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A Cheese Shop Mystery #1
The Long Quiche Goodbye
Agatha Award winner : best first novel. This is the first in A Cheese Shop Mystery series. Welcome to the grand opening of Fromagerie Bessette. Or as it's more commonly known by the residents of small-town Providence, Ohio-the Cheese Shop. Proprietor Charlotte Bessette has prepared a delightful sampling of bold Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, delicious tortes of Stilton and Mascarpone, and a taste of Sauvignon Blanc-but someone else has decided to make a little crime of passion the piece de resistance . Right outside the shop Charlotte finds a body, the victim stabbed to death with one of her prized olive-wood handled knives.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 9, 2010
247 people are currently reading
4241 people want to read
About the author
Avery Aames
18 books592 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 460 reviews
June 7, 2011
2.5 stars. I had heard a number of good things about The Long Quiche Goodbye, but my excitement was ultimately rewarded with disappointment. I'm really on the fence as to what I felt about this book. I neither liked nor disliked it, and I could see a lot of potential for this to become a great series. It just didn't fall into place here.
Firstly, I must say I loved everything to do with The Cheese Shop. I like cheese, but I don't have many opportunities to eat any, and frankly my knowledge of it barely stretches to telling mozzarella apart from cheddar. That said, I never found the cheese talk overdone or confusing. I picked up interesting tips about various cheeses when Charlotte made sales to customers and she partakes in a few delicious-sounding cheese dishes along the way that really made my mouth water. I felt that Charlotte was actually at her best when she was working in the shop; she's a capable businesswoman and is clearly passionate and possesses expertise regarding her topic.
Unfortunately, the characters and setting were weak, weak, weak. Aside from The Cheese Shop, I couldn't get any picture of what the town was like. I had actually forgotten the setting by halfway. As for Charlotte, our main character, I alternated between liking her and being so frustrated with her that I wanted to reach into the book and give her a heavy dose of reality check. She has an adorably warm relationship with her grandparents, but it's impossible to describe her as anything other than a nosey parker when she's around her cousin Matthew and her friends. Charlotte feels an inexplicable need to quiz people on their relationships and give unneeded and unwanted advice because of her "motherly instinct." Charlotte's first reaction to hearing that Rebecca has a date with someone is to warn her against her youth, but the girl is 22!
I could also ignore her penchant for minding others' business for them if she didn't have such a tendency to overreact or jump to conclusions based on circumstantial evidence. She constantly calls Chief Urso to pass him the latest bit of "information" that she's picked up. Normally I'd cheer, because so many amateur sleuths nearly get themselves killed because they simply won't give perfectly capable policemen the information they have, but here, Charlotte calls Urso with tidbits such as, "Have you investigated gloves? She might have bloody gloves!" Duh, woman. If she wasn't having one of those laughable lightbulb moments (it's tragic considering she's supposed to be academically gifted), she's phoning the police with a piece of silly gossip she picked up at the bar. I'm surprised Urso didn't strangle her from irritation. What makes all this even more unbearable is that her friends praise her for being the town's own "Nancy Drew", and Charlotte herself refers to what she's doing as "sleuthing" and "investigation." Oh, please.
Aside from Charlotte, the rest of the characters all melt into one entity. I can't tell any of Charlotte's friends apart, and Kristine's lackeys are more like one person with different names. There are numerous other people scattered about town, but they aren't more than cameo appearances who are mentioned here and there, forcing me to backtrack and work out who they are. Charlotte's love interest, Jordan, shows up about 3-4 times and only gets a sentence in before he's interrupted. By the end of the book, I still didn't know the first thing about him and clearly neither did Charlotte, despite her ridiculously immature, school-girl crush on him (she's either admiring his attractiveness or moaning that he isn't interested in her).
The "murder mystery" portion was an excuse for Charlotte to run around town accusing almost everyone but the real culprit. There was no suspense or build-up; when the murder occurred, I just blinked and couldn't care less.
Having said all this, I still believe that the series has potential somewhere. Perhaps if the author made Charlotte act her age (she's in her 30s) and remove that mile-wide silly streak, we could be onto something. The constant and annoying referencing of CSI needs to stop, too. I'll be checking out Lost and Fondue in the hopes that things will improve - and really, I do like the cheese aspect. Fingers crossed!
Firstly, I must say I loved everything to do with The Cheese Shop. I like cheese, but I don't have many opportunities to eat any, and frankly my knowledge of it barely stretches to telling mozzarella apart from cheddar. That said, I never found the cheese talk overdone or confusing. I picked up interesting tips about various cheeses when Charlotte made sales to customers and she partakes in a few delicious-sounding cheese dishes along the way that really made my mouth water. I felt that Charlotte was actually at her best when she was working in the shop; she's a capable businesswoman and is clearly passionate and possesses expertise regarding her topic.
