Assault and Pepper

Description

The Agatha Award-winning author ofCrime Ribis proud to introducePepper Reece, the owner of the Seattle Spice Shop who thinks she can handle any kind of salty customer-until a murderer ends up in the mix . . . The Agatha Award-winning author of Crime Ribis proud to introducePepper Reece, the owner of the Seattle Spice Shop who thinks she can handle any kind of salty customer-until a murderer ends up in the mix... After leaving a dicey marriage and losing a beloved job in a corporate crash, Pepper Reece has found a new zest for life running a busy spice and tea shop in Seattle's Pike Place Market. Her aromatic creations are the talk of the town, and everyone stops by for a cup of her refreshing spice tea, even other shopkeepers and Market regulars. But when a panhandler named Doc shows up dead on the store's doorstep, a Seattle Spice Shop cup in his hand, the local gossip gets too hot for Pepper to handle-especially after the police arrest one of Pepper's staffers, Tory Finch, for murder. Tory seems to know why she's a suspect, but she refuses to do anything to curry favor with the cops. Convinced her reticent employee is innocent, Pepper takes it on herself to sniff out some clues. Only, if she's not careful, Pepper's nosy ways might make her next on the killer's list...

National bestselling author Leslie Budewitz writes the Spice Shop Mysteries (Assault and Pepper)and the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries (Crime Rib;Death Al Dente). She fell in love with Seattle's Pike Place Market as a college student, and still misses prowling its streets and alleys, sniffing out tasty treats and sensory delights. Leslie won the 2013 Agatha Award for Best First Novel for Death al Dente, first in the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, and won the 2011 Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction for Books, Crooks & Counselors- How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure. She loves to cook, eat, hike, travel, garden, and paint-not necessarily in that order. She lives in northwest Montana with her husband, Don Beans, a doctor of natural medicine, and their Burmese cat, Ruff, an avid bird-watcher.

"A potpourri of spices, a melange of murder-Pepper and her crew serve up a tantalizing mystery and a fragrant treat for the senses."-Connie Archer, national bestselling author of the Soup Lover's Mysteries "There's a savvy new amateur sleuth in town, and her name is Pepper Reece. Assault and Pepper is a smart blend of zesty characters, piquant spices, and scrumptious food. Set against the intriguing Seattle backdrop, this well-plotted whodunit is the perfect recipe for a great read."-Daryl Wood Gerber, national bestselling author of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries "Leslie Budewitz writes her new Seattle Spice Shop Mystery, Assault and Pepper, with a dash of humor and a half-turn of charm that will leave readers smiling."-J.J. Cook, national bestselling author of Death on Eat Street "An iconic Seattle setting, a smart and capable heroine, and a spicy investigation... what mystery reader could want more? Budewitz combines it all with effortless finesse."-Victoria Hamilton, national bestselling author of the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries "Parsley, sage, rosemary and...murder. Assault and Pepper, the scintillating first book in Leslie Budewitz's new Spice Shop Mystery series will add zing to your reading."-Barbara Ross, author of the Maine Clambake Mysteries