Not as good as the first one. The author resorts to Piper thinking she's smarter than the police and spends some ink trying to convince herself, her character and the reader that Piper isn't just being a busybody. Some awkward prose about spices could have been written a bit more gracefully; the flow stumbled a few times because the information felt shoe-horned in.

The mystery had potential and I definitely liked what the author was going for, but the moment when Piper made the important connection came out of thin air. There wasn't any logical reason why she should have looked at the "clue" and made the leap she did. It was outlandish. Sometimes outlandish works; here, not so much.

I had higher hopes for this one - I love the spice shop setting and I'm very intrigued by the chemistry Piper has with McBride (although she's dating someone else, so: love triangle) but I'm not sure that's enough to sell me on a third instalment. ( )

This was an enjoyable light read. The main characters are decently written and not too over the top. The secondary characters are more stereotypical, but still enjoyable. The story takes place in a small Georgia town. They are preparing for the local barbecue contest. Piper Prescott's spice store, Spice it up! is doing a brisk business. But two local ladies (fighting over a boyfriend) came in the store at the same time as a couple of out of town contestants. The women proceeded to have an argument, which Piper had to break up. The next morning while Piper was out jogging, her dog discovered the body of one of the aforementioned ladies. The local police chief began the investigation, but not before an old school friend, now tv celebrity, dropped by with her cameraman. Seems the dead woman was killed with a frozen brisket. With all the locals and out of town contestants around, theee weee a lot of suspects. ( )

I really enjoyed Rosemary & Crime, the first book in the Spice Shop Mystery Series so I knew I had to return to Brandwine Creek and see what Piper Prescott and her gang were up to now.

Piper’s been very busy at her shop, Spice It Up, and now she’ll be even busier. It’s time for the yearly Brandywine Creek BBQ Festival and the town will be filled with strangers coming to compete. Many of the locals will be competing too.

You can sense trouble brewing when Becca and Maybelle both enter the contest. These too have no fondness for each other and have been bitter enemies since back in middle school.

Trouble boils over when Becca is found dead and Maybelle becomes suspect number 1.

There are many things I look for in a cozy mystery. A fun title. Colorful cover art. Loveable, laughable characters. A well developed location for the story. A dastardly, elusive villain. And sweet, teasing romance.

I wasn’t disappointed with this book.

Kill ’em with Cayenne. How could I resist that title and it connects to Piper and her shop, Spice It Up.

The cover art is simple, yet charming and I’m wondering if the spilled spice represents the murder. Quite creative. I’d pick it up if I happened to spot it on a shelf.

The characters are many, with colorful names, and their personalities are easily distinguished. You have the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The villain is not who you’d expect so the mystery is sustained til the end.

The town of Brandywine Creek is just what you’d expect in a small town. I live in one and felt quite at home. We have a lot of festivals and BBQ and chili cook offs are huge here in the south.

The romance is sweet and just becoming teasing. I do wonder whether Piper and Sheriff Wyatt McBride will spice it up in the next book.

This is a cozy mystery series for all fans of the genre. You’ll love the characters, boo the villain, and become enchanted with the colorful town. It’s all good, clean fun. And there are some yummy recipes included at the end of this book that you might want to try for yourself. ( )