Butter Off Dead

PRAISE FOR THE FOOD LOVERS' VILLAGE MYSTERIES

Crime Rib

“Budewitz's latest is deliciously appealing . . . Cozy mystery lovers and foodies alike will enjoy this story of good neighbors, luscious food, and a bad egg (or two) who is capable of murder.”

—RT Book Reviews

“Mouth-watering descriptions of food are just as enjoyable as the characters . . . The unpredictable ending is the perfect dessert course for a well-planned menu of murder.”

—Kings River Life

Death al Dente

“Small-town charm and big-time chills. Jewel Bay, Montana, is a food lover's paradise—and ground zero for murder! A dizzying culinary delight with a twisty-turny plot! I'm totally enamored of Leslie Budewitz's huckleberry chocolates, Shasta daisies, and Cowboy Roast coffee.”

—Laura Childs,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Cackleberry Club Mysteries and the Tea Shop Mysteries

“The first book in a delicious new series. Leslie Budewitz has created a believable, down-to-earth heroine in Erin Murphy, who uses her sleuthing skills and the Spreadsheet of Suspicion to catch a killer. The supporting cast of characters, from Erin's mother, Fresca, to her cat, Sandburg, are charming. I'm looking forward to my next visit to Jewel Bay.”

—Sofie Kelly,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Magical Cat Mysteries

“An intriguing sleuth who loves gourmet food, family, and her hometown, plus recipes to die for, distinguish a delectable mystery.”

—Carolyn Hart,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Don't Go Home

“Seldom does a new author hit all the right notes in a first book, but Leslie Budewitz does. Convincing characters, a believable plot, the right dash of romance, and a deft use of words all come together to create a seamless and satisfying read.”

—Sheila Connolly,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Picked to Die
and
An Early Wake

“Clever, charming, and completely yummy. Leslie Budewitz cooks up a delectable mystery! A tempting concoction of food, fun, and fatalities that will have you racing through the suspenseful pages . . . then heading for the kitchen to try out the irresistible recipes. More please!”

—Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity award–winning author

“A great mystery. There were clever twists that keep me engaged. It is hard to delve deep into a whodunit and lay the proper foundations for stories going forward but [Budewitz] has pulled it off. I can't wait to shop again at The Merc!”

—Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book

“Budewitz writes with command and with a purpose. Her writing is straightforward and her characters are full of surprises. Budewitz serves up mouth-watering treats as well as murder in this first in a series book that readers will find simply delicious!”

—Debbie's Book Bag

“[A] new culinary mystery that offers a unique taste of Montana. Author Budewitz has created an engaging character, a charming town, and a whole new perspective on the state.”

—Mystery Scene

Berkley Prime Crime titles by Leslie Budewitz

Food Lovers' Village Mysteries

DEATH AL DENTE

CRIME
RIB

BUTTER OFF DEAD

Spice Shop Mysteries

ASSAULT AND PEPPER

An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

BUTTER OFF DEAD

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

Copyright © 2015 by Leslie Ann Budewitz.

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME design are trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

For more information about Penguin Group, visit penguin.com.

eBook ISBN: 978-0-698-16658-5

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / July 2015

Cover illustration by Ben Perini.

Cover design by Rita Frangie.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

For those who create the work that deepens our experience of this life: those who paint; work fabric, clay, and metal; plant gardens; write poems, plays, and stories; cook great food; make music; make movies; and so much more. Your pursuit of your passions brings this world—and all of us in it—alive.

As always, my thanks to my friends and neighbors for allowing me to wreak havoc on a community so much like the one we know and love. Thanks also for understanding that I have played with the map, changing names of streets and roads, and moving buildings and businesses to suit the story. Forgive me for torturing you by imagining a bakery that does not exist; I, too, wish it did.

It takes a village to catch a killer, and to support a writer. Thanks in particular to Derek Vandeberg of Frame of Reference, who throws the best launch parties ever, with help from Chef Dan Solberg, who brings my recipes to the table; Marlys Anderson-Hisaw of Roma's Kitchen Shop; and Annie Leberman and Kim Crowley of Imagine IF, the Flathead County Library system.

