Book Review: Gone for Gouda by Korina Moss (Cheese Shop Mysteries #2)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong plot, great characters

Cons: All gouda; no cons to report

The Bottom Line:

Diva author dead

Strong second series entry

Great for fans of first

Murder Preempts Author Event

I really had intended to get to Gone for Gouda, the second Cheese Shop Mystery, closer to its release.  But then I got the idea to save it for Christmas.  You see, the series is set in Sonoma County, California, and that’s where my family lives.  I figured it would make it extra fun to read it while I was in the area where it is set.

If you’ve missed this series so far, it features Willa Bauer who has opened Curds & Whey, a cheese shop in the charming fictional town of Yarrow Glen.  Since the shop is still fairly new, she is thrilled to be offered the chance to host Phoebe Winston, a famous vegan chef who is out promoting her new cookbook.  Yes, a vegan event at a cheese shop.  You see, Willa has just started carrying the brand of vegan cheese that Phoebe works with.

However, Willa quickly realizes she is in over her head when Phoebe shows up the day before the event and starts making all kinds of demands.  Things take a turn for the worse the next day when a secret that Phoebe has is made public.  Then Willa finds Phoebe dead in the house she was renting in the area.  The security tapes at the house show Willa’s employee Archie as the only one to come and go, but Willa knows Archie couldn’t have done it.  Can she figure out what is really going on?

We get just enough time to see why someone would kill Phoebe before she is dead.  As Willa investigates, she learns more about Phoebe’s past that opens more possibilities as far as suspects go, if only she can figure out how the killer got onto the rental property to commit the crime.  I enjoyed that added aspect of the book.  As we neared the climax, this took a twist and became a race to figure things out while still throwing several surprised our way.  I absolutely loved how it was all executed.

My biggest complaint about the first book was not enough of the supporting cast.  That problem is fixed here, which is a great thing.  Willa has made a varied group of friends, and I really enjoyed getting to spend more time with all of them.  They add a spark to the book.  The suspects are just as interesting and did their job of keeping me confused.

We actually leave Yarrow Glen in this book, and travel to Santa Rosa, a real place, which I absolutely loved since that’s where I grew up.  It also meant I had to adjust my mental map of where Yarrow Glen fits in Sonoma County, but that’s a minor thing.  Yes, I love this added connection I have to the series.

If you are a cheese lover (and who isn’t), you’ll be interested in the three recipes included at the back of the book.

Gone for Gouda is a strong second entry that will make fans happy.  I’m already looking forward to my next visit to Yarrow Glen to see what Willa and the rest of the gang get up to next.

Enjoy another slice with the rest of the Cheese Shop Mysteries.