In a twist for a cozy mystery, the police chief is the primary suspect who has been suspended, so he needs help from the amateur sleuth. Gail Oust’s fifth Spice Shop Mystery,Ginger Snapped, is an entertaining story with Southern charm, small town gossip, a touch of romance, and, of course, the mystery itself.

Piper Prescott, owner of Spice It Up!, feels a pang whenever she sees Police Chief Wyatt McBride with realtor Shirley Randolph. Yes, the two make an attractive couple, but Piper was just starting to get over her initial reaction to McBride. A year earlier, he suspected her of murder, but they’ve moved past that. Everyone in Brandywine Creek has McBride and Randolph pegged as a couple.

When McBride finds Shirley’s body on his property, it doesn’t take long for the gossip mill to start grinding again. With the mayor hightailing it to Florida, the acting mayor, Piper’s ex-husband, suspends McBride. Because he had a couple dinners with his realtor, everyone sees him as the primary suspect. Everyone sees him that way, except Piper and her best friend, Reba Mae. They’re afraid he’s being railroaded, and he’ll need some help to prove his innocence. With Piper’s growing reputation as an amateur sleuth, and her attraction to McBride, she’s just the one to tackle the case.

Piper capitalizes on all the small town gossip in Ginger Snapped. The enjoyable story features mature  characters with a sense of responsibility, to the town, to family, to the truth. Oust’s inclusion of facts about spices is worked naturally into the book. This one is a treat for any cozy mystery reader.

Ginger Snapped by Gail Oust. St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2017. ISBN 9781250081261 (hardcover), 304p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure – I received the book to review for a journal.