Night of the Living Bread

by Mary Lee Ashford

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.

Genres: Cozy Mystery

223 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 27, 2025

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Night of the Living Bread (Sugar & Spice Mysteries Book 4) by Mary Lee Ashford is the first book in the series that I have read. No problem, it is a straightforward cozy mystery with any backstory that is given to the reader, Not much is needed, since this story deals with the here and now. A cookbook project, one dead body then a next. More may happen if the killer is not caught.

Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are wonderful characters as well as wonderful cooks. Plot has more than one suspect, so it is not an easy case to solve. However, going along with these two cook sleuths, you will discover and stop the killer as they do.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Sugar & Spice Community Cookbooks is busy with several cookbook projects. Still, Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are excited to take on the bread recipe cookbook for the Jameson County Historical Society. The talks have just been preliminary, so Sugar goes to meet the society’s president, Marla Mercer, to firm up the details. When she arrives, she finds a young docent and Marla’s dead body, a bread knife stabbed into her back. It isn’t long before Marla’s best friend Mame is the sheriff’s prime suspect.

St. Ignatius is also being plagued by a “Cash Burglar”. And to add to the fun, Dino Diner Dinelli is in town to feature the local Red Hen Diner on his television show. Oh, I can’t forget the 2nd body found in an unusual place.

Are all these things connected? Can Dixie and Sugar get all the cookbook projects done while trying to clear Mame’s name, catch the Cash Burglar, and keep Dino from dumping on Red Hen? Or will the killer grind everything to an alarming halt?

I am happy to see this series has found a new publisher!

Ms. Ashford has created a fabulous cast of core characters. They are so genuine and people you want to have your back, whatever arises. Best friends Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are partners of Sugar & Spice Community Cookbooks. Dixie is the baker who tests all the recipes before they appear in a cookbook. Sugar handles the logistics, working with the clients, and setting up the books. Max Windsor, who is more than a friend to Sugar, takes all the fantastic photos for the cookbooks. Sheriff TerryGriffin stops by often for a cup of coffee and to taste whatever Dixie is baking. He likes to check in with them, too, about his current case, even though he tells them to stay out of it. Real estate agent Tina Martin arrives daily with the latest St. Ignatius news and gossip, heavy on the gossip. At home, Sugar has a handsome, demanding six-toed tabby feline roommate named Ernest. He is “proficient in glares and eye rolls, and an Olympic napper who she loves very much.

I enjoy the way the author tells a story. Her details set each scene and the people involved. Her food descriptions make my mouth water. The murder takes place early in the story, so there is ample time to introduce different suspects and theories. Sugar and Dixie report anything they learn to Sheriff Terry. In this story, though, Sugar’s A-ha moment and her discovery occurred before she could loop the good sheriff in. The confrontation that occurred was heart-stopping. The killer was on my radar, but I didn’t understand why until everything was wrapped up.

Night of the Living Bread was a sweet read. So well-plotted, the story moves at a lively pace. A fine mystery, entertaining characters that feel like good friends, set in an Iowa small town, complete with yummy recipes, delivered everything I needed for A Perfect Escape. With a nod to Aunt Cricket and an old family friend of mine, this book left me “feeling finer than frog hair.” I hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next book in this fun cozy mystery series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. This is the first book in this series and by this author that I have read. I am sure it will not be the last. I thought the story was well written. The town and the characters come to life by the descriptions. The mystery was tricksy and enjoyable to try and solve along with our two bffs. There is plenty of happenings in this small town that keep the story interesting and diverse. Definitely recommend!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I read in this cozy series and won't surely be the last as it's a lovely and highly entertaining cozy that kept me hooked and guessing.
Solid mystery, right pace, likeable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed and it's highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 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.

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 review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[dnsyl57 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Night Of The Living Bread" is book #4 in the "Sugar & Spice Mysteries" by Mary Lee Ashford.

It's been almost 5 years since the last book in this series was first released in 2020 (all 3 previous books have since been republished) so I was pleasantly surprised to get a notice a few weeks ago that a new release was coming on May 27 2025!

The series picks up where it left off with Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer running "Sugar & Spice Publishing" as they work with community groups and organizations to produce cookbooks for various fundraisers.

Fall in St. Ignatius finds them busy working on a couple of projects but they can't say no to a request from the Jameson County Historical Society to publish a bread making cookbook. They've just gotten started when the board president, Marla, is found dead - stabbed with a bread knife! Her best friend Mame is a suspect but Sugar and Dixie don't believe she did it. A twist with another body only adds to the confusion.

Additional subplots include some small thefts by someone labeled as the "Cash Burglar" and the arrival in town a production company and celebrity TV host for a show called "Dino's Diner". Dino is known to give some nasty reviews and also has a connection to Sugar.

