Kneaded to Death is the debut of the A Bread Shop Mystery series featuring Ivy Culpepper, photographer set in the coastal California town of Santa Sofia. Ivy has returned home after the sudden death of her mother and together with her pet pug Agatha, is struggling to settle back into life in her hometown living with her Dad and brother Billy.
Ivy has decided to take a cooking class at Yeast of Eden the bread shop run by Olaya Solis. On the first night of class fellow baker Jackie Makers receives a phone call that takes her out to the parking lot. When an argument ensues in the alley and the class goes to investigate they discover Jackie dead in her car.
Finding herself drawn into the investigation alongside her best friend Deputy Sheriff Emmaline Davis, Ivy soon uncovers a complicated web of deceit among the townspeople. Her discoveries soon have her believing that maybe her mother's unexpected death hadn't been an accident.
A terrific first with truly likeable and well developed characters, including the lovely Penny Branford. Just the right touch of romance as Ivy begins to reconnect with her high school sweetheart Miguel Baptista. As Ivy settles back into life in Santa Sofia and hints at a new career, plenty of possible adventures on the horizon will have you "kneading" more.
Ivy has decided to take a cooking class at Yeast of Eden the bread shop run by Olaya Solis. On the first night of class fellow baker Jackie Makers receives a phone call that takes her out to the parking lot. When an argument ensues in the alley and the class goes to investigate they discover Jackie dead in her car.
Finding herself drawn into the investigation alongside her best friend Deputy Sheriff Emmaline Davis, Ivy soon uncovers a complicated web of deceit among the townspeople. Her discoveries soon have her believing that maybe her mother's unexpected death hadn't been an accident.
A terrific first with truly likeable and well developed characters, including the lovely Penny Branford. Just the right touch of romance as Ivy begins to reconnect with her high school sweetheart Miguel Baptista. As Ivy settles back into life in Santa Sofia and hints at a new career, plenty of possible adventures on the horizon will have you "kneading" more.
Kneaded to Death by Winne Archer is the first book in A Bread Shop Mystery series. Ivy Culpepper has returned home to Santa Sofia, California after the unexpected death of her mother, Anna. She was killed in a hit-and-run accident in the high school parking lot, and the killer has yet to be apprehended. Ivy's grief has only been soothed by the bread from Olaya Solis' bakery, Yeast of Eden. When Olaya offers a breadmaking class, Ivy is quick to sign up. Ivy is hoping it will help provide her with inspiration for her photographs and photography blog. She has not been able to get inspired since the death of her mother. Ivy and six other students are in the class. Just before the break, Jackie Makers, a fellow student, must take a call. They are getting ready to start up again, but Jackie has yet to return. The group hears raised voices outside, and they head outside to find out what is happening. Ivy sees her old high school beau, Miguel Baptista arguing with Randy Russell, co-owner of the local antique mall. Miguel is attempting to calm the man down. When Randy is finally subdued, the group notices Jackie sitting in her car. It looks like Jackie will not be finishing the class. When it is discovered that Jackie was poisoned, Olaya ends up at the top of the suspect list. Ivy knows that Olaya would not harm a soul, and starts asking questions around town. Ivy gets pulled into a controversy on historic Maple Avenue where Jackie owned a beautiful house (that Ivy would love to own). Santa Sofia is not the quiet town Ivy left when she went off to college. Will Ivy be able to capture the killer or will she end up getting burned?
