For Cheddar or Worse by Avery Aames is the 7th book in the “Cheese Shop” mystery series. Publisher: Berkly Prime Crime, February 2016

In the new Cheese Shop Mystery from the Agatha Award-winning author of As Gouda as Dead, an extra-sharp tongued cheese critic is cut down during a summer cheese festival.

It’s time for the annual Cheese Festival in Providence, Ohio, and Charlotte Bessette’s cheese shop is packed with homemade specialties. Meanwhile, her friend Erin is prepping her dairy farm and inn for cheese makers, marketers, journalists, and one surprise guest—Lara Berry, pretentious cheese whiz, pompous bestselling author, and pungent critic whose extra sharp tongue can crumble a reputation.

Even though any love for Lara by her friends curdled long ago, Charlotte is surprised when the foodie is smothered to death in her room at Erin’s inn. Accusations start flying, but the one laying blame on Erin strikes Charlotte as a crock. Now, to clear her friend’s name, Charlotte has to sift through Lara’s ex-lovers, former business partners, and unforgiving enemies to find a killer before Lara’s past casts a tainted pall on the festival’s future.

This was a very enjoyable tale that grabbed my attention immediately quickly becoming a pager turner. The author knows how to deliver a story where the mystery kept me on my toes as all the suspects are presented and each clues brought me closer to the killer’s identity and boy did I like the lead up to the revelation. This was a good read with a great cast of characters, engaging dialogue and the perfect backdrop in this fast-paced and character driven drama. This is one of the best book in the series and I will miss Charlotte and her friends as this is the last book in this wonderfully charming series.