I've missed these core characters. Sugar and Dixie work so well together as friends and as business partners. Granted some of the people around them can be a bit annoying like how rude Mrs. Pickett usually is or how Tina can never keep a secret. Then there are gems like Toy George, Max and Sherriff Terry.

For me, figuring out who was behind the cash burglaries was fairly easy but the murder took a bit more sleuthing. There were two people I was suspicious of fairly early on but wasn't sure which until a bit later in the book - but well before they were revealed. Sugar made some interesting discoveries along the way - some of which led her to figure out how almost all of it connected. A few more facts were uncovered after the killer was in custody.

My only minor quivel with the story was Dixie wondering if there were enough recipes to make a bread cookbook. Seriously? Granted it is a small community but even so, you'd be amazed at the number of recipes that can be turned in for such a project. In my younger years, I contributed to at least 2 community style cookbooks that got far more recipes than they could even use for each category.

Overall, this was an entertaining cozy read that will have you wanting to reach for some delicious breads to nibble on while you read! Luckily, there are a few tasty recipes included at the end of the book!

[Tracy Condie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night of the Living Bread
Sugar and Spice Mysteries
Mary Lee Ashford


Night of the Living Bread, book four of the Sugar and Spice Mystery series, is a culinary cozy that is crafted to feed your desire for armchair sleuthing and provide great recipes. While Sugar is the main protagonist she would be lost and somewhat hungry without the baking genius of Dixie. These two ladies are a well balanced set running a successful cook book publishing business in the small cozy town of St. Ignatius. While Dixie is usually busy in the kitchen, Sugar is busy with the paperwork and legwork for the business and the questioning of suspects. Not that she would dream of getting in the way of Sheriff Terry’s investigation or putting herself in unnecessary danger.

The usually quiet town is hopping with activity. There is the impending film crew of a diner review show looking to set up shop at The Red Hen, the death of Marla Mercer, and a string of petty cash thefts. Thank goodness this is a stand-alone story given the number of plot twists. The appearance of Dino Diner brings back an unpleasant memory from Sugar’s past and how she ended up leaving the publishing world to join Dixie in St. Ignatius. Not much seems to ruffle Sugar but Dino’s visit might ruffle feathers including those at The Red Hen. This is a town of easy-going people and business neighbors who are interesting and even quirky. Sugar’s actual neighbor, Mrs. Pickett is a most unusual and quite cantankerous character. In fact, it is due to the surly senior neighbor, that Sugar even gets involved in mystery solving this time. All good amateur sleuths need to be inquisitive. Mrs. Picket says that Sugar is good at snooping and that someone needs to clear her niece, Mame, off of the suspect list. There aren’t really a lot of people to suspect, after all, Marla was a nice lady who worked at the historical society, but that doesn’t dissuade Sugar from looking. Sugar is as sweet as her name and would help anyone. It is one of her character traits that is endearing and makes this series a joy to read.

This is a very enjoyable book with an engaging plot and fun characters. I was able to follow the clues but still did not figure out the culprit until the big reveal. My only request for the future installments is related to romance. As with most cozy books, there is a slow burn romance. Actually, both Sugar and Dixie have slow burn romances going, and I do mean sssslllloooowww. Maybe just a little more speed? After finishing the book, I felt the knead (LOL) to make the bread recipe after finishing the book see below.

[K.A. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

NIGHT OF THE LIVING BREAD is the fourth book in the Sugar & Spice Mysteries by Mary Lee Ashford. This mouthwatering story is filled with sugar and spice and everything nice… until a murder happens, that is. Protagonist Sugar Calloway and her business partner, Dixie Spicer, own Sugar & Spice publishing, which puts together cookbooks for organizations and publishes them. Sugar has the enviable position of being the taste tester for Dixie’s kitchen creations, as she makes the cookbook recipes for photographing. Not only are they business partners, but they’re also best friends. I enjoyed seeing their interaction and their support of each other is heartwarming. Ms. Ashford’s strong descriptive skills bring each scene to life so that you can practically smell the baking bread, the taste of the creamy butter, or hear the sound of wheels of a skateboard roll down the sidewalk. It makes you feel like you’re a part of the story.

