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A Cheese Shop Mystery #3
Clobbered by Camembert
Cheese store owner Charlotte Bessette is setting up for the town's Winter Wonderland fair. Then, when an old friend is found dead in the cottage of Charlotte's assistant Rebecca, a suspicion falls on Rebecca's boyfriend, a honeybee farmer. While the town buzzes with gossip, can Charlotte catch the culprit without getting stung herself?
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 7, 2012
82 people are currently reading
1247 people want to read
About the author
Avery Aames
18 books593 followersAvery Aames, author of A Cheese Shop Mystery for Berkley Prime Crime, is the pseudonym for Daryl Wood Gerber. Daryl created the format for the popular sitcom, "Out of this World" and has won awards for her screenplays. She also writes short stories and suspense novels. Not one to simply read and cook, she tends to look for adventure. She has hitchhiked around Ireland by herself and she has jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
February 14, 2012
I would have given this one 4 stars but the secondary character Rebecca, just irritated me this time out. Instead of coming across as panicky, as befitting the situation her character was in, she came across pushy, bossy and a tad hysterical. Otherwise, the story was a good one - interesting suspects and good character tension. All of the characters (with the exception of Rebecca) are becoming more likeable with each book and the author does an excellent job writing a vivid picture of the town and businesses. I'll be looking for the next one.
August 18, 2018
Enjoyable series with lots of delectable cheeses. Charlotte Bessette does a nice job as an amateur sleuth. I plan on reading the next one because the characters have grown on me, and would like to see what happens in this charming community.
October 14, 2020
Lovely introduction to this series. Hopefully I can find more of this author's books.
March 27, 2012
Well it as okay. Some of the supporting characters are really annoying. Especially Rebecca. Her going around saying your the murderer all the time. I just wanted to slap her. Liked the other books better. Love the cheese discussion though. Grandparents are my favorite characters.
October 27, 2022
Saved by the cheese and the recipes in the back! Without them, this would have been a two-star book, because Rebecca, especially, but also Charlotte, were REALLY annoying in this one - much more so than I remember them being in the previous ones in this series. I'm not proud of it, but at times I hoped that they would be proved wrong about Rebecca's boyfriend's innocence, just to teach them a lesson.
February 21, 2012
I normally love this series but things felt forced this time around. Suddenly Charlotte is surrounded by suitors, Rebecca has turned into a spoiled brat and Matthew's ex has the run of the town and no one puts her in her place. Although I love learning about the cheeses, not sure that the series will continue to tempt...
December 30, 2020
Rounding up to 3. I’ve liked others of her books but these characters are so annoying— and many just crazy caricature. Could barely plow through.
November 24, 2021
Clobbered by Camembert is the third book in Avery Aames's cosy mystery series featuring cheese shop owner Charlotte Bessette and her close circle of friends and family.
In this instalment, Charlotte and her staff from La Fromagerie Bessette in Providence, Ohio are busy preparing for the town's upcoming Winter Wonderland Faire. In Charlotte's drama-filled life, nothing ever runs smoothly, and on this occasion the unexpected arrival in Providence of two individuals creates suspicion and upset. First, Charlotte's former fiancé, a buff but arrogant chef named Chip, turns up and irritates her with his romantic overtures - she's now happily involved with local cheese farmer Jordan. Secondly, the Amazon-like Kaitlyn Clydesdale sweeps into Providence, making promises to fund local causes but with an eye to large scale development of the agricultural land surrounding the town. In particular, rumours abound of her plans to establish a commercial honey production facility on land adjoining that of Quail Ridge Honeybee Farm, the boutique concern of local producer Ipo Ho. Ipo's the boyfriend of Charlotte's employee Rebecca, a former Amish, who turns into a sort of vengeful banshee overnight when she learns that her beloved's livelihood might be threatened. When Kaitlyn's found murdered in Ipo's home, he becomes the prime suspect, leading Charlotte to drop everything and spring into action as she has in the past, sleuthing around Providence to prove Ipo's innocence and identify the true villain.
Given that this is a "cosy mystery" series, I'm prepared to make some allowances for caricatured supporting characters, risk-taking behaviour by the protagonist and a liberal dusting of food references. However, Clobbered by Camembert stretches those boundaries way beyond the extent of the first two books. The frenetic behaviour of the central recurring characters is frequently absurd, leading them into constant confrontations. The character of Rebecca, who's been quite sweet and innocent in previous books, undergoes a jarring transformation not entirely explicable by the threat to her boyfriend's freedom. Charlotte swings from one outlandish theory to the next, dashing hither and thither to accuse one acquaintance after another of heinous deeds. How her cheese shop can remain profitable, with her constantly abandoning her station to follow up clues, is the biggest mystery here!
While the underlying premise of the main mystery plot is sound, I felt that Avery Aames has over-committed in terms of parallel side-plots and the sheer number of characters. It's overwhelming, and I believe could have benefited from some additional editing to simplify the plot. While Clobbered by Camembert does progress the series in terms of the arcs of central characters, I would recommend against reading this instalment as a standalone or as an entry point to the series.
I enjoy the way Avery Aames incorporates cheese and wine information into her narrative - a particular feature of this series - including, on this occasion, a reference to a familiar Tasmanian cheese! However, I did get a little bored with the repetitive minute descriptions of Charlotte's clothing choices, which I felt added little other than unnecessary padding to the story.
