A summery Balsam Dell mystery with a surprisingly twisty murder, lovable new characters, and enough grilled cheese to make me abandon my TBR all over again.

Goodreads | Brie Careful What You Wish For

Release date: April 9, 2024

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Synopsis:

When a mean and quarrelsome woman is found murdered in her own home, most of the residents of Balsam Dell can only say feta late than never . . .

With the summer heat sizzling, grilled cheese restaurant owner Carly Hale is thrilled to have Ross Baxter delivering her sandwiches to local seniors. She’s never met a more polite or hardworking young man, and she brushes it off when one of her more difficult customers complains about him. But then Ross returns to the woman’s home to make another delivery—and finds her dead body. The police and half the town immediately suspect he killed her, so Carly steps in to investigate, determined to prove them wrong.

Carly soon learns that the victim had an estranged stepson and stepdaughter, both of whom needed her money to get their lives back on track. Worse still, in her younger days the dead woman had a reputation for preying on other women’s husbands, leaving broken marriages in her wake—and a list of suspects a mile long. But Ross’s fingerprints were found on the murder weapon, leaving Carly hungry for any clue she can find. Until she comes face-to-face with the killer, and realizes this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew . . .

Review:

At this point I’ve officially abandoned my TBR and accepted that I’m just living in Balsam Dell now. 😂 There’s something about reading this series back to back that makes it ridiculously easy to keep picking up the next book. I’m getting more invested in the characters, the town, the restaurant, and all the little details that make this world feel so familiar.

I especially loved the addition of Ross and his meal delivery service for local seniors. He was such a sweet character, and I immediately wanted more of him. I’m hoping he continues to pop up in future books because his storyline added another really lovely layer to the community and found family aspect surrounding Carly’s restaurant.

And honestly? I kind of love when the murder victim in a cozy mystery is a complete jerk. 😂 It makes the investigation more entertaining when you discover just how many people had a reason to dislike the victim. This mystery worked particularly well for me because the solution actually surprised me. Cozy mysteries aren’t always about shocking twists for me—I read them just as much for the characters and atmosphere—but when a mystery manages to genuinely catch me off guard, I’m always pleased.

I also enjoyed the new faces around the restaurant. They brought some fresh energy to the eatery while still allowing the familiar characters to shine. And, as always, the food descriptions were dangerous. Every sandwich and recipe somehow makes grilled cheese sound like the most exciting meal on earth.

Four books in, this series has become exactly the kind of reading experience I was hoping for: familiar, comforting, funny, and easy to disappear into. I don’t want to leave Balsam Dell anytime soon, so naturally I’m moving straight on to book five.

Perfect for Readers Who Love

• Culinary cozy mysteries
• Summer small town settings
• Amateur sleuths
• Found family communities
• Sweet secondary characters
• Cozy mysteries with surprising solutions
• Mouthwatering food descriptions

Overall rating: 4/5

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