Hmm, maybe I made up for missing a book-a-day because I finished another one today. Here’s what I wrote on Goodreads about it:
Assault and Pepper by Leslie Budewitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Pepper Reece has found her place in life after her divorce and losing her job in the corporate world due to a corporate crash. She’s running the Seattle Spice shop at the Pike’s Place Market and couldn’t be happier. She’s got some great employees, at least she thought she did until one of them, Tory, is arrested for the murder of a seemingly homeless man who just showed up to set up in the market. Tory has some secrets of her own but Pepper is determined to get to the bottom of all this. She also can’t figure out what another local homeless man, Sam, may or may not have had to do with the dead man’s murder since Sam’s beret was found on the deceased. Someone knows Pepper is investigating so she had better be careful or she may be the next one killed!
The side story involving Pepper and a new guy she hopes to date was interesting. Her ex, Tag, is part of the bike police in town and he can’t seem to be able to stop wanting to protect her, as well as get back together with her. I like how the dating thing ends, she’s not really committed to anyone at this point but knows she can rely on Tag to do his job.
This was an enjoyable and fairly quick read. I’ve never been to Seattle so it was interesting to hear about the market and the area. I could picture all the little shops along the way. I didn’t guess the killer at all, it was completely a surprise. I hadn’t even considered that person. The twists and turns were great and really keep the reader wanting to read on and keep us guessing. The take down was pretty awesome and I could picture that happening on TV.
Sam and his dog Arf were a couple of my favorite characters. I just knew Sam was much too sweet of a person to have had anything to do with the murder. I like how his little story resolves too.
Seattle may not be a small city but I definitely want to return and spend more time with my new friends at the Seattle Spice shop.
Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery 