I've wanted to try something a little different, and there was something about Leslie Budewitz' stories that immediately called out to me. Whether it was the sweet dog on the cover or the fact this series is all about Pepper, the owner of a spice shop in Seattle's Pike Place Market, I knew I wanted to give the Spice Shop series a shot.

As far as cozy mysteries go, GUILTY AS CINNAMON is as cozy as it gets. The setting offers a touch of sweetness to everything and the sense of community Budewitz emphasizes in this book makes it easy to like. However, because of the tight knit group, it makes every murder, every suspect that much more interesting.

At first, I wondered how a spice shop owner would deal with murder-after- murder around her. However, Pepper seems to be more steel- spined than I initially thought she would be. Despite all the chaos happening all around her, she does manage to keep her head on right. Readers will no doubt fall in love with her character.

It took me awhile to really get used to the writing style. Slower in pace than I am used to and slightly more choppy than I would like, I did feel like I needed some time to adjust. Once that was accomplished, it was a smooth ride from there. I will be exploring more of my horizons and trying out more of Leslie Budewitz' books.

GUILTY AS CINNAMON has a touch of charm and a dash of danger; it's the perfect medley for a mystery if you ask me!