticence was palpable and kind of cute. Going undercover should have been no problem for him but when he said the following – I burst out chuckling as the imagery was cute as well as funny:

“You mean in all your years as a police detective, you’ve never gone undercover?”

“Not as Woody from Toy Story,” he said dryly.

Through the story, this reader learned of the history between Willa and Heath. These two originally had a budding relationship but when Heath asked her to stop looking into it – Willa would not step away from the previous case, putting her and their budding relationship in danger. This ended their relationship four months previously. With a bit of trepidation, I might add, maybe there is still a chance? It seemed like it in this storyline they worked well together. But time and another book in the series will probably shed light on this.

The sleuthing at times was slow (or at least that is the impression I got) but in the end, everyone worked together in piecing together the events that lead to murder and the culprit. I found the name the group named themselves quaint, if not a bit predictable given they all work for a cheese store – “Team Cheese”. I did have an inkling of who the culprit might have been, but not sure until the end, which is good as this is how I like my cozy mysteries!

I would also like to say that I loved the cover art! Makes me want to go on a fondue picnic, Yum!!!

It is Dairy Days. Willa and her team have set up a booth to sell her cheeses and both Mrs. Shultz and Archie have volunteered to help with the pageant that will close the festival. They have full faith in Nadine, the power behind the scenes, will pull off another successful event. Nadine is not going to be available. Willa and Mrs Shultz find her body in the museum and there is some question whether it was an accident or murder. Because of the involvement of her friends, Willa is drawn into the investigation. But the local Police Chief is downplaying any suggestion of it being murder and in frustration Willa reaches out to Heath, the detective with whom she has some unfinished business.

There have been some shady things going on behind the scenes of the pageant and Nadine wanted to can one of the judges. The first mystery she and Heath uncover is the reason behind the desire to sever the relationship with the contest. In doing so, Willa dredges up some old and disturbing news whose tentacles have reached across the years and may have figured in current events. It evolves into an exciting finale where all is revealed and the killer is revealed. Four purrs and two paws up.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Paperbacks, and Korina Moss for providing this advance reader copy of the book. My honest review is below.

Amazing how many murders occur in small towns. No one seems to have an accidental death, it's always murder. People come from far away to murder in small towns. What would we do without cozy mysteries. Willa and gang are back and working another festival, Miss Dairy, and find a dead body. The book blurb gives away as much as I feel should be told without ruining the story for others. Suspend your sense of belief and enjoy a cast of fun characters and a cheesy mystery. Recipes included at the end, I love cheese.

#FondueorDie #KorinaMoss #NetGalley #StMartin'sPaperbacks # Cheese Shop Mystery #cozymystery #murdermystery #smalltownmurdermystery.

Time to venture back to Yarrow Glen with a brief stop off in Lockwood for the Dairy Days Festival!  What's better than a festival - especially one honoring dairy?  How about a pageant and a murder?  

I'm not sure what it is about Willa, but I always think she's older than she is.  This is not a criticism of the character at all, because she is fun and lively and inquisitive.  But I often find myself surprised by the things she's doing because my brain thinks she's sixty.  I'm sorry, Willa!  She is a great lead, however.  She's smart and wants nothing more than to see justice done... and maybe have a bit of cheese.

Team Cheese is also present and accounted for with everyone in rare form as their festival booth and the pageant have everyone juggling several commitments at once.  I always love the way that they come together to not just help solve the case, but help each other out as well.  There was a new person introduced in this novel and I'm eager to see if she becomes a more regular fixture, possibly even part of Team Cheese.  It'll be interesting to see.  

Probably the best part of this installment, however, was that Willa and Detective Heath got to work together instead of against each other.  Can't lie, they make both a cute couple and a great detective team.  Even though I know we won't get another chance like this with them, it was what really made the story for me.  

