Chai Another Day: A Spice Shop Mystery (Spice Shop Mysteries)

In this fourth installment in Leslie Budewitz’s Spice Shop Mysteries series, Pepper Reece is starting to feel her age – she’s now closer to forty-five than to forty. A shoulder injury prompts her to book a massage session with her pal Seetha, but as she arrives at the therapy studio, Pepper is distracted by the sound of an argument coming from her friend Aimee’s neighboring vintage store. She’s tempted to find out what’s wrong, but feeling that it’s really none of her business and keen to get on with her massage, she heads up to Seetha’s studio. When she later discovers that a woman has been murdered in Aimee’s store, Pepper is wracked with guilt about not stopping after hearing the argument and so she vows to help catch the killer (whether the local police want her help or not).

Chai Another Day is an intricately plotted cozy murder mystery featuring plenty of twists and turns. Red herrings are not only available at the Pike’s Place Market fishmonger, as Budewitz introduces a number of suspicious characters and several intriguing subplots to keep readers guessing. Pepper Reece is an appealing character and a tenacious amateur detective. A bit more of her personal life is revealed in this book and it’s nice to see the progression of her long-distance relationship with fisherman Nate Seward. It’s also good to catch up with her adorable dog, Arf, and with the goings-on at the spice shop. Chai Another Day has an engaging mystery at its heart and it’s a lot of fun to try and puzzle out the identity of the killer alongside Pepper. The book also includes some information about the history and tradition of chai drinking, as well as some recipes for readers to try out.