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Clobbered by Camembert
Cheese Shop Mystery, No 3
Avery Ames

Berkley Prime Crime
Feb 2012/ 978-0-425-24587-3
Mystery/Cozy
Amazon

Reviewed by Laura Hinds

Providence Ohio is home to Fromagerie Bassette (aka The Cheese Shop) owned and run by Charlotte Bessette. It is February, and time for the annual Winter Wonderland faire. Charlotte will be offering fine wines as well as cheeses, and is looking forward to the influx of tourists.

When Kaitlyn Clydesdale comes to town to start a new honeybee farm, Charlotte is surprised that she is her mother's old friend. Kaitlyn is off-putting and not particularly friendly. Charlotte's assistant, Rebecca, takes an immediate dislike to Kaitlyn because the new honeybee farm could take away business from Quail Ridge Honey Bee Farm. Ipo Ho, Kaitlyn's boyfriend, is the proprietor of Quail Ridge Honey Bee Farm.

Kaitlyn is murdered, and her body is found in Rebecca's cottage. Ipo is the number one suspect, but Charlotte knows Ipo and is certain he would never do such a dastardly deed. Rebecca is devastated and swears that she had been with Ipo every minute during the time in question. So Charlotte decides to help find the killer and clear Ipo's name. She is, however, more than a little distracted by her ex-fiancé, Chip, showing up in Providence. Charlotte will have to sort through the clues to discover who was cheesed-off enough to commit murder.

This is another fine culinary mystery, with well-written characters and a believable plot. Charlotte is a woman who has had more than her share of difficulties along the way, but these have made her stronger and more willing to help others. I love the Winter Wonderland setting, and I could picture it brought to life as if on a movie screen. Cozy mystery fans, cheese and wine aficionados alike would enjoy this book. There are also several good recipes at the back of the book, as well as a sneak preview of the next Cheese Shop Mystery, To Brie or Not To Brie.

Reviews of other titles in this series

Lost and Fondue, No 2
Clobbered by Camembert, No 3

Reviewer Laura Hinds is the author of Are You Gonna Eat That Banana?
Reviewed 2012
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