Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Night of the Living Bread (Sugar & Spice Mysteries) by Mary Lee Ashford! Today we are featuring a review of the fourth book in this delicious cozy mystery series. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews, and more! There is also a Rafflecopter Giveaway for a gift basket with a signed copy of the book, a special recipe, a vintage community cookbook, and a pair of Cat Nap pajama pants, which are a part of the story. ENTER HERE!
Night of the Living Bread (Sugar & Spice Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Iowa
Publisher : Oliver Heber Books (May 27, 2025)
Print length : 223 pages
ASIN : B0F17HPMMT
About the Book:
Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are up to their aprons in community cookbook projects, but Sugar can’t resist when the Jameson County Historical Society asks for their assistance with a cookbook featuring bread recipes. But they’ve barely begun when suddenly troubles are on the rise. Marla, the board’s president is stabbed with a bread knife, her best friend, Mame, is a suspect & some dough (of the money kind) is missing.
As Sugar and Dixie try to save the cookbook project and help Mame, things take a twist with a second body. But what’s the connection? And who in St. Ignatius has been keeping secrets? And, mostly importantly, will Sugar and Dixie be able to figure out whodunnit before the killer catches up with them and they are toast.
My Review:
What a fun cozy mystery, full of intrigue and amazing recipes! This is the first book I’ve read in the Sugar & Spice series, but it reads easily as a standalone. (I did notice that as of writing this book one in the series, Game of Scones, is free on Kindle – not sure how long that will last, but I grabbed it!)
Sugar and Dixie are wonderful characters, and what a unique business they have created. Their partnership is fun to see in the works. I’m always intrigued by the occupations of sleuths in cozy mysteries and it’s especially interesting when it’s something I’d never thought of before.
The mystery was solid – and happens early in the story, which I enjoy as that gives readers lots of time to investigate along with Sugar. While I did have a guess as to the true culprit, I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see the big reveal. It was a nail-biter.
I loved all the details the author adds to the story – I was pulled in right away and could easily visualize the town, the people and most especially the food. Oh my gosh those recipes featured in the back. I will certainly be trying a few of those.
I’m so glad I’ve been introduced to this series and look forward to reading more!
About the Author:
Mary Lee Ashford is a national best-selling author, a lifelong bibliophile, an avid reader, and a supporter of public libraries. In addition to writing the Sugar & Spice series for Oliver Heber Books, she also writes the Pampered Pets mystery series as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey. Prior to publishing, Mary Lee won first place in the Daphne du Maurier contest and was a finalist in Murder in the Grove’s mystery contest and Killer Nashville’s Claymore Dagger contest.
She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and a former board member of the Mystery Writers of America Midwest chapter, as well as a member of Novelists, Inc., and Sisters in Crime Guppies.
She loves encouraging writers and is a frequent lecturer and workshop presenter for writers’ groups. Mary Lee has a long-time interest in creativity and teaches a university-level course on creative management. She also presents workshops and blogs about creativity and the writing craft.
She currently resides in the Midwest with her husband, Tim, and Zoey, her feline coworker. When she’s not writing, her passions are reading, travel, and time with her family, especially her six grandchildren.
Author Links:
Purchase Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Kobo –
TOUR PARTICIPANTS:
- May 27 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
- May 27 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW
- May 28 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
- May 28 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
- May 29 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
- May 30 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
- May 31 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – RECIPE POST
- May 31 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
- June 1 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
- June 2 – Frugal Freelancer – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
- June 3 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
- June 3 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
- June 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
- June 5 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
- June 6 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST
- June 7 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
- June 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
- June 9 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
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