Death by Devil's Breath

A Chili Cook-Off Mystery #2

by Kylie Logan

Berkley Prime Crime

Mystery

August 5, 2014

ISBN-10: 0425262421

ISBN-13: 9780425262429

Available in: Paperback

Death by Devil's Breath
by Kylie Logan

Cold-blooded murder can be hot as hell…

In Las Vegas, the stakes are high—and so is the Scoville scale. Maxie Pierce and the Chili Showdown are in town for a very heated contest devoted to judging the legendary and notorious-for-being-self-combustible Devil’s Breath chili. The guest judges are casino performers with a taste for chili and an eye for publicity.

Maxie is already going mad organizing the event, dealing with her snide half sister, Sylvia, and trying to figure out her hothead of security, Nick. But when a local hack comedian drops dead in the middle of the Showdown, it isn’t the spicy dish—it’s poison. And Maxie is going to have to shuffle through a full deck of suspects to pick out the culprit.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES!



Kylie Logan's Bio

So maybe you already know that I’m not just Kylie Logan, I’m also Casey Daniels and a few other writers, too. What’s it like to have multiple personalities and the pen names to go with them? Well, I was once lucky enough to interview mystery great Elizabeth Peters for an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. She writes under more than one name, too, and she described the experience perfectly, “If you’re only one person,” she said, “you’re boring!”

And I guess I’d add to that—if you only write one mystery series, you’re boring, too! Or maybe you’re just not getting visited as often by the Idea Fairy. The only way to keep that particular critter quiet is to follow where those ideas lead and to date, they’ve led me to write three different mystery series under the Kylie name.

So who is Kylie? I’m a fulltime writer who has loved mysteries since I was a kid. My dad was a Cleveland Police detective, and he introduced me to Sherlock Holmes stories. He also gave me my first investigating experiences when on his days off, we’d pile into the car and hit the streets to look for stolen cars. When he retired from the force, Dad became the head of security for the Cleveland Public Library.

Crooks and books! I guess I come by my love for mysteries honestly.

I have a degree in English, experience as a journalist and writing teacher, and lots of ideas about interesting ways to kill people. This makes me an excellent guest as cocktail parties, but I’ve noticed that the hostess doesn’t always trust me near the food. Could that have something to do with the book on poisons sticking out of my purse?

I began my career writing historical romance and my book “Devil’s Diamond” was nominated for a RITA award as historical of the year by Romance Writers of America. I’ve also written contemporary romance, young adult horror (as Zoe Daniels and Connie Laux), and one children’s book, “Fright Knight,” in the RL Stine’s Ghosts of Fear Street series. If you click on the “AKA” button at the top of the page, you’ll see all my pen names.

I enjoy weaving and knitting, exploring old cemeteries, and I am a beekeeper. I can’t pass up an antique shop (there might be buttons in there!). I can’t put down a classic book (even if I already know the story!). And I can’t say no to a good bowl of chili. Lucky for me, my husband is the world’s greatest chili maker.

When I’m not writing, I’m usually with my family and our two dogs, Ernie, an adorable Airedale, and Oscar, a Jack Russell rescue who came for a short-term stay and ten years later, is still here. Those of you who have ever lived with/met/had dealings with a Russell will certainly understand how knowing him has increased my propensity for murder.