Carly has gotten caught up in another murder mystery. In between running her shop she will have to help solve the case to keep her friend from going to jail. If only the victim was more likeable, then the job would be easier. What a cute read. I love the storyline and the side stories as well. This is such a delightful series.

They say Christmas in the close-knit community of Balsam Dell promises to be especially festive for Carly Hale this year, and it certainly is festive...and deadly. When an actor from the production of "A Christmas Carol" is found dead in his dressing room, Carly knows it wasn't her best friend, Gina, who was accused of the murder, that did it. Serving up delicious grilled cheese while nosing around for clues comes a little easier when her friends offer to help her look for clues. With a healthy dose of Christmas cheer, "You Geta Warch Out" is one a sweet holiday cozy mystery.

You Feta Watch Out

A Grilled Cheese Mystery

Linda Reilly

5 Stars

Synopsis:

Humbug! leads to Homicide! in the new Grilled Cheese Mystery by Linda Reilly . . .

Christmas in the close-knit community of Balsam Dell promises to be especially festive for Carly Hale this year when a prominent theater company comes to town to stage A Christmas Carol. But it turns out that Scrooge is not the most ill-tempered character in the production, as blowhard actor Prescott Lennon proves when he begins berating everyone else in the cast for their poor theatrics. When his arrogant behavior threatens the production, someone decides to resolve matters with a fatal solution—and frames Carly’s friend Gina for the murder.

With such an unlikable victim, Carly finds herself faced with a long list of suspects, including a grieving widow who hasn’t shed a tear, an ambitious understudy looking for his big break, and all the cast members Lennon mistreated. But there’s a ghost of a clue in the air as rumors begin to surface that the dead man had a shady past that may have come back to haunt him. With her friend still on the hook, Carly will have to sort out past misdeeds from those of the present, even as her pursuit of the killer scares the dickens out of her . . .

Includes melt-in-your-mouth sandwich recipes!

Praise for the Grilled Cheese Mysteries:

“A complex mystery and yummy grilled cheese recipes. What’s not to like?” —Kirkus Reviews

“A delightful and determined heroine, idyllic small town, and buffet of worthy suspects make this hearty whodunnit an enticing start to a decidedly delectable new series!” —Bree Baker, author of the Seaside Café Mysteries

“Masterful misdirection coupled with a pace that can’t be beat, Linda Reilly has grilled up a winner for sure!” —J. C. Eaton, author of the Sophie Kimball Mysteries, the Wine Trail Mysteries, and the Marcie Rayner Mysteries

“A well-crafted and fun start to a new series! Carly and her crew serve mouth-watering grilled cheese sandwiches while solving crime in a quaint Vermont town. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages and guessing the killer to the very end.” —Tina Kashian, author of the Kebab Kitchen Mysteries

About the Author:

As a child, Linda Reilly practically existed on grilled cheese sandwiches, and today they remain her comfort food of choice. A member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Cat Writers’ Association, Linda is also the author of the Deep Fried Mysteries and the Cat Lady Mysteries. Linda lives in southern New Hampshire with her two feline assistants, both of whom enjoy prancing over her laptop to assist with editing. Visit her on the web at lindareillyauthor.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/Lindasreillyauthor. She loves hearing from readers!

Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed. When a theater group is planning on performing A Christmas Carol. Carly’s friend, Gina, has a part in the play and Carly is looking forward to watching her. But when a nasty actor is killed, Carly will have to figure out who the killer is before Gina is charged with the murder. But it will not be easy.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows easily and the book is an easy read. The mystery is well plotted and there are enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I enjoy all of this author’s books, including this one.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Beyond The Page, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate. (Amazon)

You Feta Watch Out is a charming blend of mystery, love, and friendship. The vivid descriptions
enhance the story and the food references will make you hungry. Plus, the Jacob Marley actor in this tale makes Ebenezer Scrooge seem positively mild in comparison. All of this makes this story a solid addition to the Grilled Cheese Mysteries series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

You Feta Watch Out (Grilled Cheese Mysteries, #5) by Linda Reilly was published on November 19, 2024. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review. When I started hearing some buzz about this book on Threads and Instagram from people who had received an ARC, I knew I wanted to get my hands on a copy, so I am thankful for NetGalley providing me a copy.

