Dollycas's Thoughts
Spring in Santa Sofia, California, means it is time for the annual Art Car Parade and Ball. Ivy Culpepper is very familiar with the event, her brother Billy has come in second for years, always losing to Max Litman. This year should be different. Billy has a fantastic idea inspired by his mother that has passed away. Ivy is amazed by the work of car art he has created. The cars are all being moved to the pre-event site and Ivy notices a very creepy car. Her pug, Agatha, really has an issue with the car, actually barring teeth. When Ivy examines it closer the thing she thought was a prop turns out to be a man. A very dead man. Max Litman is dead and a huge piece of evidence points right at Billy. Her best friend Deputy Sheriff Emmaline Davis has been sidelined because of her relationship with Billy, so the chief is taking charge. Ivy knows she is going to have to work hard and find the real killer because he thinks the case is open and shut and Billy is his man.
This art car thing is brand new to me. I have been to many car shows but never an art car show and the whole thing drew me into this story. I was fascinated by the author's detailed descriptions of the cars. What a creative event.
Ivy Culpepper works at Yeast of Eden as an apprentice baker, but she trying to get her photography business off the ground. She was at the event to take pictures but Yeast of Eden is also one of the caters for the event so sleuthing out the real killer should be easy . . . NOT! The suspect pool is wide open and there is not a lot of clear evidence. With a little help from her friends and her pug, Ivy starts to piece things together and I was right there with her. Again the author's vivid descriptions painted a vivid picture to put readers right on the spot.
Ms. Archer has created characters with depth. They are likable and relatable. They have grown in each story with a nice progression. I was taken by Billy's tribute to his mother's love of reading. It warmed by heart the way she passed the love on to her children.
The story was very well-plotted and entertaining. It was perfectly paced and held my attention the whole way. I love the creative title and the way it tied into the story.
This story stands on it own but reading the series from the start will make it more enjoyable.
Spring in Santa Sofia, California, means it is time for the annual Art Car Parade and Ball. Ivy Culpepper is very familiar with the event, her brother Billy has come in second for years, always losing to Max Litman. This year should be different. Billy has a fantastic idea inspired by his mother that has passed away. Ivy is amazed by the work of car art he has created. The cars are all being moved to the pre-event site and Ivy notices a very creepy car. Her pug, Agatha, really has an issue with the car, actually barring teeth. When Ivy examines it closer the thing she thought was a prop turns out to be a man. A very dead man. Max Litman is dead and a huge piece of evidence points right at Billy. Her best friend Deputy Sheriff Emmaline Davis has been sidelined because of her relationship with Billy, so the chief is taking charge. Ivy knows she is going to have to work hard and find the real killer because he thinks the case is open and shut and Billy is his man.
This art car thing is brand new to me. I have been to many car shows but never an art car show and the whole thing drew me into this story. I was fascinated by the author's detailed descriptions of the cars. What a creative event.
Ivy Culpepper works at Yeast of Eden as an apprentice baker, but she trying to get her photography business off the ground. She was at the event to take pictures but Yeast of Eden is also one of the caters for the event so sleuthing out the real killer should be easy . . . NOT! The suspect pool is wide open and there is not a lot of clear evidence. With a little help from her friends and her pug, Ivy starts to piece things together and I was right there with her. Again the author's vivid descriptions painted a vivid picture to put readers right on the spot.
Ms. Archer has created characters with depth. They are likable and relatable. They have grown in each story with a nice progression. I was taken by Billy's tribute to his mother's love of reading. It warmed by heart the way she passed the love on to her children.
The story was very well-plotted and entertaining. It was perfectly paced and held my attention the whole way. I love the creative title and the way it tied into the story.
This story stands on it own but reading the series from the start will make it more enjoyable.
The Walking Bread is the third installment in the A Bread Shop Mystery series featuring part time baker and photographer, Ivy Culpepper. The quaint town of Santa Sofia, California is preparing for the annual Art Car parade and not only has Ivy been hired as the official photographer for the festivities but Yeast of Eden, the bread shop owned by her honorary aunt Olaya Solis, is catering for the crowds.
Ivy's brother Billy, has been entering the Art Car Show for as long as she can remember and has always finished runner up to his rival Max Litman. Unfortunately early on Ivy had discovered that Billy's mentor, high school art teacher Mr. Zavila had been secretly spying on Billy's plans and then turning them over to Max, ensuring that Billy would always finish second. Determined to best his rival this year, Billy put out false plans for his car and was keeping his true theme top secret.
As the cars begin staging in the airport hangar that will house them for the show Ivy is busy snapping pictures when she suddenly spots a pair of legs sticking out of the front of Max's zombie car. The legs belong to Max and it's no surprise when Sheriff Robert Lane accuses Billy of being the killer. Knowing that her brother is not a killer, Ivy sets out with the help of Deputy Sheriff Emmaline Davis, her boyfriend Miguel, and octogenarian Penelope Branford to clear Billy's name.
A fast paced plot with well developed characters that kneads together a great mystery and the true meaning of family and friends. The book reads as a stand alone but I strongly urge readers to start from the beginning of the series in order to learn more about Ivy and her community.
