For me, what elevates a cozy from a 4- to 5-star book isn't just the good writing, the plot or the characters it's an infusion of humanity or universal truth to the storytelling. At Yeast of Eden, the Bread for Life programs draws immigrant women into a program where they learn and share indigenous bread recipes and use the breadmaking sessions to conquer the barriers among people. A new reality show wants to feature Yeast of Eden and its programs on their pilot episode. However, it seems that there is dissension between the cohosts that may impact the show. Ivy Culpepper is learning breadmaking and more from Olaya. The power of friendship and fellowship is important. Hopefully solving the murder won't impact those connections. Of course, the mystery is well developed and interesting, as are the characters. Highly recommended.

New author for me; enjoyed the characters and the mystery was believable. Ivy is working for Olaya, the owner Yeast of Eden, having become good friends, she goes along with her accepting a reality baking show to promote the unique bakery. That's when the trouble starts! I find Ivy a little pushy, making it her business to boost Olaya's bakery, her digging into the crimes, when her sister in law is the Sheriff; she doesn't seem to deserve her boyfriend either!? Will give it one more book.
I recommend! Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

Ivy and Em solved the two mysteries in this enjoyable read. Reunited family, a wedding date set and great recipes are sure to please.

Dough or Die was my first exposure to the Bread Shop Mystery series. Ivy Culpepper works at Yeast of Eden, a Mexican bakery in her beachy hometown of Santa Sofia.

Yeast of Eden has the opportunity to be on a new TV series showcasing bakeries across the country (think Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, but with pastries...) Except the on-air personalities don't get along. At all. And when one crew member is hit by a car and another is found dead near the bakery, Ivy decides to help find out if the attempted murder and, uh, actual murder are connected.

This is a well thought out mystery - the clues are there, pointing to the culprit, but my dumb brain didn't pick up on them until later in the book. As per usual in a cozy mystery, the bakery sounds lovely. Yeast of Eden owner Olaya is a great character, although I wish she would have been featured more prominently in this story.

[slightly spoilery content ahead]

I wasn't sure how I felt about the use of a women's shelter as a plot point here. It made sense (and made for a great mystery) but some of Ivy's behavior had me cringing. She violates the privacy of some of the residents and seems to focus more on solving the crimes in the book rather than protecting the women who stay at the shelter. I wish the same conclusion could have been reached in a slightly different manner.

Thank you Kensington Books for sending me a NetGalley ARC of this book!

Dough or Die was such a fun and engaging read. The plot had a few twist and turns and red herrings that made you guess a bit more. I also really liked several of the characters, especially Olaya and the "bread crew". A few other things I really liked was Olaya's philosophy when it comes to her bakery and baked goods, in addition to the fact that the book touches upon domestic violence and women's shelters.

After being approached by a local cable network about featuring Yeast of Eden in their pilot episode for Best Bakeries in Town, Ivy convinces her good friend and bakery owner Olaya to accept this opportunity for free publicity. Tensions run high as the filming crew arrives and start to set up equipment around the shop. It soon becomes apparent that there is no love lost between the co-hosts. When a member of the filming crew is hit in a seemingly intentional hit and run, suspicions run rampant. When a second tragedy occurs involving a different member of the crew, Ivy is convinced there is something sinister at work. In an effort to spare Yeast of Eden and her friend Olaya any negative publicity, Ivy begins her own investigation, starting with the women's shelter our hit and run victim volunteered for.
Dough or Die is the fifth installment in the always satisfying Yeast of Eden bread shop mystery series. Ivy, Olaya, and Penelope are back along with a cast of new dynamic characters in the form of a filming crew. The addition of the reality television show and the filming crew add a fresh and exciting perspective to the series. The mystery itself is multi layered and complex with an attempted as well as an actual murder taking place in a short span of time. There were false starts and stops at each turn as well as secrets left to uncover from the past that play a part in the current drama unfolding. The main characters were once again the star of the show with their warm and endearing friendship that always counterbalance the darker undertones of murder in the story. The bakery is a central theme in the series and the author is a mater at skillfully mixing in plenty of mouth watering descriptions of bread making into the mystery. I highly recommend this book to those looking for a quick mystery read with a wonderful set of dynamic characters and a charming setting.

small-business, small-town, law-enforcement, television, murder, murder-investigation, attempted-murder, amateur-sleuth

The good news is that you won't seem to miss a thing if you haven't read earlier books in the series. On other news, it made me want to hunt up and read others in the series. Ivy is a character I can relate to as she is pointedly curious, not perfect, and has a sense of humor. Olaya and her bakery Yeast of Eden are the other side of the Pacific and Equator of Corinna Chapman and her shop Earthly Delights. Olaya's other mission is to empower marginalized women through making and promoting the breads of their home peoples. The mystery is well done, too!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This series just keeps getting better and better. The way the author writes each page, it is like you are taking a walk right along with the characters trying to piece together a mystery that just doesn't quit. I love everything about this series and this book is just the perfect addition!