Overall, I found Clobbered by Camembert a frequently entertaining cosy mystery read, which despite occasionally becoming bogged down in detail or side-plots, delivered a satisfying conclusion. Despite my misgivings with some elements of this particular instalment, I'll happily seek out subsequent books and continue to follow Charlotte's sleuthing endeavours.
In this instalment, Charlotte and her staff from La Fromagerie Bessette in Providence, Ohio are busy preparing for the town's upcoming Winter Wonderland Faire. In Charlotte's drama-filled life, nothing ever runs smoothly, and on this occasion the unexpected arrival in Providence of two individuals creates suspicion and upset. First, Charlotte's former fiancé, a buff but arrogant chef named Chip, turns up and irritates her with his romantic overtures - she's now happily involved with local cheese farmer Jordan. Secondly, the Amazon-like Kaitlyn Clydesdale sweeps into Providence, making promises to fund local causes but with an eye to large scale development of the agricultural land surrounding the town. In particular, rumours abound of her plans to establish a commercial honey production facility on land adjoining that of Quail Ridge Honeybee Farm, the boutique concern of local producer Ipo Ho. Ipo's the boyfriend of Charlotte's employee Rebecca, a former Amish, who turns into a sort of vengeful banshee overnight when she learns that her beloved's livelihood might be threatened. When Kaitlyn's found murdered in Ipo's home, he becomes the prime suspect, leading Charlotte to drop everything and spring into action as she has in the past, sleuthing around Providence to prove Ipo's innocence and identify the true villain.
Given that this is a "cosy mystery" series, I'm prepared to make some allowances for caricatured supporting characters, risk-taking behaviour by the protagonist and a liberal dusting of food references. However, Clobbered by Camembert stretches those boundaries way beyond the extent of the first two books. The frenetic behaviour of the central recurring characters is frequently absurd, leading them into constant confrontations. The character of Rebecca, who's been quite sweet and innocent in previous books, undergoes a jarring transformation not entirely explicable by the threat to her boyfriend's freedom. Charlotte swings from one outlandish theory to the next, dashing hither and thither to accuse one acquaintance after another of heinous deeds. How her cheese shop can remain profitable, with her constantly abandoning her station to follow up clues, is the biggest mystery here!
While the underlying premise of the main mystery plot is sound, I felt that Avery Aames has over-committed in terms of parallel side-plots and the sheer number of characters. It's overwhelming, and I believe could have benefited from some additional editing to simplify the plot. While Clobbered by Camembert does progress the series in terms of the arcs of central characters, I would recommend against reading this instalment as a standalone or as an entry point to the series.
I enjoy the way Avery Aames incorporates cheese and wine information into her narrative - a particular feature of this series - including, on this occasion, a reference to a familiar Tasmanian cheese! However, I did get a little bored with the repetitive minute descriptions of Charlotte's clothing choices, which I felt added little other than unnecessary padding to the story.
Overall, I found Clobbered by Camembert a frequently entertaining cosy mystery read, which despite occasionally becoming bogged down in detail or side-plots, delivered a satisfying conclusion. Despite my misgivings with some elements of this particular instalment, I'll happily seek out subsequent books and continue to follow Charlotte's sleuthing endeavours.
July 1, 2017
"I thought I'd seen a ghost, Charlotte," Matthew said.
Charlotte of Fromagerie Besstte is setting up a tent for the annual Winter Wonderland Faire in Providence, Ohio when she meets an old friend of her mother's. Kaitlyn Clydesdale is a rather obnoxious woman who is in negotiations to buy the land beside local beekeeper, Ipo Ho. Her plan is to compete with Ipo for the honey business. Ipo is dating Charlotte's assistant Rebecca who is terribly upset by the whole situation. Ipo becomes the prime suspect when Kaitlyn is found murdered in Rebecca's cottage.
This is the third book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series. There is a huge cast of characters that at times can be confusing. Charlotte's ex-fiancé is back in town just as her romance with Jordan is heating up. Although, Jordan has secrets that her won't or can't share with Charlotte. Charlotte's cousin Matthew is planning his wedding with her best friend, Meredith and having to deal with his ex-wife moving back to town. This creates chaos in his life and with his twin girls.
The victim had offered Charlotte some insight into her parents' deaths and she was sad to not learn more. It did open up a chance for conversation with her grandmother.
Rebecca is rather intense in this book. She is almost rabid in her attempt to clear Ipo's name. It comes across very harsh at times. Of course police chief, Umberto Urso is less than thrilled with the amateur sleuthing going on. (I always imagine a pissed off bear when I read his name!)
My favorite thing about this book is the information on the various cheeses. I love to learn the tidbits about the making and history of them. I'm always thankful for the goat and sheep varieties as I have an allergy to cow's milk. (Although I still eat them!) I can visualize the pairings Charlotte creates and they make me smile.
The quirky characters of a small town are instrumental in this series. There are so many suspects and it is often hard to pin down who the culprit is. I didn't realize the murderer until Charlotte did.
The book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger that makes me want to pick up the next one.
