Murder by Death

I've really been diving into spices in the last year or so and I've been having great fun mixing up spice blends like my own Taco Seasoning and Vindaloo paste from scratch.  There's a great local spice shop that feeds this new-found fascination while I feed their children by dropping whopping sums in exchange for, well, all things spice.  Plus salt (did you know there's a blue salt?  It's gorgeous!) and pepper and cocoa....

So it should be no surprise that when I read the synopsis for this book, I immediately added it to my "to buy" list.  Then, upon joining NetGalley, I found it was available as an ARC and I immediately hit the "yes, please!" button.

This is a great book!  A really strong first in a new series.  I enjoyed reading it so much I found myself sneaking chapters at work under the guise of "fact checking on my iPad".  It's not perfect, but Ms. Oust is off to a much stronger start to her series than most authors.

Piper Prescott, mid-forties, newly divorced, decides to invest her settlement on opening a new spice shop in her small Georgia town.  The chef she has scheduled to do a demonstration at her grand opening ends up dead that morning, and Piper is the one to find him in his kitchen.  Circumstances make her the prime suspect.

I like Piper - she's got a spine and a tongue and a temper.  I admire all of these things in my heroines.  Hell, I almost require all of these things in my heroines.  But she does have a few TSTL moments; the first, I readily admit, is somewhat necessary to the setup of the plot line and almost believable.  But after reading the number of mysteries I've read, I saw it coming from a distance and was shaking my head.  She rescues a little pup at the beginning of the book that not only plays a role in the murder mystery itself, but lends a sweet, lovely presence throughout the story.

Piper's best friend, Reba Mae, is a pistol and a bit of a stereotype, but in a good, fun, entertaining way.  The two of them have more than a couple Lucy and Ethel "capers" that contributed to my TSTL list.  I think I would have liked the book better had the author found alternate ways for these two to have adventures.  These capers cost these two a bit of my respect; they weren't really things reasonable, smart women would do.  I did enjoy their conversations about the crime though.

Piper's ex-husband CJ, his new girlfriend Amber, and his daughter Lindsey are also regulars in this cast.  CJ is as smarmy and stupid as any proper ex-husband should be.  Amber properly vacant and shallow, and Lindsey a spoiled-rotten-brat of a 16 year old.  This is the only area Piper sort of loses her spine, but I tried to cut her some slack in this area, even though I really would have liked her to thunk her child upside the head.  Just once.

Now we're coming to the part that cost the fifth star:  All signs point to a love triangle in forthcoming books.  Spend any amount of time in cozy mystery groups on the internet and you hear one resounding theme "no more love triangles!!!" and I'm not only firmly on board this wagon, I'm sitting at the front.  I most especially dislike them when the author presents two very likeable characters the MC must "choose" from.  Ms. Oust, please do not do this!  The triangles never work!  They never end up increasing the sexual tension in a book - almost always the opposite; by the time the MC decides, all romance has fizzled for the readers.

First up is Wyatt McBride.  Hotter than sin Chief of Police of Bradywine.  Dark and brooding, hints of bad boy and mystery.  He's the man who accuses her of murder but of course becomes her champion, of sorts.  Also, he's the childhood mortal enemy of Piper's ex-husband.  Of course, this man is my pick!

Then there's Doug Winters, the veterinarian.  Attractive, kind, calm and loves animals.  What's not to like?!?  Still, for me the sizzle was lacking and I'd like to see him with Reba Mae instead.   See?  Win-win for everyone!

The murder plot is a straight-forward one but with so many suspects that could have done it, the field is wide open throughout most of the book.  Ms. Oust does a wonderful job at not pointing too strongly in any one direction; she writes the mystery subtly, and none of the clues are neon signs.  There is one moment when you know the suspects have been narrowed down, and I think the author wants you to know who the 'finalists' are - she's not trying to hide it when it happens.  But still, you just don't know, until you do.

The climax at the end is somewhat predictable in that way that 80% of all cosies are, but that's ok.  Nobody reads cosies for their unpredictability; one chooses thrillers for that.   I like how she handled herself throughout the ending and she has the last laugh at the end, and really isn't that the best revenge?

I'm really looking forward to the next book, I enjoyed Piper, Reba, Wyatt and even Doug.  In fact, if there's a downside to an ARC, it's that the wait for the second book is that much longer...

(I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)