A fun and enjoyable third book in the Sugar & Spice Mystery series. It stands well on its own...although you might want to read the other books in the series for maximum enjoyment.
The mystery was interesting and I love the characters.

I recommend this book and the whole series.

Thank you to the publisher, Lyrical Press, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

This is the third book in this cozy series and works well as a stand alone. Sugar Calloway and her best friend and business partner, Dixie spicer publish cook books for school fundraisers, various organizations and for families who want to showcase favorite family recipes. In this entry, Sugar and Dixie have taken on the project for the Abbott family. The family business grew from the family recipe for quiche and now spans an entire line of frozen foods. They leave town to meet the family at a very nice nearby B&B where the entire family will be staying for a week. Sounded harmless until dinner the first night. It was quite a show when the grandson, Theo introduces his finance and it goes haywire. The next morning Sugar, wanting to get started on reaching her daily 10,000 steps, goes for a walk and comes across Colette's miniature poodle, Frenchie, with his trailing leash and poor Colette lying dead with an arrow in her chest. Tragic hunting mishap? or murder.
It took me awhile to sort out the three generations of the Abbott group and the beginning was a bit slow but no worries, it resolved itself and the second half was a faster pace with a great ending. It was a quick read and I would have liked to have spent more time with Sugar, Dixie and the rest of the regular characters.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer, owners of Super and Spice Cookbooks, are spending a weekend with the Arbor family gathering material for a cookbook to preserve family favorite recipes, some of which have been turned into the frozen meals the family is famous for. However, the weekend gets off to a rocky start when Theo, the only grandchild, arrives with his fiancée, Collette. This is the first time Collette has met the family, and things don’t get well. Then Sugar finds Collette’s body the next morning on her walk. There is a possibility it was a hunting accident, but could it be murder?

I really have grown to love the characters in this series, so I was happy to be visiting them again here. Don’t worry, we do get to see all the regulars as the story unfolds. It was a bit overwhelming meeting the Arbor family all at once, but it wasn’t long before I had these suspects straight in my mind. Unfortunately, the plot could have been better. One aspect wasn’t fully developed, and the pacing was uneven. However, Sugar does uncover some interesting information, and I was engaged the entire time I was reading. In fact, I was sorry to reach the last page of this quick read. I enjoy the setting, Iowa, since it is one we don’t get to see very often, at least in the books I read. Naturally, we get three delicious sounding recipes at the end to enjoy once we are done with the book. If you are looking for a fast, fun read, this is the book to pick up.

Quiche of Death by Mary Lee Ashford is the 3rd book in A Sugar & Spice Mystery series, and an enjoyable read. Former magazine editor Sugar Calloway and her friend blue ribbon baker Dixie Spicer are putting together Sugar and Spice cookbooks, they just finished one for the Abbott family. All the Abbotts are having a weekend gathering to celebrate their book, but when a death occurs, Sugar and Spice are on the case. Quiche of Death is a charming mystery. The characters and plot are well developed and interesting. The story is well written and held my interest from the first page. I highly recommend this book for all cozy mystery readers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When Sugar Calloway lost her job, she and her friend Dixie Spicer opened their own business. Sugar was once an editor for a large magazine, and Dixie is a baker, and they've found their niche creating cookbooks for people. They've been asked to spend the weekend at a B&B owned by one of the Abbott family, and to create a cookbook for everyone in the group. The Abbotts started with a recipe for a delicious quiche, and have continued with other recipes to create a fortune in frozen foods. But Sugar and Dixie just don't know what they've walked into...

When the family gathers for an informal dinner, the only grandson, Theo, shows up with his fiancée Collette and her small French poodle, who causes havoc at the dinner table. It's apparent that the matriarch of the family adores Theo, so nothing is said. But the next morning while out for a walk, Sugar stumbles across the body of Collette, who's been killed with an arrow. Now she's up to her ears in suspects, and finding a killer isn't going to be easy, especially when you're trying to cook a murderer...

This is the third book in the series, and I have not read the first two, so I was a little leery of what to expect. I did like the blurb, though, so I thought I would continue. While the book starts out a little slow, it soon gathers momentum and draws you into the story. There is a bit of background on the two main characters, but as I said, this is the third, so it's not gone into detail; yet there's enough where you don't feel left behind in what is going on with them.

The women have created their business by deciding to put cookbooks together for others using recipes, photos, and stories -- which is a different background from other cozies, so that was a plus for me. When the story gets rolling, we discover that this family makes other dysfunctional families look normal. There are family dynamics behind the scenes that Sugar catches onto quickly, and she and Dixie can't wait to leave the premises. But when something unexpected happens, it makes Sugar determined to figure out what's really going on.

I liked the way the tale was written, and even though it's not even close to suspenseful nor a thriller, I have to say that I honestly didn't figure out the murderer until Sugar did, which is a very nice thing. The ending was a true surprise all around; and I enjoyed the story so much that after finishing it I went and bought the first two and plan to read them soon -- and hope to see that the next in the series will be coming forth soon. Recommended.

