For reasons I can't quite pinpoint, it took me awhile to warm up to this book and Willa Bauer but, once I did, I found myself intrigued with the story. A local food critic who seems to have more enemies than friends is killed outside Willa's newly opened cheese shop. Needless to say, since a knife clearly from her shop was found stuck in his throat, so she is a suspect. New to the town with few friends, she feels the need to prove her innocence.
Although Willa hasn't been in town and business long enough to forge many friendships, she is soon surrounded by a supportive group. That group includes her shop workers and Baz, a neighborhood handyman who just happens to live in the apartment next to Willa. Although she seems intrigued with another man, a fellow business owner, I foresee sparks there at some point. I just hope the author doesn't drag out any romantic relationships as those do tend to get old fast. In any case,
Willa's initial efforts are rather naive and certainly amateurish. I liked the loyalty shown by the shop workers and chuckled at the lengths Archie was willing to go to help promote the business. Yet, despite their help and, yes, a very competent police investigator, Willa notes at one point that she feels like they're just throwing darts in the wind when it comes to finding the real killer. I've got to admit, I didn't guess the right one, so it probably didn't have to be a strong wind muddying the issue.
Bottom line, despite the slow to me start, this is a promising start to a new series. We've learned a bit about not just Willa but the supporting characters, too, so it will be fun to get to know everyone better. The town has its secrets, don't all towns, but it'll be fun to get to know it better, too. One final recommendation: I'd suggest you keep at the very least a grilled cheese sandwich handy as you read. The various cheeses mentioned sound yummy.
Thanks for making me hungry #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress
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