Death Gone A-Rye

Death Gone A-Rye by Winnie Archer has Ivy Culpepper enjoying the wedding of her best friend and her brother in Santa Sofia, California. She notices Capt. Craig York looking at his phone and then consult with the bride, Sheriff Emmaline Davis. It turns out that Santa Sofia school board president, Nessa Renchrik has been murdered. Unfortunately, Capt. York narrows his sights in on Miguel Baptiste, Ivy’s boyfriend. It turns out that Miguel dated Nessa over ten years ago and saw her the week before her death. Ivy knows that Miguel did not harm Nessa. Thankfully, there are plenty of suspects. Ivy with help from Penelope Branford, retired schoolteacher, and Olaya Solia, owner of Yeast of Eden, set out to sift through the clues and uncover the killers’ identity. Death Gone A-Rye is the 6th tale in A Bread Shop Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series or if you have missed a book or two. The story is well-written with developed, likeable characters. There is a diverse cast of characters. I especially love Mrs. Penelope Branford. I hope I am like Mrs. Branford when I am in my 80s. It is always pleasant to visit Santa Sofia. The pacing is a slow for my taste. A little action would have helped. It was wonderful to see Billy and Emmaline get their happily ever after. I enjoyed the descriptions of the bread offered at the reception. The Vincent Van Dough focaccia sounded beautiful (you should look them up online). The mystery was multifaceted. There are several good suspects in the death of Nessa. I am surprised the list was not longer after learning more about the victim. Ivy questions a number of people in her quest for the truth. There are good clues (if you pay close attention to the details) to help you identify the killer. I like everything tied together and the complete resolution. The ending will leave a smile on your face. I do feel that the story needs more humor. That is the one thing lacking for me. There are recipes at the end for Van Dough Focaccia Bread Art along with helpful bread making tips. Death Gone A-Rye is an appetizing cozy mystery with fancy focaccia, a bothered bride, a surplus of suspects, a framed fella, curious clues, and a cantankerous captain.

Death Gone A-Rye carries on the tradition of excellence Winnie Archer introduced us to in the beginning of A Bread Shop Mystery. My attachment to these characters contributes to how much I enjoy each book in the series. Ivy is naturally drawn to almost any mystery but when Miguel, the love of her life, is labeled as the top suspect, nothing can keep her from investigating the death of a local school board member. With her unintended team of her boss Olaya Solis, and eighty-six-years-young neighbor Penelope Branford, Ivy discovers that the woman is reprehensible and that there are many people who belong on that suspect list ahead of Miguel. Now she just has to convince the police of that and the only way she can see to do so is to find the real killer. Heart is a big draw for me and this book touches mine deeply. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for the chance to read the ARC of Death Gone A-Rye. It is a well written, well-paced novel with amazing characters and I enjoy sharing my love for the series and this book, not to mention getting to sneak and early read. #NetGalley #DeathGoneA-Rye

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!