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Leslie Budewitz

Goodreads Author

Born

March 05

Website

http://www.LeslieBudewitz.com

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LeslieBudewitz

Genre

Mystery, Historical Fiction

Member Since

July 2013

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https://www.goodreads.com/lesliebudewitz

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*Also publishes as Alicia Beckman*

Leslie Budewitz is the three-time Agatha Award winner and bestselling author of the Food Lovers’ Village and Spice Shop mysteries, continuing with the 9th installment, LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING (July 2025). Her historical short mystery collection, ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION (September 2024), featuring a remarkable figure from Montana history, is a finalist in the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards. She also writes standalone moody suspense as Alicia Beckman.

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What a delight to return to the Spice Shop, a fictional shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, a place I fell in love ages ago as a college freshman. I made it my mission to eat my way through the place *Also publishes as Alicia Beckman*

Leslie Budewitz is the three-time Agatha Award winner and bestselling author of the Food Lovers’ Village and Spice Shop mysteries, continuing with the 9th installment, LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING (July 2025). Her historical short mystery collection, ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION (September 2024), featuring a remarkable figure from Montana history, is a finalist in the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards. She also writes standalone moody suspense as Alicia Beckman.

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What a delight to return to the Spice Shop, a fictional shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, a place I fell in love ages ago as a college freshman. I made it my mission to eat my way through the place, and since it’s constantly changing, I’ll never be done!

In LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING, Spice Shop owner Pepper Reece is shocked when vandals destroy the greenhouse at her friend Liz Giacometti’s lavender farm. But then Liz is killed, and Pepper digs in to solve the crimes. As her questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Writing about Seattle and its surroundings never gets old. Plus it's an excuse to keep up with places I love, and to make regular research trips. And by research, you know I mean eat!

ALL GOD’S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES imagines the life and heart of Mary Fields (1832-1914), a real-life woman born into slavery who spent her last 30 years in Montana, where she found freedom and community, and her own place in the West, bringing solace and justice to those in need. The collection brings together three stories originally published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and a new novella, “A Bitter Wind,” set in 1897 and 1914, in which Mary helps a young picture bride solve the mystery of her fiancé’s death, his homesteading neighbors’ bitterness, and her own future. The title story won the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story; others were finalists for awards from the Short Mystery Fiction Society and the Western Writers of America. The collection is a finalist for the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards.

I’m also the author of the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, set in fictional Jewel Bay, Montana. DEATH A DENTE, first in the series, won the 2013 Agatha Award for Best First novel. My guide for writers, BOOKS, CROOKS & COUNSELORS: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law & Courtroom Procedure, drawing on my long career as a lawyer, won the 2011 Agatha for Best Nonfiction.

I’m a past president of Sisters in Crime and former regional and national board member of Mystery Writers of America. I love to cook, eat, hike, travel, garden, and paint—not necessarily in that order. My husband and I live in northwest Montana.

For regular updates, please visit my website, http://www.LeslieBudewitz.com, and click on the newsletter tab to sign up for emails crammed with book news, peeks inside the writing life, and more, along with two free short stories.

Readers are my favorite people. Drop me a line at Leslie at LeslieBudewitz.com. Join me at my website, LeslieBudewitz.com, or on Facebook at Leslie Budewitz & Alicia Beckman. ...more

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Combine Editions
Leslie Budewitz’s books

Average rating: 3.77 · 16,867 ratings · 2,616 reviews · 34 distinct works • Similar authors

	Assault and Pepper (A Spice Shop Mystery, #1) 3.64 avg rating — 3,332 ratings — published 2015 — 20 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Death Al Dente (A Food Lovers' Village Mystery, #1) 3.56 avg rating — 1,977 ratings — published 2013 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Guilty as Cinnamon (A Spice Shop Mystery, #2) 3.83 avg rating — 1,742 ratings — published 2015 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Killing Thyme (A Spice Shop Mystery, #3) 3.80 avg rating — 1,471 ratings — published 2016 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Crime Rib (A Food Lovers' Village Mystery, #2) 3.74 avg rating — 1,078 ratings — published 2014 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Chai Another Day (A Spice Shop Mystery #4) 3.88 avg rating — 926 ratings — published 2019 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles (A Food Lovers' Village Mystery, #5) 3.93 avg rating — 894 ratings — published 2018 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Butter Off Dead (A Food Lovers' Village Mystery, #3) 3.80 avg rating — 836 ratings — published 2015 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Solace of Bay Leaves (A Spice Shop Mystery, #5) 3.93 avg rating — 757 ratings — published 2020 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Treble at the Jam Fest (A Food Lovers' Village Mystery, #4) 3.83 avg rating — 711 ratings — published 2017 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Leslie Budewitz's Blog

Blind Faith — the origin story

I came across this “My Book” essay recently, published in the much-missed Mystery Scene magazine in fall 2002, about the origins of my second stand-alone suspense novel, Blind Faith, written as Alicia Beckman. I’m surprised to realize I’d never shared it with you, so here it is!