Unfortunately, the characters and setting were weak, weak, weak. Aside from The Cheese Shop, I couldn't get any picture of what the town was like. I had actually forgotten the setting by halfway. As for Charlotte, our main character, I alternated between liking her and being so frustrated with her that I wanted to reach into the book and give her a heavy dose of reality check. She has an adorably warm relationship with her grandparents, but it's impossible to describe her as anything other than a nosey parker when she's around her cousin Matthew and her friends. Charlotte feels an inexplicable need to quiz people on their relationships and give unneeded and unwanted advice because of her "motherly instinct." Charlotte's first reaction to hearing that Rebecca has a date with someone is to warn her against her youth, but the girl is 22!
I could also ignore her penchant for minding others' business for them if she didn't have such a tendency to overreact or jump to conclusions based on circumstantial evidence. She constantly calls Chief Urso to pass him the latest bit of "information" that she's picked up. Normally I'd cheer, because so many amateur sleuths nearly get themselves killed because they simply won't give perfectly capable policemen the information they have, but here, Charlotte calls Urso with tidbits such as, "Have you investigated gloves? She might have bloody gloves!" Duh, woman. If she wasn't having one of those laughable lightbulb moments (it's tragic considering she's supposed to be academically gifted), she's phoning the police with a piece of silly gossip she picked up at the bar. I'm surprised Urso didn't strangle her from irritation. What makes all this even more unbearable is that her friends praise her for being the town's own "Nancy Drew", and Charlotte herself refers to what she's doing as "sleuthing" and "investigation." Oh, please.
Aside from Charlotte, the rest of the characters all melt into one entity. I can't tell any of Charlotte's friends apart, and Kristine's lackeys are more like one person with different names. There are numerous other people scattered about town, but they aren't more than cameo appearances who are mentioned here and there, forcing me to backtrack and work out who they are. Charlotte's love interest, Jordan, shows up about 3-4 times and only gets a sentence in before he's interrupted. By the end of the book, I still didn't know the first thing about him and clearly neither did Charlotte, despite her ridiculously immature, school-girl crush on him (she's either admiring his attractiveness or moaning that he isn't interested in her).
The "murder mystery" portion was an excuse for Charlotte to run around town accusing almost everyone but the real culprit. There was no suspense or build-up; when the murder occurred, I just blinked and couldn't care less.
Having said all this, I still believe that the series has potential somewhere. Perhaps if the author made Charlotte act her age (she's in her 30s) and remove that mile-wide silly streak, we could be onto something. The constant and annoying referencing of CSI needs to stop, too. I'll be checking out Lost and Fondue in the hopes that things will improve - and really, I do like the cheese aspect. Fingers crossed!
July 19, 2011
When Agatha Christie wrote the Miss Marple series about a little old lady in a sleepy village solving mysteries, they were called "cozies", nice, little domestic situations. I have noticed a prolific number of new mysteries for a niche market that I call "crafties". These are mysteries set in a small town that depends on tourism to survive. They turn their downtown areas into quaint little villages with all kinds of little specialty shops. The mystery (usually a murder of someone nobody likes) is solved by the heroine who runs the local scrapbooking shop, flower shop, bakery, bookstore, knitting/sewing/crocheting shop, beauty shop, or, as in this book, the cheese/wine shop. In Ohio.
The heroine, Charlotte is single (after a bad break-up) and has taken over the shop run by her grandparents. Her cousin, whose wife left him with twin daughters to care for, runs the wine part. When a local businessman with wandering hands who owns most of the town is found murdered outside of the cheese shop with one of her knives ( clutched in the bloody hand of her Grandmere ), then Charlotte must uncover the truth. There are the requisite quirky character townsfolk and the mysterious hunk who attracts the heroine. Her relatives are artsy and eccentric, rubbing the proper townspeople the wrong way. Along the way, the mystery is solved, but the real attraction of these "crafties" is wondering if she will ever get together with Mr. Hunk and hoping one of your favorite odd character won't get killed or kill anyone else in the next book.
It's a cute, fun read and it really made me want to try some of the exotic cheeses mentioned in the book.
The heroine, Charlotte is single (after a bad break-up) and has taken over the shop run by her grandparents. Her cousin, whose wife left him with twin daughters to care for, runs the wine part. When a local businessman with wandering hands who owns most of the town is found murdered outside of the cheese shop with one of her knives ( clutched in the bloody hand of her Grandmere ), then Charlotte must uncover the truth. There are the requisite quirky character townsfolk and the mysterious hunk who attracts the heroine. Her relatives are artsy and eccentric, rubbing the proper townspeople the wrong way. Along the way, the mystery is solved, but the real attraction of these "crafties" is wondering if she will ever get together with Mr. Hunk and hoping one of your favorite odd character won't get killed or kill anyone else in the next book.
It's a cute, fun read and it really made me want to try some of the exotic cheeses mentioned in the book.
July 5, 2011
Overall concept: B-. Return to hometown to nurse broken heart (x2) go into business, meet new potential romance......been done before-better.
Mystery: B- pink herrings at best
Setting: B-charming small town, adorable shop.....been done before, but it is nice to read about a dream location
Characters: C-. Shallow and cliche characters who do not act consistently-characters in mysteries MUST be consistent. It's a rule. Secondary characters are dizzyingly staccato. Motivations are sketchy or missing, actions often have no rhyme or reason-this will be the downfall of this series.
