Guilty as Cinnamon

A Spice Shop Mystery #2

by Leslie Budewitz

Murder heats up Seattle’s Pike Place Market in the next Spice Shop mystery from the national bestselling author of Assault and Pepper.


Springtime in Seattle’s Pike Place Market means tasty foods and wide-eyed tourists, and Pepper’s Spice Shop is ready for the crowds. With flavorful combinations and a fresh approach, she’s sure to win over the public. Even better, she’s working with several local restaurants as their chief herb and spice supplier. Business is cooking, until one of Pepper’s potential clients, a young chef named Tamara Langston, is found dead, her life extinguished by the dangerously hot ghost chili—a spice Pepper carries in her shop.

Now stuck in the middle of a heated police investigation, Pepper must use all her senses to find out who wanted to keep Tamara’s new café from opening—before someone else gets burned…

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Audiobook, Food, Contemporary

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2015

About the author

*Also publishes as Alicia Beckman*

Leslie Budewitz is the three-time Agatha Award winner and bestselling author of the Food Lovers’ Village and Spice Shop mysteries, continuing with the 9th installment, LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING (July 2025). Her historical short mystery collection, ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION (September 2024), featuring a remarkable figure from Montana history, is a finalist in the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards. She also writes standalone moody suspense as Alicia Beckman.

–

What a delight to return to the Spice Shop, a fictional shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, a place I fell in love ages ago as a college freshman. I made it my mission to eat my way through the place, and since it’s constantly changing, I’ll never be done!

In LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING, Spice Shop owner Pepper Reece is shocked when vandals destroy the greenhouse at her friend Liz Giacometti’s lavender farm. But then Liz is killed, and Pepper digs in to solve the crimes. As her questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Writing about Seattle and its surroundings never gets old. Plus it's an excuse to keep up with places I love, and to make regular research trips. And by research, you know I mean eat!

ALL GOD’S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES imagines the life and heart of Mary Fields (1832-1914), a real-life woman born into slavery who spent her last 30 years in Montana, where she found freedom and community, and her own place in the West, bringing solace and justice to those in need. The collection brings together three stories originally published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and a new novella, “A Bitter Wind,” set in 1897 and 1914, in which Mary helps a young picture bride solve the mystery of her fiancé’s death, his homesteading neighbors’ bitterness, and her own future. The title story won the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story; others were finalists for awards from the Short Mystery Fiction Society and the Western Writers of America. The collection is a finalist for the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards.

I’m also the author of the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, set in fictional Jewel Bay, Montana. DEATH A DENTE, first in the series, won the 2013 Agatha Award for Best First novel. My guide for writers, BOOKS, CROOKS & COUNSELORS: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law & Courtroom Procedure, drawing on my long career as a lawyer, won the 2011 Agatha for Best Nonfiction.

I’m a past president of Sisters in Crime and former regional and national board member of Mystery Writers of America. I love to cook, eat, hike, travel, garden, and paint—not necessarily in that order. My husband and I live in northwest Montana.

For regular updates, please visit my website, http://www.LeslieBudewitz.com, and click on the newsletter tab to sign up for emails crammed with book news, peeks inside the writing life, and more, along with two free short stories.

Readers are my favorite people. Drop me a line at Leslie at LeslieBudewitz.com. Join me at my website, LeslieBudewitz.com, or on Facebook at Leslie Budewitz & Alicia Beckman.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guilty as Cinnamon is the second book in Leslie Budewitz's 'A Spice Shop Mysteries' cozy series. The books take place in Seattle's Pike Place Market revolving around Pepper's spice shop. I've wanted to read some of Budewitz's books for a few years and decided last December to pick up this series. It's a fun one and I see great improvement between the first two books. I'm thrilled I selected this one and already ordered the third to read next week.

In this caper, Pepper's having a few staffing and infrastructure issues at her shop. She's ended the tentative relationship with Alex from the last book and is also hoping to stay away from her ex-husband who has clearly sent signals he wants to get back together. Alex's key chef, Tamara, reveals she's opening her own restaurant and wants to work with Pepper to order her spices. Pepper must keep the secret but also knows Alex can be vengeful. A few days later, Tamara's found dead in her new building from an apparent overdose of hot peppers she likely bought from Pepper. Alex is arrested and begs Pepper to help him despite being angry she kept Tamara's secret. Tons of other past relationships come to light with another store owner, one of Pepper's employees, and ghosts throughout the market. How's it all connected? Pepper is determined to figure it out without dying herself.

