Dollycas’s Thoughts

The Yeast of Eden Bakery is drawing quite a bit of attention and now it is going to be featured in the pilot episode of Best Bakeries in America, a new reality show on the food channel. Ivy is so happy for her mentor, Olaya. She is going to be able to share her Bread for a Life Program that helps immigrants and low-income women gain confidence and independence as they work their way out of challenging situations.

The crew from the food channel arrives and there are a few petty disagreements between them but filming finally starts and things appear to be going well until during a break the cameraman is run down by a car right outside of Yeast of Eden.

With the lack of evidence, Ivy knows she can do a little sleuthing to knead out the suspects and their motives, hopefully find the truth before anyone else gets hurt.

I always enjoy my visits to Santa Sofia. In this story, I really enjoyed the way Olaya set up her class giving each student a turn to lead and share a bread from their culture. Such a true example of how recipes are shared and enjoyed and passed on generation after generation. It also enables readers to get to know these characters better. When Olaya gets sick we also see how the relationship between her, Ivy, and Penelope Brandford continues to grow. Ivy and Miguel’s relationship is also evolving nicely. Ms. Archer has done a wonderful job of creating characters that have dimension and layers.

The mystery was complicated by the number of suspects and the fact that Ivy didn’t know anyone from the food channel crew so she had to dig deep. Again there were twists upon twists with a red herring or two too! Then, of course, Ms. Archer throws in the last epic twist. Then all the clues fall into place for Ivy. I had an inkling about what happened but was not fully committed to anyone until is was all spelled out for Emmaline and in turn me.

One of the problems with this series is the food descriptions from Miguel’s restaurant and from Olaya’s bakery. My stomach was continually growling. I do love that the recipe for Hembesha, an East African Spiced Bread, and Rosemary Bread are included in the book.

Dough or Die mixes genuine characters, an intriguing mystery, and bread, bread, and more bread into a delectable story. I can’t wait for my next visit to Santa Sofia.

Winnie Archer has written another book that pulls you into the story until you can feel yourself right there in the midst of the action!

Reality TV has come to Santa Sofia, or more to the point to Yeast of Eden. with a show about America's Best Bakeries, a local presenter is one of the two co-presenters on the show but she seems determined to muscle her way to the top spot which leads to tensions within the filming team. No one though expects one of the team to be mown down by a hit and run driver! That would be bad enough but then another member of the team is murdered, now Ivy along with her neighbour Mrs Bamford (and of course Santa Sofia's finest in the form of her best friend Emmeline) before more people end up six feet under!

This was my first venture into a series by this author. One of things I like most in a cozy mystery writer is if they can have the story make sense to the reader. Especially when they jump into it in the middle of the series like I did for Dough or Die. I really like the messaging in this book towards the importance of support towards abused women and children and the rising need of more community supports to help those in similar situations.

I was quite impressed with the twists and turns in this mystery, Archer really caught me off guard with where the mystery took a turn down in the end. It was fun to try and piece together all the hints after knowing who dunnit.
This was a fun little mystery to spend my afternoon with, I'm looking forward to checking out the rest of this series.

This was a wonderful addition to the Bread Shop Mystery series. I loved that it was centered around Olaya's bakery, Yeast of Eden. Olaya is working with women from a shelter doing a program she calls "Bread For Life". Along with that, Yeast of Eden, Olaya and the program are being highlighted in a reality cooking show. Shortly after the filming begins, there is a hit and run involving the show's cameraman and the death of one of the hosts, putting Ivy into sleuth mode. Are the two crimes connected? Who is going on a crime spree?

Once again, Winnie Archer, aka Melissa Bourbon, has penned a wonderful mystery with an original plot and great characters. The women from the shelter are from all over the world and in the Bread For Life Program are sharing breads from their own cultures. Now that there has been a murder, will the show go on? There were not a lot of suspects in this one, so Ivy had her work cut out for her. She was able to use her intuition to pick a small thing and tug at it until something clicked. Once again, there was an interesting motive, yet the obvious culprit was not the perpetrator. This is the best one so far and I really enjoyed meeting all the new characters introduced as well as spending time with the regulars. I do recommend this book, and suggest you read them in order because they are all enjoyable, but there is character development that you would miss out on.