Charlotte of Fromagerie Besstte is setting up a tent for the annual Winter Wonderland Faire in Providence, Ohio when she meets an old friend of her mother's. Kaitlyn Clydesdale is a rather obnoxious woman who is in negotiations to buy the land beside local beekeeper, Ipo Ho. Her plan is to compete with Ipo for the honey business. Ipo is dating Charlotte's assistant Rebecca who is terribly upset by the whole situation. Ipo becomes the prime suspect when Kaitlyn is found murdered in Rebecca's cottage.
This is the third book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series. There is a huge cast of characters that at times can be confusing. Charlotte's ex-fiancé is back in town just as her romance with Jordan is heating up. Although, Jordan has secrets that her won't or can't share with Charlotte. Charlotte's cousin Matthew is planning his wedding with her best friend, Meredith and having to deal with his ex-wife moving back to town. This creates chaos in his life and with his twin girls.
The victim had offered Charlotte some insight into her parents' deaths and she was sad to not learn more. It did open up a chance for conversation with her grandmother.
Rebecca is rather intense in this book. She is almost rabid in her attempt to clear Ipo's name. It comes across very harsh at times. Of course police chief, Umberto Urso is less than thrilled with the amateur sleuthing going on. (I always imagine a pissed off bear when I read his name!)
My favorite thing about this book is the information on the various cheeses. I love to learn the tidbits about the making and history of them. I'm always thankful for the goat and sheep varieties as I have an allergy to cow's milk. (Although I still eat them!) I can visualize the pairings Charlotte creates and they make me smile.
The quirky characters of a small town are instrumental in this series. There are so many suspects and it is often hard to pin down who the culprit is. I didn't realize the murderer until Charlotte did.
The book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger that makes me want to pick up the next one.
March 14, 2020
This book was incredibly confusing, but a still like the ditzy characters and the hamster wheel approach that the town takes to life.
Book 2 took place from St. Patrick's Day until early April. Clobbered takes place in February, of the same year and keeps referring to events that occurred a few months ago, when in the real realm of the storyline, they shouldn't have even happened yet. I really don't know how an editor could have missed this.
I do like the characters and they grow on you each book. She does introduce too many new ones, tho. The books are lively and keep you entertained.
Book 2 took place from St. Patrick's Day until early April. Clobbered takes place in February, of the same year and keeps referring to events that occurred a few months ago, when in the real realm of the storyline, they shouldn't have even happened yet. I really don't know how an editor could have missed this.
I do like the characters and they grow on you each book. She does introduce too many new ones, tho. The books are lively and keep you entertained.
January 16, 2016
Charlotte Bessette—proprietor of Le Petit Fromagerie, affectionately known in Providence, Ohio, as the Cheese Shop—is busy setting up her tent for the town’s Winter Wonderland faire, where she’ll offer fine wines and scrumptious cheeses. In the midst of the preparations, Charlotte meets an old friend of her mother, Kaitlyn Clydesdale, who has come back to Providence with plans to start a new honeybee farm.When Kaitlyn is found dead in the cottage of Charlotte’s assistant Rebecca, suspicion falls on Rebecca’s boyfriend, a honeybee farmer himself. Charlotte knows this beekeeper wouldn’t hurt a fly, so she decides to find the real killer. While the town buzzes with gossip, can Charlotte catch the culprit without getting stung herself?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Charlotte Bessette is a wonderful strong woman, raised by her grandparents. Her parents were killed in an accident when Charlotte was just a toddler. She has had more than a few bumps already in life but emerges from each them even stronger. She also has a huge heart which means it is hard for her to say “no” to anyone which sometimes leads her to yet another bump in the road. The trouble is lately this bumps have been dead bodies or live ones she just wishes would leave her alone. Rebecca is quite demanding of Charlotte in this installment but then again her boyfriend is being accused of murder. You can’t help but love these characters.
As you can see from the cover of the book illustrated by Teresa Fasolino, the setting is gorgeous. The Winter Wonderland Faire sounds like an awesome event, the food, the ice sculptures, the choir, the author puts you right there, you may even shiver from the cold weather as the snow starts to gently fall.
Avery also sculpts a wonderful winter mystery. New characters come to town shedding some light on the past and also with big ideas that could mean major changes to Providence making many upset as they learn the details. But who would commit murder? We are kept guessing until the very end.
The setting may be winter but that makes this is a perfect cozy to curl up in front of the fire to read. Don’t forgot to pour a glass of wine and make a little cheesy snack. The story will have you craving both.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Charlotte Bessette is a wonderful strong woman, raised by her grandparents. Her parents were killed in an accident when Charlotte was just a toddler. She has had more than a few bumps already in life but emerges from each them even stronger. She also has a huge heart which means it is hard for her to say “no” to anyone which sometimes leads her to yet another bump in the road. The trouble is lately this bumps have been dead bodies or live ones she just wishes would leave her alone. Rebecca is quite demanding of Charlotte in this installment but then again her boyfriend is being accused of murder. You can’t help but love these characters.
As you can see from the cover of the book illustrated by Teresa Fasolino, the setting is gorgeous. The Winter Wonderland Faire sounds like an awesome event, the food, the ice sculptures, the choir, the author puts you right there, you may even shiver from the cold weather as the snow starts to gently fall.
