To Brie or Not to Brie

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Authors: Avery Aames

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PRAISE FOR
THE CHEESE SHOP MYSTERIES

To Brie or Not to Brie

“A mouthwatering mystery with characters as colorful as its autumn setting and a plot
that twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing right up until the end. Enticing
and intriguing, I was thoroughly engaged from the very first page.”

—Jenn McKinlay,
New York Times
bestselling author

Clobbered by Camembert

“For those who are unfamiliar [with the Cheese Shop Mysteries], we strongly recommend
that you give these books a read.”


culture: the word on cheese
magazine

“The setting may be winter but that makes this a perfect cozy to curl up in front
of the fire to read.”

—Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

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…A tasty morsel of a mystery that will leave
you hungry for more.”

—Kate Carlisle, national bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mysteries

“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

“Fans of Aames’s
The Long Quiche Goodbye
will be just as pleased with the latest mystery…Settle in with a nice cheese, a glass
of wine, and enjoy
Lost and Fondue
.”

—Lesa’s Book Critiques

The Long Quiche Goodbye
Agatha Award Winner for Best First Novel

“Avery Aames’s delightful debut novel…is a lovely Tour de Fromage. It’s not just Gouda,
it’s great!”

—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
Death of a Dowager

“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
The Other Woman

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

—Booklist

Berkley Prime Crime titles by Avery Aames

THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE

LOST AND FONDUE

CLOBBERED BY CAMEMBERT

TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE

To Brie
or Not to Brie

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 Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
(a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 707 Collins Street,
Melbourne, Victoria 3008, 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), Rosebank
Office Park, 181 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North 2193, South Africa • Penguin China,
B7 Jiaming Center, 27 East Third Ring Road North, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020,
China

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.

TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE

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

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / February 2013

Copyright © 2013 by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Excerpt from
Days of Wine and Roquefort
by Avery Aames copyright © 2013 by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Cover illustration by Teresa Fasolino.

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.

ISBN: 978-1-101-61914-8

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

ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON

To my sister, Kimberley. You are my dear friend.
I am blessed to have you in my life.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners
who make our souls blossom.

—M
ARCEL
P
ROUST

There is no possible way to acknowledge all those who have helped me along the road
to publishing and the road to life—family, friends, teachers, and more. I’ll do my
best.

First and foremost, thank you to my family for loving me and understanding that a
creative person is sometimes crazy. Thanks to my first readers: my husband, Chuck;
Krista Davis; and Janet Bolin. Thanks to good pals Kate Carlisle and Hannah Dennison
for supporting me and listening to me wax “not poetic.” Thanks to my brainstormers
at Plothatchers. Thanks to my blog mates on Mystery Lovers Kitchen and Killer Characters.
Thanks to Jenn McKinlay, Julie Hyzy, Cleo Coyle, Lorraine Bartlett, Hank Phillippi
Ryan, and Jamie Freveletti for your savvy advice. And thanks to the Sisters in Crime
Guppies, a superb online group.

Thanks to those who have helped make the Cheese Shop Mysteries sparkle: my fabulous
editor, Kate Seaver; Katherine Pelz; Laura Perry; and Kayleigh Clark. I appreciate
all your insight and enthusiasm. To my artist, Teresa Fasolino, wow. You amaze me.
Thank you to my publisher, Berkley Prime Crime, for wanting books about a cheese shop
and for granting me the opportunity.

Thank you to my business team, including Kim Lionetti, P.J. Nunn, Lindsey LeBret,
and Sheridan Stancliff. And thanks to my cheese consultant, Marcella Wright. Your
tasty knowledge is so helpful.

Last but not least, thank you librarians, teachers, fans, and/or readers. Thank you
for loving the written word, and thank you for sharing the world of a cheese monger
at Fromagerie Bessette with your friends.

Say cheese!

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Recipes

Days of Wine and Roquefort

CHAPTER

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