Quiche of Death by Mary Lee Ashford
Book #3: Sugar and Spice Mystery Series
Source: NetGalley and Kensington
Rating: 3/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: Rather than saying I didn’t love this book, I’m going to go with, I think this may be the slump book in the series. I completely enjoyed the first two books in this series, but Quiche of Death just didn’t measure up to the precedent. What I am hoping for, and saw some signs of, is that this book is going to serve as a sort of launching pad into the next several installments of the series. Everything in this read seemed to be a bit more subdued than in the previous two books from the characters to the plot to the big reveal. I dove in expecting something exciting and was left with something not quite so. I didn’t dislike this book by any means, but I felt it just didn’t have the same punch as the first two. With luck this is only a slump and the girls will be back in business in book four and beyond. ( )

When Sugar Calloway lost her job, she and her friend Dixie Spicer opened their own business. Sugar was once an editor for a large magazine, and Dixie is a baker, and they've found their niche creating cookbooks for people. They've been asked to spend the weekend at a B&B owned by one of the Abbott family, and to create a cookbook for everyone in the group. The Abbotts started with a recipe for a delicious quiche, and have continued with other recipes to create a fortune in frozen foods. But Sugar and Dixie just don't know what they've walked into...

When the family gathers for an informal dinner, the only grandson, Theo, shows up with his fiancée Collette and her small French poodle, who causes havoc at the dinner table. It's apparent that the matriarch of the family adores Theo, so nothing is said. But the next morning while out for a walk, Sugar stumbles across the body of Collette, who's been killed with an arrow. Now she's up to her ears in suspects, and finding a killer isn't going to be easy, especially when you're trying to cook a murderer...

This is the third book in the series, and I have not read the first two, so I was a little leery of what to expect. I did like the blurb, though, so I thought I would continue. While the book starts out a little slow, it soon gathers momentum and draws you into the story. There is a bit of background on the two main characters, but as I said, this is the third, so it's not gone into detail; yet there's enough where you don't feel left behind in what is going on with them.

The women have created their business by deciding to put cookbooks together for others using recipes, photos, and stories -- which is a different background from other cozies, so that was a plus for me. When the story gets rolling, we discover that this family makes other dysfunctional families look normal. There are family dynamics behind the scenes that Sugar catches onto quickly, and she and Dixie can't wait to leave the premises. But when something unexpected happens, it makes Sugar determined to figure out what's really going on.

I liked the way the tale was written, and even though it's not even close to suspenseful nor a thriller, I have to say that I honestly didn't figure out the murderer until Sugar did, which is a very nice thing. The ending was a true surprise all around; and I enjoyed the story so much that after finishing it I went and bought the first two and plan to read them soon -- and hope to see that the next in the series will be coming forth soon. Recommended. ( )