Although I jumped into this series in the middle, you can easily pick one up and not feel too lost in regards to what happened in previous novels.  Everyone in Yarrow Glen is a character and I think it'd be a great place to visit, minus all the murders.  I'd recommend this series to anyone who wants a quick, enjoyable read stuffed with lots and lots of cheese.

This was another fantastic novel in one of my favorite cozy mystery series! While I love Yarrow Glen, it was fun to see the characters in a different town in this book. Th mystery part was interesting and well written. Willa was, as always, a great MC. I loved the moments with Heath! All the supporting characters are delightful. Overall, I highly recommend reading this newest book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Sinking back into a beloved series should always be this wonderful! Korina Moss has created a great cast of characters to rally around Willa and it's simply a joy to read about them. Fondue or Die is the fifth in the series but it held up to the standards of the previous books. The mystery was solid and the hi-jinx were as expected. I'll continue to read this series as Moss writes more!


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my e-arc. Fondue or Die was released on October 22 so you can pick it up now!

Dollycas's Thoughts

The annual district-wide Dairy Days Festival takes place up the road from Yarrow Glen in Lockwood with thousands expected to attend. It will be Willa Bauer's Curds & Whey's first year at the event. Willa is excited to share her themed cheese grazing boxes with the masses. The three-day festival includes goat races, cheese wheel relays, butter sculptures and a Miss Dairy Pageant. Willa's employee and friend Mrs. Schultz will be assisting with the pageant while Archie and Baz help Willa with the Curds & Whey booth.

Pageant director Nadine Hockenbaum has an injury and she is stressed out so she needs Mrs. Schultz and her cousin Mary Ann's help dealing with the contestants and their mothers. Later Willa and Archie visit the Lockwood Historical Society Museum and find Nadine's dead body under a toppled shelving unit, books, and broken pottery. The chief of police quickly deems the death an accident but Willa points out why she thinks it was murder. When Mrs. Schultz agrees to take on directing the pageant she paints a target on her back and becomes a suspect in the murder. Team Cheese, plus one are on the case and will separate the curds and whey and fondue the real killer or die trying.

______

I love #TeamCheese. Ms. Moss has created a group of wonderful characters. Willa, Baz, Archie, and Mrs. Schultz are unique and genuine characters who feel true to life. A multigenerational group of friends who work together to serve up everything cheesy and solve a murder or two in their spare time. They are joined this time by Detective Heath as the case is out of his jurisdiction. Officer Shepherd (Shep) lent a hand too as he was working security at the festival. I love how much the characters have grown since the series started and how they continue to evolve throughout this story. The author gives them all places to shine.

Dairy Days was a fun theme for this story. Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth I participated in a pageant in my hometown and was thrilled to be crowned 2nd runner-up. For me, it meant a summer full of parades and dinners. For the girls in this pageant, it meant the chance to win scholarship money. Sadly, someone has it in for this pageant and its director.

The mystery Ms. Moss has put forth is a twisty one with a surprising motive. An old mystery is mixed in with a new one and I fell from every twist, turn, and misdirection the author penned so brilliantly. I was right there with Willa when she thought all her clues fell into place but we were both shocked by the dangerous and suspenseful showdown when the truth was revealed. I enjoyed all the detailed descriptions the author provided. I could visualize everything so clearly and my other senses were activated as well.

Fondue or Die is a splendid addition to this cozy cheese-filled series. The story was very well plotted with a mystery that kept me guessing. The characters kept me entertained and the ending left me with a huge smile on my face. I am excited that the next book Bait and Swiss will be released on April 29, 2025. I have saved a spot on my reading calendar.

4.25⭐
#teamcheese strikes again With the Dairy Days Festival in a neighboring town, Willa Bauer gets a booth for Curds & Whey, her cheese shop. The festival brings together three small towns and features a pageant with $15k scholarship for the winner. Between contestants, their stage-door mother's and a dictatorial pageant head, there's plenty of opportunity for drama. The mystery will keep you guessing while you're rooting for teamcheese to figure it all out. Fun characters. Fun story.

