Book excerpt: Piper Prescott, a transplanted Yankee living in the South, finds the grand opening of her business, a spice shop called Spice It Up!, has gone seriously awry when the local chef hired to do a cooking demo is found stabbed. Not only did Piper find the body, but she also handled the murder weapon and doesn't have an alibi. Desperate to uncover the truth and prove her own innocence, Piper enlists the help of her friend Reba Mae Johnson to find the real killer.