Bread on Arrival

Heaven Lee #4

by Lou Jane Temple

When murder strikes at a bread-making convention, Heaven Lee must rise to the occasion...

Having overcome a series of failed careers, sassy sometime-sleuth Heaven Lee has found her own slice of paradise as a pre-eminent Kansas City chef. When the ARTOS (Greek for bread) convention comes to town, Heaven looks forward to nothing more than gathering some bread-making tips, but things start to heat up when one of her colleagues falls to his death from a grain elevator and another is found murdered in a pan of bread dough. Add to this recipe the startling fact that someone has tainted some of the convention's dough, causing its eaters to go temporarily insane, and Heaven's got more on her plate than most cooks can handle...

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

About the author

LOU JANE TEMPLE, the former owner of Cafe Lulu in Kansas City, wrote about food and entertaining for Kansas City Magazine, and was the author of the Heaven Lee mysteries, a series of culinary thrillers.

Lou Jane moved to Kansas City in the late 1960s and was a 50-year resident of Kansas City, Mo., and a creative force in the city.

Reviews

[Stacey Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Members of ARTOS, a national bread makers group are in Kansas City for a conference. Pauline, the bread maker at Heaven Lee's cafe is a board member. Heaven, who is just learning bread making skills, joins Pauline to attend workshops and tours while the group is in their city. Kansas City is a large wheat producer and home to the largest white bread making factory, BIG BREAD.
The players in this mystery are:
Walter Jinx, a protester from way back who is researching wheat to find a perennial grain to replace the usual annual grains.
General (retired) Irwin Mills, head of the research labs at the Milling and Grain International Studies Lab in Manhattan, Kansas.
Ernest Powell, Grand champion bread machine bread maker.
Patrick Sullivan, head of R & D for BIG BREAD, Inc.
Dieter Bishop, from Germany, renowned for his rye bread flour.
When a tour of the milling process at the mill in Manhattan goes awry Heaven finds herself involved in another mysterious death. But her daughter, Iris, will soon be leaving for England where her father and her new boyfriend Stuart are living so Heaven's attention is divided. The workers at the cafe are surprised when Heaven doesn't throw herself completely into the mystery, and they're a little disappointed they don't get to help solve it. But then Heaven gets pulled in by threats and circumstances beyond her control. Not knowing who to trust or believe anyone could be the one causing problems in this bread filled mystery. Recipes for a variety of loaves are included in the mix.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

#4 in the Heaven Lee Kansas City restaurant owner and chef and part type sleuth mystery series. Heaven needs all her skills to discover what and who is causing the 2 deaths and various health issues affecting members of an international bread makers association convention which her Kansas City chapter is hosting.

This is a culinary mystery so there are recipes along with a lot of information regarding artisan bread making.

[Kathy jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

My summer reading featuring local authors. Fun read, terrific recipes, made me hungry for good bread.

[Keridak Silk]

An interesting mystery based with an all in slueth. Heaven Lee rushes headlong into danger and dead ends. I learned a lot about bread baking and wheat farming.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay. I enjoyed the plot, but the writing was very dry and stagnant in my opinion which made for a boring reading experience.

[Margaret]

While not a bad read, it just didn't grip me either. Feel rather lukewarm about this cozy mystery detective - it seemed like she theorized more than detected although since she's busy running a restaurant she probably did not have time for much more. Did like looking over the recipes however and the butterscotch brownies sound wonderful!

[Piepie | The Napping Bibliophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just could not get into this 4th Heaven Lee mystery. Heaven, Hank, and Iris were alright, but all the stuff about rye and bread and wheat and grain made me feel like I was reading a textbook. For me the book didn't pick up until maybe 100 pages in. My favorite parts were the scenes at Cafe Heaven and the scenes at Heaven's place with her spending time with her boyfriend and daughter.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Super ugh, I did finish this one and just plain don’t like the books, they’re all based on some big convention for cooks, this one was on bread (which I enjoy baking) but, I DON’T and DIDN’T want a college course on bread breaking, wheat growing, super ugh!

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great mystery series with really yummy recipes!

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good.
Someone is putting a chemical that turns into LSD when baked into wheat.
Convention in Kansas City.

[Katie Hilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gaggle of world-famous bakers are gathered in Kansas City, but something is taking a toll on some conference participants. An entertaining read.

[Pam Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Heaven Lee culinary mystery set in Kansas City, this is a good mystery series. Heaven is making bread not barbecue this time. Book four in the series.

[Christa]

The most interesting way to kill someone (at least in this series).

[Karen Spignese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always enjoy her books!