Review of "Up To No Gouda: A Grilled Cheese Mystery" by Linda Reilly

 

Carly Hale put her dream of owning a grilled cheese sandwich restaurant on hold when she married her college boyfriend Daniel and worked her way up to become manager of the historic Ivory Swan Inn.

Then Daniel was killed in a tragic road accident, and when Carly's grief subsided, she moved back to her hometown of Balsam Dell, Vermont and opened Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery.....



.....which specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.



The eatery, which opened five months ago, has two employees: Suzanne - a server who's supporting herself and her little son;



and Grant - a talented nineteen-year-old cook who's saving up for culinary school.



The restaurant has a central location in Balsam Dell, and Carly - who upgraded the facility using Daniel's insurance money - has high hopes for its future.



Then Carly gets a terrible shock. Her high school boyfriend, entrepreneur Lyle Bagley, has bought the building that houses the eatery and won't be renewing Carly's lease. In fact Lyle shows up at the restaurant and gives Carly one month to vacate the property, which he plans to transform into a fashion boutique for his fiancée Tiffany.



Suzanne, who'll lose her server job when the eatery closes, goes ballistic. She slams down a napkin holder, sticks her finger in Lyle's face, and says "One of these days Lyle Bagley, you're going to get what's coming to you, big time. You can bet on it."



The next morning, Lyle's corpse is found near the dumpster behind Carly's restaurant, and Suzanne is a prime suspect.

Carly refuses to believe Suzanne is guilty and sets out to find the real killer. Since Lyle was a self-centered scoundrel who made a lot of enemies, there are plenty of suspects, and Carly makes it her business to investigate them - to the dismay of the police chief.



Carly is a clever sleuth, and she's assisted by the editor of Balsam Dell's weekly free newspaper, who fancies himself an investigative journalist.



We also meet other interesting characters, including: patrons of Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery; Carly's wheelchair-bound landlady and her caretaker, who make Carly a birthday cake; Lyle's estranged brother, who thinks Lyle cheated him out of a Cadillac; a homeless Afghanistan war vet who's pulling herself up by her bootstraps; Carly's high school friend Gina, who was married to Lyle for a brief time; and more.

Most importantly we become acquainted with a handsome businessman/sports coach named Ari who makes Carly's heart flutter.....



.......and a homeless Morkie puppy that Carly feeds and names Havarti.



This is a fine debut for the 'Grilled Cheese Mysteries', with delicious-sounding sandwiches such as: Party Havarti; Vermont Classic; Bacon Grilled Cheese; Farmhouse Cheddar Sleeps with the Fishes (Grilled Cheese Tuna Melt); and more.


Party Havarti


Vermont Classic


Bacon Grilled Cheese


Farmhouse Cheddar Sleeps with the Fishes

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Mia Gaskin, who does a good job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Linda Reilly, and Dreamscape Media for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3 stars