24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SAY CHEESE!!!!, July 7, 2010
This review is from: The Long Quiche Goodbye (CHEESE SHOP MYSTERY) (Mass Market Paperback)
The Fromagerie Bessette, know by the residents of Providence, Ohio, as The Cheese Shop, has been passed down to another generation. Charlotte Bessette is the new cheesemonger and her cousin Matthew is the wine expert and Grandmére and Pépére are trying to retire but are still spending many hours at the shop. Some renovations have been made and a wine annex has been added and the grand opening is just minutes away. The cheese platters are out and the wine bottles opened and the doors thrown wide and the shop starts to fill with people.
But there is an undercurrent of tension, Grandmére is also the mayor of this fine little town and the election is right around the corner. Her opponent, Kristine, and a few of her friends are in high rally mode. Her husband, Ed, owns most of the buildings in the area and he is a complete leech, cheating on his wife and moves around through the party pinching, leering and acting highly inappropriate with most of the females in attendance. He also is threatening to evict the owners of The Cheese Shoppe and many others on the street which causes him to have a heated conversation with Grandmére.
Even with the the tension, Charlotte and Matthew know they have a success on their their hands and are very excited until "a shriek cut the air" and Charlotte rushed out of the store and found the leech's body dead on the sidewalk and Grandmére covered in blood.
Everyone including the Chief of Police doesn't believe Grandmére killed this man, but she was the one with the knife in her hand and covered with blood, she is placed under house arrest. Charlotte finds herself suspecting everyone and doesn't think the Chief is investigating enough so she starts investigating on her own to prove her Grandmére's innocence.
I LOVED IT!!!!!
Yes, I LOVED IT!, with one caution, do not read on an empty stomach, the story is filled with yummy descriptions of wonderful cheeses, wine and quiches and it includes recipes at the end. My stomach was ready for some of that cheese all the way through. I suggest you pour yourself a nice glass of wine and make up a little cheese platter and then curl up to read the "quichey" mystery with your snacks ready.
I loved the characters, even the mean and unstable ones. There was the perfect amount of humor and the plot had several twists and turns to keep you turning page after page. There is also a budding romance on the horizon. This was a really good debut to the cheesy new series and I definitely have an appetite for more.
You may visit Avery at [...]
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As Fresh As Mozzarella, July 11, 2010
This review is from: The Long Quiche Goodbye (CHEESE SHOP MYSTERY) (Mass Market Paperback)
Avery Aames' new series will become a favorite of all cozy lovers. The Long Quiche Goodbye combines all the elements of other cozies, good food, wine, recipes, and small town amateur sleuthing, but increases the standard by which cozies are measured through her fresh and descriptive narrative and solution to the plot, which is not obvious. I already look forward to reading the next book in the series because this one was a treat to read.
The action centers around the cheese shop owned by Charlotte Bessette, the main character, and Matthew, her co-owner cousin. Although the shop was originated by their grandparents, Charlotte and Matthew put their own signatures on the shop, and during its grand re-opening murder occurs on the sidewalk just outside. Charlotte's investigation of the murder is as natural as the cheese sold because the police chief places her grandmere at the top of the suspect list. The secondary characters, Matthew and his twin daughters, Charlotte's best friend and grandparents, her exAmish assistant, the town folk and her potential lover, add complexity to the plot with secondary storylines that spread like blue veins enriching Roquefort.
Nicely sandwiched into Charlotte's day-to-day business, Aames includes information on the cheese industry, production, storage, presentation throughout the book. I would buy this book not only because of the story, but to keep as a reference. Aames describes cheeses that I've never heard of or tried before, but now will seek out.
If you love other food based series, try this one and enjoy a mini vacation to Providence, OH.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great new friends to spend time with..., July 9, 2010
As others have already covered the plot I'll just pass along a few things I found to be so special in The Long Quiche Goodbye. Wonderful characters that you can't help but get involved with, great storyline, and the the town of Providence is a place you won't want to leave. I can't wait for the next book. I guess I'll just have to read this one again! Avery Aames is definitely an author I'm going to be watching.
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