It’s Locked! A Cozy Mystery Celebration: Interview With Korina Moss!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Korina Moss, the author of the Cheese Shop Mysteries! 

The newest book in the Cheese Shop Mysteries, CURDS OF PREY, released in March! Would you like to tell us a little about it?

I’d love to! CURDS OF PREY is the third book in my series, so this one focuses on some of the growing relationships of my main characters, particularly between my protagonist, Willa, and meadery owner, Roman. Love is in the air, as the Yarrow Glen decorating committee gets ready for a town-wide dance and Willa prepares an extensive cheese bar for the wedding shower of socialite Summer Harrington. When a murder occurs at the wedding shower and reveals Roman’s hidden history with the Harringtons, Willa’s budding relationship is rocked. She wants to steer clear of the whole thing, but someone she cannot refuse asks her to find out the truth. Soon, she’s caught between two powerful families—one of which might be protecting a killer. I think this book will be satisfying to my series readers who’ve been wanting to see Willa and Roman’s relationship progress, for better or worse. The dance decorating committee introduces some fun, new series characters, and love interests begin to form for each of Willa’s sleuthing friends, Archie, Mrs. Schultz, and Baz. 

The next book, CASE OF THE BLEUS, releases in September! Can you tell us anything about it?

Yes! CASE OF THE BLEUS centers around a valuable and highly sought-after custom blue cheese created by Willa’s former employer, the recently deceased Max Dumas. Willa’s former colleagues, who also worked for Max, arrive in Yarrow Glen for the popular cheese invitational where Max and his cheese will be honored. Only Max knew the recipe and the location where his beloved cheese was made and aged, and those who were closest to Max are eager to have these secrets revealed at his will reading. But instead of naming someone to inherit his cheese and its secrets, Max stuns everyone with one cryptic clue. When a fellow cheesemonger dies under mysterious circumstances––the woman they all thought would get the secrets to Max's prized possession––everyone falls under suspicion. I think readers will find this one to be a lot of fun, because there are riddles in the book that must be solved to figure out Max’s secret, so readers have the opportunity to solve them alongside Willa and her sleuthing friends.

Random Question! What’s your favorite type of cheese? 

That’s a really hard question because there are so many delicious cheeses and they’re all so different that it’s hard to compare. One of my favorites that I can eat any time is Brabander Gouda. I mention it in the first chapter of CHEDDAR OFF DEAD. It’s creamy and sort of sweet and so delicious, it’s hard to stop eating it. 

If you’re able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

I’m working on the fifth book (currently untitled) in my Cheese Shop Mystery series. It takes place at the district-wide Dairy Days festival in the town next to Yarrow Glen, so when a suspicious accident occurs, killing the Miss Dairy pageant director, Willa can’t count on Detective Heath to investigate—this case is outside his jurisdiction. However, the town’s mayor is more concerned about keeping it hush-hush so Dairy Days will be a success than in having the police conduct an investigation. When another “accident” occurs, this time involving one of Willa’s friends, she and Heath team up to discover the killer. I think readers will enjoy this one, because Heath won’t be asking Willa not to investigate for the first time—they’ll be working together. He won’t be constricted by his role as a police detective, since he’s not officially on the case, so readers will get to see more of his personality.  

What are some of your favorite cozy mysteries? And what are some you’re looking forward to reading? 

There are so many cozies I enjoy, I can’t even begin to name them. I’ll tell you the cozies I read early on that got me hooked on the genre and made me want to write cozy mysteries: M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series, Diane Mott Davidson’s Goldy Bear Catering series, Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown’s Mrs. Murphy series, and Nancy Pickard’s Jenny Cain series, to name a few. I love the culturally diverse culinary cozies out today from authors like Raquel V. Reyes, Mia P. Manansala, Olivia Matthews, Vivian Chien, and Jennifer Chow. I also like the quozies (queer cozy mysteries) from authors like Rob Osler (a fellow Agatha award nominee), C.J. Connor, Frank Anthony Polito, and Zac Bissonnette. I’m looking forward to reading Libby Klein’s first book in her forthcoming series, Vice and Virtue, because her Poppy McAllister Mysteries are so funny. I’m super excited about Olivia Blacke’s forthcoming humorous supernatural mystery, Afterlife—it feels fresh and different. I also can’t wait to read Celeste Connally’s upcoming historical cozy mystery, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, which meshes the genre with all the romantic fun of Bridgerton. And, of course, I’m looking forward to reading all the cozies in my TBR pile… someday.

Thank you so much to Korina Moss for participating in this event!

Author Bio: KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop cozy mystery series set in Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner of the Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead. Her books have been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World Magazine, AARP Magazine, and Fresh Fiction. She loves creating quirky characters who live in idyllic small towns. She grew up on a healthy dose of Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie novels, which developed her passion for solving mysteries and eventually writing her own. She lives in a small New England town with its own share of quirky characters.

Here Are A Few Links:

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