Assault and Pepper

Spice Shop Mystery Series, Book 1

By: Leslie Budewitz

Narrated by: Dara Rosenberg

Pepper Reece, owner of the Seattle Spice Shop, 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 her 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.

©2015 Leslie Ann Budewitz (P)2016 Tantor

Nice cozy mystery

I read some other reviews and was quite surprised by some of them after I listened to the story. Someone complained about the in depth descriptions of spices, IT TAKES PLACE IN A SPICE SHOP, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT!!! Another complained about how a Southern Gentleman addressed Pepper as Miz Pepper. The reviewer is from Texas so I'm surprised by that as well. I have lived in New York, California, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and presently live in Virginia. It is considered a respectful manner of address to people older than yourself. Miz/Miss Jane or Mr. John is not uncommon in these states in present day. It has nothing to do with the color of your skin. When our daughter was young, I preferred for her young friends to address me as Miz/Miss Sonia verses the more formal Mrs. Hagenberger. The South Eastern United States still maintains that genteel manner of living, I hope it never changes.
Now as far as this story, it was as described. A nice cozy, easy, breezy mystery, read very well and was very entertaining. It deserves a 4.5 but since there's not a 4.5 , I gave it a 5.

Boring Reader

The reader is fairly monotonous. She creates pauses where there shouldn't be any and doesn't pause where she should. First time I listened to her so maybe she's new but it brought down an other wise good story.

Great Narrator

Unfortuately 'Great Narrator" is the best thing I can say about this book. The main character Delaney is SOOOO obnoxious I had a hard time making myself read this book to the end. The story line is kind of OK but again the main character is so annoying it is difficult to get past it. I will definitely not be reading more in this series or by Leslie Budewitz.

Interesting

I found it fun and interesting. I would be interested in other books by this author.

Mysterious and enthralling.

I couldn't wait for my drive to and from work to listen! Definitely engaging. Creative.