Murder At The Summer Cheese Festival by Jodie Morgan

 

Laura Evans has recently moved to the small town of Silver Springs in Vermont. The whole town is excited in the build-up to the annual Summer Cheese Festival. When one of the judges is murdered, and suspicion falls on Laura's boss, she decides to investigate.

If you're a fan of cozy crime or novels with a small-town setting, then Murder At The Summer Cheese Festival by Jodie Morgan offers you both. This is the first book in the Silver Springs Mystery series. Silver Springs is one of those communities that lots of people dream of: tight-knit but welcoming, community-minded, filled with tradition, and has lots to offer residents and visitors alike.

Laura had a stressful job at a busy Boston restaurant, but restructuring saw her pushed out. Looking for something more manageable, she's moved to Silver Springs and now works in the General Store café. Even though she's only been there two weeks, she already realises how important the upcoming cheese festival is not only for the town, but also for Maggie, her boss. When one of the judges, a famous food critic who wrote a scathing review about the café, is found dead, suspicion immediately falls on Maggie.

Determined to clear her boss's name and find the real culprit, Laura sets about trying to find out more about the victim, hoping this will give her a clue as to who the murderer is. Unfortunately, the food critic was thoroughly unpleasant, leading to a large pool of suspects, all of whom seem to have a motive. Luckily, Laura has support from her colleague, Jasmine, and her landlady, Evelyn, during her investigation.

These two characters offer Laura invaluable insight into the background of Silver Springs and its residents and work well together. Evelyn was my favourite character in the book; sprightly, knowledgeable, and not without a little bit of cunning. She plays the 'old-lady' card to perfection. I can see lots of potential in Laura. She doesn't try to enforce her 'big city' ways or come across as a mastermind. I also felt sympathetic towards her as she repeatedly tried to reassure her mother that she hadn't made a mistake by moving to a small town.

As a member of the hospitality staff at the cafe and during the festival, Laura is able to overhear lots of conversations, showing that a number of people have secrets to hide. By carefully piecing all of these conversations together, along with the insider knowledge offered by Jasmine and Evelyn, Laura is able to find the real murderer.

Murder At The Summer Cheese Festival offers mystery on the gentle side, with a vast array of characters in a friendly setting. This really is a great example of cozy crime. My thanks to Jodie Morgan for a review copy.

Author Details

Jodie is an author & knitting blogger. Her books welcome readers to the charming Silver Springs Mysteries in Vermont, filled with intriguing puzzles, memorable characters, and the satisfying solutions readers love.

When she’s not plotting her next book, you’ll find her reading, savoring a coffee (always with cream!) or doing her latest knitting or crochet project. She loves to travel as it sparks ideas for her stories. Her most satisfying creative moments come from quiet evenings at home with her family.

You can find out more about Silver Springs at www.cozycozies.com