The mystery is very strong. Besides the primary focus on who killed Tamara, we have some side stories with Pepper's employees causing mischief, electrical problems in the market, and secret identities. When we finally learn who smothered Tamara, it was fitting and made sense. I think the overall final chapter ending was a little too rushed / open-ended but not enough to worry me. Once we learned the killer's identity and how some stories collided, I had open questions about how it tied together. Some readers like a little bit of vague explanation, others want the detail... this will be right in the middle. I love how Budewitz weaves everything together and readers are suddenly going "ah... now I understand why X did such and such a thing..."

As a series, I'm starting to really enjoy all the characters and setting in the market. It's becoming well cemented in terms of "I hope character Y comes back again" and "They better visit store Z again." That's the sign of a great author... one who lures you in not only with the main mystery but the comings and goings of the main character's personal life. Pepper is fun and cool, yet she has a few flaws. She feels real, so I enjoy reading about her daily actions. I look forward to the next book which focuses on Pepper's mother, best friend, and family secrets hidden in the past.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Overdose by a ghost pepper? Say it isn’t so! Oh! But it more than an overdose, It’s MURDER!

Someone really turned up the heat on Chef Tamara Langston. She was currently working for Pepper’s ex, but he fires her when he learns she is close to opening a restaurant of her own. He also blows up at Pepper too because she knew and didn’t tell him. When Pepper discovers Tamara dead in her new restaurant space Alex quickly lands at the top of the suspect list and behind bars. He asks Pepper to find the real killer. She agrees but not only to help him, she realizes the pepper/murder weapon may have come from her shop and she wants to be sure for herself.

Meanwhile, there are some strange things happening at the Pike Place Market. Rumors of ghosts surface as strange electrical outages seem to be the main complaint. Pepper even loses a prized possession and almost loses her shop as the weird happenings continue. Adding to her stress are one employee that needs to go and one that is sadly leaving.

I was delighted to be back in Seattle at the Pike Place Market. I love all the author’s descriptions, they truly bring the place to life. It is a perfect setting for a cozy mystery series.

All the characters I enjoyed in the first book return. Pepper is super busy trying to expand the shop and its client base, get approval for a new sign for the front of the shop, dealing with her staff and all the other things involved in owning a spice shop. She really didn’t need another murder to solve but I enjoyed the way she takes in on even knowing she is going to have to listen to her policeman ex-husband telling her daily to back off. Pepper came across stronger in this story but she hasn’t lost her huge heart. Most of her staff totally have her back too and are willing to hold down the shop while she is off investigating. These characters really play well off each other and as the cast list grows they each are memorable and people I want to get to know better and see if future stories.

The plot of this story has a lot of moving parts and the murder mystery part is very complex. The victim has a secret that is not revealed until late in the book and that gives the case a unique turn. Certain clues were delivered in unexpected ways. A very interesting individual helps move things along and Pepper gets an amazing assist as everything fell into place. I was kept guessing right to the end.

This story was a marvelous mystery to read and try to solve. Great characters tangled in a captivating story set in a place I would love to visit. I am excited that book #3, Killing Thyme is waiting for me on my To-Be-Read shelf.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

RECIPES!
I loved the first book in the series so much that I went out and bought the second one while reading the first. I rarely do this. I have plenty of books on Mt Git'r'Read, but I really wanted to have this one handy when I was ready to visit Pepper again.
RECIPES!
The story is a little busier this time, quite a few more characters [and suspects] than last time, but it's all excellent.
The ex, -husband and -boyfriend, are here and Pepper is sifting through her feelings in that arena. Pepper is uber-busy with expanding the Spice Shop and updating the with the blessing of the Historic Society. Lots of hoops and she still needs to hire more and better help. And solve a murder.
The setting remains excellent, the characters superbly fascinating, and I love the spice tips throughout.
A great thing about this series is that Pepper is a strong woman to emulate and admire. She has foibles, yes, but it makes her human. She is a brave woman to take on the monumental task of buying the business of her dreams and turning it into a profitable venture. She makes it her own, admits to mistakes, and she's kind. Not the walk-on-me type...rather that mama-bear kind that protects those around her and kicks butt of the dodgy and deceitful.
She reads excellent mysteries and looks up to Brother Cadfael, a favorite of mine.
And there are the recipes!
Highly recommend.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Lots of twists and turns in this one and lots of characters to keep track of too. Love the Seattle market setting and Pepper is a very likeable main character as well.