This is the first book in the series that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was easy for me to read as a standalone and I intend to read the previous books now. There is a large cast of characters and I loved their diversity. I also spent the entire book hungry... Yeast of Eden.... yum!

This time around, Yeast of Eden, is being filmed for a baking reality show. Ivy gets caught up when the cameraman is involved in a hit & run. To help her friend & mentor Olaya & the bakery, Ivy must sleuth again. This series has really become a favourite & each book gets better & better. Archer combines baking, mystery, friendship & a dash a humour extremely well. Mrs. Bradford is a delight! I always enjoy when she’s involved in the mystery. You really can’t go wrong with the series & I think it has some of the best cozy mystery pun titles out there.

This is the fifth book in the Bread Shop Mystery series. It was a nice cozy mystery set in a bakery that is hosting a cable food network. It was fun to read about the behind the scenes parts of TV. Of course, there’s a crime to solve! This was a nice getaway during the pandemic.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Winnie Archer outdoes herself yet again with this installment of the Bread Shop Mysteries!
The author continues her weave her tales with amazing skill. Each time I think that I have the mystery figured out, new clues are dropped to either make me second guess myself, or turn my attention to someone else entirely. The characters themselves are warm, engaging, and people that you would want to meet and know in real life.
Readers should also be warned... this is not a book to read when you're hungry. Between the descriptions of the bread lovingly created at Yeast of Eden (the bread shop referenced in the series) and the food prepared by the characters, especially Miguel (local restaurant owner and main character Ivy's boyfriend), your taste buds will be salivating, even if you've just eaten a 5 course meal!
Overall, I find myself thoroughly enjoying each book in this series, as well as eager to discover the next installment at the conclusion of each story.

A good mystery that kept me guessing and recipes that kept me full, what's not to like. I recommend for mystery lovers

I love cozy mysteries, and this one had a lot more substance than most. As usual, I started reading this series out of order (this is the first one in the series I've read) but it doesn't matter because the author sums up everything the reader needs to know.

The main character is Ivy Culpepper, who assists the owner of the bakery Yeast of Eden (how can you not love that name?) with bread-making and running her shop every day. At the end of the day, any unsold products are donated to a local food pantry. They also run a program called Bread for Life, which allows women from various cultures to get together and share bread recipes from their home countries. The women bond and become something of a family.

When a reality TV show films the Bread for Life program for a pilot, not all of the women are comfortable with the hosts (one of whom is a bit of a drama queen). When someone is run over, then another person is murdered, Ivy needs to begin sleuthing before the bad publicity causes Yeast of Eden to lose customers.

The story also involves Ivy volunteering at a local women's shelter, and many of the women living there have experienced domestic violence. I love that author Winnie Archer threw in some statistics about abuse and treated the situation as a serious one. Many cozies are more fluff than substance (that's part of what we love about them), but I definitely appreciate whenever there is a more serious issue.

The cast of characters is a great mix - Ivy is confident and finding her place in the world, bakery owner Olaya has an interesting story and is very lovable. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozies.

I loved this installment in this cozy mystery series. The setting was fun, and I loved the mystery. I will definitely be continuing with the series.

I am loving this series so much! I'm obsessed.

A new reality show featuring local bakeries is being filmed and they want to start with Yeast of Eden. When two of the people involved with the new show are hurt, can Ivy Culpepper find out what connects them and why they were hurt?

I'm loving getting to know Ivy so much. I love all of her friends and family. While she did some things that made me a little uncomfortable in this book, I understood her decisions. I was completely caught off guard at the end. I had no idea the ending was coming! I also enjoy that the books in this series don't end immediately after the mystery is solved. The reader gets a little bit more to finish the whole story. I can't wait to read the next one!