An engrossing mystery, likeable characters, excellent storytelling with a dash of quirkiness, I absolutely enjoyed reading Quiche of Death.
The mystery element was a little slow in the first half of the book but do not let this disappoint you. The second half is totally worth it! The twists a boom- you will never see this coming. The mystery behind the murder and a few related crimes was shocking. A touch of romance brought some more charm to this sweet cozy mystery. (Sweet as Sugar, get it?)
Highly recommended!

Quiche of Death by Mary Lee Ashford is the third installment of the cozy A Sugar & Spice Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each book in the A Sugar & Spice Mystery series features it’s own mystery that is solved within the book so each can be read as a standalone or in any order. There is character development that carries over from book to book for those that do follow from the beginning though.

This series introduces Rosetta Sugarbaker Calloway who prefers to just be called Sugar by her friends. After losing her job at a magazine Sugar teamed up with baker Dixie Spicer, the other half of Sugar and Spice, to start a cookbook publishing business in the small town of St. Ignatius, Iowa.

Sugar and Dixie have now been hired by the Abbott family who have made their fortune making quiche and now wish to produce a cookbook. The ladies were invited to a weekend at gathering at the Abbott home with all the family to begin sorting recipes and family stories. However, the weekend doesn’t quite go as planned when one of the attendee’s is found with an arrow in her chest sending the ladies on the hunt for another killer.

The A Sugar & Spice Mystery series is another small town cozy with quirky characters and lots of culinary delights for the foodies out there. The problem I had this time around that dropped my rating a bit was these books have been rather short and sweet to read but this third seemed to pass in the blink of an eye being even shorter. I would have liked more depth to the mystery as it felt rushed but the characters are still enjoyable so I will probably be back with the next installment!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

An enjoyable and engrossing read that kept me hooked. I liked the characters, the setting and the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc, all opinions are mine.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mary Lee Ashford and Kensington Books for the ARC of Quiche of Death. In exchange for this ARC I am giving my personal review.
Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are spending a weekend at the B&B of the Arbor family. They are there to work with the family to make a family cookbook. The Arbor family have a remarkably successful business selling quiches ad other family recipe products.
The book has a lot of twists and turns after Sugar stumbles onto the dead body of the only grandson’s fiancé who was found dead by an arrow.
This is the third book in the Sugar & Spice Mystery series. This is the first book I have read in the series and I immediately purchased the first two because I enjoyed this book so much.

Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are staying at the Arbor family's B&B for the weekend to work on a family cookbook for their newest client. The Arbors have run a successful business selling quiches and other frozen meals. The siblings and spouses have arrived for a family gathering with their feisty matriarch Marta. Then grandson Theo arrives with some surprise guests: his new fiancee Colette and her dog Frenchie.

While Sugar and Dixie enjoy the family meals and the luxurious B&B facilities, Colette is lukewarmly welcomed by the Arbors. The next morning, Sugar finds Colette near the archery field with an arrow in her chest. Who would want to kill Colette? Theo knows very little about Colette's family. So the police are not surprised when the family contacts Colette provided to her employer turns out to be fake.

Sugar and Dixie wonder if the Arbor family wants to continue with the family cookbook project and decide to return home. They get a surprise visit at their office from Jezzie, one of the Arbor siblings who terminates the family cookbook contract with a generous severance. Then Sugar learns that one of the spouses, Lucinda, has gone missing and that the family B&B has been ransacked. Sugar and Lucinda's joint interest in genealogical research and the inheritance of the Arbor business are important factors behind the killer's actions.

This was a quick, enjoyable read. There are also some tasty recipes at the end of the book.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Sugar and Dixie are staying at the Arbor family's B&B in Iowa while they work on a cookbook based on family recipes- a family that made its fortune on frozen quiche, among other things. The family is having. reunion and is surprised when one of the grandsons brings a fiance- who they don't like. And, because this is a cozy, you know, don't you that Sugar is going to find her body (but an arrow?) and that there was more to her than met the eye. Don't worry if you haven't read the two earlier books- this is fine as a standalone. Dixie and Sugar, who have a nice business publishing vanity cookbooks, make a good pair (nice dialogue) and the recipes are wonderful. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A quick read (it's not long) with a nicely plotted mystery. For cozy fans.

Sugar and Dixie own and operate Sugar & Spice Cookbooks. Sugar takes care of the business side of the house while Dixie handles all the cooking. In this third book of the series, they are working on their next cookbook for the Arbor family. While at the family's Bed & Breakfast for the weekend doing research, Sugar stumbles across the body of one of the family members' finance. Sugar is an amateur sleuth and can't help but try to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Sugar must juggle a budding romance, a surly neighbor, tension in their small town business square, dog and cat fights, and a daily battle with her step counter before finally solving the mystery.