[Linda Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent cozy mystery!

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was yet another situation where I loved the first in a cozy series, but with the second the spark did not hold up. I did not finish this and won't be continuing with the series.

For some reason, the main character of Pepper came across in this book as pushy and crabby. It felt like she spent a lot of time feeling sorry for herself, and blaming other people for it. I can't even quite put my finger on it, but I just didn't connect to Pepper in this book the way I did in the first book.

I also missed the spice shop, its lore and info about spices and the whole spice shop vibe that was a big feature for me in the first book. Because the murder took place in a restaurant, and the main suspect was the chef from another restaurant, the locations and focus were much more about the running of, and situations in a restaurant which wasn't as interesting for me. I kept waiting for Pepper to go back to her shop so we could talk about spices instead of bitchy sous-chefs and backstabbing in the restaurants.

It always disappoints me when a cozy series starts off well, but then doesn't maintain its charm for me in subsequent books. On to the next.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"GUILTY AS CINNAMON has the perfect medley for a mystery!"

Read this review in its entirety at Fresh Fiction

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character is Pepper Reece who owns a spice shop in Seattle's Pike Place Market. Pepper goes to the building where a young woman is planning to open a new restaurant and discovers her body. Pepper feels compelled to ask questions and find the woman's killer especially because the cause of death is ghost chilies which Pepper carries in her shop. The book was an easy read.

[Donna Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You are a magnet for trouble,” intones a frustrated Homicide Detective Tracy, partner of Detective Spencer. Indeed, Pepper Reece, the spikey-haired owner of the Seattle Spice Shop, is exactly that. Somehow, much to the annoyance of the local police, dead bodies and ghosts and trouble swirl about her. Her shop is one of two in the Market area which supply spices, seasonings and teas to the public and local restaurants. Many of her friends and clients are chefs who own eateries or work in the business. When a former chef boyfriend is accused of murdering one of his sous chefs, Pepper vows to look into it. All while trying to hire new staff for the shop, set up a Bridal Registry for clients, dampen her ex-husband’s attempts at romance, and run a thriving business.

The story is complex and multilayered; there is more to the story than one might suspect. Budewitz has a real talent for bringing her settings to life. We discover the quirky shops, creative parks and city events, the lovely mountains and the colorful folks who fill the streets and pages. Her imagry is vibrant, dynamic. I need to revisit this city and truly discover it.

Guilty as Cinnamon, second in the series, is smart, intelligent. Some cozies are a bit fluffy and that’s okay, I still love them. But this book engages the reader on more levels than just the plot. Pepper is not only a shop owner, but an ex-wife, a great friend, a rescuer of dogs, a woman working at becoming herself. The author has a great sense of the past, using allusions which actually sent this college English instructor to Google only to learn that her muses are two fictional medieval mystery-loving clerics I was unfamiliar with. (Note to self: I’ve got to check into these!) I also enjoyed chapter headings with notes not just about spices, but about life and fun. Oh, and of course there are the recipes!
This is a terrific read; I plan on reading Assault and Pepper, the first in the series. And most especially look forward to seeing further outings with Pepper and her crew.

