Cover Image: Gone for Gouda

Gone for Gouda

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Did someone kill Phoebe because while she became famous as a vegan chef, she secretly gorged on meat? Well, secret until the video came out. All Willa knows is that her employee Archie who was the last one to see her, didn't kill her. Willa had expected to host Phoebe at her cheese shop and now she's made a turn into detective mode (against the wishes of romantic interest Detective Heaton). Cozy fans know there was more to Phoebe and that someone has a secret but this takes good turns to get to the answers. Willa's cheese shop. her employees, her other potential romantic interest Baz,, and her fish all made me smile. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It will be fine as a standalone. A good read with- wait for it- recipes!

Was this review helpful?

This delightful and charming cheese series continues. Lots of cheese. A bare smidgeon of romance. A clever murder mystery. Nice variety of characters. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

This is an interesting mystery. There are good friends, enemies, and, for flavor, murder.
Net Galley and St. Martin's Paperbacks let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published September 27th.

Willa is a woman who tries to find the killer even with the cops telling her not to. What she needs to realize that not everyone she talks to is her friend.

The search gets complicated and Willa manages to stay on track. But it gets really dangerous when she finds the killer. Will she survive?

Was this review helpful?

This book was a fantastic, Hallmark-esque cozy mystery. The characters acted their ages, there is a slow burn love triangle (square?) Happening, and CHEESE! This is the perfect kind of cozy that you can just sink right into.

Was this review helpful?

Yarrow Glen’s newest cheese shop, Curds & Whey, has a lot on its plate, but cheesemonger Willa Bauer relishes a challenge. There’s a float to build for the fall festival, plus the French-inspired cheese shop is playing host to celebrity vegan chef Phoebe Winston. But when photos surface that prove this vegan influencer is, in fact, a carnivore, things crumble faster than any cheese on the market: Phoebe is murdered. Willa’s employee, the affable Archie, was the last one to see Phoebe alive and the first person the police suspect. To clear his name Willa must uncover who’s been up to no gouda...
I really enjoyed this mystery it has a great cast of characters. I did guess the murderer quickly however it was still an enjoyable read.
#GoneforGouda#NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

I requested to read and review this book for free from St. Martin Publishing Company. This book really took the cheese. This story had drama, a hint of romance and mystery. The town of Yarrow Glen is quaint and made up of some interesting characters. But look out for each other when they can. Does a spark you have sometimes with someone mean something or not? Can you truly know the people around you? Things that happen in out past to us and others have a way of making our future. Willa is a strong women who will do anything to help out her friends even if it puts her in harms way. This book can be read anywhere and by anyone.

Was this review helpful?

Willa Bauer, owner of the Curds & Whey cheese shop, is set to play host to Phoebe Winston, a vegan celebrity chef who is promoting her new book. When Phoebe is found murdered and Willa's employee Archie considered a prime suspect, Willa is determined to prove his innocence.
Willa's investigation exposes Phoebe's connection to some of the residents of the town as well as the culinary school. Who hated her enough to kill her?
Enjoyable characters and setting - look forward to reading the next book.
Second in the series but can be read as a standalone.
#Gone For Gouda #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this fun cozy mystery by Korina Moss.
This is the second installment of The Cheese Shop series featuring cheesemonger Willa Bauer. Despite not having read the first book, I was able to follow along and quickly become immersed in the story and the lives of the characters.
When the story opens, Willa is excited that reality star/vegan cookbook author Phoebe Winston has chosen her cheese shop for a promotional event to launch her new book. It's sponsored by the vegan cheese company for which Phoebe is a spokesperson, partially because Willa carries their product in her store. Phoebe proves to be a difficult diva, and the night before the big event, photos appear in the local newspaper exposing her as a fraud. (She's eating barbeque ribs; so much for her claims to be vegan.) Before Willa is able to talk to her and figure out how to salvage the event, Phoebe is found dead in her bathtub, and Willa's young assistant, Archie, is a murder suspect.
With the help of friends new and old, Willa sets out to prove Archie's innocence, ignoring the admonition of Detective Heath (possible love interest) to stay out of it.
Suspicion shifts from suspect to suspect as the clues unfold. The plot moves quickly, the characters are likable, and there are some tasty recipes at the end.

