Bait & Swiss is the newest instalment of the Cheese Shop Mysteries cozy mystery series by Korina Moss. I love this series and we are back following Willa as she runs her cheese shop in Yarrow Glen. While preparing for their big anniversary celebration Willa is distracted by a new caker opening in town and its featuring a chocolate business owned by Willa's ex fiance and ex best friend. Things get worse when a reporter dies after eating chocolates from that business that were accidentally given to Wila and she ended up delivering to be reviewed.
She's pulled into a mystery that has multiple suspects, a number of potential victims and lots of twists and turns. We get some romance, great friendships and lots of red herrings to keep you guessing!

I loved this mystery. Willa's personal life and professional life intersect when her ex fiancé and bestie come to town. I feel like even though the cheese crew worked really hard to identify every possible suspect there were really only a max of 5 that made sense. I love her work crew and Baz, they are a great group of friends to surround herself with. The author does a good job of not making Willa seem older than she currently is. I do believe she could be in her thirty's (for example she isn't odd about tattoos or piercings) and when she talked about being salty I smiled. I thought the ending was good, cause I really didn't know which of the two people I suspected actually did it but wow exciting ending. Now Heath.... Willa is more forgiving than me cause I would not accept that and continue the relationship. I still like Roman the most, I do truly understand why it didn't work out but if you are gonna maintain a no label why not go with the more charming dude?

This was another excellent book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series! I loved getting more info on Willa's past, in the form of her ex fiance and ex best friend's presence in the book. While we already knew the basics from previous novels, getting to read about her interactions with them gave more light to the situation. I was surprised by the ending, (I figured it out right before Willa does!) and thought the mystery aspect was really well written. As always, I love getting appearances from all of her friends, plus the other people in town, including ones we haven't seen much in recent books. Overall, this is one of my favorite cozy mystery series, and I highly recommend it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I get a lot of advanced reader copies offered to me and I stopped taking most of them because, well, I just haven’t gotten into reading for fun much of late. So often I find contemporary stories dull or indistinctive from all the others out there. I thought I’d give Bait & Swiss a shot, though, as the premise sounded more fun than most: cozy mystery focused on cheese.

I’m delighted I gave this book a shot – and I’m thrilled to say it’s an engaging, fast-paced read full of intrigue plotting, excellent writing, and believable characters. Let’s dive in.
What is Bait & Swiss All About?

Bait & Swiss, at a quick glance, comes from the Cheese Shop Mysteries cozy mystery series by Korina Moss. The stories center on the first-person narrator, Willa, the owner of a cheese shop in a small town on the West Coast. The story follows the mystery of poisoned chocolates and murder, which Willa must solve for the sake of herself and her friends (and former friends).
How’s the Writing and Storytelling in Bait & Swiss?

Korina Moss is one of the best writers I’ve read in a while, at least in this genre. The writing is clear, succinct, and emotionally charged to just the right level for believability and enjoyment. It’s not hyped drama, nor does it fall flat of what you’d expect a person in Willa’s position to feel. And, as an editor, I usually find myself editing as I read. In this case, I didn’t need to.

Pacing is often another huge issue with cozy mysteries – there’s either not enough space for readers to breathe or there’s too much fluff and the tension drops. Korina Moss does an excellent job of negotiating the pace particularly well – with neither a dry nor an overwrought moment – with tight dialogue, clear narrative, and clean action.
What Were My Personal Impressions and Impact of Bait & Swiss?

I’m now officially a huge fan of Korina Moss and the Cheese Shop Mystery series! I plan to find older stories in the series and will always claim future books by the author, no matter what the series or genre.

I can’t say this book changed my life in any way – after all, it’s a cozy mystery – but it’s been one of the few books in the past 12 months that I’ve looked forward to reading and had to force myself to stop so that I could get work done. Well done, Korina Moss!
Would I Recommend Reading Bait & Swiss?

If you enjoy a good, cozy mystery novel, I’d highly recommend pre-ordering your copy today. It’s one of the best in the genre I’ve read in a long time. You won’t regret it! I’d also recommend find previous stories in the series to “catch up” before you get Bait & Swiss delivered on April 29, 2025.