I found Kneaded to Death to be nicely written and easy to read. I liked the characters (especially Mrs. Branford) and the hint of magic. The description of Maple Avenue was delightful. There are some beautiful historic homes on the street (especially Mrs. Branford's Victorian). I thought the mystery was well crafted, and it kept my interest (hooray). The author provided some nice clues that will help the reader identify the killer (you must pay very careful attention). I give Kneaded to Death 4 out of 5 stars (are you shocked)! My one complaint is Ivy's obsession with Miguel Baptista. They dated in high school, but Ivy has never gotten over him (in eighteen years and now we understand why she is divorced). I thought her ogling of Miguel to be a little over-the-top (once would have been fine). I hope that Ivy's grief is lessened in the next book. It is quite prevalent in Kneaded to Death which is understandable. There is another subplot in Kneaded to Death that is equally intriguing. There is not, though, too much going on in the book. I could keep track of the storylines and the characters. I thought Kneaded to Death was a good first cozy mystery. The series has potential, and I am looking forward to the next book in A Bread Shop Mystery series.
I found Kneaded to Death to be nicely written and easy to read. I liked the characters (especially Mrs. Branford) and the hint of magic. The description of Maple Avenue was delightful. There are some beautiful historic homes on the street (especially Mrs. Branford's Victorian). I thought the mystery was well crafted, and it kept my interest (hooray). The author provided some nice clues that will help the reader identify the killer (you must pay very careful attention). I give Kneaded to Death 4 out of 5 stars (are you shocked)! My one complaint is Ivy's obsession with Miguel Baptista. They dated in high school, but Ivy has never gotten over him (in eighteen years and now we understand why she is divorced). I thought her ogling of Miguel to be a little over-the-top (once would have been fine). I hope that Ivy's grief is lessened in the next book. It is quite prevalent in Kneaded to Death which is understandable. There is another subplot in Kneaded to Death that is equally intriguing. There is not, though, too much going on in the book. I could keep track of the storylines and the characters. I thought Kneaded to Death was a good first cozy mystery. The series has potential, and I am looking forward to the next book in A Bread Shop Mystery series.
So many interesting story elements!
Grieving her mother's sudden death in a hit & run accident, Ivy Culpepper returns to her hometown to live with and care for her father and brother. While adjusting to her loss and relocation, Ivy discovers the local bread shop, Yeast of Eden, and at the urging of the shop owner, Olaya Dias, signs up to take a breadmaking class. When during the first class, one of the other women there is found murdered in her car parked behind the shop, Ivy gets involved in the search for her killer. Assisting her are a number of quirky and lovable characters: her loyal pug, Agatha; elderly classmates; new friends; old friends; and her former high school sweetheart for whom she still carries a torch.
I enjoyed this story, the first in The Bread Shop Mystery series, with its great, very individual characters. Up until the start of the story, Ivy has been building a life as a professional photographer in Austin since her high school boyfriend left her behind after graduation. Being from Texas myself I was partial to that part of her history and looked for relevant tidbits and mentions. Author Winnie Archer sprinkles the dialogue with Spanish phrases and delicious breads. Thankfully, recipes for a couple of these are included in the back of the book.
I recommend this book for readers that like the culinary mystery subgenre or just mysteries on the cozy side, in general.
Grieving her mother's sudden death in a hit & run accident, Ivy Culpepper returns to her hometown to live with and care for her father and brother. While adjusting to her loss and relocation, Ivy discovers the local bread shop, Yeast of Eden, and at the urging of the shop owner, Olaya Dias, signs up to take a breadmaking class. When during the first class, one of the other women there is found murdered in her car parked behind the shop, Ivy gets involved in the search for her killer. Assisting her are a number of quirky and lovable characters: her loyal pug, Agatha; elderly classmates; new friends; old friends; and her former high school sweetheart for whom she still carries a torch.
I enjoyed this story, the first in The Bread Shop Mystery series, with its great, very individual characters. Up until the start of the story, Ivy has been building a life as a professional photographer in Austin since her high school boyfriend left her behind after graduation. Being from Texas myself I was partial to that part of her history and looked for relevant tidbits and mentions. Author Winnie Archer sprinkles the dialogue with Spanish phrases and delicious breads. Thankfully, recipes for a couple of these are included in the back of the book.
I recommend this book for readers that like the culinary mystery subgenre or just mysteries on the cozy side, in general.
