Peppermint Barked

Budewitz is a dab hand at cozies, portraying the Market and its denizens as a “community within a community” while weaving a murder mystery into this placid backdrop. It’s Black Friday and Pepper Reece, owner of Seattle Spice, is gearing up for a busy holiday season. The shops of Pike Place Market are adorned with Victorian decorations while costumed merrymakers mingle with tourists. But then Pepper finds Beth, a young woman who works at her friend Vinny’s wine shop. She has been brutally attacked and left for dead. What seems a random violent attack becomes more ominous as Pepper is confronted with multiple suspects. The case becomes more complex, with family tragedy, broken marriages, and the fiercely competitive world of real estate in this iconic Seattle landmark. Pepper’s romance with Nate the fisherman is going strong and balancing sleuthing with meeting his brother will make this a chaotic and potentially dangerous holiday season.