Was this review helpful?

A great read. A little long with some unnecessary bits (and I'm not talking about any red herrings) but a well-written installment in a series that's definitely worth a look.
Willa comes across as a responsible heroine without being too mature or old for her years (late 20s) and handles her mystery (a dead influencer) intelligently.
It was a wonderful change to read about Willa after several popular mysteries featuring unbelievable scenarios and unlikable protagonists. Willa is a great breath of fresh air.
While I do think it could have been edited better, time spent with the characters was well spent and I look forward to the next trip to Yarrow Glen.

Was this review helpful?

Gone for Gouda is the second book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series by Korina Moss, and it did not disappoint!

We return to Yarrow Glen, where Willa Bauer runs a gourmet cheese shop and is preparing for the town's fall festival and an influencer event. A famous vegan chef/influencer is scheduled to promote her book and a vegan cheese line at Willa's shop. When the influencer turns out to be a carnivore and a fraud and ends up dead, and cheese shop employee Archie is the last person to see her alive and becomes a suspect, Willa and friends jump into action.

This one was so fun! It's a well-crafted mystery with everything I love in a cozy, good writing, charming setting, entertaining plot, lively characters, cute animals, and a likable sleuth. Willa and her delightful supporting cast have hit their stride as amateur investigators. They had a large suspect pool to contend with and a mystery that took some twists and turns. Willa's relationship with Baz is still refreshingly platonic, which I love! Plus, the story takes place in the Fall, so we get extra-cozy vibes. Be warned, though, that this book will make you crave cheese! The food descriptions are mouth-watering (recipes included), and I learned some things about Gouda cheese, so now I have to find a gourmet cheese shop! This is a great new cozy mystery series, and I look forward to book 3.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I had not read the first book in this series but it was easy enough to jump in! Interesting characters, unpredictable mystery! I look forward to going back and reading the first!

Was this review helpful?

Gone for Gouda is a fun, cozy mystery that keeps you guessing until the end! I love the cheese shop setting, all the recipes and ideas, and Willa, the owner, her friends, and fellow sleuths. This is book two of a series but reads well as a stand-alone. I'm going to read book one of the series and look for other writing by Korina Moss.

Was this review helpful?

Gone for Gouda by Korina Moss was a fun cozy mystery that held my attention! I enjoyed the story and the characters. I thought the plot was interesting. I really enjoyed the book!

Was this review helpful?

It is great being back with Willa Bauer in her Curds and Whey cheese shop in the cute village of Yarrow Glen.Its been around six months since the last book, the shop is doing well in Gone for Gouda the 2nd in the series.A social media influencer is scheduled to do a book tour with vegan cooking demonstrations at Curds and Whey....and ends up murdered.
I really enjoyed this book! The characters are great! I loved Willa's descriptions of her pet fish and how they watched cooking shows together. I also loved the appearance of a little dog in this one. Both very fun! Another interesting area was learning about Gouda cheese. My Dad is Dutch and I grew up on Gouda but I still learned a few things!
The mystery was solid with lots of twists, turns, red herrings and some parts that I'm sure increased my heart rate! The two potential love interests are still there, so we will have to see what happens.
Quote: " Catching the bad guys doesn't make everything right - but its the right thing to do".
I'd like the thank St Martin's Press, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. It publishes on Sept 27, 2022

Was this review helpful?

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

<i>Gone for Gouda</i> continues an incredibly fun cozy mystery series set in a fictional California village of Yarrow Glen. Willa runs the cheese shop Curds & Whey. As this book starts up, she's a ball of stress as she prepares to host a major vegan social media influencer who is kicking off a book tour with cooking demonstrations. When the influencer is outed in new pics online that show her eating meat, things go from bad to worse--to much worse, as Willa finds the woman dead. When her assistant becomes a person of interest as the last person to see the vic alive, Willa goes into full amateur detective mode to find the real culprit.