Avery also sculpts a wonderful winter mystery. New characters come to town shedding some light on the past and also with big ideas that could mean major changes to Providence making many upset as they learn the details. But who would commit murder? We are kept guessing until the very end.
The setting may be winter but that makes this is a perfect cozy to curl up in front of the fire to read. Don’t forgot to pour a glass of wine and make a little cheesy snack. The story will have you craving both.
September 21, 2015
Really 3.5 stars
This started out really slow, and Charlotte was really annoying for the like first 1/3 of the book, but actually the last 2/3 of the book was very good, a huge improvement from the first two in the series. However, Rebecca was extremely annoying and pushy throughout the book. This one gets 3.5 stars, because it was very good by the end, however Rebecca was so annoying it took away from the book. I also, hope Charlotte can get some better investigation techniques by the next book. But simply look at that cover, it's honestly one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen.
This started out really slow, and Charlotte was really annoying for the like first 1/3 of the book, but actually the last 2/3 of the book was very good, a huge improvement from the first two in the series. However, Rebecca was extremely annoying and pushy throughout the book. This one gets 3.5 stars, because it was very good by the end, however Rebecca was so annoying it took away from the book. I also, hope Charlotte can get some better investigation techniques by the next book. But simply look at that cover, it's honestly one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen.
May 13, 2012
This one wasn't as strong as the other two novels in the series. For one, the mystery was weaker and, two, Rebecca was annoying as all get out. It was like she was a totally different character. Third, there was far too much romance and not enough mystery.
I do like the cheese references, but I don't like all the love stuff.
I do like the cheese references, but I don't like all the love stuff.
December 23, 2020
This series is starting to get on my nerves. Yeah, yeah, your niece eats gluten-free. Please stop reminding us every other chapter. And why does our protagonist say she hates gossip but is always asking questions and believing everything everyone says?!
February 25, 2020
Providence, Ohio is preparing for the town’s Winter Wonderland Fair. Charlotte Bessette and her employees are setting up La Petit Fromagerie Bessette and looking forward to the events scheduled for the week, including an ice-sculpting competition.
Former town resident Kaitlyn Clydesdale arrives and stirs up trouble when she announces plans to open a honeybee farm next to Ipo Ho’s honeybee farm. When Kaitlyn is found dead in the cottage of Charlotte’s assistant Rebecca, a suspect is immediately identified. Ipo is not only a potential competitor to Kaitlyn’s new farm, but also Rebecca’s boyfriend.
Rebecca is devastated that Ipo is a suspect and implores Charlotte to help her prove his innocence. Everyone in the town has a bit of gossip to share and secrets are revealed.
This is the third book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series. I always enjoy these books but struggle to remain engaged. The story is told with many details and the plot ebbs and flows. I do like the story arc so far, so I keep reading.
There are also many characters in this book, several of whom are not completely developed, including some that might be considered main characters. The main character seems impulsive when she is investigating, which leaves her friends and family worry about her “snooping.”
The setting is the quintessential small town featured in most cozy mysteries. Rebecca is ex-Amish which gives you an idea of where in the state this fictional town could be located.
The events that transpired at the end of the book left me in suspense. I can’t wait to read the next book to see if I am happy with the outcome. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. Although this book could stand alone, I don’t think the dynamics between all of the characters would make sense.
Former town resident Kaitlyn Clydesdale arrives and stirs up trouble when she announces plans to open a honeybee farm next to Ipo Ho’s honeybee farm. When Kaitlyn is found dead in the cottage of Charlotte’s assistant Rebecca, a suspect is immediately identified. Ipo is not only a potential competitor to Kaitlyn’s new farm, but also Rebecca’s boyfriend.
Rebecca is devastated that Ipo is a suspect and implores Charlotte to help her prove his innocence. Everyone in the town has a bit of gossip to share and secrets are revealed.
This is the third book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series. I always enjoy these books but struggle to remain engaged. The story is told with many details and the plot ebbs and flows. I do like the story arc so far, so I keep reading.
There are also many characters in this book, several of whom are not completely developed, including some that might be considered main characters. The main character seems impulsive when she is investigating, which leaves her friends and family worry about her “snooping.”
The setting is the quintessential small town featured in most cozy mysteries. Rebecca is ex-Amish which gives you an idea of where in the state this fictional town could be located.
The events that transpired at the end of the book left me in suspense. I can’t wait to read the next book to see if I am happy with the outcome. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. Although this book could stand alone, I don’t think the dynamics between all of the characters would make sense.
May 24, 2017
Read this out of sequence, but it was still good. Lots of characters in this, but she does provide a guide in case you need to refresh. Good story with plausible ending.
April 2, 2012
Clobbered by Camembert is the third book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series, and in this one Charlotte's old boyfriend comes back from France, which stirs up trouble with Jordan.
This book find us in the middle of winter, a Winter Wonderland Faire is starting, the whole town is excited, except that there is a new lady in town, and she is making enemies at every turn, stirring up old memories and making Charlotte question the truth about her parent's death.
We find Matthew and Meredith working on planning a wedding, and learning to deal with Slyvie living in town. Jordan and Charlotte and back from a vacation together, and she still has more questions about who Jordan is, and with Chip reappearing in town, it makes her wonder if he is the right man for her or not, but not that she would ever take Chip back, that is truly over. Rebecca and Ipo have started dating and they are finally going to have their first kiss, which has Rebecca all a-fluster, growing up Amish, she is not sure about this, but it will work out.
