Beloved Mexican bakery Yeast of Eden has scored the catering deal at the annual Santa Sofia, California, art car parade and ball. But when a contestant turns up dead, making bread will be the yeast of their problems . . . Apprentice baker Ivy Culpepper sees art cars everywhere she turns. Besides helping prepare the bread and pastry for Santa Sofia’s annual spring event, she’s the official … the official photographer, documenting the elaborate cars, outspoken artists, and riotous celebrations. Even her family’s in on the act: her brother Billy has been runner-up in the competition more times than she can count—but this is going to be the year he celebrates his win in the victory lane.
But after Billy’s rival, Max Litman, revs up his bombastic showmanship, Billy is once again set to cruise into second place. Until Max is found dead—positioned as a prop in his own art car. The whole town knows there’s no love lost between the two men, and Billy is the prime suspect. Now Ivy will have to sift through collusion, deception, gossip, and lies to find out what really happened. But with the help of her octogenarian Watson, her restaurateur beau, and her adopted aunts at Yeast of Eden, she knows she can take the heat . . .
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I’m really enjoying reading this series!
In this installment, Ivy is determined that her brother is going to win this year’s art car contest. When Billy’s biggest competitor is found dead inside his art car and Billy is the prime suspect, can Ivy get to the bottom of this mystery and clear her brother’s name?
Wow! This one really surprised me. I had no idea what was coming at the end. I was convinced of everyone’s guilt throughout the story but I never saw the ending coming. I loved getting to know Ivy better and I loved seeing more of Billy and Emmaline. I do feel like Miguel was kind of left out of this book until the end. I wish we could get all of the characters in all of the books instead of little glimpses in every other book. Overall, I enjoyed this one and I can’t wait to read the next one!
Ivy and her curious bunch of friends are on the hunt again for a murderer as someone close to her is on the hook for it and looks like they are going down for it if she doesn’t find the guilty party soon. Once again excellent character development enhances a complex and exciting plot. The narrator of the audiobook does an excellent job of bringing the story to life and overall the experience is quite good. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!
I love the characters and the way they support each other. Ivy will stop at nothing to help her family and friends. This is a quick, fun read with a lot of twists and turns. I like a story where I can’t figure out who the culprit is until it’s revealed. I always have my suspicions, but more times than not I am pleasantly surprised to find out who really did the deed. This is an enjoyable book, and I recommend it!
I have a piece of advice for anyone thinking of reading this, or any of the books in this series by Winnie Archer. Don’t read these books if you are hungry. The descriptions of the food, especially the bread products will make you head for the kitchen and you will be disappointed.
Now that you are sufficiently warned, let me tell you about the book. This is the third in the series and I have read each one. Each book is as good as the last and Ms. Archer builds on the characters but doesn’t leave the reader behind if they have missed a book.
Ivy is the mystery solver/amateur detective who has moved back to her hometown after the sudden death of her mother. Mrs. Brandford, her octogenarian neighbor, is Ivy’s partner in detecting, Billy is her brother, Emmaline is her best friend, a sheriff’s deputy, and Billy’s girlfriend, Olaya, bread baker, teacher, and bread store owner, and Miguel is Ivy’s high school boyfriend and newly rediscovered love interest.
In The Walking Bread the town is getting ready for their annual festival and Art Car Show. When Ivy goes to photograph the cars, she discovers a dead body in one of the cars with damaging evidence leading to her brother as the murderer. As Ivy sets out to solve the murder and remove the shadow of doubt from her brother, we meet and clear or suspect several new characters.
As always with this author, she keeps you guessing until the very end. A completely satisfying mystery and ending.
The Walking Bread by Winnie Archer is the third installment in A Bread Shop Mystery series. Ivy Culpepper lives in Santa Sofia, California which is busy preparing for the Art Car Show and Ball. Contestants spend months decorating their cars for the contest and parade. Ivy is the photographer for the event and has been busy uploading photos to the website. Ivy’s brother, Billy has not participated in a few years because he continually lost to the deceptive Max Litman. Billy has created a car to honor their mother who passed away recently. He is sure his beautiful Through the Looking Glass car will take the grand prize. Ivy is photographing the cars and is shocked by Max Litman’s creation. What Ivy thought was a prop, turns out to be Max. With the rivalry between Max and Billy well known, Billy zooms to the top of the suspect list. With Deputy Sheriff Emmaline Davis sidelined by Sheriff Lane, it is up to Ivy to find out who wants Billy to take the fall for Max’s death. Ivy, with the help of her trusty sidekick, Penelope Branford, must sift through the potential suspects, the clues, and the gossip to identify the killer.
