No Parm No Foul is the second book in Linda Reilly’s Grilled Cheese Mystery series. Halloween is fast approaching, and Carly Hale believes she has the winning entry for the Scary-licious Smorgasbord competition. But when one of the competitors is murdered in his shop and Carly’s boyfriend, Ari, is the main suspect, the competition is the last thing on Carly’s mind. She’s determined to track down the real killer and get life in Balsam Dell back to normal.

I highly recommend this book, that can be read as a standalone. Balsam Dell, Vermont is a charming small town. I loved the close-knit, everyone knows everyone else feel of the town. The characters are well-developed, with sometimes unsettling histories that added quite a lot of depth to the story. Evelyn’s poetry was intriguing, I hadn’t noticed the secret when I was reading. The mystery was cleverly plotted with several twists and turns that kept me guessing. I was completely surprised by the reveal. I had crossed that character off my suspect list. I also like the unique way in which the killer revealed. I loved the subplots, Grant with his dad, Alvin, and Norah with her secret boyfriend. I found them to be just as engaging as the mystery. Of course, there is a lot of talk about food in the story. Alvin’s creation sounded delicious; I was very pleased to find that it is one of the recipes at the end of the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Carly Hale's Grilled Cheese Eatery is where I would love to go to relax, have some comfort food, and be at ease. Unfortunately, when the sub shop's owner is murdered, the whole town is in an uproar, and Carly's place is in the middle of it because of a nasty confrontation with the sub shop owner shortly before his murder. Carly must figure out who killed him to keep herself out of jail. Great characters, mystery, and setting make this a fun cozy read.

No Parm No Foul is the second book in Lind Reilly’s Grilled Cheese Mystery series. Carly has returned to Vermont after her husband’s death to open what had always been a dream: her own grilled cheese sandwich eatery. It had been a slow start but it had found its niche and was doing nicely. Suzanne, her waitress had sprained her ankle (not at work) and so was out for a couple of weeks. Carly was considering a temp as it was pretty hard for her and Grant to keep up. They had geared up for the annual Scary-licious Smorgasbord competition, which had fifteen entries this year, all local restaurants, offering samples to anyone, although only those who bought a ticket got a vote for the winner. Grant had just quit his job at the sub shop, so he was all in. The next thing she knows, Ferris Menard, the sub shop owner, was in her restaurant, pointing his finger and hurling accusations, saying she had put Grant up to quitting and reporting him to the health department. Several of her customers responded, and he left. Good riddance. Sadly, after the competition was over, cheating at ballot box was discovered and no winner was announced. Then, the next morning her mother and sister, showed up, followed by the Sheriff, who disclosed to her that Ferris had been found, dead, murdered. And he asked her to come to the station for questioning.

This is the cutest story. Who would have thought of a grilled cheese restaurant? Carly has pretty much recovered from Daniel’s death and has a boyfriend, Ari Mitchell, a local electrician and all around nice guy. After that business four months earlier with the dead body in her parking lot, business had picked up and she had a comfortable cadre of regulars as well as being a stopping place for students after the local high school was dismissed for the day. Her mother was nothing if not supportive, even if she had been a horrible waitress the day she had come by to help. Since the sub shop was closed for now, Holly, Ferris’ daughter and friend of Grant’s, had come to ask for a temporary position and she was working out well. Some of the clues pointed to Ari as the killer and everyone knew that was not possible, but Carly felt like she had to prove it. Good mystery, well-plotted to arrive at the solution. Terrific characters. A win all the way around!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of No Parm No Foul by Poisoned Pen Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #poisonedpenpress #lindareilly #noparmnofoul

Poisoned Pen Press has been doing a wonderful job of bringing cozy mysteries to readers. This time those who like cozy, culinary mysteries can delight in this author’s second book; it follows on the the punily named Up to No Gouda.

Readers of this book get to spend time in Vermont in the fall, what could be nicer? Well, maybe a VT without a murder. The owner of Sub-a-Dub-Sub is found killed. Carly, owner of the Balsam Deli, will try her best to solve the case.

Enjoy the food (and a food competition), enjoy the characters, enjoy the case! This book offers a fun read. I can’t wait to see what the name of this author’s next book will be.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this tile. All opinions are my own.

