2nd in Series Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (December 16, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-1250011053
SynopsisPublisher: Minotaur Books (December 16, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-1250011053
A brand new finger-lickin’ good mystery featuring small-town Georgia spice shop owner Piper Prescott, a smart and spunky amateur sleuth…
Spices are flying off the shelves of Spice It Up!, and Piper Prescott couldn’t be happier. It’s that time of year again—time for the annual Brandywine Creek Barbecue Festival. Soon contestants and BBQ aficionados from all over the Southeast will converge on the town. Many of Brandywine Creek’s citizens plan to participate in the week-long festivities and are busily concocting savory rubs and sassy sauces. Among the locals vying for the grand prize are Becca Dapkins and Maybelle Humphries. The women have been arch enemies ever since Buzz Oliver dumped Maybelle after a thirteen-year courtship and started seeing Becca.
When Becca’s body is found near one of the festival booths, bludgeoned by a brisket, Maybelle becomes one of Chief Wyatt McBride’s top suspects. Determined to help clear her friend’s name, Piper begins her own investigation, much to McBride’s consternation. As the festival draws closer, will Piper and Reba Mae be able to find the real killer and clear Maybelle’s name? Will Piper make it to the annual shag contest with Doug Winters, the mild-mannered vet she’s been seeing? And, who will win the BBQ cook-off?
What I Thought!
I really enjoy this series and I think this book was better than the first. I love the setting and the quirky characters that Gail has created. This was a fast paced book that kept me turning the pages. Piper sure does have some close calls, but she is bound and determined to prove that her friend is innocent. There were also some laugh out loud moments in this book. This is one that really kept me guessing till the very end. Great job Gail, can't wait for more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.
About This Author
Friends accuse Gail Oust of flunking retirement. While working as a nurse/vascular technologist, Gail penned nine historical romances under the pseudonym of Elizabeth Turner. It wasn’t until after she and her husband retired to South Carolina that inspiration struck for a mystery. Hearing the words “maybe it’s a dead body” while golfing with friends fired her imagination for the Bunco Babe Mystery series published by NAL. Gail is currently writing the Spice Shop Mysteries published by Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press. Kill ‘em with Cayenne, the second in the series, was released December 2014. Her interests include reading, travel, golf, and spending time with friends and family.
Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Guest Post
HEY, LADY…
Years
ago—pre everyone-has-a-cell-phone era—I called a repairman to fix my washing
machine. In the course of his service
call, the man asked to use my phone to call his office. While on hold, he happened to glance around
my office and read the titles of the books on a
nearby shelf. Titles such as Malicious Intent, Deadly Doses, and Armed
and Dangerous. “Ma’am,” he said, clearing his throat rather nervously,
“exactly what type of work do you do?” “I’m
a writer,” I explained to his obvious relief.
“I need these for research.”
Before I
started writing mysteries, I wrote historical romance under the pseudonym of
Elizabeth Turner. In my last two historicals,
I introduced a mystery element, but the bulk of my research dealt with things
such as period clothing, timelines of history, and regional history. I had an entire shelf devoted to dictionaries
and almanacs to give my work verisimilitude.
I even own, and often referred to, a set of Encyclopedia Britannica
published in 1890. Most of my research
was performed the old fashioned way via books I could hold in my hand.
Many changes
have occurred through the years. Not
only in the type of books I write—cozies—but in the way I do research. While methods may have changed, the necessity
for research remains constant. When it
comes to writing mysteries, today’s readers are a savvy bunch thanks to a
plethora of crime shows such as CSI, Law
and Order, and newsmagazines Dateline,
48 Hours, and 20/20. Readers aren’t easily misled and are quick to note
any discrepancies. DNA, blood spatter, and gunshot residue are
familiar terms.
I confess that
I still own an assortment of books dealing with everything from poisonous
plants to textbooks on forensics. Although
my sleuth is an amateur, I’m a professional.
I try hard to keep the details as accurate as possible. A lot of my research these days is done on
the Internet. Google and I have become
BFFs. I try to fact check my information
from several sources for accuracy. I
shamelessly avail myself of the expertise of friends and acquaintances. I’m fortunate to have friends who were in law
enforcement and are always happy and willing to answer oddball questions. Once in response to one of my questions, a
friend and former Detroit detective,
came over and fired off a round in my backyard—much to the consternation of my
husband--to demonstrate a point. Recently
during my annual checkup, my doctor who knows I’m a writer volunteered several
great suggestions on how to kill a person—provided I withheld my source.
Unlike
revisions (which I detest) I actually enjoy research. Quite often research doesn’t deal with murder
and mayhem but with fun things. Research
for my Shop Shop Mysteries has increased my understanding and appreciation for
spices that I took for granted. For example,
I always assumed allspice was a blend of various spices therefore the name--allspice. In fact, allspice is a berry discovered by
Columbus in the Caribbean and at the time thought to be pepper. Kill ‘em
with Cayenne takes place around Brandywine Creek’s Annual Barbecue
Festival. Chili peppers, I learned, carry a wide, wide
range of heat. Hot, hotter, and hottest.
It was fun having Piper advise contestants on how to Spice It Up! from the
milder ancho to the little firecrackers called piquin. Read and learn, I always say—and enjoy the
journey.
I love reading cozy mysteries! I'm grateful to you for writing them! Thank you for the chance to win your latest book.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun read. Like spicy foods.
ReplyDeleteI like that the author of this book likes to golf---just like me.
ReplyDelete20150706wanglili
ReplyDeletemichael kors
oakley outlet
louboutin
ray ban sunglasses
ed hardy clothing
retro jordans
burberry outlet
hollister clothing
cheap jordans
jordan concords
oakley sunglasses
ray ban outlet
lebron james shoes 2015
replica watches
michael kors outlet
abercrombie and fitch
oakley sunglasses wholesale
louis vuitton
ray ban outlet
louis vuitton handbags
michael kors outlet
insanity workout
michael kors outlet
michael kors handbags
sac longchamp
louis vuitton
true religion outlet
ray ban outlet
jordan shoes
hollister
abercrombie outlet
louis vuitton handbags
louis vuitton
michael kors outlet online
jordan 6 cigar
jordan 11 concord