I'm happy to turn the blog over to Greer Gooder today. You can find Greer on the pages of the Sugar & Spice Mystery series by Mary Lee Ashford. Night of the Living Bread is the fourth book in the series and was released last month.
Hello Cozy Readers,
Greer Gooder here and I’m thrilled someone finally wants to hear from me. I’m not just in Night of the Living Bread as was mentioned above. I’m actually in all the Sugar & Spice Mysteries. You see, I’m Sugar’s landlady. That might sound like an old-fashioned word but I don’t know what the modern version would be so I’m sticking with landlady.
Sugar moved to St. Ignatius, Iowa and started up a community cookbook business with Dixie Spicer, whose family by the way has lived her for generations. About the same time, I got to thinking I was ready to move to a retirement community. After all I’ve been retired for a while. I don’t mind telling you my age. I’m 81, almost 82 though I sure don’t feel it at all. Inside I still feel as young as when my Louis and I bought the place. And though Louie has been gone for years now, I always thought I’d stay in our house until I kicked the bucket. But my friends Freda, Nellie, and Bunny had moved to The Good Life retirement village and they were having so much fun. Potlucks, a book club, cards, and yoga that you do sitting down. The truth is I kind of felt left out.
So the arrangement with Sugar was perfect. It allowed me to make the move and try out The Good Life and it gave her a place to live while she and Dixie attempted to make a go of their business. My new place is smaller but I’ve found I don’t mind having less space to keep up. Less time for cleaning, more time for reading, I say. And Sugar was a-okay with renting as is so I didn’t have to bother with cleaning out all the stuff in my attic. If I need something, the girl hunts it down and brings it to me. That’s the just the kind of person she is – kind, caring, and not afraid to stand up for what’s right. If I had a daughter, I’d want her to be like Sugar. I don’t have a daughter, I have a son who is a poop, but that’s another story for another time.
Back to Sugar who is one smart cookie. She and Dixie have been instrumental in helping the local sheriff with a couple of murder investigations and now it seems there’s been another one. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to kill Marla Mercer, our local Historical Society’s board chair. Everyone loved her. But Sugar went to meet her about a cookbook project and found her dead – stabbed with a bread knife. Can you imagine?
I can’t and I read a lot of murder mysteries so I’m pretty versed on possible motives. But I’m sure Sugar and Dixie will get to the bottom of things. They’re that good. And, of course, I’m available to help.
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Night of the Living Bread (Sugar & Spice Mysteries) by Mary Lee Ashford
About Night of the Living Bread
Cozy Mystery 4th in Series
Setting - Iowa
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books (May 27, 2025)
Print length: 223 pages
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.
About Mary Lee Ashford
Mary Lee Ashford is a national best-selling author, a lifelong bibliophile, an avid reader, and a supporter of public libraries. In addition to writing the Sugar & Spice series for Oliver Heber Books, she also writes the Pampered Pets mystery series as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey. Prior to publishing, Mary Lee won first place in the Daphne du Maurier contest and was a finalist in Murder in the Grove’s mystery contest and Killer Nashville’s Claymore Dagger contest.
She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and a former board member of the Mystery Writers of America Midwest chapter, as well as a member of Novelists, Inc., and Sisters in Crime Guppies.
She loves encouraging writers and is a frequent lecturer and workshop presenter for writers’ groups. Mary Lee has a long-time interest in creativity and teaches a university-level course on creative management. She also presents workshops and blogs about creativity and the writing craft.
She currently resides in the Midwest with her husband, Tim, and Zoey, her feline coworker. When she’s not writing, her passions are reading, travel, and time with her family, especially her six grandchildren.
Author Links:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/maryleeashford1
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mary-lee-ashford
Threads - https://www.threads.net/@authormaryleeashford
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authormaryleeashford/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17806883.Mary_Lee_Ashford
- Purchase Links
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Book 1 - Game of Scones is FREE now and through this tour.
Sounds like a book I will enjoy.
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