Blackmail, divorce, intrigue and murder all wrapped up in a tidy little book, so much going on and so much more to find out.
Loved the book (hated the last couple of paragraphs - cliffhanger notice) but over all well written, in fact I never guessed who the murder was until about the same moment that Charlotte did, and it was not who anyone thought~
Of course, there is the town grievances, the fued between Slyvie and Matthew, the power struggle over the twins, just a whole lot of fun stuff going on all around the murder, and while you are at it, a lot of good information about cheese and wine! I think those are my favorite parts! I love hearing about the flavors and taste of different cheeses, makes me want to write a list of the ones I want to try and keep it with the book. Same with the wines!
This book find us in the middle of winter, a Winter Wonderland Faire is starting, the whole town is excited, except that there is a new lady in town, and she is making enemies at every turn, stirring up old memories and making Charlotte question the truth about her parent's death.
We find Matthew and Meredith working on planning a wedding, and learning to deal with Slyvie living in town. Jordan and Charlotte and back from a vacation together, and she still has more questions about who Jordan is, and with Chip reappearing in town, it makes her wonder if he is the right man for her or not, but not that she would ever take Chip back, that is truly over. Rebecca and Ipo have started dating and they are finally going to have their first kiss, which has Rebecca all a-fluster, growing up Amish, she is not sure about this, but it will work out.
Blackmail, divorce, intrigue and murder all wrapped up in a tidy little book, so much going on and so much more to find out.
Loved the book (hated the last couple of paragraphs - cliffhanger notice) but over all well written, in fact I never guessed who the murder was until about the same moment that Charlotte did, and it was not who anyone thought~
Of course, there is the town grievances, the fued between Slyvie and Matthew, the power struggle over the twins, just a whole lot of fun stuff going on all around the murder, and while you are at it, a lot of good information about cheese and wine! I think those are my favorite parts! I love hearing about the flavors and taste of different cheeses, makes me want to write a list of the ones I want to try and keep it with the book. Same with the wines!
February 20, 2012
Wow, I have a great opening sentence for this review, however, it would give away too much and this book deserves to be read so...
Do you enjoy cheese, the smell, taste, pairings, and appearance of cheese? Yes? Well, do you enjoy reading about small towns that a cheese store might be one of the exotic stores in town? Yes? Hmmn, well do you enjoy warm family interactions? Yes? Finally, do you love a sudden murder to stun you out of the bucolic setting? O.K. You will adore "Clobbered by Camembert."
The Bessette family is busy living in Providence, Ohio. Our sleuth is Charlotte and she is co-proprietor of 'Fromagerie Bessette,' lovingly known in town as The Cheese Shop. Charlotte has a boyfriend, Jordan, a cheese farmer. Charlotte's Grandmother, Grandfather, Brother, Nieces and good friends are all very active in town and often aid with the sleuthing. As you would expect, Charlotte employs good people at her store. Ah, we settle in for a comfy read...
The story opens during a winter festival. All the stores have tents set up for the tourists and life is good...until, a woman comes out of the past and gets herself murdered with exotic weapons! The Police Chief looks at the local Honey Bee farmer, Ipo Ho and that can not be...Rebecca, Charlotte's employee begs and guilts Charlotte into sleuthing to save Ipo. To complicate matters, for Charlotte, her ex-fiance is back...does she feel for him still?
This book is a Romantic Suspense, while being an excellent example of a Murder Mystery. This book is complete. I found myself lost within it's pages. Luckily, for me, there is another episode in the offing, "To Brie or Not to Brie." Thank You, Ms. Aames and Berkley Prime Crime!
Oh, there are yummy recipes in the end also. We tried out the 'San Simon Frittata' this morning. It was a hit!
Do you enjoy cheese, the smell, taste, pairings, and appearance of cheese? Yes? Well, do you enjoy reading about small towns that a cheese store might be one of the exotic stores in town? Yes? Hmmn, well do you enjoy warm family interactions? Yes? Finally, do you love a sudden murder to stun you out of the bucolic setting? O.K. You will adore "Clobbered by Camembert."
The Bessette family is busy living in Providence, Ohio. Our sleuth is Charlotte and she is co-proprietor of 'Fromagerie Bessette,' lovingly known in town as The Cheese Shop. Charlotte has a boyfriend, Jordan, a cheese farmer. Charlotte's Grandmother, Grandfather, Brother, Nieces and good friends are all very active in town and often aid with the sleuthing. As you would expect, Charlotte employs good people at her store. Ah, we settle in for a comfy read...
The story opens during a winter festival. All the stores have tents set up for the tourists and life is good...until, a woman comes out of the past and gets herself murdered with exotic weapons! The Police Chief looks at the local Honey Bee farmer, Ipo Ho and that can not be...Rebecca, Charlotte's employee begs and guilts Charlotte into sleuthing to save Ipo. To complicate matters, for Charlotte, her ex-fiance is back...does she feel for him still?
This book is a Romantic Suspense, while being an excellent example of a Murder Mystery. This book is complete. I found myself lost within it's pages. Luckily, for me, there is another episode in the offing, "To Brie or Not to Brie." Thank You, Ms. Aames and Berkley Prime Crime!