Bait and Swiss Review: A Perfect Installment to a Perfect Cozy Mystery Series

⭐ 5/5 Stars

Summary:
Willa Bauer’s cheese shop, Curds & Whey, is thriving in Yarrow Glen and about to have their anniversary party—until her ex-fiancé and ex-best friend steal her thunder by surprise opening a chocolate pop-up shop right across the street. As if that isn’t bad enough, on their opening day, a local reporter is found dead—by chocolate poisoning. When her exes begs her to help clear their names, Willa would rather chuck a block of cheese at them, but she can’t ignore how the murder is hurting her town’s business district and her good friend who happens the boss of the dead man. Setting personal feelings aside, Willa and team cheese set out to find the killer before Yarrow Glen crumbles like blue cheese under the weight of scandal.

Review:
I absolutely LOVED this book! It’s a fantastic addition to an already perfect cozy mystery series, bringing together everything I adore—engaging storytelling, well-developed characters, and a charming small-town setting that feels like a character in itself.

Pros:
✔ Compelling Storyline– The mystery was intriguing, and the personal stakes for Willa made it all the more engaging.
✔ Character Development– I loved seeing further depth in characters we already know and getting to understand others who haven’t been explored as much before.
✔ Yarrow Glen’s Atmosphere– The town truly comes to life, adding warmth and personality to the story.
✔ Standalone Friendly– While this book can be read on its own, it’s even more enjoyable if you’ve read at least one other in the series, as it gives more insight into Willa’s past.
✔ Willa’s Strength– Honestly, Willa is a better person than me—I would never help out my ex-fiancé and ex-best friend after the way they treated her! But her kindness and determination make her such a great protagonist.

Cons:
✘ I didn’t feel much connection to the murder victim, but that didn’t bother me too much since Willa’s motivation to solve the case was more about protecting her loved ones than avenging the victim.
✘ More Heath, Please! – I completely understand why Detective Heath kept his distance, but I selfishly wanted more romance. Just one more date night scene would’ve made me extra happy!

Overall, this book is an absolute **must-read** for cozy mystery lovers, and I can’t wait for the next installment!

this was a strong entry in the Cheese Shop mystery series, it had that element that I was looking for from this type of book. It was everything that I was looking for and was engaged with figuring out what was happening. Korina Moss wrote this well and was invested in what was going on, it continued the story perfectly and was glad I was able to read this.

Bait and Swiss is the newest book in this fabulous series by Karina Moss.
#TeamCheese is at it again when two people from Willa's past are suddenly setting up shop in her town.
Willa is shocked to see Pearce and Riley again, the two people who caused her shame and betrayal.
Willa unknowingly becomes a prime suspect in a murder investigation when she hand delivers a box of poisoned chocolate to the local paper's editor.
With the help of her two employees and her best friend, Willa is determined to find the truth and prove her innocence.
This is my favorite book in the series so far, but I'm sure I will say that about the next one, too.
I really love this series, it is definitely in my top three favorites and I'm looking forward to reading many more books in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Team Cheese is back at it again with another murder mystery to solve in Yarrow Glen. This time around, it involves people from Willa's past who had betrayed her. Her ex-fiance and ex-best friend have teamed up with Hope's cakery to franchise their chocolate business, Chocolate Bliss. Out of all the places to go, they just had to open up shop in YG! Especially since there is already a candy shop in town.

A.J.' s new reporter was found dead having eaten the entire box of chocolates that were meant for A.J. by Chocolate Bliss, in hopes of getting a good review. Not knowing that they were poisoned. Willa just happened to have delivered the sweets since there was a mix-up with her order by having the chocolates added onto her order. Now Willa and A.J. are the main suspects on this murder case, and, of course, Team Cheese has got to figure it out and clear their names. Who could have poisoned the reporter? 🤔 The suspect list was a long one this time around, and there were just too many motives. Every single person mentioned had me thinking it was them!