No Parm No Foul by Linda Reilly
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This is the second book in a cozy mystery series. I didn’t have a chance to read the first one though. Carly is our protagonist. She runs her own restaurant making (amazing sounding) gourmet cheese sandwiches. After Carly’s first time competing in an annual food competition, her main competitor is murdered!
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This was a fun cozy mystery! I was following the clues with Carly and making a bunch of theories and in the end I was surprised!
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I also love the small town feel to this book. It felt like everyone knew each other and were all in it together.
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And the food!!! My stomach was growling and now I want to try all the gourmet cheese sandwiches.
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3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 This was a quick fun read for a cozy mystery, which are usually not my favorites, so I was impressed!

Carly Hale is settling in and is looking forward to the cooler weather that Vermont offers. She has her Grilled Cheese Eatery entered into the upcoming Halloween food comp that is held every year. She hopes to get a great response from the locals which will help bring in more business. She soon finds herself in a tiff wit

I have a soft spot for cozy mystery books featuring food, where you get like recipes at the back and everything is just really comfy. That’s what drew me to read No Parm No Foul. It’s, as its glorious pun name suggests, a mystery centered around a grilled cheese business. The writing is very easy to follow, the mystery was well crafted and the cast of characters are really likable. My biggest problem is the main character Carly. The way she goes about the suspects was so abrasive and made her so unlikable. I get that she’s under a lot of stress, but she could have handled those situations so much better. It was a totally fine read, and if you like this kind of book then you will most likely enjoy it. Also, fair warning, you will get hungry for grilled cheese by reading this book. So I hope you have some ready for when you finish the book.

No Parm, No Foul is the second book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries series by Linda Reilly.

Carley and her part-time grill cook Grant are looking forward to Balsam Dell’s annual Halloween Scary-Licious Smorgasbord competition. Grant has created a new sandwich for the competition and has named it Brie-ng on the Apples, Granny. Grant has also been working part-time at Sub-a-Dub-Sub, a sandwich shop, but tiring of his boss, Ferris Menard, Grant quits. Ferris comes to Carley’s grilled cheese shop and has a heated argument, accusing her of getting Grant to leave. On the first day of the smorgasbord competition, they have another argument. The next morning the body of Ferris is found in the sub shop, having been stabbed with a steak knife. Carly will soon become the prime suspect, as will her boyfriend, Ari. With the help of her friend Gina and Grant, Carly set out with their investigation to clear Ari’s name.

This is a tasty series. The book is well-written and plotted. There’s an interesting and believable cast of characters. Most of the characters from the first book are back in this book. The book reads at a nice even pace. There were enough twists and turns that I kept guessing until the end who the killer was.

Delicious sounding recipes are also included in the book.

I’m hungrily awaiting the next book in this wonderful series.

Such a fun and delicious cozy mystery. I enjoyed evey bite, er, page! So many clues leading to several possible culprits kept me guessing until the end. And all the yummy recipes!! I highly recommend reading this book with a side of ooey, gooey grilled cheese sandwich and a glass of tea. Fair warning, eat the grilled cheese first because once you get started reading, your not gonna want to stop until you're done.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

#noparmnofoul #poisonedpenpress #lindareilly

I am not sure why, but I love reading about food. Not necessarily something which I can always combine with my preferred genre of book, though, so this book offered a unique opportunity! I really enjoyed this author’s writing style. She brings humour to the story, in an appropriate way for a mystery, and has created some characters that really stand out. A terrific example of a cozy mystery which has the best characteristics of that genre while also adding a few new touches.

A Delicious Addictive Read

If you have no willpower you might want to skip this but you’ll regret it! I thought I was free and clear, 78% of the way through the latest installment of Ms. Reilly’s Grilled Cheese Mystery series, when I had to sit it aside and go make a grilled cheese for myself. Nine months in Carly’s diner is thriving until another death puts a pall over her happiness. When her boyfriend Ari is the prime suspect she’s back on the case to find the real culprit before she’s served him his last meal.

I really enjoyed this Halloween time visit to Vermont and Carly's grilled cheese eatery. I wish that place was real! I'm not much on fancy grilled cheeses, but I bet she still would make an awesome regular one! I loved sweet Evelyn's character and how she played a part in Carly figuring out whodunit. I'm happy that in the first book Carly reconciled with Gina and now they were the best of buddies especially when it came to sharing sleuthing secrets or tossing around case ideas.

There were a lot of possible suspects and I wasn't sure until one clue stuck out then more started coming. The showdown was pretty exciting and help came from a super unlikely source, wait'll you read about that, it's pretty cool.