Mystery: B- pink herrings at best
Setting: B-charming small town, adorable shop.....been done before, but it is nice to read about a dream location
Characters: C-. Shallow and cliche characters who do not act consistently-characters in mysteries MUST be consistent. It's a rule. Secondary characters are dizzyingly staccato. Motivations are sketchy or missing, actions often have no rhyme or reason-this will be the downfall of this series.
June 18, 2010
This is a terrific story. I loved all the "cheesy" references and was happy to give Avery a blurb for the cover of the book. (Love Charlotte Bessette and her whole family.)
Here's what I wrote for the blurb: Avery Ames's delightful debut novel, The Long Quiche Goodbye, ia lovely Tour de Fromage. It's not just gouda, it's great!
Can't wait for the next installment.
Here's what I wrote for the blurb: Avery Ames's delightful debut novel, The Long Quiche Goodbye, ia lovely Tour de Fromage. It's not just gouda, it's great!
Can't wait for the next installment.
June 15, 2014
I gave it two stars because there is a cute kitty, but.....
First off, the book started with a way too familiar plot; ile., a new store is opening and a vengeful neighboring shop owner is determined to persecute the child of the person they have an age-old quarrel with. Second, to me, the book seemed more like a Peyton Place soap opera produced by the Cooking Channel. Between the discussions of food, a mystery broke out. In the same paragraph there would be one sentence mentioning the death, with 20 more describing the food being consumed. If I were suspected of murder, I don't think my mind would be on how creamy the cheese is with the aged smoky flavor on the special crisp cracker from YaYaville served with sparkling bubble-berry vintage wine in a nine-inch stemmed, rose stained, glass with silver trim one quarter down from the top and one-sixteenth wide, handpainted on by monks in Popville, and owned by my great-grandmother who died wearing a yellow dress with white dots and a ruffled collar with her three strap sandals in coral woven bluegrass.....well, you get the picture. And that was also part of the problem. Everything was so described. Every ruffle, color, shade, texture, style, attire, hairstyle, book cover - everything. I suspect the author was trying to make their book as "luscious" a read as the "luscious" Tuscan descriptions in one of the cookbooks. But for me, it was just too much. I'm fine with some descriptions to make the storyline work. But, I am quite fine with my imagination filling in the blanks. I don't need to know the color everyone is wearing, or what material all the chairs are coved in. A few here and there are fine, but to describe everything in such detail, nothing become special. And, frankly, for me, it all runs together after a little while. Most disappointing was how little mystery there was in the end. No, I did not figure out who did it. And I can't tell you if it ended well, or made sense or anything. There was so much soap opera drama, fashion, and food description and reviews, I really did not follow the plot. I was just glad to finish the book. Yes, I gave it two stars because there was a cute kitty in the story. And though there were some interactions between the main character and cute kitty, there was no real development. There were just instances that came across, to me, as being fit in so as to include a cute cat for those who will read because there is a cute cat in the story. I was disappointed.
First off, the book started with a way too familiar plot; ile., a new store is opening and a vengeful neighboring shop owner is determined to persecute the child of the person they have an age-old quarrel with. Second, to me, the book seemed more like a Peyton Place soap opera produced by the Cooking Channel. Between the discussions of food, a mystery broke out. In the same paragraph there would be one sentence mentioning the death, with 20 more describing the food being consumed. If I were suspected of murder, I don't think my mind would be on how creamy the cheese is with the aged smoky flavor on the special crisp cracker from YaYaville served with sparkling bubble-berry vintage wine in a nine-inch stemmed, rose stained, glass with silver trim one quarter down from the top and one-sixteenth wide, handpainted on by monks in Popville, and owned by my great-grandmother who died wearing a yellow dress with white dots and a ruffled collar with her three strap sandals in coral woven bluegrass.....well, you get the picture. And that was also part of the problem. Everything was so described. Every ruffle, color, shade, texture, style, attire, hairstyle, book cover - everything. I suspect the author was trying to make their book as "luscious" a read as the "luscious" Tuscan descriptions in one of the cookbooks. But for me, it was just too much. I'm fine with some descriptions to make the storyline work. But, I am quite fine with my imagination filling in the blanks. I don't need to know the color everyone is wearing, or what material all the chairs are coved in. A few here and there are fine, but to describe everything in such detail, nothing become special. And, frankly, for me, it all runs together after a little while. Most disappointing was how little mystery there was in the end. No, I did not figure out who did it. And I can't tell you if it ended well, or made sense or anything. There was so much soap opera drama, fashion, and food description and reviews, I really did not follow the plot. I was just glad to finish the book. Yes, I gave it two stars because there was a cute kitty in the story. And though there were some interactions between the main character and cute kitty, there was no real development. There were just instances that came across, to me, as being fit in so as to include a cute cat for those who will read because there is a cute cat in the story. I was disappointed.
March 30, 2015
I bought this book awhile ago when I decided to pick up some Agatha Award winning titles, and to tell the truth, I was slightly disappointed with this.