I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Rosemary K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pepper Reece is the owner of the Seattle Spice Shop. She loves her new life. She has reinvented herself after her divorce. She enjoys interacting with her customer and is a good friend and employer. However, this trait puts her in danger. She has found a body - again. Tamara Langston is starting a new restaurant. Her current employer, Alex Howard., is livid and fires her. Now she's dead and he's the prime suspect. He asks Pepper for help. Now someone is stalking her. Will the killer strike again? Pepper is a feisty, determined woman who won't be intimidated. She with her dog, Arf, are on the trail. Pepper drew me into the story with her keen mind and sharp instincts. I like the way that she thinks. This is a well told mystery that has surprising twists that kept me guessing. What seemed to be an open and shut case turned out to be so much more. The touch of romance was perfect. It lightened the mood. All the characters were well defined and genuine. I liked all her friends. Seattle and the Market provided an interesting background for this cozy mystery. I felt as if I were there experiencing all the ambience of the city. Guilty As Cinnamon was a pleasurable mystery with appealing characters. Leslie Budewitz is an excellent writer who kept me reading late into the night.

[Deborah Almada · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am new to books by Leslie Budewitz, this is the first of her books I have read and will say that I received a copy of this book for an honest review. I was intrigued by the idea of a spice shop and also the setting in Seattle at the Market. I was not disappointed, I really liked this book and will order the first book in the series because I am now hooked. Many things made me happy in this book, I was happy for once to see a character that owns a business that actually seems to do some work, I love the atmosphere of the book and also all the side characters. Pepper seems like a real person and her involvement in the mysterious death does not seem contrived. I liked her feeling of responsibility and desire for answers no matter what anyone else thought, I really look forward to stepping back into Pepper's world real soon!!!!

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong plot and main character make this a compelling read! Pepper Reece owns and runs a spice shop in Seattle's Pike Place Market. When a customer and fledgling friend is murdered as she works in setting up her new restaurant, Pepper finds the body and feels responsible for bringing the killer to justice. The spice business and market setting bring all the elements together for a fascinating adventure that make this series so enjoyable. The twisted plot has identity theft, monetary theft, revenge and hidden identities in the spice shop, new restaurant and the restaurant of Pepper's ex-boyfriend. This twisted plot is not to be missed and continues to build on the happenings from the first book. I can't wait for the third book to come out. Don't pass this read up!

I won this book in a contest from the author. This is my honest opinion and fair review.

[PennsyLady (Bev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guilty As Cinnamon
A Spice Shop Mystery #2

By Leslie Budewitz

I love taking time for a good cozy mystery.
Spice Shop #2 fit the bill.
The book begins with a historical note and a "Seattle Spice Shop
checklist.
A perfect touch for new readers and I would imagine a nice
reminder for the seasoned reader.
Our humorous, high spirited heroine is Pepper Reece.

When "a young chef named Tamara Langston, is found dead, her life extinguished by the dangerously hot ghost chili—a spice Pepper carries in her shop", Pepper is in pursuit of a murderer.

Recipes and spice notes follow the mystery.
http://www.lesliebudewitz.com provided the quote.

Book 3, Killing Thyme is due Oct 4, 2016

[MaryElizabeth Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this cozy mystery book.I felt like I
was there in Seattle going throu it with
Pepper.The relationships Pepper has with
her employees , her friends,her ex they're
all a tight knit group .
I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery along
with Pepper. Leslie Budewitz is one of my
new favorite authors.
The recipes at the end of the book are great.
I would love to work in Pepper's Spice Shop
and help her solve her mysteries.
I received a free copy of this book for a
honest book review.

[K.A. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

GUILTY AS CINNAMON, the second book in “A Spice Shop Mystery” series, finds Pepper Reese getting ready to expand her spice shop located in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. She’s starting a bridal registry in addition to several chefs purchasing her wares for their local restaurants. A soon-to-be new restaurant owner, Tamara Langston, arrives at the Spice Shop to make a few purchases and discuss sourcing her herbs and spices. She learns that Tamara, a sous chef for Pepper’s ex-boyfriend, Alex, hasn’t told her boss that she’s resigning and opening her own restaurant…they both know that Alex is going to be furious.