Fondue or Die is the fifth Cheese Shop cozy mystery by Korina Moss. Released 22nd Oct 2024 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in mass market paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

Cheese shop owner Willa Bauer is back with her quirky helpers, her cheese store Curds & Whey, lots and lots of cheese trivia, lots of groan-worthy puns, and another bizarre murder/accident to solve. This time, it's labor day weekend and annoying event organizer Nadine's been discovered under a pile of ceramic milk jugs. It's up to cheesemonger Willa and friends to get to the bottom of the mystery before her friend Mrs. Schultz gets sent to the big house for the crime.

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).

Although it's the fifth book in the series, the plot arc and resolution are self-contained, and it works well enough as a standalone. With five books currently in the series (and a 6th due out in second quarter 2025), 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 readers will surely find a number of specialty cheeses to try out. The author has also included intriguing cheese themed recipe for a special upgraded pimento cheese sandwich (yum!).

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

I’ve been a fan of Korina Moss’s Cheese Shop Mysteries series since book one, Cheddar Off Dead. So when I saw a new release was coming, I knew I had to pick it up, and Fondue or Die did not disappoint.

I’ve been in a major reading slump lately, and I needed to reunite with some favorite characters in a familiar setting. Willa and #teamcheese were just the remedy to my situation. Willa and her friends and co-workers are so diverse yet entertaining that I want to be part of their circle. And the fact that they band together to solve crimes while going on with their daily business is just a bonus.

If you’ve ever read my reviews on mysteries, you’ll know that one of my pet peeves is that so often, the mystery, especially in cozies, tends to be an afterthought to the character and world-building. In Fondue or Die, there was a wonderful balance between the mystery and everything else. There was enough world development to set the stage for the mystery. There was a lot of advancement in relationships and friendships, but well mixed in with the mystery. And then the mystery itself was interesting and well done. I can’t say I was terribly surprised at the resolution, but everything made sense to me in the end.

Fondue or Die is an excellent addition to the Cheese Shop Mysteries series. It hit all the right notes, and I can’t wait for the next installment in the series. If you enjoy culinary mysteries and don’t mind a deep dive into cheese, this book and series may be for you.

n this next installment in the Cheese Shop Mystery series, Willa Bauer and Team Cheese help law enforcement solve a murder. Dairy Days is in full swing, including a pageant directed by Nadine. However, Nadine meets with an untimely accident when a shelf falls on her at the historical museum. When Willa finds Nadine at the scene, some things just do not add up, and Willa and her team jump in to help. Past secrets come to light and add to the suspense of this cozy mystery novel. Yummy cheesy recipes are the best part of this novel, along with a little bit of romance.

This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. Readers of cozy mysteries will find this a fun addition to their reading list, as there are no scenes of gory details or intimacy, and no strong language.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

It's been a long time since I've read a cozy mystery and I've missed them!

Even though Fondue or Die is the 5th book in the series, I read it as a standalone. It can be read on it's own, but I would highly recommend reading the rest of the series first. The long list of characters and their relationships were lost on me and I struggled the first half of the book figuring out who was who. Once I caught up, I enjoyed the mystery and how many different storylines were woven together.

Thank you to Netgallery and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Paperbacks for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Top Pick - 4.5 Stars

Willa Bauer is the owner of a specialty cheese shop in the small town of Yarrow Glen, California. Her shop is going to have a booth at the Labor Day Dairy Days festival in the neighboring town of Lockwood. Everyone from the shop participates in the festival, and Willa’s employee, Mrs. Schultz, helps with the beauty pageant. When the woman running the pageant dies at the festival, local law enforcement is ready to call it an accident to keep the profitable festival from being canceled. However, Willa and her friends, who call themselves Team Cheese, think it’s murder.

