Member Reviews

Ivy is a great protagonist, surrounded by other great characters, all very believable, diverse and well-drawn. This is the second in the series that I've read and I think I need to go back to the beginning of this to fully understand the arc(s) within.

Ivy's boyfriend Miguel is accused of murdering the president of the school board - he dated her briefly about ten years previously - and Ivy is determined to prove his innocence, so sets about investigating. With Mrs Branford's assistance, Ivy uncovers the culprit, along with a sad truth.

The mystery was well done and had a satisfying, if sad, resolution. This is a great series (but I may need to stop reading it if only because I had a brilliant idea for my own writing shortly before I read this, only to find that Ms Archer is WAY ahead of me), and I look forward to reading more.

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Santa Sofia is abuzz with the news that Nessa Renchrik, the School Board President was murdered. Ivy Culpepper listens to the chatter at Yeast of Eden but when she finds that her boyfriend Miguel Baptista may be a suspect because he had an affair with her 11 <u>years</u> ago. The new town detective is trying to solve the murder before the Sheriff, his boss and Ivy's BFF/SIL, returns from her honeymoon. Ivy knows Miguel had nothing to do with it and sets her mind to clear him from police suspicion ASAP.

Love the main characters as well as the background. Recipes sound yummy!

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Ivy Culpepper 's brother Billy and her best friend Sheriff Emmaline are finally getting married. But before the couple could leave on their honeymoon a murder takes place. Emmaline places the task into the hands of new hire Captain Craig York. The victim is Vanessa " Neesa " Renchrek, school board president and not well liked. Em ask Ivy to keep her posted and keep her eyes open. Of course Ivy does more than just keep her eyes and ears open..The list of suspects is major but Captain York seems to be zeroing in on Ivy's love interest Miguel. Can Ivy prove Miguel is innocent and find the real killer without becoming a victim herself??

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relationships, politics, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, cozy-mystery, small-business, small-town, murder, murder-investigation, family, friendship*****

The good news is that you won't seem to miss a thing if you haven't read earlier books in the series. On the other hand, 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. The victim is a conniving political aspirant and the police detective has a decent track record but is new to town (the sheriff is on honeymoon with Ivy's brother). So guess who is more than motivated to (once again) do the kind of sleuthing that only she and her Senior Sleuth neighbor can. Solid mystery with more than enough motives and suspects, plot twists, red herrings, and suspense. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

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Another favorite by a great author. The plot of the story was very well written. The author really draws the reader in as you read. Not what i was expecting.

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This book is the sixth installment in the A Bread Shop cozy mystery series. Each of these books are easy reads with well developed characters that are quick witted and a lot of fun to read. If you love cozy mysteries as much as I do, this is a series you won’t want to miss!

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SERIES: A Bread Shop Mystery #6 - it can be read as standalone
GENRE: cozy mystery
RELEASE DATE: April 27th 2021
RATING: 3,5 ⭐

I admit the cover got me. I requested the ARC for this book immediately after seeing the cover because I mean who can blame me?! This is the sixth book in a series but it can be read as a standalone because I didn't read previous books and I wasn't even aware that this is a series.

Our main investigator is Ivy who together with Penelope and her boss Olaya is trying to solve a Vanessa Renchrik murder. It shouldn't be hard but the main suspect is Miguel Baptista, Ivy's boyfriend. Now, Ivy has to find the real killer.

I liked the setting of a small seaside town in California, the close-knit community, and colorful characters. The storyline is done well and I was left guessing until the end who the killer is. Of course, the fact that there is so much food is added bonus.

This is a perfect read for all cozy mystery lovers.

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Never read this series or the author before starting this book. I feel all the characters in this book are developed, and I really love Ivy and Olaya. I love that this book kept you guessing who did the murder right up to the end. I did guess who did it way better it was revealed, but that did not that anything for the story for me. This was a fun cozy mystery to read, and it was really well written. This story is driven by the characters in the story more then the storyline. If you love cozy mystery with food and great characters then this is the book for you. There is also some bread recipes included in this book.A quickly paced plot, several suspects that were viable considering the victim was not well liked, red herrings, twists and a reveal that made my heart hurt made this a book that I couldn't put down until I finished it.

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In Winnie Archer's latest in her A Bread Shop Mystery series Ivy's boyfriend Miguel is the chief suspect. With the Chief of Police, Ivy's new sister-in-law, on her honeymoon, it is up to Ivy to keep the detective on the case focused on other options besides Miguel. This was a unique mystery with many layers of intrigue. There are also relationship reveals that I delighted in during the course of 'Death Gone A-Rye'. I highly recommend the entire series.

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Fantastic cozy mystery series with likable, relatable characters. It’s the sixth book one might be a touch lost but most likely you’ll be able to proceed with no problem.

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Death Gone A-Rye is a fun cozy mystery. surrounding a bread baker and a lady found dead who worked for the local school board. I thought the mystery was solid and while I had an idea who the culprit was about 3/4 of the way through, the end was still a bit of a surprise. The characters are enjoyable, especially the bread store owner and the older lady who helps solve the mystery. I thought it was great and look forward to reading more in the series.

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"Death Gone A-Rye" was an enjoyable little cozy mystery with a good, well thought out plot and likeable characters.

