Double Agatha winner Leslie Budewitz discusses new series

Leslie Budewitz has, in her relatively short career as a writer, racked up some impressive credentials. For this interview, the national bestselling author and winner of two Agatha Awards, talks about food, cats, dogs, and one of her favorite places, Seattle.

“I fell in love with the Pike Place Market in Seattle first as a college student, and later as a young lawyer working in downtown Seattle,” said Budewitz. “I ate and shopped in the Market weekly, never tiring of exploring the nooks and crannies, finding new food and art, and soaking in the vibrant street scene. I returned to Montana, my home state, twenty-some years ago, but my husband loves Seattle, too, and we visit often.”

Even today, Budewitz recalls the sights and smells from those early days with fondness. “I ate my way through the city’s famed Pike Place Market at least once or twice a week. I’d start at the main entrance with a slice of pizza from DeLaurenti’s walk-up window, then browse the magazine covers at the First & Pike Newsstand—eyes only until my hands were clean!

“I’d sip a sample cup of tea from Market Spice while watching the fishmongers throw salmon and amuse the crowd with their comedy routine, pick my produce and cheese for the week, and end with dessert—a hazelnut sablé from Le Panier, the French bakery, or a Nanaimo bar from a now-departed take-out joint in the warren off Post Alley.”

Budewitz’s background as an attorney later helped her launch her writing career. In fact, she won the 2011 Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction for “Books, Crooks & Counselors: How To Write Accurately About Criminal Law & Courtroom Procedure.” Her fiction debut, “Death al Dente,” won the 2013 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, making her the first author to win an Agatha for both fiction and nonfiction. Fast forward just two years and Budewitz is already debuting a new series, the Spice Shop Mysteries.

“My Food Lovers Village Mysteries are set in Montana,” said Budewitz. “When I decided to try a second series—I’m hoping to continue them both—I naturally thought of Seattle.  An urban cozy needs a defined community, and the Pike Place Market fits the bill perfectly.”

With her background in law, is it any wonder that Budewitz believes the theme of a book comes from its characters? “I like to explore various aspects of a theme in the plot and subplots, so that the reader comes away thinking about the topic from a range of perspectives, consciously or not. In ‘Assault and Pepper,’ the protagonist and secondary characters are working out questions of identity, particularly choosing who they will be in the world, and the line between protecting someone and interfering with their choices. All while selling spices, cooking up great meals, and solving a murder.”

[contestad code=”Pepper4U” startdate=”2015-03-17″ enddate=”2015-03-22″]“I write about food because I love to eat and cook, and food brings people together like nothing else,” said Budewitz. “All the recipes in my books are real, much-tested, and easy to follow and make in the average home kitchen. I’m part of a terrific group of mystery writers who cook up crime—and recipes—and share them on the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen blog at www.MysteryLoversKitchen.com.”

While the star of the cover of “Assault and Pepper” is an Airedale, her Food Lovers Village Mysteries feature a cat. Budewitz explained why she gave equal time to both. “I love cats and dogs equally. I know, hard to believe, but true. The cat on the cover of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries is based on our cat, a sable Burmese and avid birdwatcher. The Airedale is a bit of a mystery to me—I’ve never owned an Airedale, but he walked onto the page with Sam one day and I knew he was going to stay.”

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For more tales of life in the wilds of northwest Montana and bonus recipes, visit Leslie Budewitz on her website at www.LeslieBudewitz.com. Those who want to stay in touch can also subscribe to her newsletter on the website.