What’s at beginning of book is often spicier, somehow (12)
I believe the answer is:
frontispiece
'what's at beginning of book' is the definition.
(page at the beginning of a book)
'often spicier somehow' is the wordplay.
'somehow' is an anagram indicator.
'often'+'spicier'='oftenspicier'
'oftenspicier' anagrammed gives 'FRONTISPIECE'.
'is' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for frontispiece that I've seen before include "Illustration facing a book's title page" , "Plate" , "Picture at beginning of book" .)