This was such a great story and hopefully beginning of long series as it has so much potential. The story is about Dixie and Sugar who are working on putting together a community cookbook (their fist in a new business venture) and when two of the towns members Elsie Farmer and Bertie (Dixie's Aunt) who runs the town B&B end up getting into a heated argument about whose scone recipe should appear in the book thins really leave Sugar and Dixie in the middle. Sugar decides to go over to visit Elsie and make sure it is ok that both recipes appear in the book and instead she finds Elsie lying in her garden dead with a scone in her hand. Bertie becomes the prime suspect and also happens to be missing herself. The Sheriff and Dixie appear to have some history that Sugar does not know about ( I am sure more will come of this) and Sugar is drawn to Max Windsor the new photographer in town. Sugar finds the grieving husband in the arms of another woman. They finally track down the other woman and then Kenny ends up dead. Now there are 2 murders and Dixie is still trying to find her Aunt. Her Aunt arrives back in town and although still a suspect there are more questions because of the second murder. Was it the other woman Tina? Dixie and Sugar do not think so. Good mystery with a great setting in St. Ignatius Iowa. Will definitely be looking forward to the next installment.

After losing her job at a food magazine, Rosetta Sugarbaker Calloway, “Sugar” to friends, opens a new business with award winning baker Dixie Spicer. Together, the two will shepherd community cookbooks through the publishing process. Their first project is for the centennial of the town where they live, St. Ignatius, Iowa. However, this cookbook has heated up the feud between Elsie, a member of the most prominent family in town, and Bertie, Dixie's aunt. The two are fighting over which of their scone recipes should be included in the book. When Sugar goes to meet with Elsie to attempt to reach a resolution, she finds Elsie's dead body. Bertie is the prime suspect, but she has disappeared. Is she in danger as well, or is she the killer?

This book gets this new series off to a fun start. Sugar and Dixie are a great duo, and they are surrounded by a fun group of family and friends. I enjoyed getting to know them here, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better in future books. The town is wonderful, with all the hallmarks of a delightful cozy setting, and I enjoyed the fact that it is in Iowa, not some place we typically go for cozies. I did feel the pacing of the mystery was a bit off, but this never lasted for long, and we had a great climax. We get a total of three recipes at the end of the book, including both scone recipes.

This is book one in the new "Sugar And Spice" Mystery series. I found this quite a enjoyable read and a compelling promising series that I look forward to reading. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the ARC. My opinions are my own. I was thrilled to find out that author is part of the duo that writes the "Sparkle Abbey" mystery series which is delightful .

Sugar is our protagonist who has sunk everything she has in a new business venture with her partner after moving to a very small charming town in Iowa. She wants to publish community cookbooks and is of the hope that project will prove popular in her small town. The project is unfinished because one of their backers is found murdered, She immediately decides to be the one who jumps in to solve the case to help save her personal investment. When a second death occurs the mystery deepens and Sugar and her partner are on the case.

The characters are all entertaining as is the small town of gossip and innuendo. The plot was likable and the writing well crafted and had a nice pace without unnecessary details. I enjoyed this first in series and look forward to the following books in the series. Sugar is a believable, hard working independent protagonist . This is rare in cozies as usually the protagonist is living off their families trust funds and inheritance. So I appreciated reading about a independent woman who has taken control of her own life. Recipes are at the end of the book and I hope that will continues with the next in series. All in all a very enjoyable mystery and a great start to the series. Cross posted review.

Rosetta "Sugar'' Calloway was recently downsized out of her job as a senior food editor for a magazine. She has relocated to the small town of St. Ignatius, Iowa and started a cookbook business with her friend, Dixie Spicer. Sugar & Spice Publishing. Their first project is a local publication for Founder’s Day. Of course the usual drama occurs- disagreements on recipes to include, who controls the power, and who will get their way.

One of the major backers is murdered and the hunt is on. Will the cookbook be published, how will it come together, if it is, and who will pay for it?

I really enjoy this story. This is the first in the series. The small town feel, the police are not treated as incompetent, and there is character bonding. I liked how the main and minor players are introduced to the reader. The red herrings were great and I was not absolutely sure who the killer was until the reveal.

