Cinnamon Toasted

October 19, 2015
Someone is willing to kill for computer software in Oust’s genial third mystery featuring Piper Prescott (after 2014’s Kill ’Em with Cayenne), the owner of a spice shop called Spice It Up! in Brandywine Creek, Ga. Piper’s former mother-in-law, Melly Prescott, has surprised everyone, including her pompous ass of a son, by becoming a whiz at software design. Now she’s designed a program fix worth a lot of money. But Melly’s in real trouble when one of the out-of-town software buyers who calls on her is found dead in her basement—and it turns out he’s been there for 12 hours. The insatiably curious Piper pokes around and unearths plenty of other suspects, all of whom had reason to want the victim dead. She gets in the way of the good-looking police chief, but of course she’s unstoppable. Cozy fans will enjoy the Oktoberfest backdrop, though most will have a good idea of whodunit long before all is revealed at the end. Agent: Jessica Faust, BooksEnds.

October 15, 2015
A divorcee helps her ex-mother-in-law evade murder charges. Piper Prescott (Kill 'Em With Cayenne, 2014, etc.) is finally getting her life back on track. Her shop, Spice It Up!, is drawing customers from Brandywine Creek's creme de la creme, including Felicity Driscoll, owner of the prestigious Turner-Driscoll House, and mayor's wife Dottie Hemmings. She's started a relationship with the local veterinarian, and with Doug Winters at her side, she no longer dreads running into CJ, her ex, and his new squeeze, Amber, at high school football games. Even CJ's mother, Melly, has mellowed enough to devise a point-of-sale software program for Piper's spice shop--a program that Trustychipdesign.com is interested in marketing nationally. Melly is thrilled to meet with owners Chip Balboa and "Trusty" Rusty Tulley, only to have her hopes dashed when Chip's body is found at the foot of her basement stairs the next day. Puzzled about how Chip could have met his fate in Melly's basement without her knowledge, and maybe even her help, Chief of Police Wyatt McBride cordons off the whole house with crime scene tape, forcing Melly to move in with Piper. (After all, you could hardly expect CJ to take his mother into his multibedroom McMansion while Amber is renovating!) The two form a cautious bond that grows deeper as McBride zeroes in on Melly as his chief suspect. And in spite of her feelings for Doug, Piper can't help squaring off repeatedly with McBride, who, to be fair, looks pretty good out of uniform. Oust does the formula proud, adding a kick to this mystery/romance that's so piquant it might have come straight out of Piper's shop.

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November 15, 2015
Piper Prescott's former mother-in-law, Melly, is offered money for a software modification she designed for the computer in Piper's spice shop. Two men from the software company come to Brandywine Creek to negotiate the deal, but one of them, Chip, is discovered dead in Melly's basement the morning after meeting with her. Police determine he was shoved, and Melly is their prime suspect. Frustrated by the gossip she hears about the case while helping customers select spices for the upcoming fall holidays, Piper decides to investigate, with the help of her friend Reba Mae. Comic chaos ensues as these two small-town ladies try their hands at stakeouts and hotel-room break-ins. Meanwhile, Piper attempts to exchange information with the intriguing police chief, Wyatt McBride, while keeping up with her veterinarian boyfriend. The main characters are rounded and appealing, though some of the secondary players tend toward stereotype. The spice-shop backstory provides a delicious spin on the culinary-mystery formula, and Oust does a nice job of keeping the killer well hidden. A flavorful blend of crime and small-town life.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)