Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed Between a Wok and a Dead Place (Spice Shop, Bk 7) on + 704 more book reviews
Dollycas's Thoughts
There is a big celebration for the Lunar New Year in one of Seattle's oldest neighborhoods, the Chinatown-International District. Spice Shop owner Pepper Reece is excited to attend the food walk and other booths. Her friend, Roxanne is working in an old closed residential hotel, the Gold Rush, in the district. She was hoping to find items of historical importance but she also found a dead man in the basement. No one is able to identify the man or why he would have been in the building and the building owners are staying pretty tight-lipped about it all. Instead of answers Pepper only has many more questions. Is Roxanne involved in the man's death? Are the building owners? Can Pepper get to the truth before the killer stops her? She is definitely Between a Wok and a Dead Place.
Pepper Reece is diving into another mystery but after all the cases she has been involved in she has become very good at it. All the characters we have grown to love are back but some of them are in new places or headed to new careers. So Pepper is hunting for the perfect people to join her fabulous team and she finds it isn't that easy. We do get to meet some new hires though. Pepper's boyfriend is away working in Alaska so there are some issues there and I enjoy the way they finally communicate about their relationship. All of Ms. Budewitz's characters are dynamic and diverse. Whether old friends or new they feel true to life and continue to grow in realistic ways. The friendships the characters build between themselves are heartwarming.
The mystery was steeped in history and I loved that. I haven't ever delved into Chinese history and the herbal pharmacy that was boarded up in the basement of the hotel and the history of the hotel itself and the entire block really, was so interesting. The author's research into the Asian communities in Pacific Northwest is clearly evident throughout the story. I always appreciate the way Ms. Budewitz sets a scene but in this story, she went above and beyond to take her readers inside the hotel Gold Rush and around the Chinatown-International District including the food. She painted such clear pictures with her words.
The mystery was complex. Secrets that were buried so deeply come out as the search continues for the killer. The suspects were limited but motives really ran the gambit. Pepper, a lot of time with her airedale Arf by her side, keeps going over different theories and digging into anything she can to find the truth. There were some intriguing pieces of evidence that take things in a different direction which sets up a surprising discovery while sealing someone's fate but not before Pepper finds herself in dire straights.
Between A Wok and a Dead Place was a captivating tale that kept me entertained from beginning to end. On the last page Pepper knows there are some changes ahead but states she knows the importance of following your passion no matter how old you are. Her passion led her to the Market and the Spice Shop. She is in a good place but it gave this reader some food for thought. Like Pepper, my life is filled with great people but am I following my passion?
There is a big celebration for the Lunar New Year in one of Seattle's oldest neighborhoods, the Chinatown-International District. Spice Shop owner Pepper Reece is excited to attend the food walk and other booths. Her friend, Roxanne is working in an old closed residential hotel, the Gold Rush, in the district. She was hoping to find items of historical importance but she also found a dead man in the basement. No one is able to identify the man or why he would have been in the building and the building owners are staying pretty tight-lipped about it all. Instead of answers Pepper only has many more questions. Is Roxanne involved in the man's death? Are the building owners? Can Pepper get to the truth before the killer stops her? She is definitely Between a Wok and a Dead Place.
Pepper Reece is diving into another mystery but after all the cases she has been involved in she has become very good at it. All the characters we have grown to love are back but some of them are in new places or headed to new careers. So Pepper is hunting for the perfect people to join her fabulous team and she finds it isn't that easy. We do get to meet some new hires though. Pepper's boyfriend is away working in Alaska so there are some issues there and I enjoy the way they finally communicate about their relationship. All of Ms. Budewitz's characters are dynamic and diverse. Whether old friends or new they feel true to life and continue to grow in realistic ways. The friendships the characters build between themselves are heartwarming.
The mystery was steeped in history and I loved that. I haven't ever delved into Chinese history and the herbal pharmacy that was boarded up in the basement of the hotel and the history of the hotel itself and the entire block really, was so interesting. The author's research into the Asian communities in Pacific Northwest is clearly evident throughout the story. I always appreciate the way Ms. Budewitz sets a scene but in this story, she went above and beyond to take her readers inside the hotel Gold Rush and around the Chinatown-International District including the food. She painted such clear pictures with her words.
The mystery was complex. Secrets that were buried so deeply come out as the search continues for the killer. The suspects were limited but motives really ran the gambit. Pepper, a lot of time with her airedale Arf by her side, keeps going over different theories and digging into anything she can to find the truth. There were some intriguing pieces of evidence that take things in a different direction which sets up a surprising discovery while sealing someone's fate but not before Pepper finds herself in dire straights.
Between A Wok and a Dead Place was a captivating tale that kept me entertained from beginning to end. On the last page Pepper knows there are some changes ahead but states she knows the importance of following your passion no matter how old you are. Her passion led her to the Market and the Spice Shop. She is in a good place but it gave this reader some food for thought. Like Pepper, my life is filled with great people but am I following my passion?
