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TO ERR IS CUMIN is the eighth book in the Spice Shop Mysteries by Leslie Budewitz. With complex mysteries to puzzle the most seasoned of armchair detectives and the enticing setting of Seattle’s Pike Place Market, this newest release is sure to keep the reader engaged. The author’s attention to detail brings the setting to life, be it the city streets, the marketplace, or protagonist Pepper Reece’s Spice Shop. You can smell the delicate fragrance from the flower shops, taste the spiciness of the tea samples Pepper gives out, hear the excited chatter of customers swarming the marketplace, and see the colorful displays of merchandise as Pepper hurries through Pike Place. After reading, you’ll be wanting to book a trip to visit for yourself! I admire Pepper as a protagonist, and with her adorable Airedale sidekick, Arf, the pair are welcoming and make everyone feel at home. I also appreciate the mentions of other cozy mystery authors and their books that Pepper stocks in her shop… I’m always left with a list of books to add to my TBR pile.
You can always count on Ms. Budewitz to write a mystery with multiple components. This book starts out with who and why would anyone leave a beat-up wingback chair on the curb, with a large amount of cash hidden inside? When Pepper rescues the chair, hoping to rehabilitate it for her parents, she finds the cash and finds that the former owner of the chair has disappeared. Did something nefarious happen to the young woman who abandoned the chair? There also appear to be other people hunting for her. Pepper is meticulous as she searches for answers, and she doesn’t always find the answers she wants. There is a slow build toward the murder and the set up affects the pacing somewhat. Still, as the story progresses, the pacing picks up and as clues come to light, I found myself turning pages faster. As the book neared its conclusion, the various pieces of the mysteries fit together into a cohesive story. To Err is Cumin is for those who appreciate strong characters, complex mysteries, and an enticing setting!
One of the things I always love about Ms. Budewitz’s books is the recipes at the back of the book, featuring a variety of spices sold at Pepper’s Spice Shop. From sweet to savory, from appetizers and drinks, to mains and dessert, each book has it all. With summer upon us and rhubarb now available almost year-round, I couldn’t wait to try her recipe for Rhubarb Almond Muffins. Bits of ruby red rhubarb is studded throughout the muffins, making them extra moist with a tart bite. Almond flavoring and sliced almonds sprinkled on top of the muffin brings a delicate flavor that complements the fruit. Great for breakfast, snack time, or teatime, these delicious treats will have a place in my regular rotation of muffins every time spring rolls around!
Amazon Synopsis
Pepper Reece, owner of the Spice Shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, wants nothing more than to live a quiet life for a change, running her shop and working with customers eager to spice up their cooking. But when she finds an envelope stuffed with cash in a ratty old wingback left on the curb, she sets out to track down the owner.
Pepper soon concludes that the chair and its stash may belong to young Talia Cook, new in town and nowhere to be seen. Boz Bosworth, an unemployed chef Pepper’s tangled with in the past, shows up looking for the young woman, but Pepper refuses to help him search. When Boz is found floating in the Ship Canal, only a few blocks from Talia’s apartment, free furniture no longer seems like such a bargain.
On the hunt for Talia, Pepper discovers a web of connections threatening to ensnare her best customer. The more she probes, the harder it gets to tell who’s part of an unsavory scheme of corruption—and who might be the next victim.
Between her quest for an elusive herb, helping her parents remodel their new house, and setting up the Spice Shop’s first cooking class, Pepper’s got a full plate. Dogged by a sense of obligation to find the rightful owner of the hidden treasure, she keeps on showing up where she’s not wanted, asking probing questions.
One mistake, and she could find herself cashing out. . .
A special thanks to Leslie Budewitz for offering a print copy of TO ERR IS CUMIN to one lucky winner! Contest ends August 18, 2024 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
A favorite at Ripe, Laurel's downtown deli, these muffins are light and cakey, rising above the rim of the tin. That makes them wonderfully showy paired with a fluffy omelet or the perfect cup of coffee.
Makes 12 muffins.
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup buttermilk, or 3/4 cup plain yogurt plus 1/4 cup milk
- 2 cups rhubarb, diced
- Sprinkling sugar or turbinado sugar (coarse raw sugar)
- Sliced almonds
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Heat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray a 12-well muffin tin with nonstick spray or use paper or silicone liners.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
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In a small bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in the eggs, almond extract, and buttermilk or yogurt-and-milk mixture, then add to the dry ingredients and mix until combined and no dry streaks remain. Add the diced rhubarb and combine.
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Scoop the dough into the muffin tin, filling about 3/4 full. Sprinkle tops with sugar and sliced almonds.
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Bake 22 - 25 minutes, or until springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from the pan. Serve warm.
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Sounds like a good read.
Those muffins look delish! Love the book cover! The dog is adorable!