Oh, there are yummy recipes in the end also. We tried out the 'San Simon Frittata' this morning. It was a hit!
April 3, 2019
I wavered between a 2 or 3 stars, probably more of a 2.5 star rating. The story is an ok mystery, but I did have some issues. I don’t see how Charlotte’s business stays afloat when she’s got customers lined up but allows herself to be pulled off in two different directions to investigate things and then leaves the shop with one person to take care of everybody.
Word usage: “”Not Arlo.” Delilah frittered her hand.” Fritter means to waste time, money, or energy on trifling matters, to dwindle or diminish, to divide something into small pieces—how do you ‘fritter’ a hand? Also, “Inside, shiny iridescent fish finned about.” A fin is a flattened appendage used for propelling, steering, and balancing. Fish ‘swim’ about, they do not ‘fin’ about.
Most of the time the writing is pretty good, but sometimes it’s pretty amateurish (i.e. “The girls abandoned their tiff and sprinted to their mother. They threw their arms around her.”)
I’m also getting a bit tired of Charlotte fuming over not knowing Jordan’s full back story. They aren’t even going steady, yet she thinks she should know every little thing about him. If they get serious and he has something in his past that IS her business, that is one thing, but so far, no, she pushes to hard and is too nosy. I’d dump her myself. And boy does she jump to worst case scenarios with no provocation.
Rebecca is way overboard. Yes, she wants to help Ipo, but talk about bossy.
And the author uses the word ‘scuttled’ when referring to walking way too often. Besides the regular sprint, strode, hurried, step, and move, characters bolt, hustle, scuttle, shuffle, shuttle, sashay, scoot, hurtle, swagger, traipse, scamper, sidle, scurry, flit, trundle, bustle, scamper, etc. I’m all for using a thesaurus to avoid repetition, but sometimes things can be overdone.
Word usage: “”Not Arlo.” Delilah frittered her hand.” Fritter means to waste time, money, or energy on trifling matters, to dwindle or diminish, to divide something into small pieces—how do you ‘fritter’ a hand? Also, “Inside, shiny iridescent fish finned about.” A fin is a flattened appendage used for propelling, steering, and balancing. Fish ‘swim’ about, they do not ‘fin’ about.
Most of the time the writing is pretty good, but sometimes it’s pretty amateurish (i.e. “The girls abandoned their tiff and sprinted to their mother. They threw their arms around her.”)
I’m also getting a bit tired of Charlotte fuming over not knowing Jordan’s full back story. They aren’t even going steady, yet she thinks she should know every little thing about him. If they get serious and he has something in his past that IS her business, that is one thing, but so far, no, she pushes to hard and is too nosy. I’d dump her myself. And boy does she jump to worst case scenarios with no provocation.
Rebecca is way overboard. Yes, she wants to help Ipo, but talk about bossy.
And the author uses the word ‘scuttled’ when referring to walking way too often. Besides the regular sprint, strode, hurried, step, and move, characters bolt, hustle, scuttle, shuffle, shuttle, sashay, scoot, hurtle, swagger, traipse, scamper, sidle, scurry, flit, trundle, bustle, scamper, etc. I’m all for using a thesaurus to avoid repetition, but sometimes things can be overdone.
June 4, 2012
Gave this book one star because there was nothing lower...The heroine goes downhill fast when she goes to the murder scene, sees a man leaving, and decided to chase him down, all throught the town. She catches him, gets him on the ground, and steps on his wrist. While he's in this postition, she argues with 2 different men, one of the them police chief, and the guy on the ground just lays there...come on, he's not strong enough to move his arm away??? And why does the police chief let him lay there....it goes downhill from there.
Her ex-fiance comes into town, into her cheese shop (of which we hear way tooo much), asks to talk to her...she says no, and leaves, he holds the door for her, and walks out with her, talking all the time...why didn't she stay in the shop where she was safe????
She demands to know 'everthing' about her boyfriend before she commits to him, and he stands there and tells here he is in WitSec, the reasons why, how he got his sister into it, and then that he killed someone...and she trusts him enough not to ask why????
ARGGGGHHHHH!!!!
Her ex-fiance comes into town, into her cheese shop (of which we hear way tooo much), asks to talk to her...she says no, and leaves, he holds the door for her, and walks out with her, talking all the time...why didn't she stay in the shop where she was safe????
She demands to know 'everthing' about her boyfriend before she commits to him, and he stands there and tells here he is in WitSec, the reasons why, how he got his sister into it, and then that he killed someone...and she trusts him enough not to ask why????
ARGGGGHHHHH!!!!
June 10, 2019
I was somewhat disappointed in this book. Although I love all the cheese descriptions I found all the characters to be incredibly wimpy except for lapsed Amish Rebecca Zook who became aggravatingly aggressive in defense of her new beau. Charlotte is busy setting up for the winter fair when a former town resident returns just in time to stir up bad memories, create new problems, and get murdered. Unfortunately, at first glance, the person with the most to gain is Rebecca's new beau, the honey maker. But once Charlotte starts investigating, it becomes apparent that there were a number of people who were very happy to see the new resident dead. The problem with this story is that Charlotte didn't really have reason to investigate beyond nosiness. The Chief certainly didn't want her to and though Rebecca wanted her to in order to save her honey, she nagged so heavily she should have been fired for being annoying. I will continue reading at least another book in the series but this wasn't well put together.
