Between a Wok and a Dead Place
Leslie Budewitz
(Author)
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Description
It’s the Lunar New Year, and fortunes are about to change.
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?
With each new discovery, Pepper finds herself asking new questions and facing more brick walls.
Then questions arise about Roxanne and her relationship to Pepper's boyfriend Nate, away fishing in Alaska. Between her worries and her struggle to hire staff at the Spice Shop, Pepper has her hands and her heart full. Still, she can't resist the lure of the Gold Rush and its tangled history of secrets and lies stretching back nearly a century.
But the killer is on her tail, driven by hidden demons and desires. 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, 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?
With each new discovery, Pepper finds herself asking new questions and facing more brick walls.
Then questions arise about Roxanne and her relationship to Pepper's boyfriend Nate, away fishing in Alaska. Between her worries and her struggle to hire staff at the Spice Shop, Pepper has her hands and her heart full. Still, she can't resist the lure of the Gold Rush and its tangled history of secrets and lies stretching back nearly a century.
But the killer is on her tail, driven by hidden demons and desires. 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?
Product Details
| Publisher | Seventh Street Books |
| Publish Date | July 18, 2023 |
| Pages | 236 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Paperback / softback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781645060611 |
| Dimensions | 209.6 X 139.7 X 22.9 mm | 249.5 g |
About the Author
Leslie Budewitz tells stories about women’s lives, seasoned with friendship, food, a dash of history, and a heaping spoonful of mystery. She writes the Spice Shop mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, as well as the Food Lovers' Village mysteries and historical short fiction set in her native Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody suspense. A three-time Agatha Award winner—2013 Best First Novel for DEATH AL DENTE, the first Food Lovers' Village mystery; 2011 Best Nonfiction, and 2018 Best Short Story, for “All God’s Sparrows,” her first historical fiction—she is a past president of Sisters in Crime and a former board member of Mystery Writers of America. Leslie lives and cooks in NW Montana.
Reviews
"The inclusion of Chinatown's history, along with the stories of the culture and residents, adds a depth seldom found in cozy mysteries"
“A deftly crafted cozy mystery from author Leslie Budewitz, 'Between a Wok and a Dead Place' has more unexpected plot twists and turns than an Texas tornado and carries the reader along at swift and compulsive page turning speed. An original and fun read from start to finish.”
"Although the spice shop setting, and all the discussion of food puts these mysteries in the cozy category, there’s a depth to the stories that is often lacking in cozies. This time, Pepper Reece, owner of the Spice Shop, learns about Seattle’s Chinatown, its culture and history, right along with the reader. … If Pepper Reece left the past alone, readers wouldn’t have such absorbing mysteries. She’s an amateur sleuth who loves her community, the people she works with, and the history of the area. She cares when someone dies, wondering about the people who loved and missed the victim. If Pepper didn’t care about people, she wouldn’t get involved in thought-provoking mysteries such as Between a Wok and a Dead Place."
“. . . A thoughtful and well written mystery.”
"Between a Wok and a Dead Place is an exciting mystery blended with great food, delicious spices, and fascinating details about the early Asian residents of Seattle, making this the perfect book for readers of all tastes, spicy or not. A fitting entry in one of the best cozy series being written today."
"Between a Wok and a Dead Place is the most tantalizing Spice Shop mystery yet!"
"In Between a Wok and a Dead Place, Leslie Budewitz serves a literary feast showcasing Seattle’s Chinatown-International District—spiced with murder. A complex mystery peppered with delectable recipes, inspiring quotes, and fascinating factoids."
“Leslie Budewitz delivers the goods again in her latest captivating cozy, Between a Wok and a Dead Place. A twisty-turny plot, seasoned just right with plentiful suspects and lots of culinary delights, this is one page turner of a mystery no reader should miss!”
“A deftly crafted cozy mystery from author Leslie Budewitz, 'Between a Wok and a Dead Place' has more unexpected plot twists and turns than an Texas tornado and carries the reader along at swift and compulsive page turning speed. An original and fun read from start to finish.”
"Although the spice shop setting, and all the discussion of food puts these mysteries in the cozy category, there’s a depth to the stories that is often lacking in cozies. This time, Pepper Reece, owner of the Spice Shop, learns about Seattle’s Chinatown, its culture and history, right along with the reader. … If Pepper Reece left the past alone, readers wouldn’t have such absorbing mysteries. She’s an amateur sleuth who loves her community, the people she works with, and the history of the area. She cares when someone dies, wondering about the people who loved and missed the victim. If Pepper didn’t care about people, she wouldn’t get involved in thought-provoking mysteries such as Between a Wok and a Dead Place."
“. . . A thoughtful and well written mystery.”
"Between a Wok and a Dead Place is an exciting mystery blended with great food, delicious spices, and fascinating details about the early Asian residents of Seattle, making this the perfect book for readers of all tastes, spicy or not. A fitting entry in one of the best cozy series being written today."
"Between a Wok and a Dead Place is the most tantalizing Spice Shop mystery yet!"
"In Between a Wok and a Dead Place, Leslie Budewitz serves a literary feast showcasing Seattle’s Chinatown-International District—spiced with murder. A complex mystery peppered with delectable recipes, inspiring quotes, and fascinating factoids."
“Leslie Budewitz delivers the goods again in her latest captivating cozy, Between a Wok and a Dead Place. A twisty-turny plot, seasoned just right with plentiful suspects and lots of culinary delights, this is one page turner of a mystery no reader should miss!”
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