Even though the Lockwood police chief is trying to rule the death of Nadine Hockenbaum an accident, there are several clues that point to murder. The chief seems to alternate between saying nobody is responsible for the death and treating Mrs. Schultz as a suspect. Willa worries either way that her friend will be arrested or could be in danger from a killer. She is determined to find out what really happened to Nadine, no matter what the Lockwood police chief says. Willa’s investigations have been an obstacle in the past to a potential romance with Yarrow Glen’s handsome detective, but this time, Heath is on her side and working with her to investigate. Things become dramatic and dangerous for Team Cheese as they get closer to the whole truth.

This is the fifth Cheese Shop Mystery book and one of my favorites in the series. The plot is interesting, and the friendship between the main characters really shines. More than in any of the prior books, I could really feel the chemistry between Willa and Heath and hope things work out. I think new readers could easily catch up and enjoy the book. If you’ve not read one of these books before, you will quickly learn that in addition to being entertained, you will also start craving cheese. Luckily, there are a couple of recipes at the end of the book.

~ Christine

3.5/5 ⭐️
The next Cheese Shop mystery finds Willa and crew investigating after a pageant director is murdered. When someone else is targeted, they aren't sure who the real target was.

I like this series and this was a solid addition! The books seem to be up and down for me - I like them all but some I find slower than others. This was one of them. I don't think we really got a lot of side character development for Willa, which is fine, but I think the next book will need to advance that a little more.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dairy Days is happening in an adjacent town. Willa’s shop Curds & Whey has a booth. There’s a lot of activity but the annual pageant for high school girls with a scholarship is running into trouble. Some think it’s outdated but someone thinks more than that is the problem. Join Willa and her friends to find who’s killing the pageant team. Great addition to the series.

It’s Dairy Days in the nearby town of Lockwood, and Willa Bauer has cheese and is willing to travel. From her cheese shop in Yarrow Glen, she and her Curds & Whey team are packing up themed grazing boxes filled with selections of cheeses that they can sell from their booth. They are ready to take part in the celebrations, from the cow parade to the butter sculptures to the Miss Dairy pageant. But the pageant is put on hold when Willa finds the pageant runner, Nadine, dead in the Lockwood Historical Society Museum.

The local sheriff starts to investigate like it’s an accident, but Willa questions that. Nadine had been found under some very heavy shelves, and Willa doesn’t think that they could fall on their own. And the lights had been turned out. Willa is concerned that the local police aren’t taking Nadine’s death seriously enough, so she turns to her friend Detective Heath. Heath can’t officially investigate in Lockwood, but he agrees that something isn’t quite right with the current investigation, so he agrees to spend some of his time at the Dairy Days. Willa is relieved and tries to focus on enjoying what she can of the festival.

Despite Nadine’s death, the pageant goes on, with the drama of teenagers and pageant moms, judges and a $15,000 scholarship. The celebrity judge they had originally asked to participate pulled out after the suspicious death, so they ask Willa to step in. She had no ties to Lockwood and has one of the critical requirements, an in-depth knowledge of dairy, and she agrees to help out. It also gives her an excuse to be near to the pageant, to keep investigating. And just like that, Team Cheese is on the case.

Team Cheese is Willa and her two employees, retired teacher Mrs. Schultz and Archie, young cheesemonger-in-training, along with Willa’s best friend Baz. Mrs. Schultz is already helping with the pageant, so she is in a position to get information from backstage. Archie helps out in the booth when Willa wants to go check out some clues, and Baz has handyman skills that can get him into places others can’t get to.

As Team Cheese gathers information, this time with the help of Detective Heath, Willa finds that there are other crimes that may be motive for the murder. Willa suspects that the head judge is taking bribes. And the town’s museum talks of both a public fire that trapped two teenagers briefly and a kidnapping where the child was returned unharmed but no one was ever charged with the crime. As Willa puts the information together in a way that makes sense, she finds herself in the sights of a killer. Will Team Cheese be able to bring a killer to justice, or will their chance to catch a killer melt away?

