No Parm No Foul

I could have stayed the Halloween cooking competition for the whole book! That was a wonderful fall festival that I have never heard about. That is one thing that made this book special.
I like the futher development of Grant and his decisions about his future. I like to see Ari and Carly slowly moving forward and having some struggles and doubts. I like the various grilled cheese sandwiches that were described. I like getting to know some of the regulars at her restaurant.
Carly is slowly working towards being a better slueth, but her interview techniques need some work! I found myself wanting to give her advice to help her interview people better. Evelyn made some odd choices that made some of the mystery feel contrived instead of a regular pace for a mystery. That is a really nit-picky thing and the only complaint I had about the book.
The mystery is well done. There are lots of suspects holding on to secrets, so a lot of them look suspicious. The pace at which secrets are revealed is well done as well. I figured out who it was before Carly, but really had no clue why. So part of the reveal was still a surprise for me.
Good mystery, great characters, wonderful setting, and a fun fall festival!
Thanks to NetGalley and Poison Pen Press.

⭐⭐.5 – This cover literally has ZERO reflection of the story. It's Halloween in Vermont. Not a 4th of July picnic. Where is the Jack o lantern shaped grilled cheese? The fall colors? Any hint of Halloween AT ALL?? Covers not reflecting the story within is one of my biggest pet peeves...sigh.

Onto the story itself. I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was looking forward to diving into this one. Unfortunately, I just didn't love it as much. The positives...the mystery was engaging and kept me guessing. The writing was great. The pace was good. The setting is original. I still love that Carly's love interest isn't in law enforcement (if you read a lot of cozies you know!