The next evening Pepper and a friend go out to dinner and Pepper decides to take a peek in Tamara’s new restaurant space…and finds the future restaurateur dead…killed with a ghost chile, known as bhut capsicum, that Tamara had just purchased from Pepper’s own shop. It doesn’t take long for the police to arrest Alex, since he verbally threatened Tamara in front of the entire restaurant staff when he found out she was leaving his restaurant. Even though Alex has a temper, Pepper is sure he is innocent and when he begs her to find the real killer, she can’t say no. As she talks to people asking questions, she finds several people had motives for wanting the chef dead. Pepper also finds long buried secrets threatening to be exposed may have led to the crime and leads back to her ex-boyfriend and ex-husband, Officer Tag Buhner. When threatening notes are left for her and when her business almost goes up in flames, Pepper knows she’s getting close to the killer and she’d better figure it out before she becomes the next victim.

I loved GUILTY AS CINNAMON, from its clever title to the cover art to the vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Seattle, to the tightly woven plot! The author has allowed Pepper to be human, experiencing real life complex issues with love and betrayal, insecurities, and daily struggles while giving her a chance to grow as a person through the choices she makes. Pepper also has a wonderful supporting cast and I like how Leslie has included a list of the characters at the beginning of the book. It made for a nice reference as I read. Of course I would be remiss to not mention the many fabulous recipes that are included with the book. I made Orange Cinnamon Crème Brûlée and it was to die for...I’ll be making it again…soon!

[FangirlNation · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Guilty as Cinnamon by Leslie Budewitz, Pepper Reece owns the Seattle Spice Shop in the Pike Place Market, where she has developed a clientele of restaurants to supply with the spices they use in their cooking. One day she helps Tamara Langston as she prepares to open her own restaurant as a competitor of her boss, Alex Howard, as Tamara gets everything prepared before she is ready to tell her boss. But Pepper's problem employee tells Alex anyway, and when Pepper goes to the location of Tamara's new restaurant to try to make things right, she finds Tamara dead.

Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation

[Melodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read a couple of other books by this author in another series and found them "middling". This one was better than those for 2 reasons. One is locale. I love books set in Seattle, for some reason. The other is the touch of "woo woo" in this one. A good ghost can rescue a story, for me anyway. Not in a hurry to read any more of these, but if there are ghosts again I'm more likely to pick one up!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting mystery.
Pepper's Spice Shop features spices gifts, and more.
The mystery had me guessing until the end..

[April Schilling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pepper is ready for the tourists that usually come for springtime in Seattle. Her Spice Shop is a huge hit in Pike Place Market and she's working on some new things to bring in even more customers. So when Tamara Langston comes to Pepper and asks her to be the chief herb and spice supplier for a new restaurant she plans to open, Pepper is thrilled. Everything is going well until Pepper finds Tamara dead and it's revealed that the dangerously hot ghost chili that Pepper carries in her shop is to blame.

Now Pepper is stuck in the middle of the police investigation. With her ex-husband, ex-boyfriend and a young reporter in the middle of it with her, will she be able to find out what happened to Tamara without getting burned herself?

I loved this book! I've never read the first of this series but, I didn't feel like I lost out on the progression of the characters by not reading it. Pepper is wonderfully written and is a very fun person to read about. I can just imagine being there in the Spice Shop with Pepper or walking through the Market with her and Arf. And her friend's are such fun! I can't wait to read the next book!

I was given a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment in the Spice Shop series.

The characters in this series are wonderful and I love each of them. I believe them to be well-rounded and yet, so far in the both books in the series, we see development amongst the main charcters, so they're not stagnant.

The plot had lots of twists and turns in it that kept me guessing right up until the end. I didn't have a clue who had actually committed the crime until it was finally revealed. I made a few guesses, but I was completely wrong on all of them, which I like. I don't like it when I can figure out who the villain is half way thru the book and then I have to sit there while the police fumble thru the evidence that seems so obvious to me.

I've never been to Seattle, but I can envision the market place from the descriptions given. I find the setting information to be "just right", enough description given to help me form a blueprint in my head but not too wordy so nothing is left to my imagination.