February 12, 2013
3,5 stars. I really like this series and I love the small town, cozy feeling, but I was once again bothered by the sheer number of characters in this series. In other series characters pop in and out so we can see what they're up to, but they don't have to be involved in every book in some way. I wish the author would use that technique because it was annoying to be like, "oh, Deliliah is back, who is she again?" when Deliliah and a lot of other people like that had no real necessity to the story. There was even a "cast of characters" at the front so readers could refer to it to keep people straight. IMHO this series would be 5 stars if the author would just pick a leading "cast" and rotate the other character's presence in each book. Keeping track of Charlotte's family, co-workers, love interests, neighbors, other business owners, PLUS the people involved in the mystery is just too much.
January 16, 2019
OMG, why do I keep reading these? Story was lame and the mystery was super dumb. Charlotte is once again confronted with an inept police force and peer pressured into finding out who killed the blackmailing entrepreneur who came to town with the intent of owning everything.
Everyone thinks it's a Hawaiian guy with no motive but (spoiler alert) it turns out to be her ex-boyfriend who killed by slap-shotting a cheese container to the victim's neck. Totally reasonable.
Snore.
Everyone thinks it's a Hawaiian guy with no motive but (spoiler alert) it turns out to be her ex-boyfriend who killed by slap-shotting a cheese container to the victim's neck. Totally reasonable.
Snore.
July 14, 2016
Good installment in the series with a culprit that I didn't see coming. I did find Rebecca pushy and annoying in this book, hopefully that will be better in the next. Can't wait to see what happens with Charlotte in the next book!
March 24, 2012
This story was totally inane. I enjoyed the first book in the series, somehow missed the second book, and after reading this one, I won't waste my time reading any more by this author.
March 23, 2021
I am going to have a lot of spoilers in this review, so do not read if you do not want to know who did it. I am happy to say that the things that annoyed me in the first two books were not in this one. The author lost her obsession with describing door chimes and I am very happy she has. I was a little concern when I opened this book to find a list of characters. I often feel if a book needs a list to remind me of who everyone is there are too many characters and they do not add to the story if you can not remember who they are. One of the additional characters was Charlotte's ex-fiance. This annoyed me because the author has already brought back her cousin's ex-wife, who is a very annoying character so I was not looking forward to adding another ex to the storyline. Fortunately, he turned out to be the murderer so he will not be reappearing. I did not realize until the end that he did it, so the mystery was very well done. I like how Charlotte is evolving as a character. I was very happy when she finally stood up to the ex-wife and did not let her treat Charlotte like a doormat, instead of just thinking of what she wanted to say not saying it she said. I also liked that she pushed her boyfriend Jordan to tell her about his past instead of letting him be coy about it. She is being more assertive in her relationships and that makes her a better character. Once again the author left a cliff hanger at the end of this book, so I will be reading the next one to see what happens.
July 31, 2018
Combination of romance and mystery with emphasis on the romance. Charlotte has three love interests, Chip the ex, Umberto the cop and Jordan the spy(?) all of whom are hopelessly infatuated with her. But she wants Chip to go away, she treats Umberto condescendingly, and has suspicions about Jordan, so why do they hang around? In fact throughout the book Charlotte suspects practically everyone of being a murderer. This one is only for fans of this genre - romantic mystery. It should have been advertised as a comedy since the characters and situations are weird and ridiculous, but it seems to be played straight. One especially unusual plot line is that practically all of the couples in the book have broken up or are on the verge of breaking up: Charlotte and Chip, Matthew and Sylvie, Ainsley and Lori, Barton and Emma, Tyanne and Theo, et al. The Rebecca character is irritating; she is an Amish refugee/escapee and seems out of place in the real world.
What interested me in reading the book was the cover; the artist is Teresa Fasolino, and she does excellent covers. The Candy Holliday series by B.B. Haywood is one of my favorites and all of the covers are done by Fasolino, so I was hopeful that this series would be similar, but I was all wrong. Never judge a book by its cover.
What interested me in reading the book was the cover; the artist is Teresa Fasolino, and she does excellent covers. The Candy Holliday series by B.B. Haywood is one of my favorites and all of the covers are done by Fasolino, so I was hopeful that this series would be similar, but I was all wrong. Never judge a book by its cover.
September 12, 2023
Disturbances
Charlotte and Matthew have a booth at the Winter Faire, offering tastes of cheese and wine that can be found at their shop; before the Faire officially opens, Charlotte meets Kaitlyn, a woman who had known her mother when they were young, now returned to Providence to start a honeybee farm - right next to the farm of the already-established honeybee farmer Ipo Ho, a Hawaiian who is sweet on Rebecca. Kaitlyn shares a tale about Charlotte’s mother that is like a bombshell to her emotions, but she soon realizes the woman enjoys provoking others and leaving them off-kilter. She apparently provoked someone too far - her body is found in Rebecca’s house, dead of a head wound sustained by falling against a table. With signs that she’d been attacked before falling, the police focus on Ipo’s alibi, unsatisfied that he and Rebecca say they were outside smooching. Feeling protective of her employee, Charlotte determines to find the real assailant, despite disruptions to her serenity by the appearance of her ex-boyfriend Chip, the mayhem of a household full of family, a puppy, and her own kitty, not to mention the continuing mysteries of her current boyfriend Jordan’s past. Something from the past will come into play - but was it Kaitlyn’s, or someone else’s?