This book was a solid four stars of fun. It's a speedy read with lots of fun cheese asides. Willa manages to strike the right balance of being nosey without being totally obnoxious. I have to admit, the actual culprit came as a surprise to me, which was great! I love when a mystery keeps me guessing right up to the end.

Was this review helpful?

This is the second book in author Korina Moss cozy series entitled "Cheese Shop" Mystery Series. This is a fun series with receipes included. Thank you to Net Galley and to the author for the advance reading copy. My opinions are my own. I have read the first in series and enjoy this new cozy series based in a cheese shop.

Willa Bauer is the smart savvy protagnist who owns and runs a cheese shop called Curds & Whey. She is a likable realistic protagnist and liked by everyone. She is inviting a vegan celebrity chef to a signing at the shop. When the chef is murdered Willa is on the case as the red herrings and clues abound throughout her investigation. Will is determined to save her employee who is the prime suspect .

I like the charcters who are all written realistically and add to the plot. This is a enjoyable series with charcters you would like as friends. The sleuth was well crafted and enjoyable to conclusion as in the first book. The Cheese shop is a delight to read about and the receipes included are fun . Well done to the author..

Was this review helpful?

Gone for Gouda is a fun cozy mystery. Willa runs a cheese shop and hosts occasional events. The story comes together well and I found Willa a solid character. If you enjoy cozy mysteries you will enjoy Gone for Gouda.

Was this review helpful?

Willa Bauer loves her cheese shop Curds & Whey. While business is doing well, she thinks that having celebrity vegan chef Phoebe Winston visit her shop and sign books will take her business up to another level. But it turns out that Phoebe is not everything she claims to be and when she is murdered there are plenty of suspects – including Willa’s employee, Archie, who was the last one to see Phoebe alive and the chief suspect in the eyes of the police. Willa knows she has to clear Archie’s name but will she put herself – and those she cares about – in danger while searching for the real killer?

“Gone for Gouda” is the nicely done second book in Korina Moss’s Cheese Shop Cozy Mystery series. There’s a lot to love about this book and series – the cheese shop setting, Willa, her friends, and the various other characters that appear in this book. I am not a particularly huge fan of cheese but by the end of the book I was ready to go out and buy some! The mystery is well plotted with plenty of suspects, red herring, twists and turns - a few times I thought I had the killer figured out but in the end I was totally surprised (and a little sad) when the killer was revealed. The one thing that I did not like about the book was the love triangle that so many cozy mysteries love to use – I found it distracted me at times and I hope it is resolved quickly.

“Gone for Gouda” is a nicely done cozy mystery.

Was this review helpful?

Second in the Cheese Shop mystery series. Cozy mysteries fill a niche, are a light, easy read. This one fills the bill - and creates an appetite for cheese!

Willa, owner of the newish cheese shop, Curds and Whey, in the delightful tourist town of Yarrow Glen, is hosting an event for a vegan cheese influencer, Phoebe Winston. When Phoebe shows up with her list of must-have items for her cheese presentation in Willa's shop, Willa is almost overwhelmed. A few hours later, the vegan cheese influencer is quite dead. Willa's employee, Archie, was the last person to see the victim. And, once again, Willa finds herself investigating the crime, and attempting to clear Archie's name.

I found myself wanting to rush out to find a cheese shop, and try some of the recipes Willa and her employees are creating.

Was this review helpful?

I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley. Being a lover of cheese, especially Gouda, the title appealed to me. Recipes are included in the back of the book also. It is book two in a series. I haven’t read book one and would like to after reading this. The characters are well developed. The list of suspects continues to grow as the details are revealed. I was not able to solve the case until it was revealed. I enjoyed the fact that everyone was single, lived above their store, shared alleys and balconies. The Harvest festival became a background event that brought more people together. I also enjoyed the fact that the characters ranged from 19 to 60s. I ended up snacking on Cranberry Horseradish Gouda while reading. It was a fun, cozy mystery to read on a grey day. This book can be read as a stand alone.

Was this review helpful?