This is the first book I've read by Linda Reilly, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I loved the fact that it revolved around a Christmas play and the holiday season. Despite a murder taking place in the story, it was still full of holiday cheer, which is helping put me in the mood for the upcoming holidays.

There were quite a few characters, and it took me a bit to keep them straight, especially when it came to Gina and Nina. Most of the characters were quite likable. Reilly did a fantastic job of throwing suspicion on quite a few people and making me second guess myself. I did end up incorrectly guessing who was the murderer, but I was able to figure out the connection between the cosmetologist and the murder victim.

As far as dislikes, I had very few of them. One dislike was that there were a couple of points that were reiterated a time too many. Other than that, it bugged me that instead of describing the characters taking off their coats, gloves, etcetera, the author kept mentioning that the characters took off their outerwear.

Those two things aside, I really enjoyed the story and gave it four out of five stars. I do plan on reading the rest of the series at some point.

I love the Grilled Cheese Mysteries and this fifth book in the series, You Feta Watch Out, was a just-right holiday delight! Carly and her fiancé are excited about sharing their first Christmas in their new home and one of the things Carly is looking forward to is the production of The Christmas Carol in which her best friend Gina has a small part. Her invitation to the dress rehearsal celebrating first responders is wonderful until the jerk who is playing Marley pulls his nonsense right in the middle of the performance creating an unplanned break for the audience. Just as the guest become restless awaiting the continuation of the play, a scream that Carly recognizes rings out. Gina has discovered the obviously dead body of the actor who plays Marly, a man universally detested.
I love the characters and enjoy much of the investigation, but I would appreciate it more if Carly would remember that the police, with whom she has worked before, are competent and at least as knowledgeable as she is and have access to information that she doesn't. On the other hand, I like that the author Linda Reilly is clear on those points even as she allows Carly freedom to do her thing. She is able to discover some helpful bits that do make a difference, so it understandable that Carly keeps trying, especially when it is her best friend on the line, and she is being framed.
My thanks to NetGalley and Beyond the Page for a chance to read an ARC of this wonderful holiday flavored tale. I am even tempted try Nina's invention of grilled Brie and fruitcake and I hate fruitcake. I was excited when an old friend returns for a visit.
#NetGalley #BeyondthePage #GrilledCheeseMysteries #ChristmasCozy #LindaReilly #YouFetaWatchOut

You Feta Watch Out is book #5 in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries series by Linda Reilly.

It was so good to catch up with Carly and her friends again. This was an entertaining Christmas read. Carly is drawn into theater when a theater company brings A Christmas Carol to Balsam Dell. When a disliked actor is killed and her friend is suspected of the murder, she works to clear her friend’s name. The pacing was good and I was drawn in from the start. The mystery had plenty of twists that kept me guessing. There are recipes at the end. A few grilled cheese sandwiches were consumed while reading this book.

Thank you to the author, Beyond the Page Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series! I want to visit Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery and the quaint town of Balsam Dell. The mystery was well done as always. I love the characters and darling Havarti. I enjoyed the holiday setting and I look forward to the next in the series! If you are interested in trying a cozy mystery or are already a fan, I highly recommend the entire series.

You Feta Watch Out is book five in the Grilled Cheese mystery series. This series is great. I have read and enjoyed every book in this series.
Cayle Hale owns a Grilled Cheese café in Balsam Dell Vermont. Every character in these books are fabulous and fit together perfectly.
This one has the play A Christmas Carol as the focus of the mystery. One of the acters turns up dead and Gina one of Cayle’s friends as the one the finger is pointed at as being the culprit. Cayle knows that Gina is not capable of committing this crime and she starts the hunt to find out who did it!
The author did a great job of keeping her readers guessing who was guilty. The twists and turns kept me engrossed in this mystery.
Thank you NetGalley, Linda Reilly and Beyond the Page Publishing for the copy of You Feta Watch Out. This is my personal review.

This was a delightfully fun Christmas cozy mystery that made me seriously want a grilled cheese! Like all the other books in this series, this book left me with a case of the warm fuzzies and a dire hankering for a sandwich.

Carly is looking forward to her first Christmas in her new home with fiance Ari and dog Havarti. She is especially excited to see the play A Christmas Carol being put on in the town's newly renovated opera house. Unfortunately, the actor playing Marley ends up dead (as a door nail!) and the suspect list is quite long. Unfortunately, it also includes Carly's BFF Gina and Carly is determined to clear her friend's name. She continues to find more questions than answers as just how badly the victim was hated becomes evident.