The setting was amazing, the author did a superb job of making me see this part of Ohio with clarity and ease.
But, the characters were flat, and sometimes annoying. I found the main character to be almost arrogant at the beginning of the book, though she got tons better by the end. And her cousin, where do I start with him? I absolutely could not stand Matthew. I felt that he was a bad father and a bad character. First of all Charlotte does a lot more parenting than him throughout the book, and secondly, he can't spend time with the girls because of the relationship he has with Charlotte's best friend? No. Besides him, Meredith was also flat and unlikeable, to me. She was supposed to be Charlotte's friend but she can't tell Charlotte that she's dating Charlotte's cousin? And she avoids Charlotte to avoid telling her? No, I think that if she really loved Charlotte and Matthew she would have told Charlotte to begin with.
There were also a few minor inconsistencies, though none that affected the plot. Speaking of the plot, I thought it was grand, I didn't guess the killer until Charlotte did, and I loved the way the mystery fit together.
Overall not a bad book, just a few bad characters and a few inconsistencies. I still want to read the next book, however, because I like the characters (besides Meredith and Matthew) and I adore the setting.
The setting was amazing, the author did a superb job of making me see this part of Ohio with clarity and ease.
But, the characters were flat, and sometimes annoying. I found the main character to be almost arrogant at the beginning of the book, though she got tons better by the end. And her cousin, where do I start with him? I absolutely could not stand Matthew. I felt that he was a bad father and a bad character. First of all Charlotte does a lot more parenting than him throughout the book, and secondly, he can't spend time with the girls because of the relationship he has with Charlotte's best friend? No. Besides him, Meredith was also flat and unlikeable, to me. She was supposed to be Charlotte's friend but she can't tell Charlotte that she's dating Charlotte's cousin? And she avoids Charlotte to avoid telling her? No, I think that if she really loved Charlotte and Matthew she would have told Charlotte to begin with.
There were also a few minor inconsistencies, though none that affected the plot. Speaking of the plot, I thought it was grand, I didn't guess the killer until Charlotte did, and I loved the way the mystery fit together.
Overall not a bad book, just a few bad characters and a few inconsistencies. I still want to read the next book, however, because I like the characters (besides Meredith and Matthew) and I adore the setting.
March 22, 2021
Eine kurzweilige Unterhaltung, die ich ganz flott weggelesen habe. Leider blieben mir die Personen bis zum Schluss fremd und nichtssagend, auch zur Hauptperson und Ich-Erzählerin konnte ich keinerlei Verbindung aufbauen. Das liegt meines Erachtens auch daran, dass die Autorin in diesem ersten Band der Serie sich sofort ins Geschehen gestürtzt hat, ohne sich Zeit für eine Einführung in Personen, ihrer Hintergründe und des Settings zu lassen. Es startet genau so, wie es das ganze Buch über weitergeht: hektisch, klatschsüchtig und voller Nebenhandlungen, die nichts zur Handlung beitragen, sondern nur das Buch aufblähen. Besonders bei der Vielzahl an Personen hätte es einer guten Einführung bedurft, stattdessen fliegen einem auf den ersten zehn Seiten die Namen nur so um die Ohren.
Der Fall war jetzt auch nichts besonderes, die Ermittlungsarbeit der Hauptfigur sprunghaft und teils ganz schön dumm (sie beschuldigt nach und nach einfach jede Person, sogar ihre beste Freundin).
Dieses Genre lebt davon, dass man mit einer sympathischen und meist auch witzigen Hauptperson in ein charmantes Setting eintaucht, mit etwas Liebeswirrwarr, Freundschaft und einen Hauch Spannung, aber all das habe ich in diesem Buch leider vermisst.
Der Fall war jetzt auch nichts besonderes, die Ermittlungsarbeit der Hauptfigur sprunghaft und teils ganz schön dumm (sie beschuldigt nach und nach einfach jede Person, sogar ihre beste Freundin).
Dieses Genre lebt davon, dass man mit einer sympathischen und meist auch witzigen Hauptperson in ein charmantes Setting eintaucht, mit etwas Liebeswirrwarr, Freundschaft und einen Hauch Spannung, aber all das habe ich in diesem Buch leider vermisst.
October 30, 2012
After reading this book for daaaaaays, it seemed that it was never going to end - the "sleuth" just kept going around town bothering the same people with different questions and bossing the police chief around - and I realized that I just didn't care anymore. I skimmed the last few chapters and called it done. I did give an extra star because the language is clean and I liked the recipes at the end, but I probably won't be looking for more in this series.
February 19, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Charlotte is definitely an amateur sleuth, she kept jumping to wrong conclusions. She just wanted to get her Grandma out of the hot seat. Honestly, I would probably be the same way. I was so caught up in Charlotte's theories that I missed who the killer was! So fun, it is always a plus when books bring me in to the story emotionally. I am looking forward to see how Charlotte grows as the series continues.