This is my first book by Mary Lee Ashford. This was an enjoyable, quick cozy mystery. The culprit wasn't easily identifiable for most of the book, so that is a win for me. My only complaint would be the lack of background information on the main characters in the beginning of the book. Having not read the first two books in the series, it would be great to provide the reader with some basic facts on the characters to help give us a point of reference on the characters background. There was a bit sprinkled here and there, but it was hard for me to find Sugar and Dixie's voice in my head to fully relate and bring their story alive in my head. Overall a good book though!

This is the 3rd book in the series, and the only one I've read. This is a cute cozy mystery and it was easy for me to jump into the series. While not complex the storyline was entertaining and the characters charming. This is the perfect afternoon read.

QUICHE OF DEATH, the third book in the Sugar & Spice Mysteries by Mary Lee Ashford, is another delightful addition to this cozy series. Protagonist Sugar Calloway owns Sugar and Spice Cookbooks with her business partner and friend, Dixie Spicer. I love their business and the author’s descriptive voice makes each of their projects come to life from the mouthwatering recipes to the cookbook layouts to the professional food photos (taken by Sugar’s boyfriend, Max) to the choices of covers and paper. It makes me want to compile my family and in-law recipes and have Sugar create a cookbook for me! The character of Sugar is just as sweet as her name implies and I enjoyed her downhome manners and the cute sayings she pops up with inspired by her Aunt Cricket. Sugar is the type of person you’d want as a lifelong friend: always there for you with a kind word and a willingness to provide a helping hand. She even fostered the victim’s spoiled toy poodle, much to Sugar’s cat’s dismay! This added a bit of humor along with Sugar’s obsession with her fitness activity tracker and how many steps she was getting each day. I had to chuckle because it just might have hit close to home, lol!

The story begins with Sugar and Dixie staying at a B & B with the Arbor family in order to work on the family cookbook featuring their famous Arbor Family Foods Quiche Lorraine, which made their fortune. As Sugar and Dixie soon find out, the Arbor family is dysfunctional. It’s not long before Sugar stumbles over the body of Collette, the flaky new fiancée of the Arbor family grandson. Since the family wasn’t happy with his choice of spouse, could one of them have taken matters into their own hands and killed her? While Sugar may be sweet, she’s also intelligent. Using observation skills and the ability to get people talking, she delves into family secrets and starts uncovering the truth about what happened. But as secrets are ferreted out, violence toward members of the family and Sugar escalates. I had no idea who the killer could be so I sat back and enjoyed the unfolding of the story instead of trying to figure it out. While the ending was a bit rushed, it still provided a satisfying conclusion which wrapped up the loose ends and has me eagerly waiting for the next book in the series to release.

There are many mentions of mouthwatering treats and dishes served at the B & B, along with the Arbor family’s famous recipes throughout the story. I was happy to see that Ms. Ashford includes several recipes at the back of the book.

Wonderful characters. Arbor Family Cookbook. Bed and Breakfast. Quiche that Started it All. Ernest the Cat. Frenchie the Poodle. Book Design. Food photography. False identity.

Sugar and her business partner Spice are putting together a cookbook. Their clients are the Arbor Family who hired them to put together a cookbook. There is also a family reunion.

While the family reunion is underway, someone stumbles on a dead body. The reader learns more about the Arbor family and their dynamics.

Quite a page turner.

Really enjoyed this book that kept me guessing throughout. Fun mystery with lots of twists and turns. Read it in a few hours!

A charming and engaging cozy mystery. Creating a family cookbook becomes challenging when a guest is murdered. The story kept me guessing. The interaction among the usual characters adds to the tale.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I’ll be baking a quiche later this week, as well as downloading the first two books in this three book series. Sugar and her friend and cobusiness owner, Dixie, are working with the wealthy Arbor family, writing a family cookbook that features the recipe that began their food business. Things go downhill when Sugar finds the fiancée of the family’s only grandson dead, shot by an arrow on their property. This light cozy finds Sugar getting more and more involved, however accidentally, with the investigation. Nicely written characters, a plot that isn’t far fetched, food descriptions that will leave you hungry, I enjoyed this read even though I hadn’t read the first two. I appreciate my advanced copy in exchange for my opinion.

This is the 3rd book in the Sugar & Spice Mystery series, but the first I had read. Who knew that making a cookbook from treasured family recipes could be deadly? This cozy series continues with the duo checking out a family, whose fortune is based on a quiche, that has become legendary. But was it always? There may be some sorded family secrets that literally come out of the woodwork, when one murder soon looks like there will be many more. This is a fun afternoon read that will definitely have you HUNGRY by the time you finish it! And maybe inspire you to pull out the family recipes too!

I found this to be a satisfying read as the third book in the series. It was nice to see Sugar and Dixie working outside of the shop.

The mystery was well-done with just enough twists and turns. I'm looking forward to seeing how the relationships grow.

The book kept my interest until very late in the night as I didn't want to put it down.