A family centered cozy mystery that raises the stakes for Carly, brings even more heart to Balsam Dell, and delivers my favorite installment of the series so far.
Release date: July 9, 2025
Publisher: Beyond the Page
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Synopsis:
When a fundraiser turns fatal, Carly Hale is confronted by a trail of clues that all point to her mother as the culprit . . .
When the local high school hosts a fundraiser, restaurant owner Carly Hale is happy to sign on and enlists her mother’s help selling her much-loved grilled cheese sandwiches at the school. But no good deed goes unpunished, and the vendor stationed next to them at the event turns out to be aggressively rude and bullies them both. Never one to be pushed, Carly’s mom gives the man a vicious tongue-lashing and assumes that’s the end of it—until later that day when the man is found dead, strangled with her scarf.
With her mom on the hook for murder, Carly has no choice but to find out who killed the man and why. It turns out the victim had always been bad news and had racked up a long list of enemies. One of those enemies may have been the menacing stranger Carly saw lurking on the edges of the fundraiser, but her intuition tells her the murdered man’s girlfriend may have been mixed up in it too. Certain one of them—or both—did the deadly deed, Carly realizes too late that all her sleuthing has landed her next on the killer’s hit list . . .
Review:
I think I’ve found my favorite installment of the Grilled Cheese Eatery Mysteries so far. Six books into this series, I’m deeply invested in Carly and the people around her, and this one felt especially personal because the mystery hits Carly’s family directly. Having her mom become the main suspect immediately raised the stakes, and I found myself much more invested in Carly figuring out exactly what happened.
The family dynamics were also what made this book stand out for me. Carly and Ari getting married was such a sweet progression for their relationship, and I loved seeing Ari’s sister and niece Quinn come to town. Getting to learn more about Ari’s family and his past added another layer to a series that has increasingly become about much more than the individual mysteries. Quinn was such a cute and heartwarming addition, and her presence brought so much warmth to the story.
The mystery itself was engaging and had some good layers to unravel. With the victim having plenty of enemies and Carly noticing suspicious people around the fundraiser, there were several directions the investigation could go. And because her mom’s freedom was on the line, Carly’s sleuthing felt particularly important this time around.
But honestly, six books in, it’s the people that keep me reading. I love Carly and Ari together, I love seeing Carly’s family and friendships evolve, and I love how Balsam Dell continues to feel more familiar with every book. At this point, I’m not just reading to find out who the killer is—I’m reading because I want to spend more time with these characters. Edam and Weep managed to be both a solid mystery and a genuinely heartwarming installment of the series, and it has officially taken the top spot for me so far.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
- Culinary cozy mysteries
- Small town found family
- Established romance and relationship milestones
- Family centered mysteries
- Amateur sleuths with high personal stakes
- Cozy series where the characters grow from book to
Overall rating: 5/5
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Novelgossip!
Novelgossip 