June 8, 2016
Charlotte Besette and her cousin Matthew have taken over the cheese shop previously run by their grandparents. Their grand re-opening celebration is interrupted by a scream just outside their door, and when they rush to investigate they spy one of the shop’s special cheese knives sticking out of a dead man’s heart, and their beloved grandmother with the victim’s blood on her hands and splashed over her dress.
This has all the ingredients for a promising cozy mystery set-up: small town business owner, some side bars re food and wine, a potential romantic rivalry (hunky new farmer vs town police chief), an amateur sleuth or two (including a young Amish woman who has left her community and is addicted to TV crime shows). The victim is a ruthless business man no one in town likes, so there are plenty of suspects and/or red herrings.
The problem is that Aames is a terrible writer. Tears “splashed on my shoulder” or “drenched my sleeve.” People “scurry” or “glide” or “scuttle away.” Every once in a while she throws in an awkwardly worded simile to add color. Characters behave inconsistently, the dialogue is trite, and the entire scenario (especially the solution) is just not believable.
I give it 1 star just because she has a good idea.
This has all the ingredients for a promising cozy mystery set-up: small town business owner, some side bars re food and wine, a potential romantic rivalry (hunky new farmer vs town police chief), an amateur sleuth or two (including a young Amish woman who has left her community and is addicted to TV crime shows). The victim is a ruthless business man no one in town likes, so there are plenty of suspects and/or red herrings.
The problem is that Aames is a terrible writer. Tears “splashed on my shoulder” or “drenched my sleeve.” People “scurry” or “glide” or “scuttle away.” Every once in a while she throws in an awkwardly worded simile to add color. Characters behave inconsistently, the dialogue is trite, and the entire scenario (especially the solution) is just not believable.
I give it 1 star just because she has a good idea.
April 24, 2014
Oh my God. Talk about "too stupid to live heroines", Charlotte Bessette is the epitome of the TSTL cozy mystery heroines. She's also extremely nosy and pushy and she's almost difficult to like or to feel sympathy toward. She bugs the chief of police in this small town - someone she grew up with - almost relentlessly. He's actually more sympathetic than her, because you can understand his frustration with her interference in the investigation, yet he tries to keep his patience (as much as possible) and listen to her endless theories.
That's another annoyance of this book - the endless and almost fantastical theories Charlotte keeps coming up with. Also, she thinks the police are too focused on her grandmother and not really investigating other possible suspects; but she is doing the same thing - trying to find evidence and fit theories to put the town's diva in the role as murderer.
This sounded like it could be a cute series, but in actuality, the lead character is almost too awful to like. I'm not sure I can even stomach another.
That's another annoyance of this book - the endless and almost fantastical theories Charlotte keeps coming up with. Also, she thinks the police are too focused on her grandmother and not really investigating other possible suspects; but she is doing the same thing - trying to find evidence and fit theories to put the town's diva in the role as murderer.
This sounded like it could be a cute series, but in actuality, the lead character is almost too awful to like. I'm not sure I can even stomach another.
January 20, 2013
I lost a lot of respect for the main character when she broke up with her PASTRY CHEF boyfriend because he wanted to MOVE TO PARIS. She runs a cheese shop--I would think she would do quite well in Paris. She sees wanting to move to Paris as a character flaw. I didn't buy it. The rest of the characters are all standard cozy stock and this didn't hold my attention.
October 13, 2014
It's my own fault for picking a book that uses a cheese pun in it's title, and I should have known better. I tried to read the entire thing, but I just couldn't get past the first ten chapters. THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE is a terribly written book set in a cheese shop of all places. I've read some of these niche mysteries before, and while they weren't great literature, they were enjoyable enough. Coffee shop--fine. Book store--sure. But cheese? Sorry. It's just not that interesting.
Boring cheese details aside, the book is just not well planned out. The author introduces way too many characters in the first chapter, and all of the people in this little town (which we are supposed to believe is a lovely place to live) are either drunks or angry or both. People of the town have an unusual and inexplicable hatred for the main character and her family, and in the short glimpse we get of the murder victim, we learn he's a vindictive landlord who likes to drink and flirt with women -- including one of his wife's best friends. You would think this would affect the wife's relationship with said friend, but you would be wrong.
The main character's grandmother is found at the murder scene with blood on her hands and is accused of the crime and placed on house arrest. You'd think a murder on the sidewalk outside a cheese shop would elicit some sense of shock from the towns people, but not in this town. Finger pointing and nasty comments start almost immediately. The murdered man's wife struts around town the next day in an American flag ensemble because she was in the process of campaigning for mayor when her husband was killed. Charlotte (the main character and cheese shop proprietor)wants to clear her grandmother's name, but it's hard to imagine that happening when she is so quick to anger. At one point, she sees her assistant carrying a plate of cheese out to a group of reporters, and she grips the assistant's arm and yells at her to stop.
The book is full of inconsistencies, and almost none of the characters behave in any way that even slightly resembles normal human behavior. The story felt rushed and disjointed. I usually hate to abandon a book, but in this case, I've got other things to read and better ways to use my time.
