Old rivalries heat up in the fourth Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mystery from the national bestselling author of In Hot Water . Fire chief Stella Griffin has been put in charge of judging the annual recipe contest, but Eric—her resident ghost and true culinary genius—has vanished. Before she can track down his latest haunt, she’s called in to investigate a local moonshine distillery that was set ablaze, making her realize there’s more than pies and cakes cooking in Sweet Pepper.  As rumors of a revived whiskey war ignite, Stella turns to the town’s elders to help her find answers. The past might have some clues as to what has sparked the present fires. But when following a lead lands her in buried rubble, Stella realizes she must extinguish this case fast or she might be going down in flames. Praise for the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mysteries   “A sizzling-good mystery series.”—Lesa’s Book Critiques   “A well-crafted mystery that will keep you guessing until the smoke clears.”—Kari Lee Townsend, national bestselling author of the Fortune Teller Mysteries   “A lot of fun...[Sweet Pepper] is a place you’d like to visit.”—Kings River Life Magazine   “Dark family secrets, a delicious mystery—and a ghost! What reader could ask for more?”—Casey Daniels, author of the Pepper Martin Mysteries J. J. Cook is a pseudonym for a married couple who writes mysteries, mostly set in the South, with a touch of paranormal and romance. Together, they are the author of the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries, including In Hot Water , Playing with Fire , and That Old Flame of Mine , and the Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mysteries, including Fat Tuesday Fricassee and Fry Another Day . Praise for the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries Berkley Prime Crime titles by J. J. Cook Title Page Copyright Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 The Sweet Pepper Difference Recipes About the Author Chapter 1 Sweet Pepper fire chief Stella Griffin burned her hand on the cookie sheet she was removing from the oven. She shook it and stuck the injured digit in her mouth as she used the other hand to put the tray of chocolate and hot pepper cookies on the counter. Lucille Hutchins laughed. “I can’t believe this is your cure for a burn. Let me see that.” Stella looked at the bright red spot on her finger. “It’s nothing. Let me get these cookies on the tray to cool.” “Never mind that.” Lucille grabbed Stella’s hand and led her to the stainless steel worktable. “It looks bad. I’ll get you some ice.” “Yes, ma’am.” Stella smiled. “It’s your kitchen. We’ll do it your way.” “That’s right.” Lucille’s husband, Ricky Hutchins Sr., joined them in the large kitchen of the Sweet Pepper Café. “Lucy will fix it up for you. Those cookies smell great.” Lucille shook her bright red curls. “That’s the third time this morning that she burned herself. It’s kind of ironic, being the fire chief and all, don’t you think?” “What I find amazing is that she asked for our help at all with these festival recipes. You’ve seen her entries in the contests before, not to mention cakes and pies that she’s brought to events. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was a rookie in the kitchen.” Lucille and Ricky hovered over Stella as she obediently kept her burned finger in a bowl of ice. She felt more than a little out of her league with these people who had been running the café for years. They had no idea how much of a rookie she really was. “It’s just that my kitchen at the cabin is too small to make so much food, and your kitchen is strange to me.” Stella smiled and hoped that made sense. She would’ve liked to confess exactly what had brought her to ask for Lucille’s help, but that would mean telling them about her missing ghost. “We’re just razzing you, Stella.” Ricky Senior gave her a careful hug and a pat on the head. “We’re glad you wanted our help testing the recipes for the Sweet Pepper Festival contest.” “That’s right.” Lucille grinned at her. “I knew when you told me that the committee wanted you to get new recipes from people that you’d end up making them before they were included in the contest. You didn’t know that, did you?” “No.” And I wouldn’t have volunteered for the position if I’d known . Stella smiled to take away the bluntness of her reply. “But it’s okay. I really appreciate you guys helping me with this.” The truth was that Stella didn’t cook at all. Her father had always said she’d better meet a man who loved her red hair and fiery disposition, because her cooking was never going to impress a potential boyfriend. She was good with a microwave. Even a toaster oven was okay. But when it came to mixing and baking cookies, cakes, pies, and various other scratch foods,