The author gently lulls the reader with the easy comradery of the two friends, the delectable tastes of yummy treats, and the quaint friendliness of the town, then reminds you that you’re reading a mystery by introducing the crime early on. Sugar was the second person to arrive at the murder scene of the historical society’s president, Marla, the very person Sugar was scheduled to meet with. When Marla’s best friend is accused of the deed and begs Sugar to help her, there’s not a chance she can say no. Even though Sugar and Dixie are amateur sleuths, I liked that they have a good relationship with local law enforcement and share each detail and clue they uncover, whether or not they think it’s important. With subplots of a slew of break-ins happening all over town, with nothing more than minor cash being taken, and a celebrity TV chef coming to town to feature the local diner, the plot moves at a fast pace. Clues are sprinkled throughout for the quick armchair detective to catch, and there are a few twists I didn’t see coming. The author does an admirable job bringing all the elements together into a scrumptious read that kept me turning pages.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d never heard about cozy mysteries, much less culinary cozy mysteries, until, in 2020, I came upon the first book of Mary Lee Ashford’s Series, Sugar and Spice Mysteries, Game of Scones. I collect community cookbooks, so finding a book that included two sassy and smart women who own a community cookbook publishing company, lots of great food references, along with a cozy mystery set in a small town, was pure treasure, and now I’m hooked on this genre. I quickly read the next two in the series, and have been eagerly expecting the release of Night of the Living Bread, thanks to a new publisher. I was not disappointed! And, if you haven’t read the first three, don’t worry. Ms. Ashford provides just enough backstory to get you going…hopefully going back to the first book and catching up, because they’re all so much fun.

In this latest installment, Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are juggling a few new cookbook projects in various stages of completion, and beginning to work on a bread-themed cookbook for the Jameson County Historical Society. When their primary contact, someone apparently universally loved in the town, is found (by Sugar) with a bread knife in her back, the mystery unfolds like delicious layers of a croissant. The pace is perfect, the dialogue sparkles, and Ms. Ashford doesn’t skip a beat. From the first page I was right back in St. Ignatius, Iowa, with Sugar, Dixie, gossip queen Tina, feisty octogenarian Greer, Sheriff Terry, and all the other regulars (I especially like Toy George, proprietor of the Red Hen Diner), as well as many new characters. While I thought I’d figured out “who done it” early on, it wasn’t until the very end that all the pieces came together. Speaking of the end, there are recipes at the back of the book (I recommend the Lemon Bread). Welcome back, Sugar and Dixie. Please come back soon!

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are working on a new project for the Jameson County Historical Society. It’s a cook book focused on various breads. It may sound a little narrow, but they already have several ideas for subcategories, and the pair are excited about it. Their contact for the project is Marla Mercer. But Sugar’s appointment one morning never happens since she finds Marla dead on the office floor, a bread knife in her back. Everyone seems shocked by the murder, insisting that Marla was well loved. So who would want to kill her?

It’s been a few years (and a publisher change) since we got the previous book in this series. I was glad to see it back and was easily able to slip back into Sugar and Dixie’s world. It was great to reconnect with the characters, and spending time with them made me smile. The suspects seemed nice as well, at least at first. I did figure parts of the mystery out early, but I didn’t have it all put together until the climax. There are a couple of subplots that helped kept me engaged. We also get five recipes at the end of the book. Fans will be just as happy as I am to revisit these characters.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun cozy mystery, full of intrigue and amazing recipes! This is the first book I’ve read in the Sugar & Spice series, but it reads easily as a standalone. (I did notice that as of writing this book one in the series, Game of Scones, is free on Kindle – not sure how long that will last, but I grabbed it!)

Sugar and Dixie are wonderful characters, and what a unique business they have created. Their partnership is fun to see in the works. I’m always intrigued by the occupations of sleuths in cozy mysteries and it’s especially interesting when it’s something I’d never thought of before.

The mystery was solid – and happens early in the story, which I enjoy as that gives readers lots of time to investigate along with Sugar. While I did have a guess as to the true culprit, I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see the big reveal. It was a nail-biter.

I loved all the details the author adds to the story – I was pulled in right away and could easily visualize the town, the people and most especially the food. Oh my gosh those recipes featured in the back. I will certainly be trying a few of those.

I’m so glad I’ve been introduced to this series and look forward to reading more!

[Charmaine Fernando · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I am reading Mary Lee Ashford, and her writing style is good and very easy to read, kept me engaged and entertained throughout the story. We meet Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer who own Sugar & Spice publishing; they compile and publish cookbooks for organisations. Sugar is the taste tester and Dixie, the photographer. The camaraderie and support they provide each other is lovely to read and wish I had something similar with my girlfriends…. (sigh)

The jarring moment comes when the murder is discovered and the quaint little town that you sigh overtakes on a whole new dimension. The nuggets of information left behind by the author provide the reader with the opportunity to guess at the murderer while the story moves along. You are kept interested and engaged and look forward to finding out if your haunches prove correct. I received an ARC from the publishers and Booksprout and submit my honest review voluntarily.

Although this is the fourth in the series, I was able to follow along easily enough and will look out for more from Mary Lee Ashford.

[Clarkfamilybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best friends Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are partners of Sugar & Spice Community Cookbooks. When the Jameson County Historical Society asks for their assistance with a cookbook featuring bread recipes, Sugar can't help but say yes. Then Marla, the board’s president, is stabbed and Mame, Sugar's best friend is suspected.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

really enjoyed the book