The only memorable thing about this book is that I learned that the grass a cow eats will affect the way cheese tastes. While some may find the digestive process of cows fascinating, it's not my thing. In fact, I may never eat cheese again.
Boring cheese details aside, the book is just not well planned out. The author introduces way too many characters in the first chapter, and all of the people in this little town (which we are supposed to believe is a lovely place to live) are either drunks or angry or both. People of the town have an unusual and inexplicable hatred for the main character and her family, and in the short glimpse we get of the murder victim, we learn he's a vindictive landlord who likes to drink and flirt with women -- including one of his wife's best friends. You would think this would affect the wife's relationship with said friend, but you would be wrong.
The main character's grandmother is found at the murder scene with blood on her hands and is accused of the crime and placed on house arrest. You'd think a murder on the sidewalk outside a cheese shop would elicit some sense of shock from the towns people, but not in this town. Finger pointing and nasty comments start almost immediately. The murdered man's wife struts around town the next day in an American flag ensemble because she was in the process of campaigning for mayor when her husband was killed. Charlotte (the main character and cheese shop proprietor)wants to clear her grandmother's name, but it's hard to imagine that happening when she is so quick to anger. At one point, she sees her assistant carrying a plate of cheese out to a group of reporters, and she grips the assistant's arm and yells at her to stop.
The book is full of inconsistencies, and almost none of the characters behave in any way that even slightly resembles normal human behavior. The story felt rushed and disjointed. I usually hate to abandon a book, but in this case, I've got other things to read and better ways to use my time.
The only memorable thing about this book is that I learned that the grass a cow eats will affect the way cheese tastes. While some may find the digestive process of cows fascinating, it's not my thing. In fact, I may never eat cheese again.
December 5, 2011
I love the cheesy titles of cozy mystery novels. There is SENTENCED TO DEATH and SPRINKLE WITH MURDER. The titles just scream at me "pick me up and read me" and of course I can't resist, as friends will tell you by my overflowing bookshelves.
With all these cheesy novels, I decided that my next read would have to involve cheese, and you can't get more cheese than THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE.
THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE is set the town of Province, with Charlotte and her cousin (and business partner) Matthew celebrating the grand reopening of The Cheese Shop. However things don't go to plan when Ed, the richest man in town, is killed. The prime suspect is Charlotte's grandmother, and it's up to Charlotte to discover the real killer and prove that her grandmother is innocent.
While it is often a mystery cliche to kill of the richest and most hated man in town, Avery Aames pulls it off perfectly. The mystery was absolute first class, and I was unable to put the book down until the very last chapter when I discovered the murderer! Lately I have picked the murderer long before the ending of the book, but with THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE I was still guessing right up until the murderer was announced. I was a little shocked that I hadn't picked it up.
The town of Providence has so many fantastic people. While Charlotte is a sweet character, it was her assistant, Rebecca, the amish girl who is now embracing modern life that I adored the most. Especially as she is trying to help Charlotte solve the crime, with tips that she has picked up on CSI and Magnum PI!
All in all, a fantastic mystery. One that left me wanting to go to the supermarket to discover more cheeses! I will definitely be reading the next book in the series, LOST AND FONDUE.
With all these cheesy novels, I decided that my next read would have to involve cheese, and you can't get more cheese than THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE.
THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE is set the town of Province, with Charlotte and her cousin (and business partner) Matthew celebrating the grand reopening of The Cheese Shop. However things don't go to plan when Ed, the richest man in town, is killed. The prime suspect is Charlotte's grandmother, and it's up to Charlotte to discover the real killer and prove that her grandmother is innocent.
While it is often a mystery cliche to kill of the richest and most hated man in town, Avery Aames pulls it off perfectly. The mystery was absolute first class, and I was unable to put the book down until the very last chapter when I discovered the murderer! Lately I have picked the murderer long before the ending of the book, but with THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE I was still guessing right up until the murderer was announced. I was a little shocked that I hadn't picked it up.
The town of Providence has so many fantastic people. While Charlotte is a sweet character, it was her assistant, Rebecca, the amish girl who is now embracing modern life that I adored the most. Especially as she is trying to help Charlotte solve the crime, with tips that she has picked up on CSI and Magnum PI!
All in all, a fantastic mystery. One that left me wanting to go to the supermarket to discover more cheeses! I will definitely be reading the next book in the series, LOST AND FONDUE.
July 17, 2017
I love that it's set in Ohio
The town of Providence, Ohio (in the story not the real one) is so well described I could just picture the shops and the people. The characters were like old friends and it took me no time to get totally engrossed in this book-in fact I read it in one day. The clues and red herrings were good and I didn't guess the killer. I have to say I just love the character Rebecca and her obsession with TV mystery and police procedurals since she likes all the same shows I do. She really proved that her shows could be useful! I'm definitely reading the next book!
The town of Providence, Ohio (in the story not the real one) is so well described I could just picture the shops and the people. The characters were like old friends and it took me no time to get totally engrossed in this book-in fact I read it in one day. The clues and red herrings were good and I didn't guess the killer. I have to say I just love the character Rebecca and her obsession with TV mystery and police procedurals since she likes all the same shows I do. She really proved that her shows could be useful! I'm definitely reading the next book!
