Article and Interview by Elise Cooper
Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss is compelling. It has all the ingredients for a cozy mystery with likeable characters, an intriguing plot, a quaint small town, and great food. Besides the mystery, readers will get to know the characters, learn about other shops, and have their taste buds enhanced with the different cheeses.
The main character Willa Bauer has opened Curds & Whey, a French-inspired cheese shop in the heart of the Sonoma Valley. Going to this small town of Yarrow Glen is a fresh start for her after her heart is broken. She has asked the local food critic, Guy Lippinger, to give a review, but becomes hesitant after discovering he only gives bad ones. When Guy comes into the shop things go from bad to worse. Shortly after leaving, she finds him in his car outside her shop, dead with one of Willa’s cheese knives. To clear her and her shop’s names she starts investigating. Unfortunately, she is a prime suspect, but also is in the sights of a killer.
This is a good start to a new series with many twists and turns. Because of all the suspects it was hard to guess the killer. Even if someone is lactose intolerant they will enjoy the book with vivid cheese descriptions, engaging characters, and a riveting mystery.
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for this story?
Korina Moss: This is the first in the series. It was my editor’s idea for a cheese shop mystery series, and I took it from there.
EC: Do you like cheese, like Mickey Mouse?
KM: Yes, I do. I love cheese and Disney World also.
EC: Will Willa have a pet mouse?
KM: Good idea. I was looking for an unconventional pet for her, not a cat or dog. Fur and cheese really do not go together. They do say mice are smart.
EC: The role of cheese in the story?
KM: Willa’s life is based upon her love of cheese. It helped her to get through hard times. It shows who she is and helps her make a connection to others. Cheese has been her safety. As she makes the different dishes with cheese, hopefully readers will love it. Most of us just eat cheese and do not think beyond it. I am loving hearing from readers that they have been opened to different cheese types and how it is made. It is a cool product. Cheese was literally involved in the murder.
EC: How would you describe Willa?
KM: She is driven, a little controlling, fiercely independent, and she thinks she knows more than she does. She is loyal and does not trust easily. She never waivers from her end goal, helping her shop. She sees it is not just about her but about all the community. Because of what happened between her best friend and her fiancé she became heartbroken.
EC: What about the town?
KM: The small town is surrounded by mountains, in the glen of the Sonoma Valley. The town, Yarrow Glen, has dairy roots and dairy farming. This is not the first-place tourists come to. It is just starting to bloom. Many of the community people are either starting over or trying to get their footing. They have each other’s backs. Each have their own idiosyncrasies, quirks, and secrets.
EC: What about the murder victim, Guy?
KM: He has a background in Yarrow Glen, having grown up there. His family would lease land to the farmers, called Land Barons. Now he is editor of the magazine. He is a drunk who wants revenge but sought respect, friendship, and acceptance. Because he never got it, he decided to take down all the businesses one by one. Guy is mean, feels superior, corrupt, and tries to take advantage of people.
EC: Can you explain the quote that gave me a chuckle by Willa, “Did he think I’d never saw a horror movie? Nothing good comes of waiting here,” or splitting up.
KM: Every movie or book you read it happens. The police seem to say in the mysteries, “we will protect you” and in the next scene the person is dead. I sometimes scream at the screen do not split up, stay together. As I was writing that quote, I thought no way is Willa going to do it. I thought everyone could relate to it.
EC: Is there a love triangle?
KM: It will not be a love triangle. Willa feels connections with certain people in different ways. She does have an attraction for the police detective and the meadery shop owner.
EC: What about your next book?
KM: Gone for Gouda comes out on September 27th of this year. She is hosting a celebrity cookbook author who ends up getting murdered. One of Willa’s employees and friends is blamed.
EC: THANK YOU!!