Give this new series a try, you won’t be disappointed.

I look forward to another installment, I can only imagine it will get better and better. I would like to know more about Spice and the sheriff’s past.

Bonus: scone and broccoli recipes at the end.

Rosetta “Sugar” Sugarbaker Calloway lost her publishing job and has come to St. Ignatius, Iowa to join her friend Dixie Spicer in a new business venture. Sugar and Spice Publishing creates community cookbooks for fundraisers. The Founders' Day cookbook committee meeting gets very heated between two women wanting their scone recipe to be included. Then Elsie Farmer is found dead at her home by Sugar, and her scone rival, Dixie's aunt Bertie, is the prime suspect. As Sugar and Dixie work on the tight deadline to finish the cookbook in time for the Founders' Day festivities, they do their own snooping to help clear Bertie and find the real killer. Most of the book focuses on the detailed processes involved in creating the cookbook and less on the mystery. This was a quick read and good start to a tasty series. There are several recipes listed at the end.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

As co-owner of Sugar and Spice Cookbooks, Sugar Calloway has seen simple confections bring friends together and spark fiery feuds. Except this time, the recipe truly is to die for. . . After losing her job as food editor at a glossy magazine, Rosetta Sugarbaker Calloway—aka “Sugar” to friends, isn’t sweet on accepting defeat and crawling back to her gossipy southern hometown. When she has an opportunity to launch a community cookbook business with blue-ribbon baker Dixie Spicer in peaceful St. Ignatius, Iowa, she jumps at the chance to start over from scratch.

As Sugar assembles recipes for the local centennial celebration, it’s not long before she’s up to her oven mitts in explosive threats, too-hot-to-handle scandals, and a dead body belonging to the moody matriarch of the town’s first family. With suspicions running wild, Sugar and Spice must solve the murder before someone innocent takes the heat—and the real culprit gathers enough ingredients to strike again.

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Series: A Sugar & Spice Mystery - Book 1
Author: Mary Lee Ashford
Genre: Cozy/Culinary/Business Mystery
Publisher: Lyrical Underground

Game of Scones is the debut book in the new “A Sugar & Spice Mystery” series by Mary Lee Ashford. Ms. Ashford is not new to the cozy book industry. She is half of the writing duo of Sparkle Abbey, author of the national best-selling Pampered Pets mystery series from Bell Bridge Books (http://www.bellebooks.com).

Sugar loves her new home in St. Ignatius, Iowa. Even though having everything she has tied up in a new business venture is stressful, she knows that she and her partner, Dixie can and will be successful. It is just going to take a lot of work, and she has never been afraid of hard work. But when their very first project is in jeopardy before it's even finished because one of their backers is murdered, she jumps in to solve the case before it puts her in the poor house.

The characters in this book are well developed and highly entertaining. They each have distinctive characteristics that make them instantly loved. Even the murderer and the victim aren’t hated by the community or by the reader. The killer, in particular, is a likable character, and some readers will even feel pity for the motive.

The setting is great for this type of story. Small town life can often seem to be one giant gossip fest and knowing everyone who lives there is like have a giant extended family. Like many families, they have the good and bad, but when it comes down to it, they are always there for each other.

The story is fast-paced without skimping on the detail. The writing is intelligent and smooth with easy transitions. The delicious recipes contained in the book are included and will cause the readers mouth to water. The second book in this series comes out in 2019, and readers will grab it up as soon as it hits the bookstore shelves. I highly recommend Game of Scones to anyone who loves a great who-done-it

ARC Provided by NetGalley

Game of Scones by Mary Lee Ashford is the first book of the cozy A Sugar & Spice Mystery series. This series introduces Rosetta Sugarbaker Calloway who prefers to just be called Sugar by her friends. After losing her job at a magazine Sugar teamed up with baker Dixie Spicer, the other half of Sugar and Spice, to start a cookbook in the small town of St. Ignatius, Iowa.