While I did figure out the murder weapon before its reveal, the whodunit was a nice surprise. I appreciate an author that can use enough red herrings that I can't figure it out and then when everything comes together it all makes perfect sense.

This is one of the better Christmas cozies I have gotten in a long time. I look forward to the next book in the series!

My thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Linda Reilly serves up another delicious mystery in Humbug! Humbug!, blending Christmas cheer with a side of murder—and yes, grilled cheese is on the menu! This time, Carly Hale is caught in a holiday whodunnit when a local theater production of A Christmas Carol takes a dark turn. Forget Scrooge—the real villain is the insufferable actor Prescott Lennon, whose bad attitude gets him killed. But when Carly’s friend Gina is framed for the crime, it’s up to our favorite sleuth to find the real culprit.

The suspects are juicy: a shady understudy, a suspicious widow, and an entire cast full of people Lennon rubbed the wrong way. Toss in rumors of a shadowy past, and you’ve got a mystery packed with twists, turns, and a sprinkle of holiday magic.

The best part? The story doesn’t just warm your brain—it warms your belly with mouthwatering grilled cheese recipes that are practically a character of their own. Between the festive small-town vibes, the well-paced plot, and the cheesy goodness, this cozy mystery is as satisfying as a gooey sandwich on a snowy day.

If you love holiday mysteries and crave comfort food with your crime-solving, this one is an absolute treat. Bring on the grilled cheese and sleuthing!

It’s the holiday’s in Balsam Dell and you know what that means for restaurant owner Carly Hale, right? Well yes, specialty grilled cheeses of course, but also murder! Much like Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote (or honestly any leading character in a mystery series) Carly always seems to around when someone turns up dead. This time around it’s one of the lead actors in the town’s production of A Christmas Carol. Naturally one of her friends ends up being a prime suspect, and so Carly, of course, jumps into help the investigation. This is just a fun series. Linda Reilly always delivers a well thought out crime, and that is definitely the case in her latest book: You Feta Watch Out. There are quite a few suspects, ie plenty of red herrings, and this one had me guessing until the end. Now if you’re like me, you might not be tempted to try the Scrooge’s Redemption (a grilled cheese made with fruit cake), you’ll still a have a great time joining Carly as she tracks down Balsam Dell’s latest killer in time for a Merry Christmas. I’d like to thank Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of You Feta Watch Out.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1ECRWGG410RFA/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

You Feta Watch Out is the 5th wonderful book in Linda Reilly's Grilled Cheese Mysteries. The characters are warm and likable and the cozy mystery kept me guessing. True book takes place just before Christmas. Carly Hale owns a restaurant that specializes.in unique grilled cheese sandwiches and soups. The local theater is putting on A Christmas Carol. Carly's friend Gina has a small part so Carly is invited to a dress rehearsal. During the rehearsal, an unpopular actor causes problems and then ends up dead. Gina is a suspect so Carly does some investigating. The theater group are primarily the suspects. The mystery played out nicely and without peril or suspense. Carly and her fiance Ari are decorating their house for Christmas. They are a cute couple along with Carly's sister Norah and Nate and Gina and Zach. Restaurant friends Val, Suzanne, Nina and Grant add to the story as well. All of the main characters add warmth and depth to the book and make it so enjoyable. #YouFetaWatchOut #GrilledCheeseMysteries #NetGalley #BeyondThePage #LindaReilly

It doesn’t get much cozier than Linda Reilly’s You Feta Watch Out, the fifth installment of her Grilled Cheese Mystery series.

Carly Hale, proprietor of Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery and amateur sleuth has front row seats in the Flinthead Opera House, to watch her best friend Gina’s dress rehearsal of A Christmas Carol. However, before the day is done, Dickens’ beloved work has a fourth ghost or rather the actor, who had been playing Marley, was found dead with Scrooge’s boss’ chains around his neck and Carly’s bestie is a prime suspect.

With the help of a local journalist, the winking knowledge of the local police chief and a cast of characters as rich as her cheeses, Carly is committed to finding the real killer, proving Gina’s innocence – not an easy task, even a dangerous one when questioning actors, not knowing if they are telling the truth or plying their trade.