Since I like to watch reality TV shows about baking/cooking, I guess it's no surprise I enjoy them as plot devices, too! I enjoyed this cozy and felt like the author did a good job of handling a rather large cast of characters--especially since this is the first book in this series that I've read, although it's book #5. I look forward to going back to the beginning (and maybe learning how Ivy actually earns a living, since I can't see how she's supporting herself as an intern at a tiny bread shop).

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting and it's a fast read. The reveal of the bad guy is interesting and convoluted. #DoughorDie #NetGalley

I love the descriptions of all this delicious bread! I want to visit this town and especially Ivy's home. This was an exciting mystery with excellent twists and turns.

Dough or Die is the 5th in the Bread Shop series by Winnie Archer but each book can be read as a stand alone. In this book, a reality show has come to Santa Sofia and will be featuring Yeast of Eden’s Bread for Life program in the pilot episode. It is clear from the start that the reality is that the show’s co-hosts do not get along. When the cameraman is run down in front of the bread shop and the murder of a co-host follows, Ivy Culpepper, baking apprentice and our protagonist, must jump into action to solve the mystery.

The delightful mix of characters and their complex relationships will appeal to all readers. The mouth-watering descriptions of the breads are an added bonus that will have you firing up your oven or heading out to your local artisan bakery. This is the perfect book to while away a summer day. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy.

When a realty TV show arrives to film in Yeast of Eden, Ivy Culpepper is thrilled at the exposure it will bring. The TV show wants to film Olaya's Bread for Life class she teaches which features four women of diverse backgrounds. Everything seems to be going well except for the open hostility between the show's co-hosts. When Ivy witnesses one of the crew being run down by a vehicle. she worries the incident will unfavorably impact the bakery so she sets out to discover who the driver was. When someone else on the crew is murdered, Ivy has her hands full with trying to investigate. A few twists and turns and the plot takes the reader to an unlikely place.

A first for me with this series, and I'll be checking out more after this great read. A reality show in a bakery and a crewman is taken out. An enjoyable read, but I was missing a bit the background from the previous books.

Just didn't catch my interest. Mainlybecause Ivy was not all that appealing a character to me and the author writes about bread as if it were some mystical thing.

Dough or Die by Winnie Archer brings readers back to Santa Sofia and Yeast of Eden for another intriguing and entertaining cozy mystery.

I love this small town and would move there in a heartbeat if I could because these characters have become friends through these books. Ms. Archer's descriptive writing of the town and characters have made me feel right at home. The mystery is quite involved with murder, attempted murder, several suspects, twists and turns and secrets from the past that come to light as Ivy once again begins to investigate. Ms. Archer's writing is so comfortable for me that once I begin reading I don't put the book down until it's finished.

This is the 5th installment in the Bread Shop mystery series. Ivy Culpepper works at the Yeast of Eden Bakery in Santa Sofia California and convinces her boss and bakery owner Olaya to participate in a reality television series who wants to film at the bakery. Tension is apparent as it appears the co-hosts don’t get along and when a cameraman is hit outside the bakery in an apparent hit and run but when a co-host ends up dead, Ivy is convinced they are related and she does not want any bad publicity for Olaya. Ivy begins her sleuthing and it is a quick and engaging read. This is a good installment in this series. Great entertainment during these times.

I love the title of this book and the vibrant colors in the cover design are very eye catching.
Ivy Culpepper is a strong character with a gentle side. Working with her mentor in the Yeast of Eden bakery allows Ivy to heal from her past and move into her future. That’s what the owner of the bakery is trying to do when she offers the women in a local shelter a chance to learn and heal by baking bread.
When a reality Tv show begins filming at the bakery, things take a terrible turn when a vicious murder takes place.
It’s up to Ivy to dig deep and find out who the murderer is.
I enjoyed this story a lot, it is well written and grabbed my attention from the very beginning.

I enjoy reading about Ivy and her inspirations working at the bakery with bread. I do wonder how she is able to make a living as a freelance photographer when she seems to never be doing any of that. She comes across as a genuinely nice person so it is easy to read from her perspective. This story had several layers to it so it keeps you guess as to what is related or were the problems done by different people? The ending does come together but there are some details that could have been fleshed out a bit better to really make the resolution solid.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of DOUGH OR DIE (Book 5 of the Bread Shop Mysteries) by Winnie Archer in exchange for an honest review. Ivy Culpepper has been learning the art of baking from her friend who owns the Yeast of Eden Bakery. When a cable food channel asks to make Yeast of Eden the center of their pilot episode, Ivy advises her friend to take advantage of the free publicity. The arrival of the television people brings more than publicity. Before filming ends, the show’s cameraman is run down in front of the bakery. Though the cameraman had connections to Santa Sofia, no motives for the possible attack are readily apparent. Fearing the incident will negatively impact her friend’s business and also fearing others may be in danger, Ivy begins to investigate both the cameraman and the rest of the television crew.

I liked the storyline and had no problems following the plot. Since I haven’t read the prior books, I was a little out of touch with the characters and their connections. I recommend this book to fans of the series, and I recommend the series to fans of Winnie Archer and to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, bakeries, and pugs.

#DoughorDie #NetGalley