Sugar and Dixie came up with the idea of making the cookbook a community effort but as they are gathering recipes for the centennial celebration they find out pleasing everyone is not as easy as it sounds. As much as they knew there were bickering and threats they never expect to find a dead body and have a murder to be solved on their hands.

Yes, it’s another small town cozy with quirky characters and lots of culinary delights for the foodies out there, there are even some yummy recipes included in case the book gives readers cravings. This was a solid start to the new series with decent mystery to solve to clear the aunt of one of the characters of a murder charge. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what happens with the characters in the next installment of the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A nice start to a new cozy series. It's got the basics- with a twist. Sugar is starting over in the small town of St Ignatius, working with her friend Dixie to put together community cookbooks. I learned a bit about that process, btw, which was appreciated. Unfortunately, the tensions in St Ignatius lead to murder! Dixie's aunt is arrested and everyone knows she didn't do it but who did? There's a little romance with Max the photographer and some romantic tension Dixie and the sheriff. There's also a subplot involving the landlady which doesn't add to the story particularly but doesn't detract from it either. All in all, as often the case with the initial book, there's stuff here which I suspect will be followed up on in future installments. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. OH- and there are receipes!

This multi-arc mystery was nicely done and immediately pulled me in as the narrative tantalized me as we are introduced to the various people and their role in their interaction with Sugar and Dixie. Just chatting with people here and there leads to people who had a stronger motive for the murder and deciphering the clues that would lead to the killer’s identity. I found the tone very comfortable and the pacing was on par with how well this story was being told. Boasting an eclectic and lovable cast of characters with the feel of a small-town atmosphere, this was a fun and enjoyable tale and I can’t wait to see what adventures are in store for Sugar and Dixie. I also enjoyed the appearances of Max and the sheriff who look like potential romantic partners for our duo.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Rosetta Sugarbaker Calloway aka Sugar left her southern Mama's matchmaking schemes behind and took off for a high falutin' job at a publishing company in the Midwest, where she worked in marketing. Since the publisher went belly up, Sugar now works in partnership with Dixie "Spice" Spicer, the best cook in Jameson County, Iowa to publish community cookbooks. After two local elderly ladies become embroiled in a war over whose scone recipe will be included in the St. Ignatius Founders' Day cookbook, Sugar must summon all her marketing skills to appease the ladies. When she tries to approach Elise Farmer, wife of a prominent businessman, Sugar is horrified to find Elsie lying dead with a scone in her hand. Worse, the police suspect Elsie's rival, Dixie's aunt Bertie. Dixie is spitting mad. Her Aunt Bertie would never harm a soul and her rivalry with Elsie was just show. The local sheriff isn't convinced. Now Sugar and Spice have a mystery to solve in addition to making preparations for the cookbook, including hiring hunky photographer Max to do the photoshoot. Sugar also has to deal with an elderly landlady who can't let go of her old home and possessions and a cranky neighbor who hates Sugar for no good reason. Good thing she has her cat Ernest to rely on.

This is a cute new mystery. I like the punny title and since I love scones, I knew I had to read this. I enjoyed the story a lot but guessed right away who the murderer was. It seemed obvious to me because that character was a stereotype. I knew it couldn't be too obvious so I wasn't positive but the clues did point in that direction at times. The writing style is fine. It isn't great but it isn't terrible. There are some tedious moments when the characters' actions are described in every minute detail. I liked the small town charm, especially the diner, and got a good sense of community.

There's a lot of crime in this story and I was left unsatisfied when loose ends were not tied up. I had a theory about a certain character but nothing came of it. I also felt there were too many subplots going on, including lengthy details of what it takes to publish a community cookbook. I did appreciate some of the details, having participated in publishing such a cookbook but it made the story unnecessarily long. I liked the hint of romance between Sugar and Max and possibly Dixie and the sheriff. I didn't really care for the subplot about landlady Greer and her possessions. Her son had a right to be concerned because elder abuse is common but I felt that subplot didn't belong in this murder mystery.