The Walking Bread is not a standalone story. You need to read Kneaded to Death before embarking on the newest book in A Bread Shop Mystery series. I found The Walking Bread easy to read courtesy of the writers’ style of writing. The pace varies throughout the book. I am happy to see Ivy happy living in Santa Sofia. She has a cozy home, family and good friends. I wish the author had taken the time to explain her job in The Walking Bread. We know she is a photographer and taking photos of the event for the city. Does she have her own business? It is not explained in this book. I found the concept of art cars fascinating. What a unique idea. The entrants take old cars and turn them into art pieces. Billy’s car sounded magical with it’s Through the Looking Glass theme. The description allowed me to imagine what the piece looked like. Max Litman is one of those characters that readers will love to hate. Immediately I could tell that he would soon be found dead and he was in a dramatic fashion. The account of his car will have you cringing (perfect for Halloween). Billy (of course) is the prime suspect so Ivy steps up to find the guilty party. Her helper is Penelope Branford who enjoys the investigations. Not many people liked the victim (shocker), and Ivy must wade through the various suspects to determine who would want him dead. The mystery can easily be solved before the solution is revealed. I felt the resolution was incomplete. There is supposition instead of facts. There are many cozy moments as Ivy spends time with her family, bakes bread with Olaya Solis, and enjoys romantic moments with Miguel Baptista. There are some tender and sad moments as the Culpepper family mourns the loss of their matriarch and share their favorite memories. I would like the books in this series to have more depth and character development. I am giving The Walking Bread 3 out of 5 stars. The Walking Bread is a good choice for those readers who prefer airy cozy mysteries.
It’s time for the annual Art Car Show in Santa Sofia and Ivy Culpepper’s brother, Billy, is determined to win this year. When Billy’s rival, Max Litman, is found dead in his car, Billy becomes the prime suspect. Ivy, with the help of her best friend, Emmaline (also a cop and Billy’s fiancé); her boyfriend, Miguel; and her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Branford, they investigate to clear Billy’s name. A book with a charming town with interesting characters and an intriguing storyline. I hope there are more books to come in this fun series! I want to see what happens with Miguel and Ivy and the rest of the town.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Spring in Santa Sofia, California, means it is time for the annual Art Car Parade and Ball. Ivy Culpepper is very familiar with the event, her brother Billy has come in second for years, always losing to Max Litman. This year should be different. Billy has a fantastic idea inspired by his mother that has passed away. Ivy is amazed by the work of car art he has created. The cars are all being moved to the pre-event site and Ivy notices a very creepy car. Her pug, Agatha, really has an issue with the car, actually barring teeth. When Ivy examines it closer the thing she thought was a prop turns out to be a man. A very dead man. Max Litman is dead and a huge piece of evidence points right at Billy. Her best friend Deputy Sheriff Emmaline Davis has been sidelined because of her relationship with Billy, so the chief is taking charge. Ivy knows she is going to have to work hard and find the real killer because he thinks the case is open and shut and Billy is his man.
This art car thing is brand new to me. I have been to many car shows but never an art car show and the whole thing drew me into this story. I was fascinated by the author’s detailed descriptions of the cars. What a creative event.
Ivy Culpepper works at Yeast of Eden as an apprentice baker, but she trying to get her photography business off the ground. She was at the event to take pictures but Yeast of Eden is also one of the caters for the event so sleuthing out the real killer should be easy . . . NOT! The suspect pool is wide open and there is not a lot of clear evidence. With a little help from her friends and her pug, Ivy starts to piece things together and I was right there with her. Again the author’s vivid descriptions painted a vivid picture to put readers right on the spot.
Ms. Archer has created characters with depth. They are likable and relatable. They have grown in each story with a nice progression. I was taken by Billy’s tribute to his mother’s love of reading. It warmed by heart the way she passed the love on to her children.
The story was very well-plotted and entertaining. It was perfectly paced and held my attention the whole way. I love the creative title and the way it tied into the story.
This story stands on it own but reading the series from the start will make it more enjoyable.
I liked the story and how it involved Ivy’s family more. It also showed some character growth on Ivy’s part, but could have used more meaningful interaction with her family members as well. there was more interaction with her brother and father than the other books, but it was very superficial.
The author did a good job of making the victim worthy of betting offed and there were several possible suspects. Most of the usual secondary characters got a brief nod in this one.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.