Mark “Mister” Langlois, barkeeper extraordinaire, once again let me rechristen his place as “Red's Bar.” Julie and Joe Cassetta, aka the Pinskys, lent me their home and their collection of Montana movie posters. So sorry about—well, no spoilers. Several readers bought character names at charity auctions: thanks to Dana Grant for supporting the Safe Harbor domestic violence shelter and education program, and Donna Lawson and Dean and Jamie Beckstead for their contributions to the Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival.

A note on two characters who first appeared in
Crime Rib
and are based on much-loved real-life counterparts. Both the real and the fictional Christine Vandeberg are redheaded painters and former framers who work in bright acrylics, were raised in Vermont, and wear glasses of many colors. Everything else, I made up. Thank you, Christine! (See her paintings at Frame of Reference and online.) Iggy Ring bears the childhood nickname of my late mother-in-law, Louise Raff, as well as her physical appearance and style, her New England upbringing, and her love of art. Iggy's personal story as told here is completely my invention. My mother-in-law, who played a part in founding the Charles M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, cherished a small collection of Western bronzes and paintings, and would have greatly enjoyed her fictional namesake's treasure trove.

All art in the book is authentic, except for the pieces attributed to Iggy, Erin's purchase from Christine, and the item tied with ribbon. (No spoilers!) Readers who have toured the Russell studio and home may be surprised to hear that the home once contained several Asian pieces, including the gong and tapestry—perhaps gifts to Nancy Russell. The stone chop does exist, but did not come from the Russell collection.

The problems Erin and her friends uncover here are very real. Next time you visit a small art museum or historical center, please tuck a few dollars into the donation box.

I came across the essay “Pie” by Susan Bright, from her collection
Tirades and Evidence of Grace
, more than twenty years ago when it was reprinted in
Utne Reader
. A yellowed copy still marks the Pies section of my recipe binder. The poem “Making Tortillas” is by Alicia Gaspar de Alba, and appears in
Claiming the Spirit Within
, edited by Marilyn Sewell.

Thanks to Mary Jo Naive, board member of the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts, and Dwayne Ague, Bigfork Summer Playhouse stage manager, for the backstage tour and the stories of what can go wrong when you entertain four hundred fifty friends two hundred nights a year. (And by the way, despite having once run a delightful children's shop, Mary Jo is
not
the model for Sally Grimes!) Sharon Woods Hopkins shared her classic sports car expertise. Emily Budewitz, Paige Wheeler, and Bella McGuire contributed to Landon's costumes. My friend and neighbor, wildlife biologist Cristina Eisenberg, has taught me much about wolves and their role in our ecology. If wolves intrigue you, dive into her books,
The Wolf's Tooth: Keystone Predators, Trophic Cascades, and Biodiversity
and
The Carnivore Way: Coexisting with and Conserving North America's Predators
. I also recommend
Decade of the Wolf: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone
, by Douglas W. Smith and Gary Ferguson.

Of course, I made all the mistakes myself.

As a kid, I always wanted a sister. As an adult, I've found more than I can count in Sisters in Crime, across the nation and in the Guppies chapter. The first third of this book was written in January 2014 at the Sisters in Crime retreat in Charlotte, North Carolina, during weather that made me feel write—er, right at home. Thank you, Beth Wasson, Cathy Pickens, and my sisters and brothers of ink, for a week of nurture, of being valued as a writer, of being in the midst of what my friend Lita Artis calls “intentional creativity.”

Thanks to my agent Paige Wheeler of Creative Media Agency, Inc., my editors, Faith Black and Robin Barletta, and their colleagues at Berkley Prime Crime, and everyone else—including the readers, book clubs, libraries, and booksellers—who have helped make the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries spring to life.

And finally, my husband, Don Beans, aka Mr. Right, watched enough foodie movies to keep the Food Lovers' Film Festival rolling for years. He is always willing to brainstorm over dinner, in the car, and on walks as if my characters were real. Thanks to you, babe, they are.