I know Willa is involved with Detective Heath, but I seriously 'ship' Baz & Willa. Their friendship has such a strong foundation from the get-go that it would be cute if they did end up together ❤️ sorry not sorry. I absolutely love Team Cheese. They all seem to genuinely care for one another and have established a family dynamic, which is the dream! To have co-workers who aren't just friends but family!

As always, Korina, you had me on the edge of my seat, and I can't wait for the next murder mystery to solve! TEAM CHEESE 🧀 😋

I haven’t read book 5 yet in the series, but I still enjoyed this book. The mystery kept me interested and I liked the interactions between the characters. I also like how the reveal of the killer was done in the book. Thanks NetGalley for allowing to read and review this book.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

Wow what an unexpected plot! Willa is shocked to find out that her ex-fiancee and former best friend are in town to open a branch of their chocolate stores. When a reporter dies after eating a box of their chocolates that Willa was asked to deliver to AJ she and AJ become suspects not only in poisoning the chocolates but also in murder. Heath has to stay away to avoid conflict of interest so Willa and AJ along with Team Cheese are left to their own devices, namely finding a killer and clearing their names. A very satisfying ending as well. Probably my favorite in the series so far!

Bait and Swiss is the 6th fabulous book in Korina Moss's Cheese Shop series and it is one of my all-time favorite series. It is a quintessential cozy mystery with wonderful characters, friendship, clean romance and a mystery to keep you guessing! Willa Bauer owns Curds & Whey Cheese Shop in Yarrow Glen, CA. Her friends and employees are Mrs. Schultz and Archie and they make up Team Cheese along with Willa's best friend Baz and occasionally new employee June. Team Cheese is what they call themselves when they are investigating. Neighboring store, Hope's Cakery, is having a grand opening and the details are all very secret. Hope has partnered with Chocolate Bliss which is Willa's ex fiance Pearce's and ex friend Riley's chocolate business. Willa is not happy to see them! It is also Curds & Whey's 2nd Anniversary and Willa, Mrs Schultz and Archie have a celebration planned. At the end of the first day of Chocolate Bliss's pop up shop debut, the new reporter is found dead after eating some of their chocolates. Pearce and Riley don't know anyone and ask Willa for help. Willa ends up as a suspect and needs to clear her name. Willa is dating Detective Jay Heath and he helps along with Team Cheese. Another friend Roman makes an appearance. The comradery between Willa, Mrs Schultz, Archie and Baz is what makes this book and series so wonderful. Heath, Archie, Baz and AJ add friendship, humor and romance to the story. This is one you won't want to miss! #BaitAndSwiss #CheeseShopMysteries #TeamCheese #KorinaMoss #StMartinsPress #cozymystery

Willa doesn't eat chocolate after her ex-fiance and ex-best friend opened up a chocolate store. When they come to her town to open another branch she is not happy. Finding a dead body who died from eating those chocolates doesn't help either. Especially since she had delivered them. A good cozy mystery with some fun recipes at the end. Would recommend.

I may be a little biased because of my love for cheese, but I found this novel comforting and inviting. I wanted to jump into the story and be a part of Team Cheese!

This was my first cheese shop mystery, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by how charming both the book and its characters were. I’ll now be going back to binge-read the rest of the series, and I’m already looking forward to reading more.

I especially loved the added touch of the recipes at the end!

Bait and Swiss not only has a punny name but the content doesn't let you down either! I love a cozy surrounded by food, and this was one of the best I've read! The only downside was how hungry it made me.

Love this series. 1 of my favorites. Especially that it's cheese themed. Makes me want to try new ones also. Hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Looking forward to more in the series

Perhaps the hardest personal aspect of this investigation, well, other than being considered a suspect, was the need for Willa to avoid contact with boyfriend-detective Heath. Seems his superior is watching this one very closely and would like nothing better than to take the case away from Heath, thus denying Willa what protection he can provide from harassment. If only she hadn't given in to that moment of pique and left that now questionable note with the chocolates she delivered to the newsroom for the brand new shop. Nothing like leaving your fingerprints and a potential threat in broad daylight. Needless to say, despite being stunned that the pop-up chocolate shop is headed by her ex-finance and former best friend, Willa carries on what she does so well, trying to run her own cheese shop as usual while ferreting out evidence and questioning potential suspects, even those who happen to be people she likes.

