A review by spaghettification
The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames

adventurous lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Through concept alone, this book got me out of a reading hiatus. It was my first venture into the "cozy mystery" genre and I was pleasantly surprised. The setting for this story - a fictional Providence, Ohio - comes across as Stars Hollowesque and idyllic, a place that's strangely both highly walkable yet not too industrialized. As someone who wishes those two things coexisted in America more frequently, I appreciated the fantasy. I also found the amount of cheese talk ideal (there is a LOT of it) and probably the biggest selling point of the novel, above even the mystery that drives the plot. Although there were moments where the plot was captivating and mysterious, there were times when things felt a bit predictable and cheesy, especially towards the end. But I suppose that could be considered part of the allure of the genre? A fair warning though, I felt that the main character had a fair amount of internalized misogyny and a tendency to use words and expressions harmful to the Romani and Indigenous communities - this book came out in 2010 and I hope that the author has since changed their ways! In conclusion, it's popcorn literature (well, I guess it's technically cheese literature) and that's exactly what I needed this month. Bonus points for including literal recipes - super campy and appreciated!