Between A Wok and a Dead Place

Spice Shop Mystery, Book 7

By: Leslie Budewitz

Narrated by: Dara Rosenberg

Pepper Reece, owner of the Spice Shop in Seattle's Pike Place Market, loves a good festival, especially one serving up tasty treats. So what could be more fun than a food walk in the city's Chinatown-International District?

But when her friend Roxanne stumbles across a man's body in the Gold Rush, a long-closed residential hotel, questions leap out. Who was he? What was he doing in the dust-encrusted herbal pharmacy in the hotel's basement? Why was the pharmacy closed up—and why are the owners so reluctant to talk?

With each new discovery, Pepper finds herself asking new questions and facing more brick walls.

Then questions arise about Roxanne and her relationship to Pepper's boyfriend Nate. Between her worries and her struggle to hire staff at the Spice Shop, Pepper has her hands and her heart full. Still, she can't resist the lure of the Gold Rush and its tangled history of secrets and lies stretching back nearly a century.

But the killer is on her tail, driven by hidden demons and desires. As Pepper begins to expose the long-concealed truth, a bigger question emerges: Can she uncover the secrets of the Gold Rush Hotel without being pushed from the wok into the fire?

©2023 Leslie Budewitz (P)2023 Tantor

Likes the Dog

The narrator talks too fast, rushes through without appropriate emphasis. Also, there isn’t enough difference in voices of the characters.

A great listen

Another enjoyable adventure with Pepper. I do enjoy learning more about spices and the different flavors combinations.

Great Read

I love this series! Pepper and the gang are both fun and exciting. Thanks a lot for a great read.

Best yet!

Love this series and this is the best entry yet. Best read in order as there is often mention of previous volumes in the current entry.