I'm really happy with where Carly and Ari are in their relationship especially at the end of the book! That makes me wish another book wasn't a year away, but I guess I'll appreciate it a lot more if I have to wait. I've really come to think of these characters as old friends now and once again I'm so happy that a main character actually has a good relationship with her mom and the mom is equally nice to her daughter. Even Carly's stepdad's a sweetie! Till next time, Carly and Crew!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

No Parm No Foul is the second book in The Grilled Cheese Mysteries series and that means Carly Hale is back for another adventure. It’s been months since the events of the first book and things seem to be getting back to normal. It’s now Fall and Carly and the entire town are looking forward to the annual Halloween food competition.

With just days to go until the competition Ferris Menard, an abrasive jerk and the owner of the Sub-a-Dub-Sub sandwich shop barges into Carly’s restaurant and confronts/semi-threatens her for a number of reasons. On the day of the competition he again confronts her not long before some irregularities occur, delaying the announcement of the food competition winner. The next morning Menard is found dead. Who killed him? Why? And exactly how does Carly factor into all of this?

Featuring a fun cast of characters and an enjoyable story, No Parm No Foul is another really fun, clean, cozy mystery from Linda Reilly. Can't wait to see what happens next. Thanks so much to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2W2HQS90SHFCW/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

No Parm No Foul is the second book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries and I was happy to return to this series for book 2. The grilled cheese theme is a fun one. I liked the mystery in this one and following Carly as she solved another murder.

In this book Carly gets involved in the mystery as her boyfriend Ari is a suspect. She knows he didn't do it and gets involved in figuring out who is the murderer. I thought it was a well done mystery with plenty of suspects and some nice reveals along the way. Not everyone is guilty of murder and some other secrets came to light as well. It kept me guessing and I was thinking along the wrong direction, there was a nice twist when it came to whom the murderer it. I liked seeing everything get resolved at the end.

I enjoyed the mystery as well as Carly's job running her grilled cheese restaurant. I liked her interactions with her employee Grant as well and seeing them develop some new grilled cheese sandwiches as well. I didn't always like how Carly acted at times, she can be kinda rude or confrontational at times and she's not very subtle in her asking of questions. I didn't like how she kept some things form her boyfriend and how she acted when he confronted her about it. I am not really feeling the romance and was actually wondering whether they would break up. Something about it is just not working for me.

To summarize: This was a good second book in this series. I liked following Carly as she solves another mystery and the grilled cheese theme is a fun one. The mystery was a good one with plenty of suspects that kept me guessing and I was thinking in totally the wrong direction for who the murderer was. The reveal made sense and I liked seeing things get resolved at the end. There are some other things that come to light during the book as well, which I liked. I like reading about the grilled cheese restaurant as well as how Carly interacts with her employees. I am not a fan of Carly's behavior at times and how she handles some things. I am not really feeling the romance and I didn't like how Carly kept some things from her boyfriend and how they handled some things. I had fun reading this book and look forward to the next one.

Carly Hale returns as owner of the successful Grilled Cheese Eatery. The Halloween season has begun with a festival and food competition coming up. The local sub shop with an unpopular owner is her chief competition. Trouble begins with Carly’s server spraining her ankle and is out of service, then the competition has fake ballots. Then a murder occurs. What more could go wrong. Maybe Carly’s boyfriend being the main suspect? I enjoyed this book and look forward to the various grilled cheese sandwich combinations.

This is a Cozy Mystery, and this is the second book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries series. I have read and reviewed the first book in this series before picking this book up. I really love the characters in this book series, and this is a really good cozy mystery series. This book kept me guessing, and it also kept me wanting more. The ending was great, and I really enjoyed being with these characters again. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Poisoned Pen Press) or author (Linda Reilly) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Happy Publication Day to Linda Reilly! Book 2 of the Grilled Cheese Mysteries, No Parm No Foul is available today! Thanks so much to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for a digital ARC.

This series is a great addition to the cozy mystery genre. I listened to book one, Up to No Gouda, back in January and enjoyed it so much that after passing along a print copy to my mom, I requested the ARC of book 2.

No Parm No Foul is set in late fall (Halloween and after) in Balsam Dell, Vermont, and I have to admit it was a delight to escape to fall in Vermont in my mind as the heat and humidity crept up and up here in St. Louis.