3.75*/5

This was the first book in the series that I've read, but it definitely won't be the last! Overall, a really solid read. I didn't feel at all lost, despite the rather large cast of characters within it, and the sense of place and each person within it was very well done. I loved Olaya's bakery and her philosophy about bread, and the different breads that were described and made sounded utterly delicious.

One of the things that pulled the star rating down, for me, was the big storyline build-up of Sandra Mays being so awful, but which fizzled almost completely once she'd been murdered. There were also several points in the killer's confession that sounded ridiculous, particularly after the way the story was built up.

But those remain my niggles, and did not, overall, detract from the enjoyment I got from this book. I'm looking forward to going back to the beginning and/or continuing the series.

Ivy Culpepper works at the Yeast of Eden Bakery, a very popular destination for tourists and locals. A cable food channel has selected the bakery as a featured culinary delight for a new show. Filming was going along fine until the cameraman was mowed down by a hit and run driver. While Ivy is trying to figure out who would have done such a thing in their small town, one of the stars of the show is murdered. It's up to Ivy and her best friend, the sheriff to figure out who's behind all this.

I've enjoyed this series and I think I can safely say this one was my favorite.
There is a bit of a large cast of characters including the baking group the main character Ivy, the bakery owner and workers, Ivy's boyfriend and then all the crew from the reality show filming. Then there are witnesses and suspects and well there are just a bunch of people involved in this one.
But Winnie Archer does a great job of developing characters and describing them. Even the lesser characters that are only in a few scenes are well developed.
There are lot of clues and a few suspects but even mystery to keep you involved and turning the pages.
I especially like how the author introduced the method of Key Hole gardening when Ivy volunteered at the women's shelter to investigate a lead. I had never heard of Key Hole gardening and it was interesting.
I like the relationship of Ivy and her boyfriend he jumped right in and helped her even though he couldn't actually go in the shelter he was the delivery boy. What a guy!
And the bread. My mouth was watering. There were alot of ethnic breads baked and mentioned.
If you like a good Cozy with a great story and some great characters check out the series.

I received a complimentary copy.

Ivy Culpepper works at Yeast of Eden with Olaya Solis making artisan breads and other bake goods. Yeast of Eden has been selected to be the first bakery spotlighted for a TV Bakery series. There are clashes at the start between the 2 co-hosts and when the cameraman, Ben, is a victim of a hit-and-run and the arrogant host is found murdered, Ivy feels she needs to find out more about these people who have invaded their peaceful bakery and turned it upside down.

Ivy starts her investigations by volunteering at a woman's shelter where Ben had also given his time to see what she can find there. How the women's shelter tied into the story was an interesting turn.

This series has some wonderful characters and recipes too, but I think that the sheriff needs to be a bit stronger in the story instead of Ivy taking the lead.

Looking for a relaxing getaway? Join the characters of Santa Sofia and enjoy the peaceful views of the beach and the aromas of Yeast of Eden's breads. The bread is so sensational that it has attracted cable food channel. Everyone piles into the bakery excited to be included in the filming. But they might get more than they bargain for. Attempted murder is sliced up and served, whether anyone wants it to happen or not.

Try and solve the mystery along with these delightful characters, but do it quickly! Another murder might just be lurking around the corner.

Dough or Die: A Bread Shop Mystery
By Winnie Archer
Kensington
October 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

Ivy Culpepper unexpectedly found her joy and purpose in life as an apprentice baker in California’s Yeast of Eden bakery, so it’s no surprise that that the Queen Baker Olaya Solis also inspires other women in the community. The Bread for Life program is designed to help Santa Sofia’s low income and immigrant women learn skills that will make them employable as well as build up their self-confidence. Its inspirational agenda has caught the attention of a food travel television show, one which plans to film inside of the bakery while the women share their stories. Celebrity host and former local TV star Sandra Mays doesn’t seem that amenable to sharing the spotlight though, as she and her Top Chef co-host battle for control along with screen time. When Ivy witnesses one of their camera operators be intentionally targeted in a hit-and-run car incident - followed by a much more successful attack on another crewmember - she knows that the visiting television crew has stirred up resentment along with delicious bread starters.

