Peppermint Barked by Leslie Budewitz

July 19, 2022

Leslie Budewitz’ Spice Shop mysteries are somewhere on the spectrum between cozy mystery and hardboiled ones. Peppermint Barked, with its recipes and holiday-themed book cover, tends toward the cozy end. But, Budewitz’ books have a depth of character that...

Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest

October 26, 2021

Cherie Priest is known as a writer of horror, steampunk, and science fiction, including the Locus Award-winning novel Boneshaker. When she set out to write a mystery, she wrote a witty one set in Seattle, featuring a great cast of characters. Two thumbs up for Grave...

Bones of Hilo by Eric Redman

June 09, 2021

While Eric Redman’s Bones of Hilo is a police procedural, it’s actually a novel that highlights the history and culture of Hawaii, and the opposition to ongoing development. All of those points can be covered in the mystery because the young, inexperienced...

The Solace of Bay Leaves by Leslie Budewitz

October 20, 2020

If you’re looking for an introspective, mature amateur sleuth, you can’t go wrong with Leslie Budewitz’ Spice Shop Mysteries. Pepper Reece, Mistress of Spice at Pike Place Market’s Spice Shop in Seattle, might disagree with me. In the fifth...

Chai Another Day by Leslie Budewitz

June 08, 2019

It’s been three years since the last Spice Shop mystery by Leslie Budewitz, so it might take a little while to feel caught up with her protagonist, Pepper Reece. Fortunately, her series was picked up by a new publisher, Seventh Street Books. Readers can find the...