Charlotte and Matthew have a booth at the Winter Faire, offering tastes of cheese and wine that can be found at their shop; before the Faire officially opens, Charlotte meets Kaitlyn, a woman who had known her mother when they were young, now returned to Providence to start a honeybee farm - right next to the farm of the already-established honeybee farmer Ipo Ho, a Hawaiian who is sweet on Rebecca. Kaitlyn shares a tale about Charlotte’s mother that is like a bombshell to her emotions, but she soon realizes the woman enjoys provoking others and leaving them off-kilter. She apparently provoked someone too far - her body is found in Rebecca’s house, dead of a head wound sustained by falling against a table. With signs that she’d been attacked before falling, the police focus on Ipo’s alibi, unsatisfied that he and Rebecca say they were outside smooching. Feeling protective of her employee, Charlotte determines to find the real assailant, despite disruptions to her serenity by the appearance of her ex-boyfriend Chip, the mayhem of a household full of family, a puppy, and her own kitty, not to mention the continuing mysteries of her current boyfriend Jordan’s past. Something from the past will come into play - but was it Kaitlyn’s, or someone else’s?
February 27, 2021
Third book in the Cheese Shop mystery series by Avery Aames does not disappoint. Although I was correct in my thoughts on the killer, Aames weaved a wonderful story filled with twists and turns that made me question my choice.
Charlotte and her business partner/cousin Matthew are preparing for a winter festival in their town of Providence, Ohio. Getting ready for hundreds, if not thousands, of people to descend they are shocked when a former resident returns and is buying several farms to start a honeybee business. There seems to be more to this woman than meets the eye; is she too good to be true? Is her 'Do-Gooder' organization valid? Grandmere becomes involved as she and Kaitlyn, the businesswoman, knew each other years ago.
The winter festival would be enough to keep Charlotte and her family busy, but the return of Chip, her college boyfriend, throws a wrench into Charlotte's plans. Matthew's ex-wife Sylvie, Chip, Charlotte's mysterious current boyfriend Jordan, police chief Urso and an interesting cast of characters makes for a pleasing and entertaining book with an unexpected ending. Will definitely continue this series...
Charlotte and her business partner/cousin Matthew are preparing for a winter festival in their town of Providence, Ohio. Getting ready for hundreds, if not thousands, of people to descend they are shocked when a former resident returns and is buying several farms to start a honeybee business. There seems to be more to this woman than meets the eye; is she too good to be true? Is her 'Do-Gooder' organization valid? Grandmere becomes involved as she and Kaitlyn, the businesswoman, knew each other years ago.
The winter festival would be enough to keep Charlotte and her family busy, but the return of Chip, her college boyfriend, throws a wrench into Charlotte's plans. Matthew's ex-wife Sylvie, Chip, Charlotte's mysterious current boyfriend Jordan, police chief Urso and an interesting cast of characters makes for a pleasing and entertaining book with an unexpected ending. Will definitely continue this series...
April 30, 2022
I have a tendency to start book series somewhere in the middle for some reason. I picked up this book at a local library sale and I'm so glad I did.
Due to starting in the middle of the series, I was a bit confused at first due to the large amount of characters. However, this sorted out quickly for me. I found Charlotte's grandparents to be delightful and there is definite chemistry between Charlotte & Jordan, as well as Charlotte & Umberto Urso (aka U-ey), the chief of police. I found Rebecca, Charlotte's shop assistant, to be rather obtrusive (accusing everyone of being the murderer, pushing Charlotte to investigate). I had to laugh at the antics of Sylvie, the ex-wife of Charlotte's cousin, who kept appearing in the most outlandish clothing and is far more Southern Belle than Sloane Ranger.
I really enjoyed learning about various cheeses, charcuterie boards for serving, and wines. These were all deftly woven into the novel without feeling as if a classroom lecture was occurring or the author was bragging about the research done.
One word of warning: don't read this book on an empty stomach. The descriptions of various cheeses and wines really made me hungry!
Due to starting in the middle of the series, I was a bit confused at first due to the large amount of characters. However, this sorted out quickly for me. I found Charlotte's grandparents to be delightful and there is definite chemistry between Charlotte & Jordan, as well as Charlotte & Umberto Urso (aka U-ey), the chief of police. I found Rebecca, Charlotte's shop assistant, to be rather obtrusive (accusing everyone of being the murderer, pushing Charlotte to investigate). I had to laugh at the antics of Sylvie, the ex-wife of Charlotte's cousin, who kept appearing in the most outlandish clothing and is far more Southern Belle than Sloane Ranger.
I really enjoyed learning about various cheeses, charcuterie boards for serving, and wines. These were all deftly woven into the novel without feeling as if a classroom lecture was occurring or the author was bragging about the research done.
One word of warning: don't read this book on an empty stomach. The descriptions of various cheeses and wines really made me hungry!
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