I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve read a book in this series, so I was especially excited to see Leslie Budewitz writing in this world again. I’m a big fan of Pepper and the secondary cast of characters in this series, so it felt good to read about them again.
Each one of the characters in this book is interesting to me. Normally, the victim or secondary cast doesn’t stand out, but I really enjoyed reading about everyone in this book. Budewitz’s writing is very easy to read and follow. I also thought the pacing was great since it has a few twists at the end.
I am definitely pleased with this latest installment of the series and would definitely recommend PEPPERMINT BARKED to all Cozy Mystery readers. The Spice Shop Mystery series is definitely not one to be missed!
As the holiday season lights up Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market, Pepper Reece’s beloved Spice Shop is brimming with cinnamon, nutmeg, and shoppers eager to stuff their stockings. Add to the mix a tasty staff competition—a peppermint bark-off—along with Victorian costumes for this year’s Dickensian Christmas theme, and Pepper almost forgets to be nervous about meeting her fisherman boyfriend’s brother for the first time.
But when a young woman working in her friend Vinny’s wine shop is brutally assaulted, costumed revelers and holiday cheer are the last things on Pepper’s mind. Who would want to hurt Beth? Or were they looking for Vinny instead?
The vicious attack upsets everyone at Pike Place, but none more than Pepper’s own employee, Matt Kemp. At first, Pepper is baffled by his reaction, but his clandestine connection to Beth could hold the key to the assailant’s motive. Or perhaps it’s Vinny’s ex-wife who knows more than she’s letting on . . . and what about the mysterious top-hatted man with whom Pepper saw Beth arguing that morning?
As the secrets of the market come to light, long-held grudges, family ties, and hidden plans only further obscure the truth. Is it a ghost of the past rattling its chains, or a contemporary Scrooge with more earthly motives? As Pepper chases down a killer, someone is chasing her, and in the end, the storied market itself may hold the final, deadly clue.
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