There will be no pouting if you read You Feta Watch Out and I highly recommend it for cozy mystery fans looking for a festive read. I received this advanced reader copy from Beyond the Book Publishing, courtesy of NetGalley.

A cute festive cozy that great for festive reading
I will def be looking out for more from this author

I'd like to thank netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read and review this book

This is a new author to me and I think I have found my new favorite author! It’s Christmas in Balsam Dell, Vermont, and the town is putting on “A Christmas Carol.” Carly Hale, owner of the Grilled Cheese Eatery in town is at the dress rehearsal when Marley, played by Preston Lennon, who has a reputation of being extremely difficult to work with, stomps off stage. Carly’s bestie, Gina, finds him dead and becomes the chief suspect. As the list of suspects grows, Carly teams up with Don Frasco, the publisher of the town’s newspaper, who Carly used to babysit for and her sister Norah to solve this murder. Between working at her Eatery, getting ready for the holidays and planning for her wedding, Carly works to help Gina. This was a very fun read. I loved Carly’s little Grilled Cheese Eatery and the ending just blew me away – never would have suspected it! Even though this is the fifth book of this series, it was easy to read as a stand alone – and now that I have discovered it, I can’t wait to read the first four books.

YOU FETA WATCH OUT is the fifth book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries by Linda Reilly. From the absolutely darling holiday cover to the festive cheer, to the Christmas Carol theme, to the puzzling murder of a stage actor, this book is the perfect read to usher in the holidays. As you read, you’ll feel like you’ve been wrapped in a soft and cozy afghan, sipping hot cocoa in front of a warm fireplace, while the snow falls outside in chilly Balsam Dell, Vermont. With attention to details and a strong descriptive voice, the author brings each scene and the setting to life without detracting from the pace of the plot. You can always count on Ms. Reilly penning a page turning story filled with people you’d love to spend time with. In a nutshell, her core characters are kind and caring, especially protagonist Carly Hale. She treats her friends and family equally with respect and love. I especially enjoyed watching her relationship with Ari change and grow over the course of the series. It’s added a layer of sweet emotional involvement to the stories.

But of course, a cozy mystery needs, well, a mystery and in this newest book, an arrogant actor playing opposite Scrooge, meets his demise. The author sets up conflict right away and with the victim being a detestable excuse for a human being, there are suspects galore to keep readers guessing. Unfortunately, law enforcement turns their gaze on Carly’s best friend, Gina, as the primary suspect when several clues point in her direction. Carly, true to her nature, jumps in to clear her friend of all suspicions. As she delves into the life of the victim, old misdeeds from his past may have come back to haunt him. There are twists and turns aplenty, and the quickly moving plot kept me turning pages. In the end, as the clues became clear and the killer was revealed, all the threads of the story wove together in a highly satisfactory manner. Changes may be coming for Carly, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

Owning a grilled cheese eatery, there are all sorts of delectable items being consumed and talked about during the story. I also love how Carly relates past experiences to food associated with those events. It was a unique way to introduce backstory for new readers so they wouldn’t get lost in the story without slowing down the plot. Ms. Reilly also includes a couple of recipes at the back of the book for the home cook to try.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love this series, though it does always make me want to have cheese toasties and soup which is never the same when it's Heinz :D
More please!

Thank you Netgalley and Beyond the Page for the ARC of this book. This was an honest review.

What could be better than grilled cheese and Christmas? In addition to her friends and family, Carly's grilled cheese shop created a festive atmosphere. Along with the tasty and unique grilled cheese. Though I wasn't a fan of the plot with the mystery set being a play of "A Christmas Carol", I found the characters intriguing. "Scrooge" is the most irritating character in the play, and Carly cannot let her best friend take the blame for his murder. After a determined Carly solved it, I couldn't help feeling sympathy for the killer.

"You Feta Watch Out (Grilled Cheese Mysteries #5)" by Linda Reilly got a bit Christmas and a bit theatre related. While at a dress rehearsal for A Christmas Carol, Carly's friend stumbles upon the really dead Marley. So, of course, between that and having argued with the victim, her friend is a suspect.

The victim had a few enemies or potential enemies he could have. I honestly didn't have any one particular person in mind as the culprit. I was a little surprised when it got to the reveal.