Ivy's thrilled that not only is a cooking show coming to town, it's going to film a bit at Yeast of Eden, whose owner Olaya is a little less happy. Neither of them expected, however that first one of the cameramen for the show would be injured in a hit and run right outside, that the co-hosts would hate each other, and most of all- that one of them- Sandra, would be murdered! This is a cozy, of course, so you know there was more to Sandra than met the eye but is the answer an obvious one? No, and no spoilers from me. While the plot is fine (some nice red herrings) I like this series more for the characters and the way they treat each other. Ivy's reunited with her old love Miguel, who owns a restaurant, and the two of them, along with others solve crime in a a logical way. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier ones- Archer gives you enough info to get you going and feel part of the gang. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

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

Enjoyed this story so much, I finished the story and went and made a delicious loaf of bread. My husband despairs every time I read a culinary mystery because I cook afterwards. I enjoyed the characters and story very much.

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.

When native Sandra Mays returns to San Sofia to co-host a new reality T.V. show with the premise of visiting various bakeries and sharing their stories, it results in some tragic events. Yeast of Eden owner, Olaya Solis, has reservations about allowing them to film at her bakery. In addition to her bakery and her wonderful breads, Olaya teaches bread making to anyone wanting to learn and at this time a few of them are women from a nearby women's shelter. It's for this reason Olaya hestitates, not wanting to inadvertently cause problems for them but Ivy thinks the exposure would be good for the bakery and to ask the women in her class how they felt about being filmed.. The women agree to it and filming begins.

During a filming break, one of the cameramen, also from St. Sophia, is a victim of a hit and run. Luckily he makes it, but when Ivy learns he volunteers at the women's shelter, she also signs up to work on the self sustaining garden. Later, when Sandra Mays turns up dead, Ivy investigates further since the murder occurred on her friend, Olaya's premises, Ivy trys to find if there is a connection, between the hit and run and the murder of Sandra Mays.

As always, this was an entertaining cozy that's well written with great characters.. I would recommend this book and series to all cozy readers. It comes with some mouthwatering bread recipes, too!

Please Note: I received a copy of this book from the publishers through Netgalley.com. All opinions expressed are my own.

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.