Death Gone A-Rye by Winnie Archer
has Ivy Culpepper enjoying the wedding of her best friend and her brother in
Santa Sofia, California. She notices
Capt. Craig York looking at his phone and then consult with the bride, Sheriff
Emmaline Davis. It turns out that Santa
Sofia school board president, Nessa Renchrik has been murdered. Unfortunately, Capt. York narrows his sights
in on Miguel Baptiste, Ivy’s boyfriend.
It turns out that Miguel dated Nessa over ten years ago and saw her the
week before her death. Ivy knows that Miguel
did not harm Nessa. Thankfully, there
are plenty of suspects. Ivy with help
from Penelope Branford, retired schoolteacher, and Olaya Solia, owner of Yeast
of Eden, set out to sift through the clues and uncover the killers’
identity. Death Gone A-Rye is the 6th
tale in A Bread Shop Mystery series. It
can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series or if you have missed
a book or two. The story is well-written
with developed, likeable characters. There
is a diverse cast of characters. I
especially love Mrs. Penelope Branford. I
hope I am like Mrs. Branford when I am in my 80s. It is always pleasant to visit Santa Sofia. The pacing is a slow for my taste. A little action would have helped. It was wonderful to see Billy and Emmaline
get their happily ever after. I enjoyed
the descriptions of the bread offered at the reception. The Vincent Van Dough focaccia sounded
beautiful (you should look them up online).
The mystery was multifaceted.
There are several good suspects in the death of Nessa. I am surprised the list was not longer after
learning more about the victim. Ivy
questions a number of people in her quest for the truth. There are good clues (if you pay close
attention to the details) to help you identify the killer. I like everything tied together and the
complete resolution. The ending will
leave a smile on your face. I do feel
that the story needs more humor. That is
the one thing lacking for me. There are
recipes at the end for Van Dough Focaccia Bread Art along with helpful bread
making tips. Death Gone A-Rye is an
appetizing cozy mystery with fancy focaccia, a bothered bride, a surplus of
suspects, a framed fella, curious clues, and a cantankerous captain.
“Are those sourdough?” Miguel asked. He pointed to a cluster of dinner rolls. Instead of having a rounded top, each looked like the dough had been rolled into a strand, then knotted and sprinkled with white and black sesame seeds.
“Yes. Made with fresh-milled local rye, spelt, and, por supuesto, wild yeast.”
“Of course. Only wild yeast,” Miguel agreed with a smile.
“You laugh, but it makes a huge difference,” she said.
Miguel threw up his hands. “I am not laughing. I know the importance of your traditions and the best ingredients.”
Olaya nodded her head, just once. It was her acknowledgment that she knew Miguel understood. She released my arm, took up a napkin, and used it to rearrange a few of the rolls to better balance the display. Miguel slipped his arm around me, pulling me close. “You look beautiful,” he said. With his free hand, he played with the loose strands of my hair. “I like the updo.”
I gingerly patted the back of my head. My hair tended toward unruly, but the clips and bobby pins were keeping it controlled at the moment. My coquettish reply was stalled when the door from the patio flung open and a man stepped through. It was David Soul’s look-alike. He had his phone in his hand again, but this time he held it to his ear. “I’ll tell her, but she’s leaving on her honeymoon. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
Miguel and I looked at each other. This was the captain in the sheriff’s department, and he was clearly talking about Emmaline. “Will do,” he said into his phone. He snapped the device onto the phone clip strung onto his belt, then looked up, noticing us for the first time. A wee bit concerning for a crime investigator. I thought spacial awareness and observation would be key to his position.
“Sorry ’bout that,” he said. He looked at me. “You’re Ivy, right? Culpepper? Sister of the groom?”
I nodded. I’d originally placed him in his late forties, but up close, he looked younger. Maybe forty or fort-yone. His skin was tanned, and with his blond hair and white teeth, he wore his age well. I wondered how he felt about having a female boss who was younger than him, hoping he was the progressive sort who celebrated women in power.
“The sheriff has mentioned your, um, contributions to the department.”
Contributions. That was one way to put it. Crime solving was another. I was an apprentice baker at Yeast of Eden, but I had also found myself acting as a Santa Sofia sleuth lately. “She’s mentioned you, too. She was thrilled to steal you from San Luis Obispo.”
He nodded but didn’t continue the chitchat. “There’s been a . . . an incident. Good to see you.” He nodded to Miguel, acknowledging him, although they hadn’t formally met, before turning on his cowboy-booted heel and heading back outside.
From his conversation on the phone and his demeanor, I knew he didn’t want to burden Emmaline with whatever incident had happened, but she was the sheriff and I knew he had to. I pulled away from Miguel. “I’ll be right back,” I said, and started after him.
“Stay out of it,” Miguel called after me.
I couldn’t promise that until l knew what it was. I looked over my shoulder and smiled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, and before he could tell me exactly what he was thinking, which was that I didn’t need to get wrapped up in another murder, I was back on the patio and making a beeline for Em and Billy.