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*Thank you to Kensington Books, Winnie Archer and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Previously posted on https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/death-gone-a-rye/

What does an investigator do when the school board president is murdered and she has more enemies than amateur Sleuth Ivy Culpepper can count on two hands?

Death Gone A-Rye is the 6th book in the Bread Shop Mystery series by Winnie Archer. It’s unnecessary to read the first five, but it could give the reader more background on the series.

Ivy, a bread baker and amateur photographer, first learns of Nessa Renchrik’s death at her brother Billy’s wedding to her best friend Emmaline. While her chief occupation is assistant bread baker, she is also an amateur sleuth and can’t wait to investigate. When Emmaline, the police chief in Santa Sofia, goes on her honeymoon, Ivy is left to solve the mystery.

Nessa Renchrik is the school board president in the small town of Santa Sofia, on the North coast of California. She is murdered in a conference room on a Saturday morning, when she has no reason to be there. And when Ivy investigates, she soon finds out that everyone is a suspect, as Nessa was not well liked. In fact, no one who knew her liked her. The suspects range from her hairdresser, to her associates on the board, to her husband. No one seems to mourn the loss. When Ivy’s boyfriend, Miguel Bautista, is named the top suspect because of an affair he had with the victim a decade ago, she must move quickly to solve the death and exonerate him.

Winnie Archer has done an outstanding job of moving Death Gone A-Rye along at a great pace. I loved her descriptions of Santa Sofia. She also provided numerous successful red herrings, making the reader think one character is the top suspect until Ivy meets another person who hated Nessa much more than the last. Additionally, there is a wonderful comic element as Ivy moves forward, trying to find someone who mourns her death. If you love cozy mysteries and delicious descriptions of baked bread, this is the book for you.

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0ne of my favorite series where the cozy is enhanced by a little something extra -- a grounding in humanity, the specialness of friendship and an awareness of societal issues -- without diluting all the things we love about cozies. Ivy Culpepper works at the Bread Shop under the tutelage of Olaya while building her photography business. When her best friend, the sheriff, leaves for her honeymoon Ivy is recruited to keep on eye on the new hire York and the death of a school board president. What Ivy learns is that the suspect list is long and the victim was a really unpleasant person. The mystery is solid and the cast of characters are so real and engaging, you will want to read all the books in this series.

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When a murder happens the day of her brother's wedding, Ivy Culpepper agrees to be eyes on the crime as her new sister-in-law, the Sheriff of Santa Sofia, California, leaves on her honeymoon. Ivy has meddled, err, helped, on several occasions before, so she is experienced. The detective in charge is a new hire, and Ivy is distrustful of his abilities. When he sets his sights on someone too close to Ivy, she goes full out detective to find out who really did it. Not easy to do when nobody liked the victim!
Well written with too many potential killers, this is a mystery readers can really have a good time deciding who could be the killer. But Author Winnie Archer doesn't make it easy! The stunning secrets revealed near the end of the book weren't even on my radar! Exciting mystery plus delicious breads (and recipes!) make this a highly recommended book for a wide range of ages. Something for everyone!

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I'm brand new to the cozy mystery genre, and while I can't say its going to a new favorite of mine, I did really enjoy my time reading this story.

We follow Ivy, and her odd band of sleuths (one of whom is a pug named Agatha), and she tries to solve the murder of a controversial school board member in her quaint beachy town. I haven't read any of the other books in the series but obviously this group of misfits has taken it upon themselves to solve the mysteries the police aren't able to. This murder is personal to Ivy, as her boyfriend Miguel is the prime suspect. In order to clear his name, she knows she must solve the crime ASAP.

This is my first trek into the genre so I had no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised and had a fun time reading this campy and cute story. I do find myself missing the more sinister aspects of a murder mystery story, but I knew going in that this wouldn't satisfy that itch and that's totally fine. The characters feel well developed and you're rooting for them throughout. I also really loved the bread shop references and that there are recipes at the end of the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this but cozy mystery probably won't be my genre of choice going forward. Very glad I gave it a chance though.

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Having picked this book up at #6 and not really knowing the characters, I had a time relating. I look forward to starting this series from the beginning.

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Bread makes the world a better place except for one unlucky school district member who ends up murdered and the new detective in town has his sights set on Ivy's beau as the perfect guy to pin the murder on! Once again Ivy and her cohorts are on the case creating wonderful bread creations and solving a murder as they try to get life back on track. This series has the most wonderful diverse cast of characters to lure you in and make you want to stay awhile. Wrap those characters in an intriguing and entertaining plot and you once again have a winner! If you haven't started reading the series, you definitely should although I should also warn you that you will be hungry for fresh bread as you read. Fortunately there are recipes for the wonderful creations that are mentioned in the story at the end of the book! A wonderful cozy mystery for your brain and delightful recipes for your stomach!

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Talk about a book that you just don't want to put down! This is that book! I so want to live in Santa Sofia. The author has created a truly vile victim with a cast of characters who all have been wronged. Grab you a loaf of your favorite bread because once you start reading, you'll not want to stop!
I was given a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. #netgalley
#Keningston

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This book was absolutely marvelous. The characters ate realistic and likable. The plot is so engaging that you will not want to put it down. I read this book in one afternoon. I loved it.

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