Carly Hale is excited for her grilled cheese eatery to enter the town’s Halloween food competition despite the unpleasant (and public) encounter she had with local sub shop owner, Ferris Menard. She can’t keep Ferris out of her mind for long, though, because he is found murdered in his shop and it looks like her boyfriend Ari is being set up to take the blame. Like any good cozy mystery heroine, Carly jumps in to investigate.

Such a great setting, mystery and characters. I love the puns for titles and the descriptions of the various grilled cheese sandwiches had my mouth watering. So much fun! Looking forward to book 3.

Happy Pub Day to the second Grilled Cheese Mystery by Linda Reilly, No Parm No Foul. Thank you so much to @poisionedpenpress for an advance digital reading copy of this book to read and review in advance of publication.

In this story we are once again following Carly, owner of the Grilled Cheese shop in Balsam Dell as she is (again) playing the unlikely detective in a murder case.

This time around we are in the fall (hellooooo pumpkins) as all the delicatessens are set up for a spooky food competition on the Saturday before Halloween.

Like many cozy mysteries, you don't have to do a lot of thinking to follow along this story line. The facts and clues are repeated multiple times to ensure you can see how the case was solved by the end. At some points I found it almost too spelled out (and too childish) but overall I enjoyed this book at a time I didn't have a lot of attention to commit to it.

I loved all the fall vibes and the chance to spend some more time with the characters in Balsam Dell. Looking forward to continuing this easy to read series in early 2023 with Cheddar Late Than Dead.

I'd recommend this series (including Up To No Gouda which came out earlier this year) as a cute, quick break from the heavy duty thrillers I spend most of my time reading.

No Parm, No Foul is the second book in this cozy mystery series set in Vermont. Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery is still fairly new in town but has become quite popular. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but I found this one a bit less engaging. Perhaps I’ve just grown a bit tired of the typical female amateur sleuth, who puts herself in danger by being way too nosy?

The owner of a nearby sub sandwich shop comes into Carly’s restaurant and loudly accuses her of encouraging her valued part-time helper, Grant, to quit his work at the sub shop. He becomes quite abusive and when he is found murdered, Carly seems to be an initial suspect. But then her love interest, Ari, falls under suspicion and Carly decides to put her sleuthing into high gear. (This reason for investigating is quite similar to her reason in the first book, when an employee was the police’s main suspect.) In this book, Carly seems a bit abrasive, a bit too direct in questioning all the people she considers as suspects. She is even warned by her friends to let the police handle the investigation.

I did still really like the setting and the restaurant, with its creative grilled cheese options (grilled cheese is one of my favorite foods), as well as the recurring side characters, such as Grant and her friend Gina. We get to know Ari a bit more in this book too. The mystery was pretty good, including a related but separate mystery revolving around some ballot stuffing for a local food contest.

I’d like to see where this series goes - will Carly find a different reason to play detective in the future?

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

No Parm No Foul takes us back to Balsam Dell to Carly Hale and her grilled cheese eatery. This is book two in the series and is a great continuation of the series. It's Halloween and Carly is working on her entry to the food competition. Unfortunately, the prior year's winner and main competition for Carly's entry, Ferris Menard, believes that Carly is the reason Grant, who also is Carly's chef, quit a few days before the competition. Ferris makes things difficult for Carly at every turn, however when Ferris is found murdered the morning after the competition, Carly is really in hot water. Carly goes to work solving the murder before any of her friends are charged. It's a great mystery that keeps you guessing until the end!

The characters introduced in book 1 are back and their stories continue along with Carly's. Carly's employees and their issues only add to the realism of the story - from chef wannabe Grant's struggle with his parents' desire for him to be a professional musician, to waitress Suzanne's broken foot and inability to work, making Carly short-staffed and struggling to find good help. This book is full of new characters as well and Carly's involvement in their stories only further endear Carly to the reader, even though she is a bit nosy! Of course Carly's boyfriend Ari and best friend Gina are involved in helping to solve the crime, and one of them is the prime suspect!

In addition to a great mystery and extremely likeable characters there is good food -- the many sandwich ideas sprinkled throughout the book, some of whose titles are 'groan-worthy', sound wonderful! Fortunately, there are recipes for two of these sandwiches at the end of the book!

This is a very well-written mystery that is engaging from page 1. Good food, good friends and a murder to solve - what more could you ask for?