Sugar is an enjoyable and relatable protagonist. I certainly understand her desire to leave behind her hometown and go somewhere new. Her sweet personality helps her make friends in the tight knit community and also helps her in her job dealing with the people of St. Ignatius. I was a bit disappointed she is a cat person whereas I prefer dogs. I liked her chemistry with Max. They form a real connection instead of love at first sight or hate at first sight. I love his passion for whatever subject he is photographing at the moment. It shows his dedication to his craft. Dixie is a bit more interesting to read about than Sugar because of her fiery temper and mysterious antipathy towards the sheriff. I also loved that she has a Cairn Terrier mix puppy, Moto. He stole my heart even though he is hardly in the story.

The townspeople consist of ;primarily older women. Greer, Sugar's landlady, a sweet little old lady with a love for murder mysteries and antiques. I feel she imposes too much on Sugar and should have either taken her treasured possessions or left them with her son. Sugar is a sweetheart to put up with her. Mrs. Pickett, Sugar's neighbor, is a stereotypical cranky old lady. She's nosy and rude in contrast to Sugar's sweet personality. Another rude lady is the murder victim, Elsie Farmer. She sounds like a nasty, controlling woman. Her husband Kenny isn't very likable either. Dixie's Aunt Bertie sounds like a hoot. She's spry enough to run a B&B but a bit secretive. I can see why Dixie loves her, despite the clash with Elsie. Tina Martin runs the local real estate office. I didn't really care for her obsession with looks and her constant chugging of energy drinks. Minnie, Kenny Farmer's personal assistant, is a quiet, mousy little woman who seems afraid of her own shadow. Sheriff Terry is trying his hardest to do his job. He didn't seem incompetent, just a bit frustrated that Dixie keeps hindering his investigation. There's also Disco, real name Dick Fusco, who runs a kitschy shop next to the office of Sugar & Spice Publishing. I didn't like how he was always looking for a handout. He seems like a loser.

The book contains two scone recipes. Aunt Bertie's seems to be adapted from Mary Berry's scone recipe and Elsie's Irish scones are similar to the Scottish ones I make. I hope to try them both!

I enjoyed this first book in this new series. I would recommend this book to cozy mystery fans.

GAME OF SCONES is the first book in the brand new Sugar & Spice Mystery series by Mary Lee Ashford! The premise of Sugar & Spice is cleverly based on the names of the protagonist, Rosetta Sugarbaker Calloway, aka Sugar, and her friend, Dixie Spicer, aka Spice. Together they own Sugar and Spice Publishing Company, which publishes community cookbooks for fundraisers in St. Ignatius, Iowa. I truly enjoyed the insight the author provides about the details of creating the cookbook for their first client, the St. Ignatius Founder Day Committee fundraiser. The mouthwatering descriptions of the dishes Spice tests for the cookbook will leave the reader drooling, along with some interesting regional dishes mention that had me running to Pinterest to find out exactly what it was.

Ms. Ashford has created some fun, well-developed characters for this new series. Sugar and Spice work well together and have great interaction. I like the potential for romantic developments between Spice and the local sheriff (although something happened between them long ago that has caused a riff). And the handsome food photographer might just be interested in Sugar. The action starts right off the bat with a huge dispute between two elderly committee members, almost a cat fight, over whose scone recipe will be included in the cookbook. After Sugar finds one of the women murdered and Spice’s aunt is considered a suspect, they decide to start asking questions to get to the bottom of the mystery. There are plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing and as the two women sift through the clues, the stakes turn even higher when their fledgling business is vandalized. The exciting reveal has some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and I look forward to future installments in this delicious new series!

So many yummy dishes are described as Spice tests the recipes and styles them for the photographer. Ms. Ashford has a delicious way of helping the reader practically see, smell, and taste the dishes prepared. Fortunately, she includes a few recipes at the back of the book that all sound amazing!

This book has all the usual cliche components of a cozy but did not live up to my expectations.
A slow paced mystery with some minimal profanity and it felt more like a story of the cookbook being put together.

I have to admit it was the yummy photo of scones on the cover for this book that led me to read it. The photo looks so good! mmmm. I'm a sucker for culinary cozy mysteries anyway...so I didn't need too hard of a push to read Game of Scones.

