Clobbered by Camembert

PRAISE FOR
THE CHEESE SHOP MYSTERIES

Clobbered by Camembert

“Avery Aames delivers another deliciously fast-paced, twisty mystery filled with lovable, quirky characters and Charlotte’s delightful attempts at amateur sleuthing. Come sample what Fromagerie Bessette has to offer. I guarantee you’ll be back for more.”

—Julie Hyzy, national bestselling author of the White House Chef Mysteries and the Manor House Mysteries

Lost and Fondue

“Avery Aames has cooked up a delectable culinary mystery with a juicy plot and a tasty twist.
Lost and Fondue
is fun, flirty, and full of local flavor. Take an engaging, sassy protagonist willing to do anything for friends and family, add a delicious yet mysterious hero, mix in a yummy setting, top it all with a scrumptious plot with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the very end—and voilà! A tasty morsel of a mystery that will leave you hungry for more.”

—Kate Carlisle, national bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mysteries

The Long Quiche Goodbye

Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel

“[A] delightful debut novel.”

—Lorna Barrett,
New York Times
bestselling author

“A delicious read. Charlotte Bessette is a winning new sleuth, and her gorgeously drawn world is one you’ll want to revisit again and again. More please.”

—Cleo Coyle, national bestselling author of the Coffeehouse Mysteries

“Rich characters, decadent cheeses, and a scrumptious mystery. A bold new series to be savored like a seductive Brie.”

—Krista Davis, author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries

“Avery Aames serves up a yummy mystery featuring cheese purveyor Charlotte Bessette, an adorable new character whose love of family rivals her love of good food. Fans of amateur sleuths, prepare to be charmed.”

—Joanna Campbell Slan, author of the Agatha Award–nominated
Paper, Scissors, Death

“Absolutely delicious! This is the triple cream of the crop: a charming heroine, a deceptively cozy little town, and a clever cast of characters. This is more than a fresh and original mystery—Aames’s compassion for family and friends shines through, bringing intelligence and depth to this warm and richly rewarding adventure.”

—Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha Award–winning author of
Drive Time

“The charm of the story is greatly enhanced by a very rich cast of characters.”

—
Booklist

“A fantastic read, this cozy was truly a special treat.”

—
Romantic Times

“Not since Agatha Christie has a female author created an amateur sleuth with a penchant for details.”

—
Suspense Magazine

Berkley Prime Crime titles by Avery Aames

THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE

LOST AND FONDUE

CLOBBERED BY CAMEMBERTM

Clobbered by
Camembert

AVERY AAMES

BERKLEY PRIME CRIME, NEW YORK

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

CLOBBERED BY CAMEMBERT

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / February 2012

Copyright © 2012 by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Excerpt from
To Brie or Not to Brie
by Avery Aames copyright © 2012
by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Cover illustration by Teresa Fasolino.

Cover design by Annette Fiore Defex.

Interior text design by Laura K. Corless.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

EISBN: 9781101559970

BERKLEY
^®
PRIME CRIME

Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEY
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PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

To my husband, Chuck.
You are the love of my life.
Thank you for your endless support
and your sense of humor.
And most of all, thank you for
encouraging me to believe in my dreams.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to my husband for love and encouragement, and to the rest of my family for the same. I am so very, very blessed.

Thank you to the wonderful world of authors, both mystery and otherwise, who have offered their support, their opinions, and their wisdom. Thank you to my fabulous critique partners Krista Davis and Janet Bolin, both talented and successful writers in their own right. I don’t know what I would do without you. Thank you to my culinary mystery blog mates at Mystery Lovers Kitchen for all the delicious recipes and foodie brilliance. Thanks to my blog mates at Killer Characters and to my pals at Cozy Promo, Plot Hatchers, and to all the Sisters in Crime guppies. Without you, I would have given up long ago.

Thank you to my publisher, Berkley Prime Crime, for wanting books about a cheese shop and for granting me the opportunity. Thank you to Kate Seaver, you are a dream editor. I am so lucky. And thanks to the rest of the Berkley team: Katherine Pelz, Kaitlyn Kennedy, Teresa Fasolino, Annette Fiore Defex, and Laura K. Corless. What a beautiful product you have turned out. {Beautiful in my eyes, certainly.}

Thank you to the support team of my sister, Kimberley, as well as Dana Kaye and Lindsey LeBret. Wow, is all I can say. Thank you to my agents, Bookends, specifically Kim Lionetti, for your enthusiasm. Thank you to the newest member of my “team,” Marcella Wright, who is living her dream job with Murray’s Cheese Shop, and to Marcella’s fabulous Spaulding Gray (a feline “foodie”). Both have helped me with invaluable research.

Thank you to my sweet pets who are all watching over me from heaven.

And last but not least, thank you to all of you who are readers and fans. Thank you for wanting to read about Charlotte and her family and friends and the fictional world of Providence, Ohio.

Say cheese!

Please visit me at my website,
www.AveryAames.com
, or on my blogs at
www.mysteryloverskitchen.com
and
killercharacters.com
. I’m on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads as well.

LIST OF CHARACTERS

Main characters

Charlotte Bessette—cheese shop owner, thirties, single

Amy, Claire—twin nieces (really first cousins once removed) of Charlotte, daughters of Matthew

Bozz Bozzuto—teenaged assistant and Internet guru in cheese shop

Delilah—owner of Country Kitchen, Charlotte’s good friend

Freckles—owner of Sew Inspired and friend to Charlotte

Grandmère—Charlotte’s grandmother, mayor of town, manager of theater aka Bernadette

Jordan Pace—cheese farmer

Lois Smith—owns Lavender and Lace B&B

Matthew Bessette—owner/sommelier, father of twins, cousin of Charlotte

Meredith Vance—teacher, best friend to Charlotte, engaged to Matthew

Pépère—Charlotte’s grandfather aka Etienne Bessette

Prudence Hart—dress shop owner and local diva

Rebecca Zook—assistant in cheese shop

Sylvie Bessette—Matthew’s British ex-wife

Umberto Urso—chief of police

Additional cast

Ainsley Smith the “Cube”—husband to Lois who owns Lavender and Lace B&B

Arlo MacMillan—local curmudgeon, owns chicken farm

Barton & Emma Burrell—cattle farmers

Chippendale Cooper—Ex-fiancé of Charlotte

Deputy Rodham—assistant to Chief Urso

Georgia Plachette—CFO of Clydesdale Enterprises

Ipo Ho—honeybee farmer

Jacky Peterson—sister to Jordan Pace

Kaitlyn Clydesdale—former resident, entrepreneur and Do-Gooder

Luigi Bozzuto—restaurant owner, Bozz’s uncle

Octavia Tibble—librarian and Realtor, friend to Charlotte

Oscar Carson—workman at Ipo Ho’s Quail Ridge Honeybee Farm

Quigley—reporter

Tallulah Barker—local animal rescuer

Tyanne Thompson—Hurricane Katrina survivor and friend to Charlotte

Violet—owner of Violet’s Victoriana Inn

Animals

Rags—Charlotte’s Ragdoll rescue cat

Rocket—Briard rescue, given to Amy and Clair by their mother