Cheddar Late Than Dead (Grilled Cheese Mystery 3), by Linda Reilly

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Since I read No Parm No Foul (Grilled Cheese Mystery 2), by Linda Reilly, last summer, I have been looking forward to this third installment. To date, Cheddar Late Than Dead (Grilled Cheese Mystery 3) is the only book I've ever pre-ordered, which tells you how excited I was to read it and have my own copy of it. I'm pleased to say, it exceeded my expectations.

Carly Hale is the owner of Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery in Balsam Dell, Vermont. Her relationship with her boyfriend, Ari, is well-established and things are also going smoothly at the eatery. In addition to keeping her regular employees, Grant and Suzanne, Carly has now hired Valerie to help out.  

One day, two of her friends Carly hasn't seen in a while, Dawn and Klarissa, show up at the eatery. Klarissa is getting married soon and Dawn is her wedding planner. Unfortunately, Klarissa's wedding plans come to an screeching halt when someone is murdered. Carly takes on another investigation, against the advice of the authorities. What is Carly's motivation for getting involved? Who would commit such a heinous crime, and why?

I have been enjoying this series from the beginning, but it has gotten even better with each new installment. There is a good mix of characters in Cheddar Late Than Dead. Several of them are familiar to readers who read the previous books, while some are new. Some of them are very likeable, while others not so much. While the supporting cast we're familiar with doesn't play a huge role in this book, I did enjoy meeting with them again. I was especially interested in Grant's side story in this one. He has been one of my favorite characters from the beginning and I never get tired of finding out what he's up to.

The mystery in Cheddar Late Than Dead is again a strong one, but even more complex than in the previous books. There are twists and turns and red herrings throughout the book. I thought I knew who the culprit was from the beginning and I held my ground on this suspect until almost the end when Carly figured it out. I was hoping I was wrong...and I was. The final chapters in this book are very emotional. There is so much more to it than just figuring out whodunnit. Be prepared for some jaw-dropping events and revelations. I truly felt something for all of these characters. I wanted the book to end, and yet I didn't want it to end.

You can read this self-contained mystery without first having read the previous two, but like most cozies, it's more enjoyable (in my opinion) if you read them order. That way you can follow the main characters and their stories. Either way, if you're a fan of cozies, I highly recommend this one. It's cozy and clean, yet entertaining, emotional, and suspenseful. It briefly covers some heavy topics in a respectable way.

None of the books in this series contain cursing. I know it doesn't bother many readers, but one of my biggest pet peeves in cozies is cursing. I read cozies in the hopes of avoiding language like that and I always appreciate when authors write quality cozies without it. Cursing doesn't make it a bad book; it's just something I prefer not to read. I'm glad I can read all the books published so far in the Grilled Cheese Mystery series without it.

For fans of culinary cozies with recipes, Cheddar Late Than Dead contains two delectable-sounding ones at the end of the book. One of them is something I've been hoping for since the previous installments and the other is quite unique and new to me. Just when you think grilled cheese can't get any more scrumptious...it does.

Cheddar Late Than Dead (Grilled Cheese Mystery 3), by Linda Reilly, releases on Tuesday, January 31st and the story is set around this same time period. I was very happy I received my pre-ordered copy a few weeks early. Will you be reading it or have you already read it? Please let me know. I really want to chat about it!