Killing Thyme

Description

Pepper Reece's to-do list is longer than the shopping list for a five-course dinner, as she conjures up spice blends bursting with seasonal flavor, soothes nervous brides fretting over the gift registry, and crosses her fingers for a rave review from a sharp-tongued food critic. Add to the mix a welcome visit from her mother, Lena, and she's got the perfect recipe for a busy summer garnished with a dash of fun. In Seattle's Pike Place Market, Spice Shop owner Pepper Reece is savoring her business success, but soon finds her plans disrupted by a killer in the latest from the national bestselling author of Guilty as Cinnamon. Pepper Reece's to-do list is longer than the shopping list for a five-course dinner, as she conjures up spice blends bursting with seasonal flavor, soothes nervous brides fretting over the gift registry, and crosses her fingers for a rave review from a sharp-tongued food critic. Add to the mix a welcome visit from her mother, Lena, and she's got the perfect recipe for a busy summer garnished with a dash of fun. While browsing in the artists' stalls, Pepper and Lena drool over stunning pottery made by a Market newcomer. But when Lena recognizes the potter, Bonnie Clay, as an old friend who disappeared years ago, the afternoon turns sour. To Pepper's surprise, Bonnie seems intimately connected to her family's past. After Bonnie is murdered only days later, Pepper is determined to uncover the truth. But as Pepper roots out long-buried secrets, will she be digging her own grave?

National bestselling author Leslie Budewitz writes the Spice Shop Mysteries and the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries. 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.

Praise for the national bestselling Spice Shop Mysteries "A dash of humor and a half-turn of charm that will leave readers smiling."-J.J. Cook, national bestselling author of the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mysteries "Pure enjoyment."-Suspense Magazine "A tantalizing mystery and a fragrant treat for the senses."-Connie Archer, national bestselling author of the Soup Lover's Mysteries "A smart blend of zesty characters, piquant spices, and scrumptious food."-Daryl Wood Gerber, national bestselling author of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries "A solid entry to the mystery genre thanks to Budewitz's great descriptions, evocative setting and engaging mystery."-The Billings Outpost "This engaging cozy makes the most of its Seattle location, effectively weaves facts about spices and their uses throughout the narrative, and boasts the feisty Pepper at its center. Sure to appeal to fans of Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles herbal mysteries."-Booklist