Night of the Living Bread by Mary Lee Ashford

Item: Night of the Living Bread
Rating: 4
Author: karenbaron

Posted June 7, 2025 by karenbaron in #BookishRecipe, Blog Tour, Contest - Giveaway, Mystery, Review / 1 Comment

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Night of the Living Bread

by Mary Lee Ashford

Series: Sugar and Spice Mysteries #4
Series Rating:

on May 27, 2025
Setting: St. Ignatius, Iowa
Genres: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Pages: 223
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo

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.

Night of the Living Bread by Mary Lee Ashford is a fun, food-filled mystery.

Will Sugar figure out Marla’s murder?

We find the fourth installment of the Sugar and Spice mysteries packed with the same witty and eccentric characters found in St. Ignatius, Iowa. Sugar and Dixie’s business is going well, with a few new cookbooks in the works. At least, until one of their clients is found murdered right before Sugar is set to meet with her regarding a cookbook for the Jameson County Historical Society. Of course, Sugar can’t stop thinking about it. However, she doesn’t go out of her way to investigate, even though her nosy neighbor wants Sugar to clear her niece’s name.

Sugar is doing great; her relationship with Max, the photographer, is going well. Ernest is his bossy self. Sugar feels as though she should lose a few pounds, but Dixie thinks she is beautiful as is. Sugar also has to face a person from her past whom she doesn’t like. I think she handled it quite well. I like the character Sugar. She is a wonderful friend and has a keen business sense.

Dixie is cooking up magnificent morsels for the cookbooks and sharing them with the townsfolk. And maybe she is getting friendly with the Sheriff, when she isn’t saving Sugar’s bacon, that is.

I would so be friends with these ladies. They are both genuine, caring individuals who take pride in their hometown.

Four Stars

My rating for Night of the Living Bread by Mary Lee Ashford is four stars. I recommend this to all cozy mystery fans. My warning is that Dixie whips up some amazing recipes that might tempt you if you are trying to lose weight.

Recipes included: Greer Gooder’s Easy Homemade Bread, Dixie Spicer’s Blonde Brownies, Skaklee Family Depression Corn Bread, St. Ignatius Band Boosters’ Crunch & Munch, and Jana Dobson’s Double Glazed Lemon Loaf.

Sugar and Spice Mysteries Series

Giveaway

Prize: 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.

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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Night of the Living Bread by Mary Lee Ashford. Take a look at the other stops and enter the giveaway if you have time.

Until the next time,

This Guest Review is for Baroness’ Book Trove.

About Mary Lee Ashford

Mary Lee Ashford is a lifelong bibliophile, and avid reader, and supporter of public libraries. In addition to writing the Sugar & Spice mystery series for Kensington Books, she also writes as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey, author of the national bestselling Pampered Pets mystery series from Bell Bridge Books.

Prior to publishing Mary Lee won first place in the Daphne du Maurier contest, sponsored by the Kiss of Death chapter of RWA, and was a finalist in Murder in the Grove’s mystery contest, as well as Killer Nashville’s Claymore Dagger contest.

She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and a current board member of the Mystery Writers of America Midwest chapter, as well as a member of Novelists, Inc., Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death the RWA Mystery Suspense chapter, Sisters in Crime, and the SinC internet group Guppies.

Mary Lee has a passionate interest in creativity and teaches a university level course in Creative Management to MPA candidates, as well as presenting workshops and blogging about creativity. She loves encouraging other writers and is a frequent presenter on a variety of topics at workshops, conferences, and writers’ groups.

In her day job, Mary Lee is a Deputy Chief Information Officer. She currently resides in the Midwest with her husband, Tim, and Sparkle, the rescue cat namesake of the Sparkle Abbey pseudonym. Her delights are reading and enjoying her family and especially her six grandchildren.

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