So, who poisoned the new, quite pushy newspaper reporter? Who had motive and opportunity to put the poison into the chocolate rum cremes? We barely got to meet ambitious reporter Kevin Wallace before he was dead, so little is known about him other than that he'd surely managed to annoy many in a short time, but...enough to kill him? Or, wait. Was he even the target? Or was it Gazette editor/owner AJ? Or, gasp, even Willa? I won't detail the plot further other than to say that there seem to be ample suspects but none with a seemingly legit reason to kill. Willa is already unhappy by the presence of her former fiance Pearce and former friend Riley but reluctantly agrees to help. Side-stories are less stressful, with even some budding romances. And, oh, for those unaware, a pop-up shop is meant as a temporary shop, usually used to test a new product line in an area with heavy foot traffic.

Bottom line, lots going on, including some humor. I'm pretty sure Willa didn't like how her bed-head hair was described, for instance, and AJ's attachment to that fedora certainly isn't helpful in going undercover. The characters were likable and it was fun watching them interact and deal with their own lives, romantic and otherwise, in addition to helping Willa with the case. Yarrow Glen sounds like an intriguing town with close knit shop and shop owners who support each other through both the good and bad times. It was sad to see the sudden drop in trust of food places as a result of the poisoning but perhaps that is normal. Fortunately, I've had no experience with that. You'll get to know them by the time the big reveal of whodunit rolls around, one that was a bit of a surprise to me, I must admit, even though it made sense. Thanks #St.Martin'sPress for giving me this early look at how Willa's life is progressing in Yarrow Glen. After that scene at the end definitely looking forward to the next book.

Curds & Whey has only been open two years and Willa needs to solve a sixth murder.

Willa’s ex-fiancé, Pierce, and his partner, Willa’s former best friend, Riley, have opened a pop-up chocolate shop in the town’s revamped bakery. Willa is, reasonably in my opinion, angry that the pair has chosen her town for their newest store, but when a reporter is killed by poisoned chocolates, she knows she’s not guilty, even if the police chief isn’t so sure. I felt a little bad for the character who got killed. We met him, saw he was pushy, and then he was dead. There was never much consideration that he was even the intended victim.

The reader has several suspects to look at, although Willa would rather not believe any of them are guilty. And was destroying the business’s reputation the point, or was someone trying to kill AJ, the newspaper editor, or Willa herself? Turns out Pierce is not a very nice guy – no surprise, and not entirely honest. Duncan, the store manager, is unhappy with the contract. The owners of the town’s candy shop aren’t thrilled with the competition. And the bakery’s former bread baker/manager is out of a job due to the change in the bakery’s focus.

As always, I enjoy the friendship and banter between Willa, Archie, Baz, and Mrs. Schultz. Detective Heath annoys me a bit – I wish he could be more supportive, but the ending gives me hope.

I was surprised by who the killer turned out to be, but I probably should have seen it coming.

There are also a couple of recipes in the back that I might try: a creamy dip that sounds perfect for game night and pizza smashed potatoes.

I enjoyed this book very much. I liked getting a sense of Pearce and Riley, since they were so key in Willa's life and decision to open her shop. The mystery was a good one, with nicely developed red herrings.

Curds and Whey is going strong in Yarrow Glen. Willa is thriving as well.

But there is always something around the corner. This is Willa’s ex!

A Chocolatier and the reason Willa steers clear of chocolate. So what is said ex up to? A pop-up shop directly across the street. Although it may be a short lived venture, after the first day finds a dead reporter. Turns out Death by Chocolate is a real thing!

And Willa and the gang are going to help no matter what!

Always fun!

NetGalley/ St. Martin’s Press/ SMP Paperback April 29, 2025