Korina Moss provides a savory take on food-themed cozies with the third addition to her Cheese Shop series. Curds of Prey follows cheese monger and owner of Yarrow Glen’s cheese shop Cruds & Whey, Willa Bauer. Willa is trying to navigate a potential new relationship with Roman, as well as catering to the wedding of two of the more powerful families in the town. The wedding involves the nephew of the Mayor, Nelson Trumbull, and Summer Harrington, daughter to one of the richest families around. While this may seem straight forward enough, there is violent chaos from the get go. Roman stops by to surprise Willa during a cheese testing for the wedding party, and gets into a fight with Nelson. While this does not ruin Willa’s chance at getting her cheese to the wedding shower, it does put Willa on guard – and not just about her cheese. Things only get more chaotic when the wedding shower is about to begin with yet another fight disrupting the set up. It isn’t until the wedding shower is called off that Willa dares to hope things might calm down, only to discover the body of the would-be-groom Nelson in the stables. Given the condition of his body, there is no question he is a victim of murder. Thus, she finds herself plunged into another murder mystery.
Initially it’s her own curiosity that has her looking about and asking questions, but eventually she receives a formal sleuthing request from none other than the mayor herself. Navigating the completely foreign world of the rich and affluent Harrington family is daunting. She has to figure out how to talk to the family members, but also any to any of the family’s staff. It does not help that the Harringtons are less than thrilled to have the local cheese detective sniffing around. This displeasure is also something the matriarch of the family is not at all shy about sharing with Willa and local police detective Heath. This obvious disdain for the investigation also puts up road blocks in the way of getting accurate information, especially statements from those who depend on the Harrington name for support. Desperation to be on their good side so they’ll support their business or personal employment is a motive that is understandable, but extremely frustrating. Willa does her best to circumvent it as much as possible without being insensitive, but even her patience has its limits.
While this is going on, Willa is also having to confront her own personal feelings about Roman and what the future might hold for them. While having an indecisive love interest can rope readers in, it does risk being tedious and too drawn out. However, Korina Moss manages to convey romantic tension while keeping Willa’s strong independent personality. She depicts a woman who is open to the idea of a romantic relationship, but who has had enough life experience to be careful and cautious. Willa does a lot of self-reflection about herself and her own feelings, taking Roman’s into account but acknowledging that she shouldn’t push herself into a relationship that she isn’t 100% comfortable with. Readers will find themselves drawn into her personal struggle and appreciating the healthy take on how to approach a new relationship. The romantic tension is just as compelling as all the twists and turns of the actual murder itself.
This is my first book by Korina Moss, and I did not have any trouble following the flow of the story or characters. We get well-balanced introductions to people and places without getting bogged down with too much description or background information. The town of Yarrow Glen is filled with vibrant and eclectic individuals that make readers feel right at home. Willa is a compelling heroine and readers will find themselves drawn in to every scene, be in her own reflections feeding her fish to her more tension filled discussions with the litany of potential suspects. Guessing who did it was difficult due to the sheer volume of suspects who have both motive and opportunity; a frustrating conundrum that readers will share right along with Willa. Well, share in it in a delightful engrossed in a good book sort of way, not in an anxious concerned they might be next sort of way that Willa has to face. Korina Moss does an excellent job of pulling the readers in with the first five pages of drama and tension. I found myself unable to put the book down and I intend to get my hands on the first two books in the cheese shop series as soon as possible. — Carla Schantz
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Carla Schantz is a Courthouse Clerk Supervisor and has a bachelor’s degree in English as well as a master’s in legal studies. Books have been a passion of hers since she was young, and she is a firm believer in the purse book so that she is never without a book at any time.