No Parm No Foul (Grilled Cheese Mystery 2), by Linda Reilly

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This is a special release day review for the second installment in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries series, by Linda Reilly. I am grateful to have received a copy of No Parm No Foul when I won a giveaway and I was able to read it the week before its release day.

It is autumn in Balsam Dell, Vermont and Carly Hale, owner of Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery, is preparing for the upcoming Halloween food competition. Grant, one of Carly's dedicated co-workers, decides to quit his part-time job at a local sub shop. The owner of Sub-a-Dub Sub, Ferris Menard, is holding Grant's departure against Carly and he confronts her. The morning after the food competition, Mr. Menard is found dead in his kitchen and the prime suspect is the love of Carly's life, Ari. Determined to have Ari removed from the suspect list, Carly sets out to find the real killer.

This series is close to my heart because National Grilled Cheese Day is on my birthday. Plus, I just love grilled cheese sandwiches. I typically am not drawn to culinary cozies for the food aspect because I rarely make the recipes. However, I just knew I had to start collecting this entire series. Grilled cheese sandwiches are pretty simple to make, so I knew I'd get some ideas that I could experiment with. I read the first book in this series, Up to No Gouda, before I started this blog, so I'll have to go back and review that one at some point. 

No Parm No Foul is everything I look for in a cozy mystery. To my delight, I enjoyed it even more than the first one in the series (and I really enjoyed that one). I started reading No Parm No Foul the day I received it and I finished it in five days. That's a short period of time for me since I am a slow reader. I just could not put it down. The mystery is strong, with lots of clues, red herrings, and viable suspects to consider. The pacing is also good, with never a dull moment. I liked that Carly had a strong motivator for wanting to solve the mystery. I wavered between a few suspects with my guesses and I thought I eventually had it figured out, but I was wrong. I finally did figure it out just about the time it all clicked for Carly. This is the best kind of mystery.

One element that I was pleasantly surprised to see used in this book was poetry. The poems themselves are creative and their role in the book took them to another level. I used to write poetry, and reading the sprinkling of poetry throughout the book made me want to compose again.

All of the main characters from the first book returned in this one and we learned more about some of them. We are also introduced to more very likable characters. They are the kinds of people I would want to spend time with, especially in the quaint town of Balsam Dell, Vermont. I am especially interested in finding out how Grant's life will unfold. I can see him as the lead in a spinoff series eventually. Maybe that's my wishful thinking, but I do enjoy him as Carly's co-worker too. So I'll be happy either way.

At the conclusion of the book, there are two recipes, one of which I am planning to try a variation of for lunch today. I must say, though, every time Grant talks about his tomato soup, I keep wishing he would share his recipe with us. 

I appreciate the fact that the recipes, while delicious-sounding, do not overpower the book. It's really the story itself that makes this a fantastic cozy mystery, as it should be. I cannot wait until book #3 is released in January 2023!

Until then, I highly recommend No Parm No Foul, by Linda Reilly. However, I recommend starting with Up to No Gouda if you have not yet read that one.

In the comments below, I'd love to know your thoughts on either of these two books!