The Lady and I became intrigued when we first “met” (on the web) Avery Aames and she told us she was developing a new cozy mystery series set in a cheese shop… “The Cheese Shop Mystery” Series. Avery further caught my personal attention when she said the book would include a cat that hung out in the cheese shop… hey it’s fiction…don’t worry about the health department busting her shop…
In the first installment of The Cheese Shop Mystery Series, The Long Quiche Goodbye, a cheese shop in a small town in Ohio is changing ownership with a grand-daughter, Charlotte, and her cousin, Matthew, buying the shop from their grandparents. After extensive renovations and the addition of a wine annex, the shop is ready to make its entrance (Mr. DeMille) with a grand re-opening celebration.
Big surprise, after all, it is a mystery… a murder takes place during the festivities; their grandmother is accused and Charlotte sets out to solve the crime…
Before this book came into my feline life, I didn’t even know what a “cozy” mystery was: The story usually takes place in a small town and the crime-solver is more-often-than-not a woman with a college degree or enough “life-skills” to give her the necessary knowledge to solve the crime (and no criminal law training).
The Lady and I liked the book.
It kept our attention to the end but there were a few flaws. The biggest flaw being that Rags, the cat, wasn’t featured prominently enough. He was treated more as window-dressing when as a fellow feline; I know he could have contributed far more to both the plot and the “color” of the story. Heck, he probably could have solved the murder… but maybe I’m a bit prejudiced on that subject…
Another flaw was that Avery made a few cheese “mistakes”; all of them minor, but to a card-carrying cheesemonger, incorrect none-the-less. One error was referring to Humboldt Fog as a cheese that normally sat on a display table. Humboldt Fog is a fragile cheese and should be refrigerated at all times. You can’t sit it out on display. A small thing, but one that caught The Lady’s cheese eye.
Other than Rags, the grandmother was my favorite character. Her avant-garde productions for the local theater would get me there on opening night.
We wish Avery well with the series and look forward to more Cheese Shop Mysteries…
I give The Long Quiche Goodbye 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
You can buy the book by clicking here.
Follow me on:
Spaulding, This is Rags. I’m sneaking a little time on Charlotte’s email. Thanks for the mention. I agree that I deserve more time in the book. I promise to tell Charlotte about the Humboldt Fog. Honest mistake. It sells out so fast. Can she turn to The Lady if she has other questions?? BTW, do you like cream? Rags
The Lady would be honored to answer any questions and yes I love cream and half n half but that fat-free crap The Lady uses… no thank you… Rags, stay in touch; we felines have to stick together…