November 26, 2018
In the first of the Cheese Shop Mystery series, Charlotte Bessette and her brother Matthew are in charge of the family's cheese and wine shop in Providence, Ohio. When a man is murdered right in front of their shop during a cheese-and-wine tasting and her grandmother is arrested for the murder, Charlotte must do everything she can to unmask the real killer and save her innocent grandmother from prison. When many of her suspects turn out to have air-tight alibis, she must look in unexpected directions to find the killer. This is a well-written, well-plotted mystery with great characters. Of course, reading about all of that cheese and wine just makes me want to eat!
December 28, 2010
I love cheese. SO a cheese shop mystery - I HAD to read. I really liked Charlotte, her shop and her interesting family and friends. After a very unlikeable man (Ed) is killed outside her shop, her grandmother is accused and Charlotte sleuths around to find the killer. I did like that she shared all her information with the local cop and that he did follow up on her information. Not common with amateur sleuths. And I found the killer a really sad figure. Look forward to the next in the series.
February 13, 2021
This is a good series by Avery Aames. So far I have read the first 4, The Long Quiche Goodbye, Lost and Fondue, Clobbered by Camembert and to Brie or not to Brie. This is what is called a Cosy Mystery and is about a yong woman and her cousin who take over their grandparents cheese shop in a small town in Ohio. Fun read and great recipes. I seem to be into those this year.
March 7, 2021
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery set in a cheese and wine shop in the town of Providence, Ohio. I loved the characters - Charlotte (the cheese expert and owner) and her cousin Matthew (the co-owner and wine expert), his two twin girls Amy and Clair, their two assistants Rebecca and Buzz, and Rags the cat. There are other characters in the town and I felt like they really came to life.
At the night of the gala opening, a man is killed outside the shop. There are a lot of people with reasons to want him dead, and Charlotte's Grandmere is accused of murder. Of course, she's innocent, and Charlotte has to find a way to prove it. Really fun cozy mystery with a little romance mixed in.
At the night of the gala opening, a man is killed outside the shop. There are a lot of people with reasons to want him dead, and Charlotte's Grandmere is accused of murder. Of course, she's innocent, and Charlotte has to find a way to prove it. Really fun cozy mystery with a little romance mixed in.
March 16, 2020
I really need to stay away from food-themed cozy mysteries. I haven't found one yet that was worth reading, and this one was as disappointing as the rest. It sounds so cute, mixing a cheese shop and murder. The recipes and the cheeses sound delicious.
But the writing was just dull. Mostly telling instead of showing, and talking down to the reader, explaining things so obvious and not crediting the reader with enough intelligence to figure things out. I found the side characters more interesting than the protagonist, and I thought the attempt at a romance was lame. No spark between the love interests, despite what the main character said and thought. Way too many red herrings, all explained so painstakingly, and the book just went on for way too long so that it became boring. The police chief, while not a buffoon, was not convincing as a competent law enforcement officer. I was not even interested in trying to figure out whodunnit because I just could not care. It wasn't terrible, so I'll give it 2 stars.
But the writing was just dull. Mostly telling instead of showing, and talking down to the reader, explaining things so obvious and not crediting the reader with enough intelligence to figure things out. I found the side characters more interesting than the protagonist, and I thought the attempt at a romance was lame. No spark between the love interests, despite what the main character said and thought. Way too many red herrings, all explained so painstakingly, and the book just went on for way too long so that it became boring. The police chief, while not a buffoon, was not convincing as a competent law enforcement officer. I was not even interested in trying to figure out whodunnit because I just could not care. It wasn't terrible, so I'll give it 2 stars.
November 20, 2011
I loved the theme of this series of mysteries. I love cheese, maybe being from Wisconsin has something to do with it. The development of the characters, makes you fall in love with them. The twins were adorable and you just want to wrap them up in a hug. Rebecca, formerly Amish, has an exuberance that makes me chuckle. The Bessette family, the main characters of this story, are great. Charlotte reluctantly takes over the part of sleuth, amongst her other duties, to help save her Grandmother from going to jail.
The few recipes at the end of the book are a nice addition. I am looking forward to reading the other book in the series and those that are hopefully to come.
The few recipes at the end of the book are a nice addition. I am looking forward to reading the other book in the series and those that are hopefully to come.
June 7, 2016
Cheesy, saucy, and everything in between! The Cheese Shop Mystery had it all! Charlotte as the nosy heroine flirting with danger? Check. French grandparents causing a ruckus about town? Check. Rebecca as an ex-Amish amateur detective using the sleuthing skills she's acquired through prime time crime dramas? Check. Jordan as the love interest / cheese maker / farmer with the mysterious past. CHECK. Fantastic supporting characters, an interesting crime of passion, surprising twist ending, and a cozy pet with TONS of potential (more Rags please).
November 2, 2016
It kept my interest!
This story was very slow paced and too long. But it did keep my interest. I had to find out who the killer was.