While Ivy’s best friend Sherriff Emmaline Davis would prefer that Ivy leave the investigation to the professionals, a break-in at Ivy’s home and her own stalking by SUV make that impossible. After learning that the camera operator Ben Nader was a volunteer at a local women’s shelter, Ivy can’t help but wonder if one of the abusers is taking his revenge. While the women of Bread for Life showcase Mexican tachigual, Canadian bannock, and East African Eritrean hembesha recipes, Ivy investigates the lives of the victims and their abusers. Even though she may have reignited her relationship with her high school boyfriend Miguel Baptista, Ivy has her own regrettable relationship that may have led to current problems.

This fifth in the series continues to highlight not just the enviable setting of Northern California, but also the healing power of food. Olaya teaches how to use baking and eating as therapy, both for the providers and the consumers. Especially timely is how sharing family recipes allows the women of Bread for Life to embrace their memories and celebrate their cultures. Traditions surrounding these foods can be traced back to their deep history and origins, and to forget them is to forget ancestral connections. The use of a very modern reality television cooking show to present this is an effective method of drawing in readers and making it a fun and engaging novel. While Ivy’s pursuit for information within the protected women’s shelter may seem relentless and a little intrusive, her heart is always in the right place and full of empathy for others. Baking, recipes, and the multi-cultural setting of Santa Sofia make this a fun and rewarding read for those looking to mix up murder with the tantalizing world of baking.

Ivy has fully embraced her new role in the bread shop just in time for a reality t.v. show to start filming what they do. Olaya is excited about the chance at least until she gets sick. This means Ivy has to take over which would not be a problem if things went well. During a break the cameraman is hit by a car that takes off. She starts asking questions but then has doubts as similar car incidents start to occur to her as well. No clue how they are LinkedIn she plows on anyways. Then one of the hosts is found dead making things even more complicated. None of the clues are lining up for her for the longest time then it all starts to fall together with a surprising conclusion. This all makes for fascinating cozy that is full of good food and friends working together to solve the mystery. A pleasant read for fans of the genre. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.

3.5 stars

Dough or Die is an intriguing mystery with delightful main characters (Olaya!) to keep you entertained and delicious, mouthwatering bread to keep you hungry haha.

I really really like Olaya – she is just a little mysterious and a lot goodhearted, and her heart to empower women who have had a rough time is definitely something I can embrace. Her work ethic and compassion are inspiring, and she’s the kind of character you can easily picture as you read. Ivy is also engaging, and their respect & affection for each other easily adds warmth to the story. The supporting characters are equally likable (except for the ones we aren’t supposed to like, of course) and keep the story moving along.

The plot was intriguing, with multiple suspects, nods to popular culture, and a reveal I didn’t quite see coming as clearly as perhaps I should have. I did have a serious problem with the way Ivy conducted part of her amateur investigation in this book – it threw out all the understood rules of interacting with a typically-protected group of people, and her choices unnecessarily endangered them. I was disappointed with the precedent this set – as well as with the strong (though fortunately infrequent) language. On a personal note, I read cozy mysteries in part because it’s generally accepted that cursing and profanity will be mild, if any are used at all, and reading several profane uses of Jesus’ names was more than a bit jarring to say the least.

Bottom Line: Dough or Die is a bread lover’s delight, and you’ll find yourself drooling over the delicious recipes that are whipped up at Yeast of Eden & by Ivy’s chef boyfriend. The way the continuing characters interact with each other – their genuine friendships, etc – is definitely a highlight of the series, and Olaya in particular is the rock of the stories even though Ivy may be the protagonist. To be honest, I was disappointed in the direction this book went and in the strong profanity that usually is absent in this genre. Take those two issues away, though, and you’ve got an entertaining read that will keep you guessing!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)