Murder heats up Seattle’s Pike Place Market in the next Spice Shop mystery from the national bestselling author of Assault and Pepper . Springtime in Seattle’s Pike Place Market means tasty foods and wide-eyed tourists, and Pepper’s Spice Shop is ready for the crowds. With flavorful combinations and a fresh approach, she’s sure to win over the public. Even better, she’s working with several local restaurants as their chief herb and spice supplier. Business is cooking, until one of Pepper’s potential clients, a young chef named Tamara Langston, is found dead, her life extinguished by the dangerously hot ghost chili—a spice Pepper carries in her shop.  Now stuck in the middle of a heated police investigation, Pepper must use all her senses to find out who wanted to keep Tamara’s new café from opening—before someone else gets burned…  INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES! Praise for Assault and Pepper “Pepper and her crew serve up a tantalizing mystery and a fragrant treat for the senses.”—Connie Archer, national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mysteries “A smart blend of zesty characters, piquant spices, and scrumptious food. Set against the intriguing Seattle backdrop, this well-plotted whodunit is the perfect recipe for a great read.”—Daryl Wood Gerber, national bestselling author of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries “Leslie Budewitz writes her new Seattle Spice Shop Mystery, Assault and Pepper , with a dash of humor and a half-turn of charm that will leave readers smiling.”—J.J. Cook, national bestselling author of Death on Eat Street “An iconic Seattle setting, a smart and capable heroine, and a spicy investigation…What mystery reader could want more? Budewitz combines it all with effortless finesse.”—Victoria Hamilton, national bestselling author of the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries “Parsley, sage, rosemary and…murder…[The] Spice Shop Mystery series will add zing to your reading.”—Barbara Ross, author of the Maine Clambake Mysteries National bestselling author Leslie Budewitz writes the Spice Shop Mysteries and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries. She fell in love with Seattle’s Pike Place Market as a college student, and still misses prowling its streets and alleys, sniffing out tasty treats and sensory delights. Leslie won the 2013 Agatha Award for Best First Novel for Death al Dente , first in the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, and won the 2011 Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction for Books, Crooks & Counselors: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure . She loves to cook, eat, hike, travel, garden, and paint—not necessarily in that order. She lives in northwest Montana with her husband, Don Beans, a doctor of natural medicine, and their Burmese cat, Ruff, an avid bird-watcher. Praise for Assault and Pepper Berkley Prime Crime titles by Leslie Budewitz Title Page Copyright Dedication Acknowledgments and Historical Note Seattle Spice Shop Checklist Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-one Chapter Twenty-two Chapter Twenty-three Chapter Twenty-four Chapter Twenty-five Chapter Twenty-six Chapter Twenty-seven Chapter Twenty-eight Chapter Twenty-nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-one Afterword Recipes and Spice Notes Note to the Reader Acknowledgments and Historical Note Seattle Spice Shop Checklist Everyone you need to cook up a mystery! Pepper Reece—owner, ex–law firm HR manager Sandra Piniella—assistant manager and mix master Zak Davis—salesclerk by day, musician by night Lynette Cobb—salesclerk who calls herself an actress Reed Locke—part-time salesclerk, full-time college student Kristen Gardiner—part-time salesclerk, Pepper’s oldest friend the job applicants—oh, for the right one! Arf the Dog Pepper—she’ll never tell you her real name Kristen—she knows, but she knows enough to keep her mouth shut Laurel Halloran—deli owner, caterer, houseboat dweller Seetha Sharma—still a bit of a mystery Ben Bradley—ace reporter Jim and Hot Dog—men about town Fabiola the Fabulous—graphic designer Jen the Bookseller and Callie the Librarian—Pepper’s former law firm employees Vinny—the Wine Merchant Hal—ghost scholar Tamara Langston—aspiring chef-owner of Tamarack Ashwani Patel—owner of the Indian restaurant next to Tamarack Alex Howard—chef, businessman, rule breaker, heartbreaker Danielle Bordeaux—successful restaurateur, Tamara’s business partner Tariq Rose—a line cook in Howard’s employ Scott “Scotty” or “Glassy” Glass—Howard’s longtime bar manager Officer Tag Buhner—aka Bike Boy, aka Officer Hot Wheels, Pepper’s former husband Detective Cheryl Spencer—homicide Detective Michael Tracy—homicide One An ancient token of friendship as well as an ingredient in the anointing oils Moses used, cinnamon is one of the oldes