Curried Away: A Spice Shop Mystery

Early in Oust’s charming fourth Spice Shop cozy (after 2015’s Cinnamon Toasted), handyman Ned Feeney stumbles on the dead body of the heartily disliked Sandy Granger in the Brandywine Creek, Ga., opera house. Sandy was directing a local production of Steel Magnolias and had earned the wrath of many of the players, but who wanted the woman dead? Piper Prescott, owner of the Spice It Up! shop, might have stayed out of this one if the evidence hadn’t pointed toward her BFF, Reba Mae Johnson. Police chief Wyatt McBride doesn’t want to hear what Piper thinks, so she’ll have to clear Reba Mae’s name on her own. Rampant gossip, a plethora of ladies who are themselves perfect stand-ins for the cast of Steel Magnolias, and Piper’s ailing relationship with aspiring chef Doug Winters all blend nicely together until a somewhat flimsy motive leads to a killer. Three appealing recipes, one for spicy chicken curry, round out the volume. [em]Agent: Jessica Faust, BooksEnds. (Dec.) [/em]