I will definitely recommend this series to other cozy mystery lovers! :)

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the Spice Shop Mystery Series by Leslie Budewitz. I love the theme of a spice shop. I use a lot of spices and herbs in my own cooking and enjoy reading about them. In this book, a customer of the spice shop is killed with one of the shop’s products. Pepper’s ex-boyfriend is implicated and calls her for help, which is how she begins looking into the crime. This one includes hidden identities, abused spouses, corruption in the restaurant business, murder and maybe even ghosts to keep the story feeling fresh and exciting. Lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. The Seattle location is well done and feels realistic. I visited Pike Place Market years ago and remember it vividly as having a vibrant “foodie” atmosphere. This comes to life on the pages of the book. Well written cozy with great atmosphere and theme!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Not my circus, not my monkeys." One of my favorite phrases that I hadn't heard in awhile so it made me smile when I read it. I enjoyed following along as Pepper Reece the owner of the charming Spice Shop did her own investigating of the people and places in Seattle's Pike Place Market. There were so many twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. I loved her adorable dog Arf and how he is an important part of the story. The quotes about various spices were the perfect way to introduce each chapter. I love to cook so I am definitely going to try some of the recipes from the story that are included at the end. This book is such a fun read and I highly recommend.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living so close to Seattle as I do picturing the setting and knowing the pulse of the cities foodie reputation I found this mystery story so plausible, so realistic that it was a very refreshing and had me longing for a 3 hour road trip just so I could be at the Seattle Market myself. I will admit though that I only liked the first story Assault and Pepper, I enjoyed it but I found it really hard in the first story to picture Seattle as a "cozy city" but with Guilty As Cinnamon It really sold me on and solidified the cozy atmosphere of Seattle Market and the retailers and restaurants that form the heart of the community.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Pepper and her friends, they work together in a Spice shop, that Pepper got and worked so hard to achieve and make it work, selling spices and other spices to friends and restaurants. Pepper loves a good mystery especially the ones she always seems to find.

This is the second book in the series, and this is the first book i have read by this author.

This is a terrific read, and planning on reading the first book in the series called Assault and Pepper.
I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the first one, Assault and Pepper, the setting and characters were great. I love the recipes in the back and there were parts that were really good. It was not an easy flowing book. There were parts I had to reread several times to understand what the author was trying to say. Because I love the characters so much I might read the next one, but am still unsure. Arf was the star and got this book a three star rating from me. I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.

[L.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written and engaging. I enjoy the characters, especially Arf, but ultimately the story was too complicated for me. If I'd read it through more quickly I would have been better able to keep track of the many overlapping side stories but in the end there were more dots than I could connect. Still well worth the read and I do plan to continue the series.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pepper is helping a friend, Tamara, set up the spice needs for her new restaurant. As she is working in her shop one day, another friend, Alex - Tamara's current boss, storms in furious that she had not forewarned him that Tamara was planning on leaving to start her own place. When Pepper figures out who told Alex, she fires her on the spot. This starts a set of problems for her. She finds another dead body, her ex-husband, Tag, is still trying to get back with her and Alex is arrested for the murder of Tamara. She helps Alex in trying to figure out who really murdered Tamara and along the way, she learns things that she didn't know.

On the whole, the story was pretty interesting. I like quotes at the beginning of chapters the information on the spices.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first one - the MC all of the sudden has developed stupid [spice based] idioms [much like the other series she writes] and there were a couple of moments of vulgarity that was unexpected and very much unlikable. Thankfully, there was only a couple of moments and then nothing, so I was grateful.
The mystery was good [if somewhat convoluted in its execution] and I was surprised as this character is barely mentioned. The red herrings were good in this one.
I will read the next one and am hoping that it is as good as the first one instead of mediocre like this one.

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

When someone is killed using ghost chilies from Pepper's spice shop, she is determined to find the killer while she still runs her spice shop. Other problems ensue with her staff and the staff of nearby restaurants, as well as with her ex-boyfriend Tag, who just happens to be one of the cops helping to investigate this murder. There are many people who could have done it, and Pepper and her faithful dog Arf must untangle the threads to find the true killer.

[SandyL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pepper Reece owns a spice shop in Seattle. I didn't read the first book in the series, but it wasn't too hard picking up at the 2nd (although I may go back.) Pepper finds a dead woman and she's dragged into the investigation when it looks like Pepper may have supplied the murder weapon - ghost peppers. There were some interesting facts about spices included, and I liked Pepper's relationship with her ex-husband. Not bad for a cozy mystery. 3.5 stars.