No Parm No Foul by Linda Reilly Review

 Happy Wednesday Bookish Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

I'm Kirby, and if this is your first time stopping by, then welcome! If you've been here before, then welcome back! I love having you all join me to hear about the many many books I read and review.

I had the craziest long weekend ever at work, and when I wasn't working, I spent the majority of the weekend curling up with great books, and trying to relax and destress from the work craziness.

During the weekend, I had the chance to finish a title from a new to me author, and it's an upcoming July release. Today I'm looking forward to telling you all about it, and keep reading below for my full review. 

No Parm No Foul by Linda Reilly:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Publication Date: July 26th, 2022

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Grilled Cheese Mystery

Synopsis:

The second book in a delicious culinary cozy series—the muensters have arrived in Balsam Dell in this Halloween cozy mystery featuring a grilled cheese shop owner turned amateur sleuth

After a long hot summer in Balsam Dell, Carly Hale is ready for crisp Vermont weather and gourmet grilled cheeses at her Grilled Cheese Eatery. And the upcoming Halloween food competition is the perfect way to impress the locals.

But Ferris Menard, the owner of Sub-a-Dub-Sub, is nursing a serious grudge against Carly. Two days before the competition, one of Carly's employees quit his part-time gig at Menard's sub shop, sending Menard into a serious snit. In a confrontation at the Eatery, Menard accused Carly of sabotage and vowed to bring her down.

That's when Menard's body is found in his kitchen the morning after the competition, a steak knife sticking out of his heart. But Menard had a slew of enemies, and if Carly doesn't figure out which one is the culprit, she might find herself—or someone she cares about—serving grilled cheese sandwiches under lock and brie!

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

No Parm No Foul is the first book I've personally read in Linda Reilly's Grilled Cheese Mystery series, and I ended up loving it. I was appreciative that it pretty much reads like a stand alone, and that I didn't feel like I was truly missing out on anything by not having read the first title before this one. 

I thought the plot and mystery were both well done and original, and there's a plethora of suspects that keep our protagonist Carly guessing over the course of the story. There's a touch of romance that I really enjoyed, and plenty of warm fuzzy moments with Carly's many family and friends, and other secondary characters like the regular customers who visit her grilled cheese eatery on a regular basis.

I really enjoyed the quick witted writing style, and I never found that the story dragged or grew uninteresting throughout the development of the mystery. Perhaps my favorite part of all was honestly the setting though. I tend to love cozy mysteries that are set during the fall or winter, as I think it adds another element to the ambience, and the fact that this one takes place over the time period surrounding Halloween just made it that much more atmospheric. I also loved how the setting is Carly's grilled cheese eatery, and I found my mouth watering over the amazing descriptive passages about the sandwiches she serves her customers.

The only downfall with this one for me personally was that I had figured out the majority of the mystery quite awhile before the final reveal. However, I think that was more just a lucky guess on my behalf, and I don't feel that the author wrote it in a way that was too easy to figure out what was going on.

Overall, I feel that I've now found a new favorite cozy mystery series and this is right up there with ones from Krista Davis, Barbara Ross, and Julie Anne Lindsey. I can't wait to go back and read the first book in the series, and to read future books to come.

Final Rating: 5/5.

I can't recommend this one enough!

Thanks so much to Poisoned Pen Press for providing a copy of this one for me to read and review!

I voluntarily read a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Poisoned Pen Press) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)