Cheddar Luck Next Time

Cheddar Luck Next Time (2025) Beth Cato

Bird is slowly rebuilding her life after losing both her parents and then her grandmother within a single year, but her inheritance gave her one thing: the ability to focus on her gourmet cheese board business.

The property she inherited from her grandmother has a commercial kitchen, and with her small inheritance she was able to quit her day job and move into her grandmother’s house (and work out of that beautiful commercial kitchen).

Unfortunately, her introduction to town as a grown adult involves discovering the body of the town troublemaker who had threatened her just that morning.

More unfortunately, her neighbor–who is the closest thing she has to family–is suspected of the murder.

“If I need your help, I’ll tell you. Your Grandma made me promise that I’d go to you if I needed that kind of support.” It struck me as poignant and sad that he didn’t even use the word “alcohol” in any form, as if it was Voldemort.

This story is full of cheese, both the cheese that is part of Bird’s business, and the grilled cheese truck she discovers on her first day.

The grilled cheese sandwiches all sounded really really delicious, and it made me sad I could not eat them.

One of the interesting things about the story is that Bird is autistic, and that’s presented in a way that is (of course) different from other autistic female characters in other books.

I had trouble discerning anything in the mix of darkness and bright lights. I blinked fast as if that would help my brain process the world better. It didn’t.

I retreated down the strip mall past Salon & Nails. Getting forty feet from the chaos made a huge difference. My thoughts became clearer, my vision sharper.

The two circular arrangements were extraordinary, like wheel-sized spirals of sliced and thin-cut meats. As much as I admired the artistry, I felt no desire to try anything.

The various carnivorous delights touched each other and had been mingling flavors for hours.

Many of her traits matched my life experience in ways that I felt deeply. I hate when foods that are not supposed to be part of a dish are touching (exception, Thanksgiving dinner, because almost everything there goes together).

Also, there were a LOT of twists, which I very much enjoyed.

Interestingly, I have two other books by Beth Cato, neither of which I’d gotten around to reading yet. Unfortunately, neither of those books is another cozy mystery, so as much as I enjoyed this, it might take me a bit to get around to reading a steampunk adventure or a fantasy.

Characters: Bird Nichols, Dale Keswick, Maurice, Mollie, Grizz Ferreira, Chase Perkins, Belinda Perkins, Jessie, Ella May, Lucille Franklin, Rita Ramos, Detective Merrick, Deputy Johnson, Ray, George, Violet, Mr Singh, Estelle, Valerie, Mrs Green, Mrs Higgy

Cover by Sarah O’Flaherty

Publisher: Datura Books

Rating: 8.5/10

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