This is one of those series: I can't say it's at all well-written, but I can't stop reading it either. I read Sweet Pepper Hero with the intent of figuring out what it is that keeps me coming back even though the writing drives me just short of crazy.

The writing is choppy, with short sentences and color commentary added in awkwardly; in many ways, it reads more like a middle school or maybe early ESL level of writing. This is probably my biggest complaint. I've always chalked it up to J.J. Cook being a pseudonym for a husband/wife writing team, Joyce and Jim Lavene; I figured something got lost in the team effort. Sadly, Joyce Lavene passed away a few months ago; if the series continues at all it will be just Jim Lavene's voice and it will be interesting to see if that changes the narrative.

The story starts off oddly: I get the impression that this book was meant to have a different plot when they wrote the cliffhanger into the last book, so the first few chapters of Sweet Pepper Hero were spent rapidly "solving" that mystery. It was anti-climatic and again...awkward.

There's also some woeful editing/copyediting, including missing words and sentences that just don't make sense.

It should by all rights go in the big black box, but no, it's staying. In spite of the awkward writing, the Lavene's can create a great story and some solid mystery plotting, although Stella pulls such an insanely off-the-charts TSTL stunt at the end she honestly deserved to get pushed off the side of a mountain. That move was contrary to the intelligent, stubborn and responsible persona the authors had, up until that moment, built for Stella. Then there's Eric. He's a ghost, but if a ghost has to haunt your house, this is the one you want doing the haunting. He cooks, he cleans, he makes sure the light is on and the door open when you come home at night and he's a strapping 6'5" tall blonde. Yes please.

The mystery plotting was really well done and some very nice slight of hand was done that lead me off in a different direction entirely. The ending was quite dramatic for a cozy too, but it's the characters and the setting that are going to keep these books on the shelf and me buying the fifth book, if a fifth book is coming. But mostly, it's going to be Eric. ;) ( )

Even though this is the fourth book in the series and I haven’t read the others, it was easy to pick up and could be read as a stand alone book.

Someone has kidnapped fire chief Stella’s ghost. Well, Eric’s not technically her ghost. He came with the cabin. Before he passed on, he was once the first fire chief in Sweet Pepper, Tennessee, home of the sweetest, hottest peppers in the world. Stella and Eric became good friends and she’s been searching for him for months. Many of the town folk believe Eric is real and are willing to help in her search.

Besides being good friends and missing his company, Stella sure could use Eric’s help. She’s been tasked with choosing the recipes for the annual recipe contest. That means cooking each recipe and sampling it. Stella can’t cook to save her life, and Eric would have come in handy.

On top of that, there seems to be a whiskey war brewing in her town. Someone is targeting the stills, setting them on fire. The case heats up and Stella has so much on her plate, but the arson case must take center stage before someone , or Stella, winds up dead.

One thing I always enjoy about cozies is the theme. There’s ones about sewing, cooking, scrapbooking, and many more. Sweet Pepper Hero has at least two. There’s the cooking. And then there’s the fire dogs.

I love it when animals have their own roles. What’s a fire station without Dalmatians! Hero and his mother, Sylvia, are part of the fire station family. Hero took to his certification like a duck to water. But Sylvia has failed yet again. They won’t give up on her and she’ll always have a home. I feel Sylvia has a special part to play.

Something else I look forward to in a cozy mystery is the characters. There’s always a mixed bag of quirky ones. You’ve got the town gossips, the mysterious recluses, and more than one ghostly resident in this series. What’s better than a cozy mystery with a paranormal theme.

There are numerous characters I really liked. Too many to mention individually. Stella has some good friends. She comes from a long line of firefighters, and is the first woman in her family to become one. A tough Harley riding lady.

With so many things happening at once, there’s never a dull moment. The pace is fast, the mystery isn’t easily solved, and there’s plenty of fun. Even though I mentioned you could read this without having read the other books, I plan to go back and start from the beginning to see what other fun I missed.

Oh, there are some yummy recipes included so be sure to check them out. ( )

Sweet Pepper Hero is the fourth book in the A Sweet Pepper Mystery series.

The book starts out with resident “ghost” Eric Gamlyn, former fire chief still missing. Stella Griffin needs to put the search aside when a moonshine still explodes and Don Rogers ask for her help in investigating the scene. She does find evidence that the still was definitely sabotaged. Before too long, a still in the basement of Paul Tucker blows up with evidence that it was intentional. Stella gets a call, supposedly from her friend Walt, to go to an abandon gas station and meet him. As she is looking for him the station explodes and she is trapped under debris. She sustains minor injuries, but it was evident that someone was trying to get a message to her. But she knows she needs to keep looking before anyone else loses their life, or she loses hers.

Now for the good news. Cindy Reynolds, a resident of Sweet a Pepper and see ghosts, lets Walt know that has seen Eric at Madam Emery's a reader of tarot cards and a psychic, house. Now Eric is back at home, and is back on the job of helping keep Stella safe.

This series is one my favorites, I love the characters and can always count on getting a very exciting story. Sweet Pepper Hero is just that.

A short guide to peppers and recipes are included in the book.

Looking forward to the next book in the series. ( )