Cozy Review: Rosemary and Crime Hardcover

I've finished "Rosemary and Crime" by Gail Oust.

Murder comes well-seasoned in this charming mystery featuring a smart and spunky new amateur sleuth, small-town Georgia spice shop owner Piper Prescott

Piper Prescott, a transplanted Yankee living in the South, has got her sass back. She might be down, but don’t count her out. “Change of life?” she asks. Bring it on. Recently divorced, Piper decides to pursue a dream she’s secretly harbored: owning her own business, Spice it Up!, a spice shop in her adopted hometown, Brandywine Creek, Georgia. But Piper’s grand opening goes awry when the local chef who’s agreed to do a cooking demo is found stabbed. Not only did Piper find the body, she handled the murder weapon and doesn’t have a witness to her alibi, making the case look like a slam dunk to brand new police Chief Wyatt McBride. Desperate to uncover the truth — and prove her innocence — Piper enlists the help of her outspoken BFF Reba Mae Johnson to help track down the real culprit. The pair compile a lengthy list of suspects and work to eliminate them using their own creative brand of sleuthing techniques including stakeouts, breaking and entering, and one very unorthodox chocolate pie. When Piper narrowly avoids being a victim of a hit-and-run, she knows she’s getting closer to the truth, but can she catch the killer and clear her name before she becomes the next victim?

About the Author

The author of the Bunco Babes mystery series, GAIL OUST is often accused of flunking retirement. Hearing the words "maybe it's a dead body" while golfing fired her imagination for writing a cozy. Ever since then, she has spent more time on a computer than at a golf course. She lives with her husband in McCormick, South Carolina.

Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (December 17, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250011043
ISBN-13: 978-1250011046

My Review:

Piper Prescott ex-husband has left her for a younger former beauty queen and she has saved up enough money to open Spice It Up a small spice gourmet shop.  She finds the dead body of a local chef the evening of the grand opening and she's the main suspect.

I really enjoyed the exploration of her relationship with her ex-husband and teenage daughter.  This was a fast paced cozy with some quirky characters and southern charm.

3/5

Thanks St. Martin's Press for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!