I realized early on that Charlotte's Grandmere was not the murderer. But she was kept under house arrest through the whole book.
But on election day, grandmothers is finally released from house arrest. And it is a good thing because she is elected to be mayor of the town once again for the fourth time.
The book is well written and very interesting with a lot about cheese and wine. Good receipts at the end.
This story was very slow paced and too long. But it did keep my interest. I had to find out who the killer was.
I realized early on that Charlotte's Grandmere was not the murderer. But she was kept under house arrest through the whole book.
But on election day, grandmothers is finally released from house arrest. And it is a good thing because she is elected to be mayor of the town once again for the fourth time.
The book is well written and very interesting with a lot about cheese and wine. Good receipts at the end.
November 6, 2016
This book made me hungry for cheese. There were so many kinds mentioned, several of which I had never heard of before. Makes me wish we had a cheese shop near here. I liked that the book was set in Ohio, since that is where I live. This town that Ms. Aames created sounds wonderful. I was surprised by the revelation of who the killer was. Because of that, I bumped the rating from 3.5 stars to 4 stars. I will keep an eye out for the next book next time I go to the library.
September 9, 2015
I really enjoyed this kick off book for a new series and I am anxious to continue with it. Now I want to eat cheese...a lot of cheese.
January 6, 2018
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July 15, 2017
A cozy mystery set in a...cheese shop?!?! BE STILL MY HEART
June 26, 2019
Good first in series. I especially liked the tasty cheeses and cheese recipes...
June 23, 2024
Every now and then I read a cozy mystery. This one was better than I expected it to be. Our library is overstocked with books that have silly food pun titles, and this is one of them. This is Avery Aames's debut novel, I think, and there are, apparently, more in the "Cheese Shop Mystery" series.
I found the writing to be quite good and engaging. The character dialogue was especially engaging, throughout. There was plenty of humor in the tale, as expected, as well as a number of surprises, as the story develops. As expected, there is cheese. Lots and lots of cheese; cheese I have never heard of, and am now trying to find somewhere. However, I have not been able to locate a "cheese shop" near me. I'm going to keep working on that.
The tale is set in Providence, Ohio, which is, according to Wikipedia, a ghost town. But it is a real place. At the grand opening of the Fromagerie Bessette, a murder occurs! Charlotte Bessette is our heroine, and it is her grandmother who is implicated in the murder. Everyone knows everyone in this little town, and the local police detective is no exception. But Charlotte doesn't think he is doing a good enough job trying to find an alternate suspect, so she takes it upon herself to begin investigating.
The characters are entertaining in this story, as well as the interactions between them. There is, of course, the obligatory budding romance between two of them, but it keeps getting interrupted before it can start, including by the appearance of a very attractive other woman, who is frequently seen on the arm of the man in question.
As far as "whodunnit," I didn't figure it out. I had a couple of ideas, but they turned out to be wrong. So Ms. Aames keeps the reader guessing all the way through. A very entertaining mystery that did not disappoint. And it made me hungry for cheese. I'm still looking for some Morbier, Taleggio, and some of that Double Creme Gouda. I mean, seriously. Double cream?? I'm salivating.
Oh, there are recipes at the end, too. Of course, there are.
Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries and cheese.
I found the writing to be quite good and engaging. The character dialogue was especially engaging, throughout. There was plenty of humor in the tale, as expected, as well as a number of surprises, as the story develops. As expected, there is cheese. Lots and lots of cheese; cheese I have never heard of, and am now trying to find somewhere. However, I have not been able to locate a "cheese shop" near me. I'm going to keep working on that.
The tale is set in Providence, Ohio, which is, according to Wikipedia, a ghost town. But it is a real place. At the grand opening of the Fromagerie Bessette, a murder occurs! Charlotte Bessette is our heroine, and it is her grandmother who is implicated in the murder. Everyone knows everyone in this little town, and the local police detective is no exception. But Charlotte doesn't think he is doing a good enough job trying to find an alternate suspect, so she takes it upon herself to begin investigating.
The characters are entertaining in this story, as well as the interactions between them. There is, of course, the obligatory budding romance between two of them, but it keeps getting interrupted before it can start, including by the appearance of a very attractive other woman, who is frequently seen on the arm of the man in question.
As far as "whodunnit," I didn't figure it out. I had a couple of ideas, but they turned out to be wrong. So Ms. Aames keeps the reader guessing all the way through. A very entertaining mystery that did not disappoint. And it made me hungry for cheese. I'm still looking for some Morbier, Taleggio, and some of that Double Creme Gouda. I mean, seriously. Double cream?? I'm salivating.
Oh, there are recipes at the end, too. Of course, there are.
Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries and cheese.
July 4, 2020
This is the first book in The Cheese Shop Mystery series. I loved this book! I’m hooked, and I will read every book in this cozy series. I enjoyed the warm characters, the town, and the murder mystery was very good. I loved the protagonist who is helping her cousin to raise his twin 8 year old daughters who have been abandoned by their wife and mother. This book is a winner!
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