Ivy's brother Billy, has been entering the Art Car Show for as long as she can remember and has always finished runner up to his rival Max Litman. Unfortunately early on Ivy had discovered that Billy's mentor, high school art teacher Mr. Zavila had been secretly spying on Billy's plans and then turning them over to Max, ensuring that Billy would always finish second. Determined to best his rival this year, Billy put out false plans for his car and was keeping his true theme top secret.
As the cars begin staging in the airport hangar that will house them for the show Ivy is busy snapping pictures when she suddenly spots a pair of legs sticking out of the front of Max's zombie car. The legs belong to Max and it's no surprise when Sheriff Robert Lane accuses Billy of being the killer. Knowing that her brother is not a killer, Ivy sets out with the help of Deputy Sheriff Emmaline Davis, her boyfriend Miguel, and octogenarian Penelope Branford to clear Billy's name.
A fast paced plot with well developed characters that kneads together a great mystery and the true meaning of family and friends. The book reads as a stand alone but I strongly urge readers to start from the beginning of the series in order to learn more about Ivy and her community.
The Walking Bread by Winnie Archer is the third installment in A Bread Shop Mystery series. Ivy Culpepper lives in Santa Sofia, California which is busy preparing for the Art Car Show and Ball. Contestants spend months decorating their cars for the contest and parade. Ivy is the photographer for the event and has been busy uploading photos to the website. Ivy's brother, Billy has not participated in a few years because he continually lost to the deceptive Max Litman. Billy has created a car to honor their mother who passed away recently. He is sure his beautiful Through the Looking Glass car will take the grand prize. Ivy is photographing the cars and is shocked by Max Litman's creation. What Ivy thought was a prop, turns out to be Max. With the rivalry between Max and Billy well known, Billy zooms to the top of the suspect list. With Deputy Sheriff Emmaline Davis sidelined by Sheriff Lane, it is up to Ivy to find out who wants Billy to take the fall for Max's death. Ivy, with the help of her trusty sidekick, Penelope Branford, must sift through the potential suspects, the clues, and the gossip to identify the killer.
The Walking Bread is not a standalone story. You need to read Kneaded to Death before embarking on the newest book in A Bread Shop Mystery series. I found The Walking Bread easy to read courtesy of the writers' style of writing. The pace varies throughout the book. I am happy to see Ivy happy living in Santa Sofia. She has a cozy home, family and good friends. I wish the author had taken the time to explain her job in The Walking Bread. We know she is a photographer and taking photos of the event for the city. Does she have her own business? It is not explained in this book. I found the concept of art cars fascinating. What a unique idea. The entrants take old cars and turn them into art pieces. Billy's car sounded magical with it's Through the Looking Glass theme. The description allowed me to imagine what the piece looked like. Max Litman is one of those characters that readers will love to hate. Immediately I could tell that he would soon be found dead and he was in a dramatic fashion. The account of his car will have you cringing (perfect for Halloween). Billy (of course) is the prime suspect so Ivy steps up to find the guilty party. Her helper is Penelope Branford who enjoys the investigations. Not many people liked the victim (shocker), and Ivy must wade through the various suspects to determine who would want him dead. The mystery can easily be solved before the solution is revealed. I felt the resolution was incomplete. There is supposition instead of facts. There are many cozy moments as Ivy spends time with her family, bakes bread with Olaya Solis, and enjoys romantic moments with Miguel Baptista. There are some tender and sad moments as the Culpepper family mourns the loss of their matriarch and share their favorite memories. I would like the books in this series to have more depth and character development. I am giving The Walking Bread 3 out of 5 stars. The Walking Bread is a good choice for those readers who prefer airy cozy mysteries.
The Walking Bread is not a standalone story. You need to read Kneaded to Death before embarking on the newest book in A Bread Shop Mystery series. I found The Walking Bread easy to read courtesy of the writers' style of writing. The pace varies throughout the book. I am happy to see Ivy happy living in Santa Sofia. She has a cozy home, family and good friends. I wish the author had taken the time to explain her job in The Walking Bread. We know she is a photographer and taking photos of the event for the city. Does she have her own business? It is not explained in this book. I found the concept of art cars fascinating. What a unique idea. The entrants take old cars and turn them into art pieces. Billy's car sounded magical with it's Through the Looking Glass theme. The description allowed me to imagine what the piece looked like. Max Litman is one of those characters that readers will love to hate. Immediately I could tell that he would soon be found dead and he was in a dramatic fashion. The account of his car will have you cringing (perfect for Halloween). Billy (of course) is the prime suspect so Ivy steps up to find the guilty party. Her helper is Penelope Branford who enjoys the investigations. Not many people liked the victim (shocker), and Ivy must wade through the various suspects to determine who would want him dead. The mystery can easily be solved before the solution is revealed. I felt the resolution was incomplete. There is supposition instead of facts. There are many cozy moments as Ivy spends time with her family, bakes bread with Olaya Solis, and enjoys romantic moments with Miguel Baptista. There are some tender and sad moments as the Culpepper family mourns the loss of their matriarch and share their favorite memories. I would like the books in this series to have more depth and character development. I am giving The Walking Bread 3 out of 5 stars. The Walking Bread is a good choice for those readers who prefer airy cozy mysteries.