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During my senior year of high school in Billings, Montana, I gave a ride to a new girl, dropping her off at a mot

Series by Leslie Budewitz

A Spice Shop Mystery (9 books)
by

Leslie Budewitz (Goodreads Author)

3.80 avg rating — 9,937 ratings

Food Lovers' Village Mystery (5 books)
by

Leslie Budewitz (Goodreads Author)

3.75 avg rating — 5,880 ratings

Leslie is Currently Reading

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What Happened Next

by Edwin Hill (Goodreads Author)

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Aug 17, 2026 10:28AM

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The Forget-Me-Not Library

by Heather Webber (Goodreads Author)

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May 20, 2026 09:23PM

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The Red Envelope (Delgardo Mysteries Book 1)

by Robert Lopresti

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Dec 28, 2025 09:52PM

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Leslie entered a giveaway This Haunted Land: Reckoning with Ghosts and the Stories that Shape America by Betsy Gaines Quammen (Goodreads Author) 20 copies available, ends on September 02, 2026 Enter to win »
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Leslie is currently reading What Happened Next by Edwin Hill (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 17, 2026 10:28AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of What Happened Next by Edwin Hill. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — What Happened Next by Edwin Hill <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Leslie rated a book it was amazing The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I felt like I was speeding through the north of France with the characters as The Paris Express aims like an unstoppable arrow for Gare de Montparnasse in October 1885 -- some, the author tells us in her excellent historical not, real people who were ...more
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Leslie answered PAM's question: Do you have the quotes you start each chapter with, printed in a book for us to buy? Great question! I've never even thought about doing that -- might be a challenge to get all the permissions, etc. The epigraphs are a lot of fun, aren't they -- glad you enjoy them!
Aug 07, 2026 11:40AM · 2 likes · like
Leslie finished reading Whiskey Business: A Mixology Lounge Mystery by Adrian Andover (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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A lively academic mystery by a debut author. Daphne is a history prof who specializes in French colonial history with an emphasis on Black families in 18th century France -- a promising series character with quirky friends, devoted parents, and an ad ...more
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A darkly comic caper loaded with fun. A twisty story built on logical but mistaken assumptions told by multiple POV characters -- a tough combo to pull off, but this first-time author mixed it all up beautifully. The chapter headings were a hoot, and ...more
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Quotes by Leslie Budewitz (?)

“Life goes on, and you want it to. But you also want to hit pause for a moment, so you can feel one thing at a time.”
― Leslie Budewitz, Crime Rib

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“Sandra always refers to her husband of the last ten years as Mr. Right, to distinguish him from the oh-so-wrong first husband.”
― Leslie Budewitz, Assault and Pepper

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“No matter how old you are, there is nothing so comforting as your mother's arms.”
― Leslie Budewitz, Crime Rib

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Cozy Mystery Corner : Jennifer's A-Z Challenge 2013	16	79	Apr 13, 2014 05:37PM
Cozy Mysteries : Nov 2014 Mini Challenges	47	99	Dec 01, 2014 11:34PM
Crazy Challenge C...: Spring 2014 Seasonal Scavenger Challenge	269	177	Dec 16, 2014 10:45AM
Cozy Mysteries : Read the Season -- Autumn/Fall 2014	142	190	Dec 21, 2014 09:23AM
Cozy Mysteries : Marisa's Reading Challenges 2010 - 2014	93	423	Dec 21, 2014 10:22AM
Crazy Challenge C...: A Year full of Seasonal and Holiday Fun	787	598	Jan 28, 2015 12:34PM
Crazy Challenge C...: All About Us, The Challenge	186	179	Jan 31, 2015 08:56AM

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Leslie’s Quotes

“We both believe, and disbelieve a hundred times an hour, which keeps believing nimble.”
― Emily Dickinson

tags: belief, believe, believing, doubt, faith, poem, poet, poetry, poetry-quotes

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