Fondue or Die is book 5 in the delicious Cheese Shop Mystery series. Korina Moss blends cozy mysteries with mouth-watering descriptions of cheesy delicacies in these fun mysteries about a cheesemonger in a small town in Sonoma Valley. These books are well written with interesting characters, including a pet fish who is a big fan of Chopped (but then, who isn’t?), and they give descriptions of cheeses that are popular and hidden gems, offering facts about where they come from, how they’re made, how they look, and how they taste. There are even recipes with recommendations for anyone who wants to up their grilled cheese, pasta, or fondue game.

I liked Fondue or Die a lot. I love the idea of the dairy festival, and I wish I could have been there to try out that Cow Chip Bingo. I thought this one was well plotted, with some good red herrings and even strong hints at an MLM. Author Korina Moss does a really good job balancing the cheese with the crimes and thinking up complex cozy plots for a very entertaining book. My main complaint is how hungry I always get reading these, but I love that I get to learn so much along the way.

Egalleys for Fondue or Die were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

If you like delicious sounding food & a warm atmosphere to your cozies, seek no further. Curds & Whey is a delightful business for Team Cheese to gather around. And that’s a huge highlight for me, that our heroine Willa has a group that aids in her sleuthing. To save one of them, Willa has to solve the murder of the pageant runner. It comes with a lot of drama, fights with judges, pageant mothers. I liked the teaming up with Heath as well, finally! There’s some really great secrets revealed along the way & how they connect with the murder was very clever. This series has consistently been exactly what you want from a cozy mystery.

🧀

Read if you like:
* Grilled Cheese series by Linda Reilly
* Bake Shop series by Ellie Alexander
* Maple Syrup series by Catherine Bruns

Willa just planned to have a booth at Dairy Days. She couldn’t even have begun to think that she and Team Cheese would be involved in solving a murder. But when Willa finds the head of the Miss Dairy pageant with her head bashed in and Mrs. Schultz under the sheriff’s microscope, there is no other choice.

I really enjoy this series. From delicious cheese descriptions to recipes to the solid mystery, nothing is lacking! Each time I receive a new entry in the series, I devour it. Not only is a great cozy mystery, but it’s like visiting friends. That makes it one of my favorite must read cozy series!

When cheese monger and cheese shop owner Willa and her team participate in Dairy Days, they expect a fun festival featuring their favorite ingredient. They don't expect to find the director of the Miss Dairy pageant found murdered. Things get even more concerning when the town's mayor and police chief seem to want to sweep it under the rug as an accident. But Willa knows what she saw and is determined to figure out what happened to the poor woman.

Cheese is one of my favorite food groups, so I love a cozy mystery that teaches me more about it and includes mouthwatering descriptions that have me heading for the fridge. This mystery was also super well-plotted, with a lot of puzzle pieces coming together in the end for a nice conclusion. I figured out some of the clues, but not all, and was pleasantly surprised by how everything came together. I can't wait to read the next in the series!

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

5 stars - 9/10

A new city, a new police chief, and a new murder to solve. The Lockwood Dairy Day's Festival goes wrong when Willa stumbles upon yet another body. But after seeing the mayor try to hush up the mystery and the police chief seem to go along with it, Willa decides to take the case into her own hands, and Team Cheese investigates!
Korina Moss is a master at humor and mystery, and I loved every twist and turn. It was so fun getting to know new characters, and a certain young lady who loves costumes as much as Andy...I hope she's in many more books to come!
Fondue or Die is my new favorite installment in the Cheese Shop mysteries, and I can't wait for more books. Willa and Team Cheese are an absolute delight, and I so appreciate how Willa is smart and intuitive when it comes to solving the mystery!
And don't even get me started on Detective Heath!!! I SCREAMED when he finally entered the scene, and the romantic tension between him and Willa was incredible. Korina Moss is an incredible writer!