Böcker av Leslie Budewitz

Leslie Budewitz is back with another savory mystery waiting to be solved. . .One person’s treasure is another’s trash. . . Pepper Reece, owner of the Spice Shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, wants nothing more than to live a quiet life for a change, running her shop and working with customers eager to spice up their cooking. But when she finds an envelope stuffed with cash in a ratty old wingback left on the curb, she sets out to track down the owner. Pepper soon concludes that the chair and its stash may belong to young Talia Cook, new in town and nowhere to be seen. Boz Bosworth, an unemployed chef Pepper’s tangled with in the past, shows up looking for the young woman, but Pepper refuses to help him search. When Boz is found floating in the Ship Canal, only a few blocks from Talia’s apartment, free furniture no longer seems like such a bargain. On the hunt for Talia, Pepper discovers a web of connections threatening to ensnare her best customer. The more she probes, the harder it gets to tell who’s part of an unsavory scheme of corruption—and who might be the next victim. Between her quest for an elusive herb, helping her parents remodel their new house, and setting up the Spice Shop’s first cooking class, Pepper’s got a full plate. Dogged by a sense of obligation to find the rightful owner of the hidden treasure, she keeps on showing up where she’s not wanted, asking probing questions. One mistake, and she could find herself cashing out. . .

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, we're bringing out stand-alone editions of readers' favorites from Carried to the Grave and Other Stories. Our first selection is the novella An Unholy Death, a historical prequel to the Agatha Award-winning series opener, Death al Dente. It's 1910 and newly married Kate Murphy arrives in Jewel Bay, Montana, with her husband Paddy, proprietor of Murphy's Mercantile, intent on building their life together in this unfamiliar place. The conditions are rough-as are some of their clientele-and get even rougher when Kate discovers the dead body of the widowed local preacher. She's determined to keep his young daughter safe, but the task takes all the courage Kate can summon as she faces the first of many mysteries unfolding in her new home . . . Praise for the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries: "A lighthearted and amusing story with the added bonus of several yummy recipes." -Mystery Scene "Treble at the Jam Fest has all the necessary elements to satisfy cozy mystery lovers: likeable, believable characters, a fast-moving plot, and a logical ending. Great fun!" -Suspense Magazine "A pleasing read with a thoughtful heroine, a plethora of red herrings, and some foodie tips." -Kirkus Reviews "A delicious mystery as richly constructed as the layers of a buttery pastry. Wine, enchiladas, and song make for a gourmet treat in the coziest town in Montana!" -Krista Davis, New York Times bestselling author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries "Leslie is a fellow foodie who loves a good mystery and it shows in this delightful tale!" -Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of the Coffeehouse Mysteries "Music, food, scenery, and a cast of appealing characters weave together in perfect harmony in Leslie Budewitz's Treble at the Jam Fest." -Sheila Connolly, New York Times bestselling author of the Orchard Mysteries and the County Cork Mysteries "Small-town charm and big-time chills. Jewel Bay, Montana, is a food lover's paradise." -Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author

"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, celebrating the Year of the Rabbit? 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? 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?"--

Pepper Reece never expected to find solace in bay leaves. But when her life fell apart at forty and she bought the venerable-but-rundown Spice Shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, her days took a tasty turn. Now she’s savoring the prospect of a flavorful fall and a busy holiday cooking season, until danger bubbles to the surface . . . Between managing her shop, worrying about her staff, and navigating a delicious new relationship, Pepper’s firing on all burners. But when her childhood friend Maddie is shot and gravely wounded, the incident is quickly tied to an unsolved murder that left another close friend a widow. Convinced that the secret to both crimes lies in the history of a once-beloved building, Pepper uses her local-girl contacts and her talent for asking questions to unearth startling links between the past and present—links that suggest her childhood friend may not have been the Golden Girl she appeared to be. Pepper is forced to face her own regrets and unsavory emotions, if she wants to save Maddie’s life—and her own.

Addressing the misunderstood and misrepresented aspects of the law in today's writing, this reliable guidebook demonstrates how to use legal concepts, terminology, and procedure to create fiction that is true to life and crackling with real-world tension. Examples from actual cases are provided along with excerpts of authentic courtroom dialogue. Topics covered include criminal and civil law; differences between federal, state, and Native American jurisdiction; police and private investigation; wills and inheritances; and the written and unwritten codes that govern the public and private conduct of lawyers and judges. Providing a quick and simple legal reference, this handbook is the key to creating innovative plots, strong conflicts, authentic characters, and gritty realism.