Rosetta "Sugar'' Calloway recently left behind her career as a senior food editor for a magazine. When profits started declining she was downsized. So, she has relocated to the small town of St. Ignatius and started a cookbook business with her friend, Dixie Spicer. Sugar & Spice Publishing. Now this isn't a Martha Stewart or Paula Deen type cookbook publisher, but one that centers on community cookbooks.....ones with recipes gathered by local organizations, churches, schools, etc. Their first project is the St. Ignatius Founders Day Commemorative Cookbook. Unfortunately, drama has taken over the planning. Elsie Farmer is at war with the owner of the local B&B over which scone recipe will be included in the book, hers or Bertie's. Small town nonsense turns much more serious when Sugar discovers Elsie's dead body on the ground near her house. The dead woman is found clutching a scone. When Dixie's Aunt Bertie faces arrest for murder, Sugar knows she needs to ferret out the real killer!

I really enjoyed this first book in the Sugar & Spice Mystery series. I grew up in a small town....and live in one now....and the characters, gossip, and little oddities of St. Ignatius made me smile. So much like real life in any small town. From disputes over falling leaves to fights over family recipes.....small town life has its own set of peculiarities. Everyone knows everybody's business. And gossip passes through town at the speed of light. I like the setting for this new series, the characters and the background theme of a small community cookbook publishing business.

All in all, a quick entertaining read. The front cover is engaging....and yummy! There are recipes at the end of the book -- two scone recipes (so you can make a choice between Elsie and Bertie's recipes) and a broccoli dish as well. I will definitely be reading more books in this series!

The second book in this series, Risky Biscuits, will publish in July 2019.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

A different take on an old but well loved premise for cozy mysteries. This book showed the potential for this series. The characters were well rounded and engaging. The mystery and plot were well written and thought out. All in all an enjoyable read.

I really liked this book. I like the interaction between the characters in the book. First book that I have read by this author and hopefully it won't be the last as there are still questions about the people in the town that need to be answered, not anything specific to the book, just some of the relationships and the backstory to those. Looking forward to reading more by this author. Just for informational purposes, I received an advance reader copy of this book but that did not have any impact on my review whatsoever.

Enjoyed this easy read. Very quaint small town setting. I loved that this was a different occupation than what we're used to, and not what I expected. Interesting little side stories throughout the book. Didn't see the killer until she was revealed. Excited for the further adventures of this duo!

This is a great start to a new series. Rosetta “Sugar” Sugarbaker Calloway has come to Iowa to join her friend, Dixie, in creating fundraising cookbooks. A cookbook meeting gets rambunctious (who knew?!) however, and it isn’t long before one of the participants is found dead…by Sugar. In between trying recipes and choosing the right paper for the cookbook, Sugar and Dixie must find the murderer.

I enjoyed this first book in the Sugar and Spice mysteries. It was well-written, flowed nicely, and humorous. It was a joy to get to know the ladies and their friends in town. These, along with a new love interest for Sugar, makes me want to read the next book to continue the story. Great start! I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you Net Galley for my ARC. I am still in the middle of reading this and will finish it. Very easy read and the characters are likable.

The premise for this book is that Rosetta Sugarbaker Calloway (Sugar) has lost her job as a food editor and moved back to her hometown in St. Ignatius, Iowa. There she has formed a cookbook publishing business with her friend Dixie Spicer (Spice), which both desperately need to work out as a business. Their cookbook is then potentially put in jeopardy by one of the town’s financial leaders and contributor to the cookbook turning up dead. Sugar and Spice are then further drawn in when Dixie’s aunt becomes the lead suspect and the sheriff on the case has a history with Dixie.

I found the book a little hard to get into, but it is a sweet relaxing cozy mystery read.

Two women start a business in a small Iowa town, publishing community cookbooks. But, when one of the community members is killed after an argument about whose scone recipe to include, they try to solve the case. There are also two handsome men in the story--the local sheriff and a photographer--to add some romantic interest to the storyline. I enjoyed the mystery and the quirky characters, typical of small towns everywhere. The author paints a realistic picture of this small Midwest town and its people, adding nice depth to the story. I'd read another mystery in this series!